Jodi's Ski Skool Guest Book.

If you have been to Jodi's Ski Skool feel free to go to our GUEST BOOK FORM and tell us about your experience.  If you have not yet been to Jodi's Ski Skool please read the comments below and then CLICK HERE to schedule your ski session.

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From: Kevin Woods
Date: April 14, 2023 at 3:01:51 PM EDT
To: jodi@jodisskiskool.com
Subject: Re: Great first set!

 

Here's my day one write up.... sorry it took a few days to get it together!

I was recently in Orlando on a family trip and decided I'd like to give a water ski coach a try.  I have been free skiing for ~30 years but have never tried the course and thought it looked like fun but also had no idea where to start.  With this goal in mind I texted Jodi asking him about my options and what to do.  He said book some time and we'll break things down.  His online booking couldn't have made for an easier booking process.

 

When I got to Jodi's ski school I knew I had made the right choice.  I was unsure if Jodi was only into helping 'hardcore' skiers or if he also helped weekend warrior skiers.  Jodi's other guests were a variety of levels from re-learning to ski slalom to trying to move beyond 32' off.  Seeing this variety of skills told me he'd be able to meet me at my ski level and help me with my goals vs trying to push me past where I was ready to go.If you are in the market for clothes, our platform is your best choice! The largest shopping mall!

 

When Jodi started coaching me he was very clear on what we are going to work on and that we need to break it down as you can only remember so many things.

The plan for the day was …

  • Intensity
    • You are ski at lower intensity so you can focus on the fundamentals
  • Stance
    • Even weight between front and rear vs rear foot bias
  • Body alignment
    • Hips square to the ski, bellybutton over the ski, body centered over the ski
  • How to hold the handle
    • Baseball grip with left palm up and right palm down
      • Helps keep body aligned going across the wake
  • Where to look
    • Across the wake not at tip of ski
      • Look where you want to go not where you are at

 

 

Prior to the 1st pull Jodi explained each of these things but also said let's get you up and allow you to feel these things as they are going to feel odd to you.  He was right, they felt odd!

 

As the day progressed below is my learning on each of these items.

Intensity - crawl, walk then run.  Sounds straightforward but when I normally ski I go all out from the 1st pull, as fast as I can, try not to crash and make a bunch of spray.  This might be a good workout but it's not a good way to learn.  When you are pushing as hard as you can your brain can't process everything that is happening.  Slowing down, trying something new, feeling how it feels and then trying again allows you to learn new habits.  Practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes for perfect.  Practicing the right things, at the right speed, allows them to become a habit and then allows you to focus on other things.   Again this sounds like common sense but sometimes when you want to ski you don't think about what is your goal and how do you go about achieving that goal.

 

Stance - I have been trying to put more weight on my front leg for quite a while but it felt so weird to me that I kept reverting back to more rear leg pressure.  Putting more weight on the front allowed more of the ski to be in the water at the turn but also allowed my legs to work equally. Normally when I'm done skiing my back leg is ready to cramp up as I'm putting so much pressure on it.  This more even stance also made crossing the wake feel easier as it allowed my legs to act like suspension.  Previously I'd weight the back leg and 'jump' over the wake hoping the front didn't catch on the landing… hope and pray ?

 

Body alignment and how to hold the handle - I had told Jodi my left to right turns felt 'good' but my right to left turns felt 'scary' (I'm RFF).  He said this is natural as the way your body is positioned it's 'easier' for you to turn left to right and harder to turn right to left… but this is why we need to work on your body position and how you hold the handle - light bulb moment.  Body position and how you hold the handle impacts how your body is positioned to the wakes/ where the ski is at… all makes sense but never thought about it!  I won't say that I was able to 'consistently' get my body in the perfectly aligned position but I better understand why I need to practice this and why going from left to right vs right to left has previously felt so different.  Focusing on body alignment and how to hold the handle did make left to right and right to left feel much more similar than they have in years.

 

Where to look - this sounds silly but when I started skiing I was looking right at the tip of the ski to try to 'prevent' crashing into something.  Looking at the tip of the ski doesn't help anything.  Jodi was clear- pick up your head and look across the wake - look where you want to go not where you are at!  Doing this also allowed me to focus on holding a consistent lean/ line across the wake vs pulling to the wake, standing up and then pulling once through the wake.  When you aren't looking right in front of the ski it's not immediately clear where the wake is as you look past it. It's there, it will always be there, weigh the ski properly and you'll cross it the same every time… you don't need to look at the wake ?  This was probably one of the easiest things to change but it had a major impact on my overall confidence crossing the wake.

 

Overall my day one was a success and it answered MANY questions I have been thinking about over the last few years.  While I have watched many online videos and read many online comments, what has become clear to me is that it's hard to assess what you are doing, what you should be doing and what exactly you should try to improve.  I 'knew' I should be weighting my feet more evenly but I wasn't sure how best to go about this when crossing the wakes.  Jodi saw what I was doing, said do this not that, and then could tell me if I did or didn't do what I was supposed to do.  Having gone through this 1st day I knew I was in a better place to try the course since I had a much better understanding of what to do and why.  Skiing the course was a WHOLE new challenge which will talk about in Day 2 write up!

From: Chris Drumm

Best place to train.....

I have been a student at Jodi's Ski Skool

I have been skiing at Jodi's for the past 4 years and I cannot say enough about Jodi and his ski school.  The level of professionalism and knowledge is unmatched.  The atmosphere at the school is amazing and welcoming to all regardless of your skiing ability.  Myself and my  entire family love skiing at Jodi's and we cannot wait to get on the water again with Jodi!

Thank you Jodi.

From: anouar zaoudi marquez de prado

5 stars person!

5 stars is just not enough!

I met Jodi in Dubai after 2 years struggling with my slalom. After 3 days of wise advises, he gave me the tools and above all, enough confidence, to achieve my 1st slalom. My daughter who is beginning mono ski achieved her 1st mini slalom. He made us truly  happy & proud!! Jodi is a unique coach and a fantastic guy. I can not wait to try his school in Florida and hopefully meet him again in Europe for next training.

Thank you Jodi!!!

Anouar

From: Jeff A Thompson

Subject: Ski Coaching 5 stars is just not enough!

My son Noah is fighting Leukemia. He has, for months talked about learning to water ski. Jodi Fisher has made his dream come true. Not only has Jodi helped Noah learn to ski but his coaching and encouragement of Noah has been simply stellar! His kind mannerism with Noah while pushing him just enough has given Noah a feeling of accomplishment that has had Noah smiling ear to ear on many occasions. I can "from the bottom of my heart" recommend Jodi and his school for anyone of any age and skill level. Simply beyond words.

 

Jeff (and Noah) Thompson

From: Dan Pabst
Had a great time at our company party
Fantastic from start to finish. Can not recommend enough.
I came down to Orlando for our large, yearly industry trade show.  My company wanted to host an event for our customers but we didn't want to follow the trend of renting out a hotel ballroom to chit chat with our guests.  I worked with Jodi to throw an awesome event at his lake.  Him and Amanda took care of everything and we could not be happier.  We got all our customers in to some 69 slam boardshorts and got over 20 people out on the water that day between jet surfing and skiing.  The food and atmosphere was tremendous.  Every customer has since told me that was the best/most memorable industry function they have attended in years.  I can't thank Jodi enough for making this event great and hassle free.

From: Brian Daugherty

I have been a student at Jodi's Ski Skool Recommend highly.

Very pleasantly surprised by my experience. I stopped by while visiting FL. Being from northern Minnesota, we don't get a chance to water ski for 8 months of the year. I was always a recreational skier and really hadn't been through a course in 6 - 7 years. As a coach and professional, Jodi met me at my place, immediately understood my skill level and aspirations, suited me up with some appropriate equipment, got me through the course in a manner that was instructional, and something I could build on and take with me. Very unexpected expertise and encouragement.
In my opinion and experience, he gets it - and he gets people.

Very much appreciated!

Brian Daugherty

FROM:  Donald Rowan

Again another excellent trip to ski with my fav coach mentor and man, with nearly as much patience as my wife!

Jodi Fisher thank you, as always for putting up with me all the laughs fun and frolics and memories made take care til the next time.

My stay at Jodi's Skischool

I have been a student at Jodi's Ski Skool As a regular slalom skier in Belgium I was looking for the perfect winter training spot at year's end. Jodi's Ski school turned out to be the perfect match for this goal. Jodi was a very good coach in addressing my issues in the slalom coarse. After 1 week of hard training I went home with more confidence on my ski. Thank you Jodi for all your good advise and patience - I will remember it when next on my ski in Belgium .

We checked in on Sunday, February 26th, 2023.

Jodi showed my girlfriend and I around the place. The treehouse was designed with used Timbers and decorated with various rustic items throughout, giving it a very cozy and comfortable feel.

The views from the main floor and the upstairs bedroom suite are absolutely gorgeous. The wooded scenery and the lake brought a strong sense of peace and relaxation.

The treehouse comes with a kitchenette, stocked with utensils and items to cook with. Included is a fridge inside, as well as a gas barbecue grill and even a pizza oven out on the main deck.

In the corner on the deck is a jacuzzi and an outdoor shower if you wish to shower "in nature". There is also a bathroom with full shower and hot water inside as well.

Both the main floor and the bedroom have A/C units and a television with Wi-Fi/cable connections.

On the property is Jodi's Ski Skool that he operates on the lake and hosts waterski tournaments and other events throughout the year. My girlfriend did some fishing on the lake and I will tell you first-hand… this lake, Lake Gifford are LOADED with monster bass. The lake is private with only a few residents that live on it. There is virtually no fishing pressure from numerous people catching and taking the fish from the water. Almost everyone that uses the lake, follows a catch and release program. I personally caught one of my biggest bass on this lake. And I've caught numerous dozens over the years and returned all of them to grow bigger and fight another day.

We really enjoyed our stay at the treehouse and Jodi is an amazing host. It was a complete pleasure to stay there and we definitely plan to visit on a regular basis. If you're looking for a romantic getaway to spend with your loved one, definitely make a reservation and visit. This is a little Hideaway right in the middle of the Orlando area and you don't have to travel hours or days to get here. If you live nearby.

thank you Jodi for your hospitality and friendship.

David Priebe

 

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