Water skiing - anyone here do it? *updated*

[Angrymarshmello]

Was curious if you had any tips for a newb - a guy at work offered to take me out to the lake with him and some buddies in his boat and go water skiing. I've never been skiing period - water or snow and was curious was there any tips so I don't kill myself.

*Update* - doubt anyone cares or not, but went to the lake today. Damn that was a blast!!!!!!! I didn't go water skiing since this was my first water sporting activity, so we started out with kneeboarding. I could never pull my knees up far enough on the board - always got about halfway. I could ride the waves and go in and out of the wake pretty easy, but i was just pissed I never got me knees up on the board like I should have. (And the strap on my legs too) My knees hurt like sh!t though - both are bruised and I can barely walk - looks like I won't be doing much cardio this week

The saddest part is, one of my co-workers - his neice (15) and nephew (11) both owned kneeboarding by their 3rd try. I didn't even really get up until my second outing (about my 11th try) and didn't get the hang of it till my 15th try. (I'm a loser)

 

[geckojohn]

It's pretty fun, you should definately try it at least once. You'll get up no problem .

 

[AlienCraft]

Keep the tips of the skis up, your weight on your heels until the boat pulls you out of the water. If it pulls you too far forward , let go of the rope.

 

[OverVolt]

Never been water skiing, looks fun! Tell us how it goes!

 

[Viper0329]

Water sports are a big deal here. It's pretty much all we do in the summer. It's a whole lot of fun. Wakeboarding seems to be the most fun, water skiing itself gets a little boring after a while, but for a first sport, it is a whole lot of fun.

 

[Angrymarshmello]

AC - thanks for the tips. What do you mean by pulls you too far foward? Like I'm going to fall flat on my face kind of thing? (so I'd let go so I fall on my back instead?)

 

[Mr N8]

Just lay back and keep your ski tips up. They boat will pull you out. Once your up, its easy to get the hang of things. It may take a couple of tries, but its not too hard to get up.

I haven't used skiis in a while, since I've gotten into wakeboarding.

 

[Mr N8]

Originally posted by: Angrymarshmello
AC - thanks for the tips. What do you mean by pulls you too far foward? Like I'm going to fall flat on my face kind of thing? (so I'd let go so I fall on my back instead?)

If you go forward, you'll fall forward. If you don't let go, you'll get dragged through the lake. Not fun for you, hilarious for everyone else.

 

[conjur]

Used to go quite a bit when I was younger and dad didn't mind burning up gas in the boat

It's a lot of fun and you'll have no problems...I'm sure.

 

[Angrymarshmello]

Mogul - Awesome thanks for the tips.

conjur - It sounds like a hell of a lot of fun but I'm a big pussy. Guess that's why I'm a marshmello.

 

[waylman]

Originally posted by: Angrymarshmello
Was curious if you had any tips for a newb - a guy at work offered to take me out to the lake with him and some buddies in his boat and go water skiing. I've never been skiing period - water or snow and was curious was there any tips so I don't kill myself.

whatever you do, do not let go of the rope.

 

[AreaCode707]

Letting go of the rope won't hurt you at all, once you're up. You just come to a gentle stop and sink. If you let go while the boat's trying to get you up, you'll probably have a nose full of water.

Snow skiing pwnz water skiing!

 

[imported_Tomato]

Do you keep your arms relaxed or locked? I've tried a few times now, and have never gotten up without falling on my face...

 

[loup garou]

If you wear contacts, take them out. You WILL lose them if you wear them skiing.

 

[AmerDoux]

Make sure you're swim trunks are on real good... if they're loose and you wipe out (and you will wipe out) they can get ripped down/torn off.

When you first take off, it's all upper body strength to pull yourself up. Once you're up, take a lean-back stance, keep your knees straight. Stay away from the wake until your comfortable.

Have fun and take pics!

 

[Angrymarshmello]

Thanks for the tips. Guess my dream of doing flips on my first day of water skiing is just that - a dream

By up do you mean like not sunk in the water and actually like hydroplaning/skiing across the surface?

 

[AmerDoux]

@ takeoff you are in the water and in a crouched-type position. you have to pull yourself up. this is the hardest part. keep your ski(s) directly in front of you with the tips out of the water and dont let them waggle off to either side. pulling yourself up to a standing position is all in your upper body strength. once your up, lean back and keep your knees locked (dont bend/flex your knees).

Edit: and if you feel the need to let go of the rope, do it. all that's going to happen is you slow down and sink back into the water. if you think you are going to crash into somebody else or something, let go.

most of all, have fun and laugh at yourself. it is fun, especially when you wipe out.

 

[shenaniganz]

I love waterskiing. Last year some friends went in on a boat with us and we've never looked back. It won't take you long to get the hang of it as long as the driver lets you try a few times. Once you learn then you have to try skiing on one and some wakeboarding, but that's for a different thread. Have fun.

 

[MikeMike]

ook, keep ur knees to ur chest when ur gettin pulled up, lean back at all times, if youve ever been snow skiing everything is the same in turning. um, let your knees take the beating not ur body, as it will kep you from falling. also, sometimes it is smoother outside the wake than in it, however going over the edge is hard the first time, and coming back in is harder (maybe just scarier)

BTW try wakeboarding, or tubing A HELL of a lot more fun.

slalom skiing is a biatch. dont try it.

MIKE (still messed up from bein put under and now on vikaden )

 

[Cyberian]

Originally posted by: Angrymarshmello
Was curious if you had any tips for a newb - a guy at work offered to take me out to the lake with him and some buddies in his boat and go water skiing. I've never been skiing period - water or snow and was curious was there any tips so I don't kill myself.

Just don't do anything goofy!

Text

 

[Angrymarshmello]

*Update* - doubt anyone cares or not, but went to the lake today. Damn that was a blast!!!!!!! I didn't go water skiing since this was my first water sporting activity, so we started out with kneeboarding. I could never pull my knees up far enough on the board - always got about halfway. I could ride the waves and go in and out of the wake pretty easy, but i was just pissed I never got me knees up on the board like I should have. (And the strap on my legs too) My knees hurt like sh!t though - both are bruised and I can barely walk - looks like I won't be doing much cardio this week

The saddest part is, one of my co-workers - his neice (15) and nephew (11) both owned kneeboarding by their 3rd try. I didn't even really get up until my second outing (about my 11th try) and didn't get the hang of it till my 15th try. (I'm a loser)

 

[GasX]

If you water ski with 2 skis it is almost as easy as riding an innertube...

That said, one ski is a whole different ball game...

 

[StageLeft]

I'd done it when I was 16 and then, 9 years later, have done it twice this summer. Staying up on two skiis is very easy (maybe my snowskiing back ground helps), so the last time I did it I tried getting some jumps under my belt. I did manage to get air at least once with both skiis at the same time and not wipe out. I think I could probably ski with one ski, but getting up I can tell from the two people we had trying it last weekend, looks to be exceedingly difficult. I'd very much like to try wake boarding but they didn't have one (like snowboarding).

 

[Angrymarshmello]

Originally posted by: Mwilding
If you water ski with 2 skis it is almost as easy as riding an innertube...

That said, one ski is a whole different ball game...

I'm just kind of scared both skis will go in different directions. Ouch But one of the guys - he's been training to do one ski and starts off with 2 and dumps it soon after he gets up

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Angrymarshmello

Originally posted by: Mwilding
If you water ski with 2 skis it is almost as easy as riding an innertube...

That said, one ski is a whole different ball game...

I'm just kind of scared both skis will go in different directions. Ouch But one of the guys - he's been training to do one ski and starts off with 2 and dumps it soon after he gets up

The guy we were with this weekend was unable to get up on one ski and did the same trick. He pulled it off fairly easily but I'm thinking it must be pretty darn hard. I saw another guy who had waterskiied a good bit in the past try this about 4-5 times and just bailed each time he tried to take the ski off!