Cole Grant‘s Blog

Posted Wednesday, September 21, 2011

It has been way too long since my last post and I apologize. It has been a very busy summer for me.

I recently attended a meeting in which we began to plan for next summers WSWM camps and clinics. It was at this time that I came to the frightening realization that summer is over. As we begin to push the limits of how much longer we can ski, and prepare the cold winter ahead, it is a good time to reflect on the summer that was.

Look back at your time on the water and ask yourself some simple questions:

Did I ski as much as I wanted too? If yes, then great! But if not try and plan how you can get out more next summer.

Did I improve? I hope the answer for everyone is yes. Make some notes in a journal about what helped you ski better, so you will have it for next year.

Did I have fun? If your answer is no, you are doing something wrong! Water skiing is supposed to be fun.

As the days begin to shorten, and grow colder, remember those sunny days on the lake with friends and family. Hold on to those memories until you can make more next year.

Stay tuned for more frequent posts, as I chase summer weather south and extend my ski season.

If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact me at colegrant@mymts.net.

One Of Those Days

We all have them, those days where things just aren’t working. From beginners to pros, there are always those sets and days where our skiing doesn’t go as planned. I think how we deal with this is just as important as why it happened. So how do we deal with bad sets?

First things first, DON’T GET ANGRY. Over my short years I have seen it many times, people throwing skis, breaking things, and yelling profanities. What does this accomplish? Nothing.  Instead of freaking out on yourself, and the people around you, be approachable. Remain calm and remember; your skiing, what’s better than that?

Now that we are calm, we can begin to think about what is happening. Are there any obvious reasons to the lack of success? Is the weather bad? Are water conditions rough? Are you trying new equipment, or is something wrong with your gear? Are you physically or mentally tired? If there is something obvious then the fix is pretty simple, forget about it. There is no sense getting mad when we ski poorly, and there is an evident reason why. Put the set in the past and look forward to the next time you can get on the water.

What do we do when we ski poorly and we don’t know what is wrong? Talk to somebody. Try to figure out what is going wrong, and work on the basics. No matter how skilled you are, going back to the basic movements will always benefit you.

I think it is very important that when you are on the water, and you are struggling with a skill you can usually do, to leave it and move on. Doing the same thing over and over again and failing can be extremely frustrating. Move on to a different trick or skill for a while. Often when you leave it and come back to it, it will fix itself.

Waterskiing is a very technical sport and sometimes things don’t go as planned. I think the most important thing is that we learn to control our emotions. Nobody likes being around somebody who is always upset and angry. Make your self approachable so that people will come and talk to you, so you can try and figure out what went wrong. The people that watch you ski often are a great help. They can usually tell if you are doing something different than what you generally do.

If you are struggling and don’t know what to do, contact me at colegrant@mymts.net to set up some coaching. Feel free to contact me for any reason. I love talking about waterskiing.

Always remember that skiing is fun! Enjoy yourself when you are on the water, and remember, you could be working or at school. Everyday on the water is a good one.

SKI HARD AND HAVE FUN!!!!

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Water Sports Participants - Take A Look

Let me start my first post by introducing myself; my name is Cole Grant and I have been involved in Water Skiing for most of my life. For the last 11 years I have competed on the National and International levels.  I compete in all 3 events of classical water skiing. I have been fortunate to have received world class coaching and had the opportunity to ski on some of the best sites in the world.

Last summer was a transition year for me in my focus. I spent much of last summer coaching all abilities from people wanting to get up for the first time to future World Champions. I watched athletes I was coaching reach their goals and set personal bests on the water, and I also had some success of my own placing 1st at Westerns, 3rd at Nationals and 1st at the CanAm Challenge.

Coaching is something that I am very passionate about and very committed to. As I said earlier I have been lucky to receive amazing coaching and want to pass that knowledge on. I recently attended a coaching clinic so that I can coach and inspire the next generation of skiers. I enjoy working with all skill levels as there is nothing better than the smile on someone after they have gotten up for the first time, or run their first slalom pass.

I have a busy spring and summer planned with lots of traveling, training, and coaching. Stay tuned for more posts as I blog about my plans, my views on the sport, and offer coaching advice.

If you would like to book some coaching with me, have questions, comments or would just like to talk about the sport email me at colegrant@mymts.net.

Keep a watch for my new website and my twitter account to keep you up to date with what is going on in my life and in the sport.

Check the Water Ski Wakeboard Manitoba website often to see what other provincial team members are up too and what’s new in towed water sports.

See you on the water!

Cole Grant

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