5 Secrets to Better Water Ski Balance

Waterskiing is a classic and fun water sport - nothing compares to gliding over the water on just a pair of skis. Water skiing is a hard sport to master but relatively easy to learn.

One of the most important skills to improve on is balance. It doesn’t matter whether you’re skiing slalom, trick, or jumping - if you’re able to balance well, you will have all the makings of a firm foundation. Good balance works hand in hand will all your abilities for water skiing. If you don’t have good balance on your skis, the other skills needed for skiing will be compromised.

We've chosen five essential tips to gain better balance on your Water Skis.

1. Slack Lining
Head to your local Bunnings outlet and purchase a slck line. You might have seen these in your travels before - it’s basically nylon webbing that is tied down between two
anchor points, such as a tree, and allows people to practice their balancing skills. The longer the line is, the tougher it is to balance. If you’re able to master standing, walking and even performing spins on a slack line, this will go a long way to improving your balance out on the water.

2. Other Sports

Participate in other sports. After all, it’s not just water skiing that requires tremendous balancing skills — balance is an important skill to have in almost all sport and physical endeavours. Try mountain biking, gymnastics or even team sports like soccer or touch football; all these sports require the ability to balance, which you will be able to transfer onto the water.

3. Yoga/Pilates
Practising yoga/pilates is a great way to improve your balance. It focuses on a range of core muscle strengthening which is critical to balance, and will also help your stability, flexibility and muscular endurance — all important abilities to have when you’re out on your water skis. Most gyms these days offer yoga/pilates classes, or look for a specific studio offering these classes.

4. Eyes Closed

No, we’re not suggesting that you close your eyes when you’re out on the water! However, when you’re on land, try closing your eyes and performing balance exercises, such as standing on a balance board or even standing on one leg and circling your knee. You can try walking on the slack line we mentioned earlier with your eyes closed, as well. You’ll be surprised at how much more challenging it is, but as you improve, so too will your on-water, eyes-open balancing abilities.

5. Start From Low

Remember this important rule: movements on the water should always start from the bottom up. Start the movement with the feet, and then let the body follow their lead. This is because the feet are what’s connected to the ski, which you must be in control of at all times.

By following one or more of these pieces of advice, you should see real improvements in your overall balancing ability. These improvements will be transferred, improving all of your water ski skills and allowing you to have much more fun time on the water.

Happy Water Skiing from Rapid Surf & Ski