INSTRUCTION: Jumping
INSTRUCTION: Jumping
Balanced Pre-Season
Training
Written by Freddy Krueger • Photography by Scott N. Atkinson
W
hether you are located in the warmer southern climates or in a shorter season up
north, we all have to make a transition back onto the water after some time off for
winter and the holidays. Setting the right amount of time to get back on the water riding
your skis along with ramp time can be a tough balancing act. What I’d like to do is give you
a quick outline and timetable with some explanations as to how and why I get back on the
ramp after some time off.
When I start back skiing I basically have my skis. Over those two weeks I expected to
about seven weeks before I get on a plane get 16 sets, 10 of which would be jump sets
and head to Australia for three pro events. and six of which would be full riding sets.
What I like to do is figure out when I’m For the first couple of days I did singles and
actually leaving for the event and then work worked my way to three-quarter cuts. Once
my way backward to the present day. This I decide to start three-quarter cuts I start
year I started skiing on Jan. 12 and that gave each set with a single cut until I get a good
me 52 days before leaving for Moomba. My one, and only then do I continue my set with
next step was to figure how many of those three-quarter cuts. Even if I spend an entire
52 days would be ski days. For preseason set doing singles when I was expecting to do
training I loosely expect to train four of seven three-quarter cuts I stick with each base step
days in a week. This allows for sore muscles, until I feel it’s right. If I can’t single cut well,
boat shows, meetings, and windy rainy days. adding more speed and a wake crossing isn’t
This gives me 30 days of training before I likely to help me jump better. During this
leave for Moomba. I’ll then figure two sets two-week time period my riding sets will also
If I can’t single cut well, adding more speed and a
wake crossing isn’t likely to help me jump better.
a day for a total of 60 ski sets to divide up
between riding my skis, single cuts, threequarter cuts and full blown doubles.
For the week of Jan. 12-19 I just got back
on my skis and rode them. That gave me
14 sets to do different drills, get used to the
speed again, and just find my balance. In
this first week it’s more about getting out
the sore muscles than it is about perfecting
technique. I want to cut at about 70 percent
my max so that my motions are smooth
and fluid rather than aggressive but out of
control.
For the next two weeks, Jan. 19-Feb. 1, I
did a mix of beginning jumping and riding
­­­­­­­­42 increase in intensity and I really “tighten”
the tolerance on my mistakes. I’m looking
for smooth turns that really keep my speed
up and perfect wake crossings. I shouldn’t
be stumbling off the second wake in either
direction and I really want to feel “solid” on
my skis because I’m getting ready to begin
double cuts soon, and I don’t want to have
to figure that out with a ramp coming at me
at 60 miles per hour.
For the final month of training I got in
20 jump sets and 10 riding sets. These 20
jump sets have a similar step program in
the beginning. I started with a single cut and
once it was good, I moved to a three-quarter
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cut and once that was good, I moved to the
doubles. As time progressed I dropped the
single cut and started with the three-quarter
cut, but the most important thing was that
each jump set be as good as my technique
can be. When I’m riding the skis in this time
frame it was all about timing. I was trying
to mimic the rhythm and timing out to the
600-foot ball and then off the wakes on the
counter cut, and finally a good strong turn
with perfect control through the wakes. It
also was a perfect time for me to focus on
my adjustments for headwind and tailwind
as I rode my skis.
Because I gave myself a “loose” time
frame of four days in a seven-day week, I
allowed myself some extra time if needed to
either hit the ramp or ride my skis. I try to
stick to my schedule as much as possible,
but as time for the departure date gets
closer, if I’m not skiing well the “panics”
can certainly set in. If I find myself in that
position, I allow myself some extra sets, but
the primary focus has to be technique and
fundamentals not just going harder to go
farther.
I know that not everyone can dedicate
as much time to their skiing as I have been
fortunate to do because of another job,
school, or skiing other disciplines. Hopefully
this outline will give you an opportunity to
look at your pre-season or even your bigger
events like Regionals or Nationals and give
you a planned schedule you can focus on
and follow so that as you stand on the
dock at your first or last tournament of the
season, you know you followed your plan
and are prepared to take flight.
Freddy Krueger’s sponsors include
MasterCraft Boats, Zero Off Speed Control,
D3 Skis, OJ Props, Tides Medical, Eyres
Sunglasses, Body Glove Wetsuits and
Masterline Ropes.
The Water Skier March/April 2013
The Water Skier March/April 2013 ­­­­­­­­www.USAWATERSKI.org 43