The Right Direction
By Matt Rini

The direction of the path a skier takes from one buoy to the next is
one of the most crucial ingredients in the recipe of slalom.  The
direction of the ski and the body will most certainly dictate whether
the pass is made, and how well it is run.  We all know that the boat
goes in the same direction all the time and we must navigate a line
which is opposite to the boat.  The shorter the rope or the faster the
speed the harder it is to hold the most efficient line.  There are a
few changes that you can make which will allow you to hold the angle
you take out of the turn, therefore keeping the right direction.

The most common reason skiers find themselves skiing straight at the
buoy instead of across the course, is the position of their back arm in
relation to their lifejacket.  The back arm is the arm that is furthest
away from the boat.  On the one, three and five approach, it is your
right arm and the left arm on the two, four and six side.  If your back
arm is away from the lifejacket and there is a space between them, then
as soon as you cross the wakes the boat will stand you up and change
your direction.  The ski will stop going out and it will go straight at
the buoy.  This also causes you to change your edge too early and
leaves you late and narrow for the buoy.  Locking your back arm tight
against your lifejacket stops your shoulders from being pulled open and
allows the ski to continue its path going out.  The more the ski goes
out, the wider you get, and the more you can come back on the buoy.  It
is crucial for you to feel the back arm right against your lifejacket
through the edge change and right until you release it to turn.

Many skiers I have coached squeeze the back arm tight through the wakes
and then let it go after the wakes.  This will have the same effect as
not locking the arm at all.  The ski can stop going out at any time.
That's why it is so important to keep it tight against the lifejacket
through the edge change.  If your back arm is locked through the edge
change than the ski will keep going out as you release the rope and the
rope will stay tight at all times.

Once you have finished the turn and started to pull, it is too late to
squeeze your arm against your vest.  When the pull of the boat comes,
your arm is only going to get pulled out.  You must get the arm against
your vest before your second hand gets on the handle.  When you bring
your arm in to turn, bring your elbow all the way in to your vest and
then finish the turn.  Once your arm is tight against your vest, it is
easy to hold it there as you cut across.  Be sure that your elbow hits
the inside of your vest before you get your second hand on the handle.
This will ensure that your arm is locked right from the beginning of
the pull.

If you practice these techniques at your early passes then it will make
it easier to incorporate them into your style.  Soon you will see the
benefits of this technique in your harder passes.  Combining these two
points will hopefully get you going in the right direction.