How many short line slalom ski?

[freerider81]

I have water skied for 20 years but have only been going thru the slalom course for about 5.   I was wondering how many others short line water ski?  I always thought snowboarding was more like slalom skiing in more ways than it was like wake boarding, but now that I have been alpine boarding I am seeing almost the same body position, feeling, and just overall similarities between the 2.  Last year I just got plan board with soft booting and decided to throw down some money for an alpine set up,  best purchase I have made in a long time.  Now,  I only have about 2 months, late fall and early spring,  between seasons. It seems like water skiing isn't even on my mind like past winters but later in the season  I won't be able to wait to get back on the water, and I imagine next fall I will be looking forward to getting out the alpine board again.   There was a SKWAL for sale on the forum a couple weeks ago and I wanted to grab it but It will have to wait until another time. 

[energyrail]

I used to slalom ski some. Too hard on my back, so I've had to give it up. Save my body for the winter.

[Badger]

I don't short line, but I still run the buoys occasionally  and I have been riding a skwal 10 years now. I can tell that these two sports are very much alike and the first run on my Radar after the snow season feels so familiar thanks to the "snow water skiing" training on skwal. I recommend you to get a skwal and feel the similarity

[freerider81]

For the longest time I didn't bend my knees water skiing but started to do that and instantly felt the difference.  There was less stress on the cut back to get to the next buoy and it seems like you get there faster, also for more set up time.  Now I can totally tell the difference in carves when you bend your knees compaired to keeping them straight.

[AaronG]

What do you consider shoreline?

I used to run 32 off consistently and dipped into 2@35 off.

I agree that carving, true carving, is very similar to wAter skiing. The way the board tracks in the snow in a deep carve and the way a ski tracks in the water around a bouy is very similar but that is where the similarities end for me. In my water skiing days, once around the bouy/ball I tended to hook the turn and decrease the radius of the turn, not carve a graceful arc like on a snowboard.

One other big difference is body position while transferring from one edge to another. On a alpine board it's more of a rolling of the ankles and letting the board find the new edge with your upper body stays somewhat neutral over the board. A slalom skier at this point has but a second to change the edge, get those shoulders back, raise your hips to the handle, rotate your shoulders and prepare for g forces that can't compare with a alpine boarder all at 36 mph and above!!

[freerider81]

I consider short line any one that can run the course 15 off or shorter at any speed, really just running the course in general.  If I ski with 3 things in mind it is a walk in the park at 28 off, 36 mph.  I have run the full course at 32 off a few times but none were very clean, never tried any shorter then that.  Those 3 things are

- early release of the handle, like just on the other side of the wake

- stand tall and put some weight on the front of the ski coming to the buoy, set up time getting ready for the turn

-stretching my arm as far out as possible during the lean around the buoy

Yea, there are no smooth arcing carves water skiing unless you are free skiing, but those are only fun when you can't run the course because the wind is in the wrong direction.  And like I was saying once you start playing around with how much you bend your knees or not, you can really fine tweak your riding style in both.