Well...you may not want to know all of this, but here goes. My ski (prior to the Theory) is an HO Vengeance ASX 65" probably about an '08 model. I'm not really sure. My cousin has always been my ski coach and he's old school...hasn't kept up with the ski changes through the years. He still skis an early 90s VTR and slays it.
Here's a list of things working against me:
1. I'm old
2. Weak core
3. Weak upper body
4. Only skied once (or twice) per season for years and years.
More information is always better than less. I had a friend who was skiing on a similar HO model. Pretty much all of the different brands ride differently, when I first switched to my Strada I was all over the place and skipping out on my turns. But as you get used to where the ski hooks up it will become more natural.
Regarding your list of things working against you, I feel you, but you can make up for strength with position. Your strongest way to use your body is by using your bones and ligaments, they will always be stronger than your muscles. Paying more attention to keeping your arms looser and focusing on using your back to take the pull from the boat and using your hips and legs adjust your position makes a big difference.
On my HO, the horizontal wing, the one that is adjustable at certain angles..not sure what that's called has been removed. So, prior to this Theory, I've never had that wing on the fin. That allows you to have the front foot low when coming in to the turns. The Theory with the wing on it orients the ski in a more nose up attitude and makes you stand on the back more.
I dont know what this little guy is called either. I have always left my ski at stock settings and its worked fine. Someone may have adjusted it before you got it. There are lots of articles and videos about people adjusting their fins up/down as well as the angle to get the desired ride in the water. Since yours feels like its riding with the nose up. I would recommend a SMALL (mm movements make a big difference) adjustment to the fin to get it tracking the tail of the ski higher, therefore the tip lower, and then see if you like that more.
People will spend all day changing their fin after every few turns to get it to feel like they want. I feel like a majority of the competition skiers are doing it as overkill, but when you first get on a ski I think it would be worth playing around with.
Its also a bit different jumping 2" longer, so it feels like the tip is pushing you back. You should be able to adjust your body forward by rotating your ankles, I try to get my front knee infront of my boot in my gliding position to prepare for the turn.
This is all relevant because my struggle is getting "stacked" to attack the wake from the turn. I tend to break at the waist, and I don't put enough weight back on my back foot...never have.
That's where I am. I'm going to ski the Theory again tonight. My weak side turn is weaker on this ski than my old HO. This ski decelerates and accelerates better. It's just going to take adjustments.
The struggle of getting stacked is the biggest one for everyone, and typically starts at/before your turn. One of the most interesting things about breaking at the waist is that you actually have too MUCH weight on your back foot, rather than not enough, even though it feels like it.
The few tips I will usually tell people to avoid breaking at the waist are the following:
- You need to get your hips forward. Don't concentrate only on pulling your shoulders back, this wont adjust your center of gravity and you'll end up just being too far backwards on the ski. Plus its exhausting to try and resist the boat like that. When you go around your turn, concentrate on moving your hips around and towards the boat.
- If you're letting go with one hand on your turns, be sure to keep the free hand low. I typically catch myself with my hand high and when you go to grab the handle you'll swing your arm down be bringing your shoulders around with it which instantly breaks you at the waist.
- With the hand you still have on the rope, try to extend it forward, up the lake, parallel with the boat's travel. This will keep your tension and, when your hips swing around, the handle will be right there to hook up for your pull across the wake.
- Finally, when you are going across the wake, you want to be square to the boat with your shoulders. Many, many people (especially those that break at the waist) will be turning towards the next turn and be 90* to the boat with their shoulders. This pulls all from one arm and you aren't as balanced on the ski. If you face up to the boat with your shoulders you will be in a better stacked position across the wake, better balance on the ski, and be using less muscle to hold the position (again, loose in the arms, let your back take the pull). The best way that I accomplish this is by looking at the pylon or passengers in the boat, once you're across the wake, you will let go with one hand and thats when you rotate your upper body.
Maybe that was way more than you wanted to know, but I really enjoy coaching skiing so whenever we are out I try to give people little tips and tricks. Its hard without seeing you ski, but those are some big tips that are pretty universal for everyone.
