As in any sport, water ski racing has its own vocabulary of terms which are not used anywhere else. This glossary will help you get the most out of Water Ski Racing when just starting out. Asking for more Using a signal agreed with the observer, the skier will indicate to the observer that he wants to go faster. Back leg The length of course which runs furthest from the beach from right to left. Bernico A high performance race boat manufactured in Belgium. Bindings Custom made rubber-like boots that are screwed to the ski. The skier's feet are firmly secured inside the bindings. Blue flag The blue flag is flown to inform teams that they have one lap to go. Bouy An orange/yellow inflatable marker that floats on the water and sets out different points on the race course that the teams will follow. Chop Used to describe water conditions that are not calm. The bigger the chop, the harder it will be for the skier to ski fast. Connelly A high performance race boat manufactured in Australia. Cyclone A high performance race boat manufactured in Britain. DC A very popular high performance racing ski manufactured in Australia. Front leg The length of course which runs nearest to the beach from left to right. Inboard A boat with an engine that sits inside the boat. Hallett A high performance race boat manufactured in the USA. Maha A very popular high performance racing ski manufactured in the USA. Merc A very commonly used engine. Its full name is Mercury. Observer The member of the team who sits looking back at the skier. Amongst other things, the observer in the communication link between the driver and the skier. Outboard A boat with an engine/engines that are fixed to the back of the boat. Outfit The hull and engine(s) that make up the complete boat. Patting the dog The skier reaches his/her arm to the side and using a motion similar to patting a dog on the head, signaling to the observer that he/she wants to slow down. Prop This is the 'propeller' that turns on the boat engine. Schiada A high performance race boat manufactured in the USA. Start flags These are the two flags that are raised to signify that the race will soon begin. The first flag drops after 4.5 minutes allowing the skiers to drop into the water. The second flag drops after a further 30 seconds, signaling that the race is underway. Twin A boat with two engines. Usually outboards but in some rare cases inboards. Waving up One variation of 'asking for more' where the skier uses his/her hand to literally 'wave upwards' to ask the observer for more speed. Waving down The skier uses his/her hand to literally 'wave downward' to signal to the observer that he/she wants to slow down.. Wrapped The unique technique used in ski racing where the end of the ski line splits into two. Using handles, these two pieces are pulled each side of the skier and are held together behind the skier's back with one hand, whilst the skier's other hand holds the ski line or a third handle in front of him/her. Being Wrapped, reduces the strain on the skier's arms and back, by transferring it to the skier's legs. |
