Competition
Slalom Skiing
Waterskiing in a zig-zag fashion while a boat runs in a straight line through a course marked by buoys. The water-skier moves back and forth behind the boat around the buoys. There are entrance gates and exit gates the skier must get through, and 6 buoys a skier must get around in a competition in order to successfully complete a pass.
Click here to learn more about slalom skiing.
Click here for More Slalom Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Answers.
Trick Skiing
A form of waterskiing where the skier uses one or two small skis.The skis are wide, with rounded ends. If using one trick ski, skier performs tricks while one foot is attached to a harness connected to the tow rope.
The Trick competition has been described as the most technical of the three classic water skiing events.
Trick skiing uses small, oval-shaped waterskis. Beginners generally use two skis while more advanced skiers use one. The shorter, wider Trick ski has a front binding facing forward and a back binding facing at a 45°. It has a smooth bottom that allows it to turn over the surface of the water.
In a tournament, skiers are given two 20-second runs during which they perform a series of their chosen tricks. One pass is for hand tricks, which includes surface turns, rotations over the wake, and flips. The second pass is usually for toe tricks, which are done by doing wake turns and rotations with only a foot attaching them to the handle. A trick cannot be repeated. Each trick has a point value based on it’s level of difficulty. A panel of five judges assesses which tricks were competed correctly and assigns that predetermined point value to each successfully competed trick. The skier with the most points wins. Click here to learn more about trick technique.
Jump Skiing
