The Wilson Bros.: Articles

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The Importance of Coaching

The off season is a unique time. It's a time to reflect on your previous year skiing and a time to think about the season ahead. Whether you’re a competitive skier or not you may have thought of getting some professional coaching at some point. Getting even a few sets of coaching will get you out of your comfort zone and challenge you to push yourself in ways that you wouldn’t think of on your own. The off season is a perfect time to step out and go get some coaching. With a majority of coaches in Florida and the tameness of Florida Winters it really is a winning combination. Coaching can be good for your skiing due to a number of factors.

It is easy to get in a comfortable groove with your skiing and become complacent with your skill level. When you get coaching it is inevitable that you will be out of your comfort zone at some point, between being at a different lake, using a different boat and having a new set of eyes watching you it puts you outside your normal comfort level. Being out of this comfort zone allows you to think about your skiing different than you have in the past. It really allows you to be evaluated and challenge yourself to keep pushing to get better and learn what you can do to become a better skier.

The fresh pair of eyes that you have on your skiing will catch those little mistakes you didn't even realize you were making and it will also give you a new perspective or theory to think about with your skiing. It's easy to read blog posts or watch videos but the difference between that and actually getting down to a good coach is huge. Another aspect that can be extremely impactful is to bring your ski crew down together. You can ride in the boat for each other and listen to the coaching and pick up on things to take back and help each other with all season long.

One more fun thing about getting down to get coaching is watching others ski and meeting new friends. You never know who will be there at the same time as you and this can be exciting. You may get to watch some incredible skiing that pushes you to get better and you may meet someone that skis in the same area as you. My favorite part of skiing is the community and I've always found it fun to ski with a lot of people I've never met before.

Each of these factors all come together to benefit you and make you push yourself to be a better skier. Who doesn’t try to ski a little better or a little harder when someone new is watching? So get out this off season and get some professional coaching. I'd love to have you come ski with me!

To book in, email coach@thewilsonbros.com.

Power

Power, you have to have it. With out power that 400 horsepower boat will take you down course faster than you ever thought possible. Insanity has been described as “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” This can be applied to skiers so easily due to the fact that we always want to get that next buoy but we often do not want to change our approach to slalom. It is time to make a change. It is time to rethink how you are utilizing your body position from the finish of the turn through the wakes. So many people constantly fight the boat in an effort to make it cross course which ultimately puts them late and out of rhythm with the boat. Lets take a look at how to work with the boat and use your power to get cross course as quickly and efficiently as possible.

As you finish the turn you must establish a strong connection between you and the boat before you can begin to efficiently move cross course. As the tip of the ski engages at the backside of the buoy you will naturally begin to start a turn. At this time your outside hip and hand should stay together and as your free hand comes on to the handle it should begin to take the pull from the boat. If your hips maintain connection to the handle and the pull comes from your trailing arm you will maintain a connected position through the wakes. It is crucial to have straight/relaxed arms behind the boat and full pull come from your shoulders rather than your biceps and forearms. If you maintain this solid position; speed and power are your friends and you should embrace them. Try to constantly build your speed so you are going your fastest right behind the boat. This will allow you maximum speed through the edge change and help you to take an aggressive outbound line. Think about following the path of the handle and allow your hips and shoulders to do the same.

Power behind the boat is crucial for optimum cross-course direction. The direction you take cross-course determines the line you take through the turn and ultimately whether you will run the pass or not. It is possible to establish too much angle out of the turn which results in getting pulled back by the boat causing an extreme loss of angle. While uncommon it is a frustrating thing to experience. The great thing about skis today as they are designed to turn when on the inside edge. Most skis will generate an appropriate amount of angle during the turn and then it is your job to just hang on and enjoy the ride. If you ski with me it is pretty common to hear me say “patient turns; aggressive pulls” this means that you should be patient at the backside of the turn to let your ski get set. Once it is set it’s game on and you can be as aggressive as you want to maximize that cross-course speed.

This can be a difficult process to master as it is very easy to be overly aggressive and eager at the finish of the turn. Be patient and trust it though. If you take the time to master the art of power behind the boat your skiing will be transformed.

Keeping it Simple

Keeping it Simple

When it comes time to dust off the skis and start your spring training it can be easy to jump in to it too fast. It is easy to get excited about being on the water again and start skiing like you never took a day off. I have the pleasure of skiing with a lot of people who are getting back on the water after a long torturous off-season and I can tell you the biggest mistake I see is people trying to make it too hard on them selves. Skiing is essentially two simple body positions linked together as fluidly as possible. You have a “turning” position and a “pulling” position. These two positions should be the core of your skiing, by moving between these in seamless fashion you maximize the angle and line you can take in and out of the turn. Lets look deeper at these body positions and see how to engrain them into your muscle memory.

Turning

As you transition into the turn you should be driving through with your hips and hands, feeling back arm pressure as you climb over your front foot. This allows your direction to carry out more efficiently and your shoulders to remain level as you come into the ball. As you bring your hand off the handle you should stay balanced over your ski with shoulders level and in line with your hips and feet. The handle should feel light in your hand and your free hand should be low and light beside you. Keep your handle low and moving in front of you to maintain width and speed. Your core moving towards the first wake should initiate your movement back. As that movement starts, your free hand should start coming back to the handle in unison with your feet as your ski moves under the line.

Pulling

After you have completed the turn it is imperative to keep your ski moving cross course. The angle you establish off the buoy is what you will be able to hold through the wakes. At this point you should be in a balanced position, driving away from the boat and building speed in an aggressive manner. Once you have reached the first wake all your work should be done. At this point, your angle and body position should be established, your arms should be relaxed and you should be focusing on maintaining this through the second wake. You cannot create anything new behind the boat so it is imperative that you hold a proper body position and stay away. From wake to wake your body should be still, all energy should be focused on carrying your direction off the second wake.

The common denominator between both areas is a balanced, shoulders over hips over feet, position that allows you to be centered on your ski. This balance translates into more control of your ski and allows you to work less and get more reward. Fluidity in these movements keeps outbound direction and prevents loss of line to the inside. Replacing stagnant movements with proactive ones maximizes control of the ski and maintains ease of movement through your skiing.

Email coach@thewilsonbros.com to book lessons with either Brooks or K.C.

Light on the Line

Light on the Line

I want to talk about being light on the line and what this concept actually means and how to incorporate it into your skiing. I have seen and heard a lot of people talk about trying to ski lighter and it translates to them just being very soft and not ever getting drive away from the boat after the turn. The idea in reality deals with carrying your speed throughout the entire pass. We feel fast on our skis due to intense acceleration. Acceleration comes from slowing too much in the turn and then trying to regain that spend instantaneously out of the turn. If speed can effectively be carried from the pullout and then carried throughout the course with minimal deceleration and acceleration then there is no need to have periods of massive acceleration which cause extreme amounts of load on the rope in a short time. The key to being light is staying connected throughout the pass, by maintaining connection off of the second wake you are able to carry your speed out and back through the finish of the turn and then begin an aggressive cut across the course. Failing to stay connected results in moving back to the inside and carrying speed down the lake with a loose rope. When the rope is loose in the turn it causes skiers to have to lose tremendous amounts of speed to regain balance. After that point the only way to regain speed is to load really hard out of the turn and accelerate quickly, thus land sliding the same process through the pass. In reality, the idea of being light on the line has everything to do with how well you control your speed in the course. Being aggressive behind the boat doesn't mean you are heavy on the line. Being heavy on the line comes from gaining all your speed instantly right off of the buoy. Instead, once your turn is complete and angle is set begin to rebuild your speed progressively all the way through the second wake. At this point you can begin to carry that speed and direction out to the next buoy. Slowing in the turn is inevitable, how you deal with that speed is what allows you to be light on the line. In the turn, move away from the boat until you move back through the turn. By doing this, you prevent yourself from being stagnant on the ski which causes imbalance and a loose line. Remember that controlled speed is your friend and by carrying that speed throughout the entire course you are in control of the actions you make.

Balance and Speed

Balance and speed are two crucial elements of skiing but how do you use them? More importantly lets look at how you use balance and speed together to make your skiing the best it has ever been.

Balance

Being balanced on your ski involves much more than being centered over your feet. While that is the first step, it goes much deeper. To be truly balanced all your movements must work together to move the same direction at the same time. For instance, if you want to pull out for your gate; your shoulders, hips and feet must move together away from the boat to make an effective outbound move. If you try to make these movements independently you will find yourself feeling extreme disconnect throughout the course. If your entire body is making simple movements across the course and through the turns you can truly be in tune with what your ski is doing and maximize your efficiency and pulling power.

Speed

If speed is your friend then maintaining constant speed is your best friend. Your speed starts with the acceleration you take out on your gate pull-out. From this point it is optimal to carry this same speed throughout the course. By carrying this speed and not decelerating in the turn you allow yourself to maximize width on the boat and maintain position in the course. Any time you decelerate as a skier the boat continues on its straight line down the lake, thus forcing you more down course. The key is to move wide with speed, maintain a tight line and keep your ski moving through the backside of the turn.

The Combination

Combining your balance and speed maximizes your potential. By taking your strong balanced position over your ski and using it to carry speed in the course you allow yourself to take more width and ski a more up-course line. One thing that really helps bring these two together is keeping both hands on the handle longer into the turn. This does not mean pulling longer but keeping both hands on for balance. As your free hand comes off the handle your inside shoulder naturally begins to drop. By keeping your hand on longer it allows your shoulders to stay more level thus allowing you to carry speed through the turn more effectively. Remember that simple is better. As skiers we often tend to over complicate things. Having a balanced pulling and turning position linked together as fluid as possible maximizes effectiveness.

Keys to Better Performance

Skiing is a challenging sport. The continual chase for more buoys can be the most rewarding feeling when it works in your favor. However, it can be terribly frustrating when things don't feel quite right. Lets take a look at three key elements to help your buoy count move in a positive direction.

Training Partners

The people you ski with have an extremely big influence on your skiing. Finding someone who you trust behind the wheel is always a big first step. From there it is important to find a ski partner who motivates you to get out, train and become a better skier. Look for someone who has a similar schedule to you and can go skiing at the same times. It is crucial to train with positive people who make skiing fun and aid in your addiction to round that next buoy.

Videoing

Videoing your sets and reviewing them after you ski is more beneficial than most people realize. A single pass in a slalom course happens so fast that it is near impossible for our brains to process all the moves that we make. For this reason K.C. and I have started using video much more. By watching video you can slow it down and actually process the moves that you make verse the movements you should be making. There are many very helpful videos of talented water-skiers on the Internet as well. These allow you to see what skiers at higher levels are doing and from there you can take bits and pieces to incorporate into your own style. By studying your own movements you train yourself to become more aware of what you are actually doing on the water and it

gives you more control in the course.

Journaling

Keep a descriptive journal of your skiing is a must. Recording your training sessions on paper and knowing what off water training you did along with conditions, ski settings and what you were working on for each set allow you to track the ups and downs of your skiing. By journaling you discover what works best for you and allows you to pinpoint exactly what aids in your success. Reviewing your journal should help you stay on you’re A-game all season long by knowing exactly what you have to do to peak at the right time and how to set yourself up for big tournaments.

Think about integrating theses aspects into your skiing this season. The time we get to spend actually on the water going through the course is minimal. By working on your skiing off the water you can become a better skier and really take advantage of your on-water training.

Slump Busters

Slump Busters

The dreaded slump, it’s something we never want to get in but time and time again we find ourselves in the middle of July struggling during a time we should be excelling. A slump normally starts slow, a few sets in a row not going to plan and all of the sudden the wheels fall off and it feels like you have lost everything. It is easy to lose your cool but stay calm and realize that though it may feel like the world is ending the sun will surely rise again.

When you feel yourself skiing below what you expect take a step back and look at your skiing from 30,000 feet. It is extremely easy to get tunnel vision when it comes to our own skiing. We get so focused on running one more bouy that by the middle of the season it is easy to forget about body position and think only about that next little red ball. Spend a few sets at your opening passes and really focus on the following items that play pivotal roles in our skiing.

Speed

Carrying constant speed throughout the entire pass is crucial to success. Feeling fast on our skis comes from intense acceleration. This acceleration comes from slowing too much at the bouy and then trying to load the rope instantaneously at the finish of the turn. Instead, once your turn is complete and angle is set begin to rebuild your speed progressively all the way through the second wake. At this point you can begin to carry that speed and direction out to the next bouy. Slowing in the turn is inevitable, how you deal with that speed is what allows you to be light on the line.

Balance

Standing balanced on your ski allows you to move together as one unit. If unbalanced, you are fighting yourself constantly. a balanced position is found when you are in a shoulders over hips over feet position. If all those things are in line and moving together you are being as efficient as possible on your ski. If any one of these elements is ahead of or behind the other, you are fighting yourself and not in control of the direction you are taking. Being fluid in the course is possible when you have seamless movements that flow together and allow you to stay in the level, shoulders over hips over feet position.

The most important thing is to remain calm, skiing is fun and don’t lose perspective of the situation. Always be sure to check your equipment and make sure nothing has moved and confirm your ski buddy isn’t playing a bad prank on you. Video is another good tool in this scenario. Take some video of your skiing and compare it to a time when you were skiing your best. It can be hard to feel what you are doing wrong but seeing it in comparison to your best skiing can help simplify things. Keep working thorough the rough patches in skiing and you will back to running PB’s in no time.

A New Approach

With every new season comes a new feeling of excitement. Not knowing what will

happen in the coming year leads us to fantasize about the tournaments we’ll attend

and the old friends we’ll see along the way. There is much to be excited about as a

new season approaches but one thing will always be the same year after year. Those

first weeks right after you start back up are going to be interesting. I’ve

got three handy tips to make your entry into 2013 a little bit easier.

1. Patience

While it may sound like common sense, patience is a must at the beginning

of the year. If you come flying into the new season trying to set a new PB within

the first week you’re going to end up with a sore back and a bruised ego. Try

free skiing for a couple sets to get your rhythm back and then hit the course. The

best way to work on getting last seasons form back is to spend some time at your

longer line lengths dialing in a good body position. A key I always like to think of is

“maintaining my speed. “ This means from the time I pull out for my exit gates to the

time I move through 6 and out the gates I am always trying to be moving on my ski.

Gone are the days where we are trying to slam dunk turns and slow the boat down

with a massive pull. Speed is your friend and by carrying speed through the turn and

leveraging yourself away from the boat properly you allow yourself to be lighter on

the line and more efficient with your body.

2. Position

Your body position is the most crucial part to your skiing success. The way

you ride your ski is vital to your success on the water. Let's start from the beginning,

from the moment you get up until you drop on the end you should be aware of how

you stand on your ski. Stand over your front foot with a slight bend in your knees.

Standing strong gives you control to move your ski where you want. During the

winter it is extremely easy to be uptight. Make sure that your shoulders and arms

stay loose and relaxed while you ski. This lets your ski to ride the way it should and

allows you to stay away and strong behind the boat. Another key to focus on is your

release off the second wake. Be strong behind the boat and when the time is right

make your move out. Allow your ski to carry direction outbound by maintaining

body position and not pulling yourself to the inside. The most crucial element to

moving from behind the boat to the turn is making it one continuous movement as

opposed to two distinct moves. By making fluid continuous movements you allow

yourself and your ski to ride more natural and balanced in the water. This leads

us to the turn. When moving back in after the bouy, progression is key. Don't try

to crank out big turns. Instead think that all your direction is now building in the

opposite direction. Once you're at the height of your turn, start moving your free

hand back on the handle and build speed cross course. This will allow you to finish

your turns in a strong balanced position and right where you want to be behind the

boat. Relax your arms and continue the process over and over again

3. Plan

Take the time to write down how you envision your season looking. Think

about what tournaments you want to do and then schedule your training

accordingly. Once that is done set some goals for yourself. Think about where you

want to be half way through the season and then at the end of the year. Setting goals

gives you something to train hard to achieve. Monitor your success and what you’ve

been working on in a journal. First and foremost though, have fun. Enjoy another

season doing what you love and keep chasing bouys!

Breaking it Down

Breaking it Down

Fall is here, the season is coming to an end and you are trying to squeeze in your last sets for the year. Instead of trying to cram in one final practice personal best for the year, lets look at the big picture. While it can be a thrill to practice those short line sets it is more important to finish the season maintaining the good form you spent all summer establishing. By finishing the season working on your opening passes and keeping good rhythm and body position in the course you are creating muscle memory. This is the muscle memory your brain will pull from at the start of next season so do your future a favor and kick start an easy 2013 by finishing 2012 as strong as it started. Lets review my favorite excerpts from this season’s articles to give you some keys to work on while you finish up this years skiing.

January/February

"In Line"

As you complete the turn you should end up in a balanced position over your ski. To be balanced on your ski requires many things, but the most crucial being that everything is moving the same direction at the same time. A balanced position is found when you are in a shoulders over hips over feet position, referred to as in line. If all those things are in line and moving together you are being as efficient as possible on your ski. If any one of these elements is ahead of or behind the other, you are fighting yourself and not in control of the direction you are taking. Being in line allows you to ride your ski in the way it was designed and wastes less energy while fighting your way cross-course. Once you have established this out of your turn it is imperative that you hold this position all the way through the second wake and then move outward, still in this balanced position.

May/June

Being Connected

Chances are you have heard this term before but what does it mean? Put simply, being connected means that there is no separation between your hands and your body. When there is a separation between the two, it results in an inadequate pull from the boat. Getting a strong pull from the boat is necessary to get speed across the course and arrive at the next buoy. To establish this connection you have to move through the turn and have your hips move up to the handle from the start. If you turn and then try to establish this position it is too late and more than likely you are being pulled out of position by the boat. At the finish of the turn, focus on bringing your free hand to the handle simultaneously as your ski is coming back under the rope. When done correctly you will feel your hips and hands connecting at the finish of the turn. During this phase, focus on relaxing your arms as you use your core to keep your hips up to the handle. If this move is done correctly you can then adequately build speed cross-course from a connected position.

July/August

Line Tension

Skiing with a tight line is critical, especially as the rope gets shorter. With a tight line it is possible to move through the turn with speed. Without a tight line you are forced to wait at the bouy for the line to get tight before moving through the turn. To maintain line tension you must be aware of the direction you are taking at all times. Similar to speed maintenance you don't want to lose direction off the second wake. After you make a balanced move away from the boat be aware of what your hands are doing. If your hands stop moving away they are more than likely going back towards the boat. Work on effectively keeping two hands on the handle longer. This will keep you more balanced on your ski as well as keep you moving away from the boat with a tight rope. When your free hand comes off, move it away from your body while simultaneously moving your handle hand constantly away from the boat until it's time to turn. When turning, reconnect your hands with your core while carrying speed cross course to optimize tight line skiing.

Training With A Purpose

When is the last time you hit the water with a single goal in mind for your set? It is crucial to have a plan of attack when you hit the water. By going out there with a set plan it allows you to be productive every time. There are lots of great keys you can focus on but let's go over three simple things that are sure to improve your sets!

Speed Maintenance

Maintaining the same speed from your gate pullout throughout the entire course is an absolute must. By keeping the speed throughout the pass you allow yourself to move up the boat with freedom and ease. Carrying speed through the turn is tough but not as hard as people make it. By continually moving outbound off the second wake you are able to effectively prevent yourself from standing stagnant and unbalanced on your ski. Anytime you are riding flat on your ski it causes you to lose the rope and fall inside, losing speed in the process. Work on moving away into the turn all the way to the point where you turn back in on the bouy.

Balance

If you are riding your ski in an unbalanced position it is extremely hard to make progression in the course. It is also hard to establish a connected position in the middle of a pass. Before you pull out for the gates makes sure you are riding your ski in an in-line position. Being in-line requires that you are balanced with your shoulders over your hips and your hips over your feet. Starting from this spot allows everything to move together in the same position at the same time. By moving together at the same time you are more effective on your ski. This also helps you move with fluidity during your pass, maximizing balance.

Line Tension

Skiing with a tight line is critical especially as the rope gets shorter. With a tight line it is possible to move through the turn with speed. Without a tight line you are forced to wait at the bouy for the line to get tight before moving through the turn. To maintain line tension you must be aware of the direction you are taking at all times. Similar to speed maintenance you don't want to lose direction off the second wake. After you make a balanced move away from the boat be aware of what your hands are doing. If your hands stop moving away they are more than likely going back towards the boat. Work on effectively keeping two hands on the handle longer. This will keep you more balanced on your ski as well as keep you moving away from the boat with a tight rope. When your free hand comes off, move it away from your body while simultaneously moving your handle hand constantly away from the boat until it's time to turn. When turning, reconnect your hands with your core while carrying speed cross course to optimize tight line skiing.

Focusing on simple keys like the ones above during your set allows you to zero in a specific point in your skiing and perfect it. When taking sets with such a specific goal in mind it is important to judge your set on how well you completed your goal as opposed to how many bouys you ran. It is still important to have sets in which you run up the rope and maximize your bouy count but having sets in which you focus on important keys allows your skiing to reach full its potential.

Making Moves

As skiers, we often get caught up in the intricate details that make up an entire slalom pass. The fastest anyone will get through a slalom course is, at most, 16.08 seconds. While that doesn't seem like a lot of time, think about all the movements that take place in that timeframe. It is more time than most people realize. No two buoys will ever be the same. There will always be something different about every turn or movement that is made. We tend to agonize and think about all the little things that happen in a pass and it can consume our thoughts. It is a waste of valuable time to over think these little moves. Instead, let's look at two big keys to work on every time you are in the course.

Being Connected

Keeping a Tight Line

Slack rope is no fun at all but how do you get a tight line? The key to keeping a tight line is to carry your direction away from the boat. If you begin to move back to the inside you carry your speed down the lake and end up with a loose line in the turn. By maintaining your connection off the second wake you allow all of your speed to be carried away from the boat resulting in a tight rope through the turn. As you exit the second wake focus on where your hands are, keep your handle and core together and feel yourself move over your front foot as you carry speed outbound. Keep holding this direction as you move toward the buoy. Concentrate on keeping both hands on the handle until the turn. By rushing your free hand off the handle you lose balance easier, keeping two hands on longer allows you to be in control. Once it's time to turn, take your free hand off the handle and rip through the turn with a tight line.

By focusing on keys like this during your set you are able to look at the crucial aspects of a good pass through the course.

Misconceptions: Outbound Direction

As a skier moves off the second wake, it opens up a world of possibilities as to what line he can take into the bouy. I generally see people rush toward the buoy off the second wake, forcing them inside and down course before they can turn. This led me to write some articles talking about carrying direction away from the boat off the second wake. I want to take this time to dig a little deeper into that concept and see how that direction should be carried. As you exit the wake, maintain the connection between your hips and hands as you begin to move over your front foot. This move should be driven by your core and not your shoulders. Think about the line your handle would take if it stayed tight and moved up the boat into the turn. That's the same line that you as a skier want to take. If you try to take more direction than the boat will allow, you will experience an extreme disconnect between your lower and upper body. Forcing your feet outbound without your body results in long drawn out turns that make becoming connected again difficult. By staying in an in-line, shoulders over hips over feet, position you allow yourself to be in control of the moves you make. Maintaining that connection is what gives you the strength to control exactly how much direction off the second wake you want. Don't come off the second wake and push your ski outbound thinking that's what gives you momentum outward. The outward momentum comes from moving everything together at the same time in the same direction. It all starts with the hips and hands connection off the second wake and works towards moving everything together over your front foot and into the turn. The key here is to ski an attainable line that puts you in the best position to carry speed through the turn. The more balanced and in control you are on your ski is what makes this possible. Making these moves fluid is key. All moves should be linked together in seamless fashion.

Misconceptions: Light on the Line

This will be the first article in a three part series of misconceptions a lot of skiers have while on the water. I want to talk about being light on the line and what this concept actually means and how to incorporate it into your skiing. I have seen and heard a lot of people talk about trying to ski lighter and it translates to them just being very soft and not ever getting drive away from the boat after the turn. The idea in reality deals with carrying your speed throughout the entire pass. We feel fast on our skis due to intense acceleration. Acceleration comes from slowing too much in the turn and then trying to regain that spend instantaneously out of the turn. If speed can effectively be carried from the pullout and then carried throughout the course with minimal deceleration and acceleration then there is no need to have periods of massive acceleration which cause extreme amounts of load on the rope in a short time. The key to being light is staying connected throughout the pass, by maintaining connection off of the second wake you are able to carry your speed out and back through the finish of the turn and then begin an aggressive cut across the course. Failing to stay connected results in moving back to the inside and carrying speed down the lake with a loose rope. When the rope is loose in the turn it causes skiers to have to lose tremendous amounts of speed to regain balance. After that point the only way to regain speed is to load really hard out of the turn and accelerate quickly, thus land sliding the same process through the pass. In reality, the idea of being light on the line has everything to do with how well you control your speed in the course. Being aggressive behind the boat doesn't mean you are heavy on the line. Being heavy on the line comes from gaining all your speed instantly right off of the bouy. Instead, once your turn is complete and angle is set begin to rebuild your speed progressively all the way through the second wake. At this point you can begin to carry that speed and direction out to the next bouy. Slowing in the turn is inevitable, how you deal with that speed is what allows you to be light on the line. In the turn, move away from the boat until you move back through the turn. By doing this, you prevent yourself from being stagnant on the ski which causes imbalance and a loose line. Remember that controlled speed is your friend and by carrying that speed throughout the entire course you are in control of the actions you make.

New Beginnings

It's time to take a fresh look at one thing many people tend to overlook in their skiing; the gate. It's a new season and the best way to start it off is by dialing that gate right from the start. We're going to break it into three parts; the out, the up and the in. When executed properly, these flow together in seamless fashion.

The Out

To start your outward move you should stand just to the left of the trough in a balanced "in line" position. From this place you can begin to generate outbound direction. The key on the gate is to get width without creating load on the line. To do this, think of making the same move you would off the second wake. Feel the pull coming through the right hand and think about following the natural path of the handle as the acceleration is made. A problem I see time and time again is people using their shoulders to initiate this move which results in an overloading and drift back to the inside. When done properly, your core moving out should be what generates your speed. To do this you must have a connection between your hands and hips. Once you have established the proper body position you can begin your pullout. You want to make an aggressive yet progressive move out. While you need to be strong on that first move you want to continually build the speed. After you have made a good strong move out, you will feel yourself move over the ski leading to the next part, "the up".

The Up

The speed you created on "the out" is what allows your ski to continue carrying outbound direction. At this point, whether you are using a one or two handed gate, you should be focusing on letting the ski naturally move out from under you. By letting the ski do this, you are creating the space needed to fall back in for the gate. The key here is to stay balanced over your ski as it carries out. A lot of people mistakenly push the ski in front which forces them onto the back foot in the turn in. Staying balanced over your ski allows you to continually carry speed, making it possible to be fluid into, "the in".

The In

Once you have properly completed "the out" and "the up", "the in" is quite simple. By doing all the work in the first two steps you allow yourself to fall back in naturally. You will feel your ski start to pull back in and you should not fight this move as it is what generates your angle into the gate. Whether one or two handed you should focus on making the connection back between your hands and core. By keeping this connection, you allow your speed and angle to be maintained into the bouy. Failure to make this connection results in your hips behind you and a narrow line into one ball. Once you've made the connection your focus should be on progressively building speed to the right hand gate ball. If you instantaneously build all your speed you will have loaded the line and peel back to the inside. Continually building speed allows a clean release to happen off the second wake and the ability to carry speed through the turn at one ball.

These keys when executed properly will flow together seamlessly in one move as opposed to three. For learning purposes it is easier to think about them separately but execute them together. By following these steps, you will repeatedly find yourself on an earlier more manageable and consistent line into one ball.

2012, Your Best Season Yet

It's the beginning of a new year, you're starting to think more about skiing again. You're browsing the web, looking at videos, checking the forums and all that fun stuff. 2012 is going to be a good year, both us Wilson Bros. are pumped for it and we hope you're asking yourself "How can I make 2012 the best season ever?" because we may have the answer.

First things first; be prepared for your first set. That rocking body skiing gave you may have suffered a little in the off season so get in the gym and start working those muscles again. Ultimately, you will still be sore after those first sets but time in the gym can help ease the pain. Focus on your legs, core and shoulders as those muscle groups are targeted most while skiing.

When you finally get to hit the water again, more than likely, you'll be a little rusty. Don't try to be a hero and PB your first set back. Take your time and focus on your opener. Repetition at this pass will make everything come back quicker. A problem I see a lot with people who are getting on the water for the first time in a while is a lot of individual movements. Focus on linking your movements together to add some flow and rhythm to your passes. Remember that speed is your friend. If you can maintain the same speed from your pullout throughout the entire pass you will feel earlier than ever.

Once you've got a few sets under your belt, grab someone you like skiing with and book a trip. The beginning of the year is all about getting you fired up for the season and what's more exciting than a little getaway to somewhere warm. Whether your old ski buddy got fed up with snow and the law and moved to Mexico or you want to visit a Florida ski school. Get out of the box a little and do some new lake exploring. It will distract you from life at home and let you focus solely on your skiing which will pay off big time. More than likely you will come home with some awesome stories to rub in the faces of your other ski buddy too lame to make the trip.

The most important thing to remember this year is to enjoy your time on the water. You started skiing because it was a fun time. Don't lose focus on what you came to the lake for; laughing and skiing with your friends.

2012 is gonna rock!