Posts Tagged ‘Water Skiing’

Water skiing is a classic American surface water sport that’s enjoyed by thousands of people each year. There’s just something fun and exciting associated with thefeeling of gliding over the water using nothing more than a set of skis. Like many other sports, though, there’s a rich background and history to water skiing that most people are unaware of.

The World Record For the Most Water Skiers Towed By a Single Boat is 145

It’s pretty impressive when two or more water skiers are towed by the same boat, but Tasmania’s Horsehead Water Ski Resort took took this to a whole new level by towing a record-setting 145 skiers in 2010. The previous world record was just 100 skiers, set 24 years prior. The boat used in this record-setting event was a 3,000-horsepower World Heritage Cruises’ catamaran Eagle.

Water Skiing Was Invented In 1922

Ralph Samuelson of Lake City, Minnesota is credited with inventing the sport of water skiing. In 1922, Samuelson attached a set of makeshift skis to his feet (constructed of boards) and held on to a clothesline as a boat pulled hum. He discovered that shifting his body weight to the rear with his makeshift skis pointed up resulted in a stable, balanced formation, and thus began the sport of water skiing.

Safety Requires a Minimum of Two People In The Tow Boat

A boat should only tow a water skier if there are at least two people inside it – the captain and one other passenger. The captain must observe his or her surroundings, while the second passenger is responsible for observing the water skier. Operating a tow boat without a passenger watching over the water skier is a serious mistake that greatly increases the risk of an accident-related injury.

Water Skiing Tournaments Consists of 3 Main Events

Practically all major water skiing tournaments are centered around 3 main events: slalom, jumping, and trick riding. In slalom, skiers must maneuver around a series of staggered buoys without hitting them. In humping, skiers are pulled from an angle over a large ramp, at which point they must thrust themselves into the air. In trick riding, skiers are given the freedom to perform their own twists, turns, flip and tricks in hopes of capturing the judges’ attention.

Water Skiing Is an Olympic Sport

Water skiing was added as an Olympic sport in 1972, drawing even more recognition and authenticity to it. Following its success in the Olympics, snow skiing was subsequently added just two years later in 1974

Water skiing is a fun and rewarding surface water sport that requires a combination of upper body strength, lower body strength, flexibility, balance, and muscle endurance. Experienced water skiers gracefully glide over the water’s surface while performing various tricks, leading many people to believe the sport is easy. Upon gearing up in a pair of skis and holding the rope for the first time, however, you’ll quickly realize it’s anything but easy.

Standing Up

Standing up is often viewed as one of the most difficult steps in water skiing, but if you can’t step up, you won’t be able to participate in the sport. If you’re struggling to gain your footing, we have some advice that will help.

There are two different ways to stand up when water skiing: a shallow water start, or a deep water start. A shallow water start is characterized by the skier standing in shallow water (hence the name), whereas a deep water start is characterized by the skier floating on his or her back in deep water. Since shallow water allows you to maintain the correct posture before the boat begins pulling, it’s the recommended starting method for beginners.

The Initial ‘Tug’

When you’re ready to be pulled, give the boat driver a thumbs up while quickly moving your signaling hand back to the rope. The first tug throws many people off balance, so maintaining your posture during this stage is crucial to your success.

During the initial tug, bend your knees so they are pressed against your chest and lean your body back. As the boat gains speed, there will be less and less slack in the rope. Maintain this position and try to keep your knees fixated at a 70-degree angle.

Keep Your Skis Parallel and Shoulder-Width Apart

From the moment you are about to stand up (or if you’re already standing up using the shallow water method), your skis should be roughly shoulder-width apart and almost completely parallel to one another. Another good rule of thumb to follow is to keep at least 6-12 inches of skis above water.

Other Skiing Tips For Beginners:

Avoid looking down or off to the sides. Your eyes, and head, should be focused on the boat as it pulls you.

Use hand signals to let the boat driver know if you want to go faster or slower (thumbs up and thumbs down works well).

Push your feet forward when the boat is gaining speed.

If, or should I say when, you fall, let go of the rope.

Always wear a personal flotation device when water skiing.

Keep your arms extended straight out with a slight bend in the elbows.