Water ski final pyramid
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The final pyramid in a water ski show is always regarded as the judging point for how good the ski team is. The bigger a ski show’s pyramid is the more they are respected. Ski show pyramids can be up to five people tall meaning a 5 tier pyramid, stacking skiers on top of each other with five on the base, four on the next level, then three, two, and one. Ski pyramids can involve up to around forty people whether the team is making three four tiers and couple of two tiers or some other formation. Building and making a ski pyramid requires perfection, great skiers and climbers, a strong boat, and team cooperation. There always needs to be as many people on the bottom as there are above the first level. The reason for this is because every girl needs someone to come down on and ski away with. The way a pyramid will start is on the dock. One important part to a successful pyramid is making sure that the team is using a strong enough rope to support all of these people. With so many people being pulled off of the dock at once it puts a lot of tension on the rope. The more skis that people are wearing means the more surface area there is, which is a good thing for getting off the dock without making the boat stop. Usually girls will start on the shoulders of guys for takeoff so it’s quicker for the girls to climb and make the pyramid. It’s important for the girl to keep her legs wrapped tight around the back of the guy and her weight centralized. For the guy, he needs to keep the handle into his hip and his chest sticking out. Once he feels the pull of the boat, he needs to explode and stand up as fast as he can. It’s key for the guy to keep his weight centralized otherwise it’s very easy to fall forward or backwards at the start.
Once every one is up and skiing away from the dock, the girls will begin to stand up onto the guy’s shoulders and shift and move in order to start building the next tier of girls. The girls must climb fast for the sake of the guys on the bottom because it’s a lot of weight to hold on the shoulders, and when the girls are moving around and shifting their weight it makes it very tough. The bases need to keep their legs “locked-out”, which is completely straightening their legs, to optimize stability on the water. Once the girls finish climbing, they also “lock-out” to make it easier on the guy’s shoulders and backs. Once everyone has locked their legs the pyramid is more rigid which makes it easier to control. But the hardest part is still to come. Climbing down is the most challenging part for the pyramid team. The girls must slide down into the arms of the guys or down onto their skis. If everyone makes is safely back onto the show grounds without getting wet, they did a great job. The final pyramid is traditionally known for being the closing act in a ski show because of the high number of members it requires to complete and the fact that it’s one of the audience’s favorite acts to watch. The record for the largest final pyramid in competition was performed by the Rock Aqua Jays Water Ski Team at the 2003 National Water Ski Show Championships, which consisted of 44 people.
