Ty's Ski Academy - Ty Oppenlander - Ski Academy

General Information
The best way to refer to the two turning sides of the course is toe-side and heel-side. If the skier is making a turn that results in the hips and front foot instep being open to the boat, it is a heel-side turn. When the skier is turning and the feet are crossing over, it is a toe-side turn. When thinking about a ski and its setup, think of it as an oversized lever. The fulcrum point lies somewhere under the back foot.
Any adjustment you make to the fin will have an effect on how the whole ski rides in the water.

Binding Location

The first thing to look at is the binding location on the ski. The general rule is forward for beginners to create easier turn initiation; center holes for intermediate and back for expert (-35 off) for quicker speed off the buoy. Some of the latest thought is to think of the two boots more independently. The front foot controls the off-side turn and the back foot controls the on-side turn. They should be moved independently to balance out the turns by weight distribution.

Distance from Tail (tail measurement/forward to back)

    This adjustment can be summed up as the initial attitude of the ski. The further forward the fin is,
the more the tip will be free of pressure. The further back the fin is, the more the ski will level out and put surface area into the water. As the fin is moved back (toward the tail), the fin gains leverage over the
front of the ski and pulls the nose of the ski downward and will ride more flat.

    The further forward the fin is, the easier the skier can manipulate the ski and turn harder and faster (shorter fulcrum). The further back the fin is, the more the ski will make a longer carving turn.
The ski will hold better angle with the fin back (longer fulcrum).

Fin forward will create more speed. Fin back will take away speed. Remember: the water should be breaking under the heel of the front foot when riding flat in the water. This is a tail measurement adjustment.

Length (Tip/Tip Pressure)

    The length of the fin also creates a pressure for the length of the ski. A shorter fin allows the ski to
ride more free and loose. A longer fin creates more drag pulling the whole ski deeper into the water.
On our toe-side, we ride further forward on our front foot allowing for tip pressure adjustment from the length of the fin. Too much length causes the tip of the ski to grab too soon and the ski will overturn.
Not enough will cause the ski to wheelie because there is no commitment from the front edge of the ski into the water. This is the adjustment that will allow the ski to have symmetrical turns in the course. Beginners will want to run more tip than advanced skiers to stabilize the ski. Too much tip will sacrifice width in the course and cause slack turns on the heel-side turn.

Depth

    This controls the aggression level of the ski setup. The torque on the lever. A deeper fin will allow you to hold more angle thru the wakes by creating the power on the lever. This translates to speed but is often a little more difficult to ride. The downside of a fin that is too deep is slower turns. Less depth will allow a skier to make quicker tighter turns often. If the ski is slipping and sliding out at the finish of the turn, add depth. If the ski seems slow and difficult to make react, take way depth. If the ski is doing a wheelie, it can be from too much depth.

Wing

If your bindings are forward.....7-8 degrees

If your bindings are neutral......8-10 degrees

If your bindings are back.........9-11 degrees

Remember that a small adjustment makes a large change in the ski's performance. Never move the fin more than .020" in a single move for someone free riding. On a competition Skier, a move of .010" is a huge adjustment. Always record the settings of the fin before you move it, and record the new settings to keep track of progress.

Forward/back adjustment
    A horizontal adjustment forward to the tip of the ski lifts the front and drops the tail during an onside turn. A horizontal adjustment backward drives the front into the water and raises the tail.

Depth Adjustment
    A downward adjustment (deeper) improves stability and holding power. Shallower makes it easier to turn

Tip adjustment
    Pulling the tip down makes the fin fuller, and drives the tip into the water. Taking away tip (shorter length) raises the tip of the ski.

Common Problems
The ski is too responsive
make the wing deeper or move the fin back

The ski edges too quickly
make the fin shallower or move the fin forward

The ski Overturns or Falls away into the wakes
Move the fin back or Move the front binding forward

The Tip rides high in heel-side turn
Move the fin back

The ski overturns on a heel-side turn
Move the fin forward

The ski dives into the turn on a toe-side turn
Take the wing tip out

The ski is unstable or too fast into the turn
increase the wing depth

I'm breaking at the waist on toe-side turns
Take away the wing tip

It's Difficult to initiate the turn
Shallow up the fin