The perfect pass

There's nothing worse than a bad skiboat driver. Whether you're out on the water hoping for a pleasurable day or competing in a tournament, going too fast, too slow, or being pulled up at the wrong angle can sometimes make you wonder why you bothered getting up before the sun to take advantage of glassy conditions.

To discover the secrets of good driving, we sought the opinion of two drivers who are well qualified through their own personal waterski and wakeboard experience, as well as their roles as chief drivers in various national and international competitions.

Waldie Priekulis is a tournament skiing veteran. A social skier from an early age, he began competing in three-event tournaments - slalom, jump and tricks - eventually taking the reigns as the Victorian Tournament Skiing Division's chief driver six years ago. Since then he has been chief driver at the International Water Ski Federation (IWSF) World Disabled Championships in Melbourne in 2000, for the able-bodied World Titles in Italy in 2001, the World Junior Championships in Chile in January 2003 as well as the upcoming World Disabled Championships in August this year.

Scotty Kell is a well-known face on the Australian wakeboarding scene, and currently operates the Black Diamond Wakeboard School at Wiseman's Ferry, north of Sydney. After a prestigious ski racing stint, including an outright win in the Bridge to Bridge and representation at the 1993 World Ski Race Titles, he transferred his skills to wakeboarding.

Through his experience at competition level, Scotty was appointed chief judge at the 2000 X Games, and chief driver at the 2001 Games. He also coached wakeboarding throughout Europe for three years as the spokesperson and coach for O'Neill wetsuits, conducting clinics for up to 120 people in Malta, The Netherlands, UK, Portugal, Greece and France.

Both have given us their opinions on how to become a better driver, and some advice for budding professionals on how they can transfer their social driving skills to competitions.

MAKING IT GOOD
What makes a good driver? Experience, say our experts. There's nothing better than time in the seat, learning to control your craft and knowing its capabilities. This includes acceleration speeds, performance with and without a load on the back, cornering, trim control for outboards and turning behaviour.

Kell suggests any new driver should spend considerable time in the boat without a skier, practicing take-offs and driving in a straight line. Keeping a line is a consistent theme for any discipline. Turning or veering will change the shape of the wake, alter the pull of a boat and will not give the rider the opportunity for smooth slalom passes or wakeboard grabs or flips.

Knowing the waterway, the "rules of the road" and keeping a vigilant eye on other boats and skiers is paramount to good driving, says Kell. "A good driver never takes their eye off the ball," he says. Knowing the danger spots for shallow water, recognising hazards like submerged logs and keeping a safe distance from others are key skills.

The old saying "patience is a virtue" is particularly relevant to skiboat driving. An impatient driver will want to get their riders on top of the water as soon as possible, speed back to the skier too quickly once they have fallen, and be in too much of a rush to find out exactly how the skier is feeling, how comfortable they are with the speed of the boat, and the take-off style they prefer.

Effective communication with both skier and observer is essential. This, says Priekulis, begins at the beach before the ride has even started. A good driver, in his opinion, is also part instructor - especially for novices. Talk through the sensation of being pulled out of the water, he says, make them aware of how the boat will react, discuss communication signs they will need to give the driver and have a game plan of where they will go on the river or lake and for how long.

Establishing a trusted relationship with your observer will also make your rider's experience a good one, says Priekulis. An observer should be up-to-date on signs a skier will use to increase or decrease speeds, and pass on direction and turning instructions from the driver. Priekulis says the driver should make the water ahead a priority, and use rear vision mirrors occasionally to monitor their skier. In competition, mirrors are often removed so the driver will not be distracted.

Although seemingly obvious, a good driver is always sober. A skiboat in the hands of an alcohol affected - or hungover - driver is a dangerous weapon, and no different to being in a car. It's illegal and stupid, says Priekulis. He once had to sack a driver at competition level because they had turned up drunk, couldn't hold a straight line and nearly flung a skier into a river bank. Do your mates a favour and leave the beers on the beach for the post-ski party once the boat has been packed up and put away.

TOURNAMENT SKIING
At competition level for slalom, the introduction of a cruise control system called Perfect Pass has somewhat removed the incidence of human error with respect to speeds. In Open Mens, speeds are 36mph, and 34mph for Open Women, and Priekulis says this is a good indication for social skiing as well, depending on ability.

Keeping a straight line is essential. A slalom skier needs a constant pull in order to round each buoy of a pass, and in competition the buoy numbers don't change, the rope gets shorter. Experienced skiers can often swing the back of the boat by sheer strength, and so Priekulis says it is important to learn how to control movement through counter-steering, but not overdoing it. This technique, he says, comes with lots of practice, and knowing at what moment through a skier's run the "pull" will be most prominent.

Technology enables competition judges to determine if a driver has strayed off course, and a skier can request a re-run or have a world record denied in a worst-case scenario. Also, be mindful of the effects of head and tail winds on a boat's performance.

Tricks, Priekulis says, is the easiest discipline to drive for as the skier exerts less pressure on the boat and executes their manoeuvres either directly behind the boat or just off the wake. Keeping the boat's speed steady and the boat in a straight path are crucial elements. There's no set speed for tricks - it's the skier's choice.

For jump, he says it's important to ensure the boat's course is not altered by the force of a skier pulling out to one side before making the cut to the jump and launching themselves. Jumpers strive for high speeds leading to the jump, and an off-course boat and slack rope will be a disadvantage. Drivers also need to ensure there is enough time for a jumper to become comfortable once top speeds are reached - usually 33mph for men and 32mph for women - and then cross the wake.

WAKEBOARDING
Kell says the principles of a good social ski driver are appropriate for wakeboarders as well. Unlike skiers, wakeboarders prefer huge wakes and slower speeds for all tricks, from simple jumps, spins and grabs to more complicated inverts. Speeds for beginners range from 18 to 20mph, and 23 to 24mph for more advanced boarders.

Keep a straight line, he says, don't alter speeds, and let the rider know when you're making a turn so they don't try a new trick only to find the boat is going in a different direction.

For high-end riders, "double ups", where a boat crosses its own wake to produce a massive launch pad, are popular, and Kell says it's a difficult technique to master. After making sure there is little traffic on the water, make a U-turn and approach your wake at a 90-degree angle, or slightly less for intermediate boarders. Hold the boat steady through the wash and don't back off on the pedal - no matter how bumpy the ride.

Dock starts, where a boarder literally leaps off a jetty or dock requires a driver to idle out and then slowly take off once the rope has tightened and rider has jumped. Going full-pelt will only pull the handle out of their hands, but going too slow will see them sink on impact.

KIDS & DISABLED SKIERS
Driving for young skiers, says Priekulis, embodies all the tips for adult drivers - but at a slower pace. Take boat speeds down a notch, he advises, talk through the experience of skiing, whether it be one or two skis, a kneeboard or a wakeboard, and give them plenty of encouragement. Being on the water is supposed to be fun, he says, so keeping the atmosphere light will make their experience enjoyable.

Concentrate on powering up gradually on starts and through their run, depending on how comfortable they feel. A good tip is to power back slowly to the skier once they have fallen, and allow them some rest time. It also avoids large wash that could upset a youngster.

Priekulis says once the rope is in their hands, avoid dragging them for too long as it can quickly sap their energy. For wakeboarding kiddies, Kell says to hover at speeds of around 15 to 18mph.

Through his involvement with disabled skiing, Priekulis has been exposed to visually impaired, quadriplegic skiers and those with missing limbs. He says driving techniques are similar to able-bodied skiers, although special attention needs to be paid. Visually impaired skiers at competition level will usually have a buddy in the boat who blows a whistle when they need to cut to a slalom buoy, or a tandem skier to advise them on the timing for a jump.

For skiers with limited or no use of their lower body, Priekulis says making sure they are always lined up in the right direction, as they have little or no counter-balancing skills and will fall easier.

GETTING INVOLVED
Taking the next step from social driving to competition levels is an exciting challenge. Priekulis says within tournament skiing there are several levels of certification established by the IWSF, each of which requires a physical driving test to pass. New drivers are usually started with tricks, and then progress to jump and slalom after some time in the seat.

Clinics are hosted by the Victorian Tournament Division prior to each season, and he suggests getting in touch with your state association through the Australian water Ski Federation for more information (www.awsf.com.au).

Becoming a competition wakeboard driver is a matter of experience, says Kell. Someone who has been driving for wakeboarders for some time is a good candidate, and he suggests contacting the Australian Wakeboard Association (www.wakeboardaustralia.com.au) for advice, attending competitions to get a feel for the format, asking to sit in the boat and assist with ropes, and then moving into the seat.