Basic Similarities and Differences Between Water and Alpine Skiing

Darren Volkes co-founded Guaranteed Returns (GRx) in Holbrook, New York in 1998, and continues to lead the pharmaceutical pioneer in his role as executive vice president. Outside of work, Darren Volkes enjoys staying active through both water skiing and alpine skiing.

Despite the use of similar equipment, most people would be unlikely to draw a direct line between water skiing and snow skiing, in part due to the dissimilar environments in which the activities are performed. That said, there are a few similarities between the two sports when considered from a technical standpoint.

Both sports require balance and core stability. Turning is also very similar in both versions of skiing, accomplished by balancing one foot while shifting weight across the wake to the other. Simple tips that apply to both sports involve skiing with open shoulders, balancing over the center of the skis rather than the front or back, and looking directly head, rather than down.

However, there are far more differences than similarities between the two, some more obvious than others. To begin, the momentum behind waterskiing is created by a boat, whereas alpine skiers are tasked with creating and maintaining their forward progress. Similarly, individuals in the water have no control over their preferred speed. Furthermore, while turning is mechanically similar, lateral movement is not a one for one comparison, with alpine skiers often being too eager with their lateral acceleration coming out of a turn while water skiing.