Water skiing

Waterskiing is a sport practiced in coastal areas, lakes, and artificial bodies of water. It involves balancing on one or two skis while being pulled by a boat at a fast rate. Water-skiers move back and forth within the boat's wake during the ride. Competitive water-skiers generally perform in three categories. Slalom skiers navigate an obstacle course of buoys as quickly as possible. Jump water-skiers launch themselves great distances through the air. Trick water-skiers perform a number of difficult, and sometimes dangerous, stunts.

Origins and History

Ralph Samuelson is credited with the invention of waterskiing. Although Samuelson was not the first individual to attempt to ski on water, he was the first to successfully complete the task. An avid snow skier, Samuelson was determined to make skis that functioned on water. The athlete first believed that unmodified snow skis would function similarly on the surface of a body of water. When Samuelson tested his theory, however, he crashed. The tips of his skis dipped into the water, which caused an immense amount of traction and ended his ride.

Samuelson's next attempt involved a pair of homemade skis. He designed this equipment specifically for water. Samuelson carefully carved two 8-foot-long (2.4-meter-long) boards into skis and then used steam and pressure to curve the tips toward the rider. With the tips curved upward and backward, they could not dip into the water. This time, Samuelson's experiment was successful. He successfully remained standing as a boat pulled him across the water.

Three years after creating the first water skis, Samuelson became the first person to create a water-ski jump. He sunk a wooden raft in shallow water and angled it so that half the raft was above the water's surface. Samuelson then tried to use the raft as a jump. Despite repeated attempts, however, he could not smoothly ascend its surface. The inventor had a breakthrough when he decided to cover the exposed portions of the raft in lard, which lubricated its surface. Soon afterward, Samuelson completed the first successful water-ski jump.

Although Samuelson generally receives credit for inventing waterskiing, others independently invented methods of waterskiing around the same time. French athletes along the Riviera and Fred Waller of Long Island, New York, invented methods of waterskiing within years of Samuelson. None of the parties involved had any contact with one another at the time, which led to competing claims about who invented the sport first. The American Water Ski Association officially verified that Samuelson was the first to water-ski in 1922.

Rules and Regulations

Waterskiing involves being pulled across a body of water while standing on skis. To perform this safely, water-skiers follow a number of steps. First, they set their feet firmly and securely within the bindings. Bindings are special objects that hold a skier's feet to the ski or skis. The skier then grips a handle, which is connected to the boat by a rope. If the skier is using two skis, like traditional snow skiing, the handle should be gripped horizontally with both palms toward the water. If the skier is using a single ski, like in snowboarding, the handle should be held vertically, like a baseball bat.

Water-skiers should start their ride in the cannonball position. This involves starting in deep water in a crouching stance. The skier should set his or her weight to the rear, as if he or she is attempting to sit on the backs of the skis. The front of the skis should extend out of the water, and the rope should pass between the tips of the skis. The handle should be firmly gripped at this time.

When the skier feels ready, he or she should signal to the boat driver to start the ride. When the boat begins to move, the skier will slowly be pulled to a standing position. If done properly, the skier will rise smoothly without pulling on the rope. The skier should use his or her leg and core muscles to stand.

Upon standing, the skier must maintain proper posture to keep his or her balance. The skier's head should be upright, looking toward the boat and watching for obstacles. Arms should be straight, putting slight pressure on the handle, and the skier's knees should be bent. Slightly lifting one ski will cause the skier to turn, whereas evenly maintaining pressure will cause the skier to remain straight.

Different types of skis are used for different purposes. Beginners commonly purchase combination skis, which may be used as a pair of skis or as a single slalom ski. These skis are cheaper than buying separate pairs and often are slower and easier to control. Slalom skis are single skis with a binding for each foot. They are faster than combination skis and are ideal for rapid turns. Trick skis are short, wide, and difficult to control. They are extremely easy to turn and slide, making them useful for performing tricks and stunts. Jump skis are long, flat, and strong, and they are used only for jumping off ramps.

Strategy and Tactics

Competitive water-skiers perform a number of tricks and maneuvers to increase their scores. Recreational water-skiers perform many of the same stunts for fun. The most basic maneuver, ski edging, involves pushing one ski into the water to force the skis to change direction. Another simple maneuver, called a wake crossing, involves passing over the wake that the boat pulling the skier creates.

Wake jumps are more difficult than wake crossings. They can involve using the wake to jump into the air or jumping off the surface of the water to completely clear the wake. To complete either variant, the skier must land successfully on the other side of the wake.

Slides, another common trick, are performed by turning both skis 90 degrees, riding in that position for a limited time, and then returning the skis to the traditional position. The sudden turn used to perform this trick can be extended to 360 degrees, during which the skier makes a full rotation. Some skiers pause during the rotation to ski backward.

Professional Leagues and Series

Professional water-skiers compete in three main categories. Each category requires its own skill set and specialized equipment. Slalom skiing is designed to test water-skiers' agility, reflexes, and ability to handle intense speeds. Skiers use only one ski, called a slalom ski. Slalom skis have two bindings, one for each foot. These bindings lock both feet in place so they always point forward. When slalom skiing, the athlete is rapidly pulled through a course filled with buoys. The skier must maneuver around the buoys. Each skier takes multiple passes through the course, and speed increases with each pass.

During jump events, water-skiers try to use a ramp to fly as far as possible through the air. They utilize a set of jump skis, which are significantly longer than traditional skis. In most competitions, the skier has three attempts to jump off the ramp. The winner is the skier who records the longest jump while managing to successfully ski for 100 feet (30.5 meters) after landing. No other stunts are performed, and no points are awarded for style.

The final competitive format for waterskiing is trick. During trick competitions, skiers complete two twenty-second runs. During these runs, they perform a routine of carefully controlled stunts. These include both tricks performed on the surface of the water and aerial stunts. Judges score each run. Trick competitors use short, light, oval-shaped skis. While beginners may use two trick skis, most high-level competitions allow only a single ski.

Two major organizations host waterskiing competitions across the United States: the INT League and USA Water Ski. Dan Hains founded USA Water Ski in 1939. It is the official governing body of waterskiing in the United States. Rick Stocks created the INT League in 1993 and runs its competitions with the intent of creating fun, competitive events for people of all ages and skill levels.

Popularity

Some experts believe that the popularity of waterskiing is declining. The sport does require access to a body of water, a powerful boat, and specialized equipment, which limits the number of people who can participate in it. According to USA Water Ski, however, surveys show that the United States still has more than 11 million recreational water-skiers.

Bibliography

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"Learn to Ski Basics." USA Water Ski, www.usawaterski.org/BasicSkills/LearnToSkiBasics.pdf. Accessed 16 Oct. 2017.

Rhude, Andreas Jordahl. "Minnesota – Birthplace of Water Skiing." Bob Speltz Land-O-Lakes Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society, 2017, acbs-bslol.com/boating-history/porthole/birthofwaterski/. Accessed 16 Oct. 2017.

Sensebrenner, Ted. "How It All Began: The History of Waterskiing." BoatU.S., 2011, www.boatus.com/magazine/trailering/2011/october/history-of-waterskiing.asp. Accessed 16 Oct. 2017.

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"Who to Choose: INT League vs. USA Water Ski." WaterSki, 10 Aug. 2011, www.waterskimag.com/features/2011/08/10/who-to-choose-int-league-vs-usa-water-ski. Accessed 16 Oct. 2017.