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The Ohio State Water Ski Team
What is 3-Event Skiing?
Slalom: Skiers cross the wake from side to side, skiing around six orange turn buoys and through the entrance and exit gates (see diagram, right). The boat travels in a straight line through yellow boat guides. After a skier completes a pass, the boat speed is increased by 2 mph and the skier is pulled back through the course. When the skier reaches his or her max speed (34 mph for women, 36 mph for men), the rope is shortened after each pass until the skier falls or misses a buoy. The score with the most buoys at the shortest line length wins!
Trick: In collegiate trick skiing, skiers get 20 seconds to do as many tricks as possible. Trick skis are shorter than slalom skis (41-43" in length), and have no keel or fin. Skiers can hold the handle with their hands or with their back foot. There are no "style points" in trick skiing -- each trick has an assigned point value that stays constant as long as the skier successfully completes the trick. Standard tricks include surface turns (180s, 360s, side slides), wake turns (in-air 180s, 360s), toe turns, flips, and many more!
Jump: The most straightforward event! Skiers go over a 5-foot ramp on a pair of 65-90" skis, and the farthest jump wins. Beginners "plop" over the jump with the boat traveling at slower speeds (24-26 mph) and typically score around 30-35 ft. More advanced jumpers increase the boat speed to 32 mph and cut to the ramp to pick up even more speed, boosting jumps over 100 ft!
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