Rules
3-EVENT WATER SKIING SIMPLIFIED
Slalom, tricks and jumping are the three events of traditional water skiing that make up the oldest and most original discipline of water skiing.
SLALOM
- The slalom event is performed on one ski by an athlete attempting to negotiate his way around the outside of six buoys in a zigzag course
without falling or missing a buoy in consecutive passes. The skier receives one point for each buoy that he successfully rounds. The skier who skis around the most buoys and scores the most points wins the event. Each skier begins with a 23-meter (75-foot) slalom rope at the minimum boat speed for his age/gender division. Once an athlete has run enough passes to reach maximum boat speed for his division, the rope is shortened in per-measured lengths until he or she misses a buoy or falls. Therefore, the skier who rounds the most consecutive buoys at the shortest line length wins the event.
without falling or missing a buoy in consecutive passes. The skier receives one point for each buoy that he successfully rounds. The skier who skis around the most buoys and scores the most points wins the event. Each skier begins with a 23-meter (75-foot) slalom rope at the minimum boat speed for his age/gender division. Once an athlete has run enough passes to reach maximum boat speed for his division, the rope is shortened in per-measured lengths until he or she misses a buoy or falls. Therefore, the skier who rounds the most consecutive buoys at the shortest line length wins the event.
TRICKS
- The tricks event (called figures outside the United States) has been described as the most technical of the three events. Beginners perform
this event on two short trick skis, and intermediate to elite athletes perform on one trick ski. A skier attempts to perform as many tricks as he or she can during two 20-second passes. Each trick has a pre-assigned point value and an athlete may perform each trick only once. And each trick must be performed correctly, according to predefined criteria, in order to receive credit by the event judges. The skier who earns the most total points for the two passes wins the event. Tricks are performed either with the skier's foot slipped into a strap attached to the handle, called toehold tricks, or with the handle held in the athlete's hands.
JUMPING - The object of the jumping event is for a skier to jump as far as he can. There are no style points, just pop off of the ramp and fly! Each skier
has three attempts to jump as far as he can. In each age/gender division, there is a set boat speed and the ramp height is set at five feet (1.5 meters) in most divisions.
this event on two short trick skis, and intermediate to elite athletes perform on one trick ski. A skier attempts to perform as many tricks as he or she can during two 20-second passes. Each trick has a pre-assigned point value and an athlete may perform each trick only once. And each trick must be performed correctly, according to predefined criteria, in order to receive credit by the event judges. The skier who earns the most total points for the two passes wins the event. Tricks are performed either with the skier's foot slipped into a strap attached to the handle, called toehold tricks, or with the handle held in the athlete's hands.
JUMPING - The object of the jumping event is for a skier to jump as far as he can. There are no style points, just pop off of the ramp and fly! Each skier
has three attempts to jump as far as he can. In each age/gender division, there is a set boat speed and the ramp height is set at five feet (1.5 meters) in most divisions.
