I have been asked a few times if it is possible for someone to start practicing audio slalom without an Audio Slalom Signal Generator (ASSG). Specifically, how wide does the skier need to get to score an audio slalom buoy?

This quick hack will allow you to place marks on the right-side and left-side of your boat in the locations the ASSG would beep to indicate sufficient width has been reached to score an audio buoy. The following key measurements are used.

First, on a rope that slips over the pylon and reaches all the way to the back of the boat, you need to mark a distance 182.5 cm from the pylon. This mark represents 1/10^th of the length of an 18.25 meter rope.

Second, get a measuring stick that reaches from the left side to the right side of your boat. Mark a center line. From the center line, mark 90 cm on both the left and right side. As a result, measuring from (Point A) left to right starting at zero, the center line (Point B) would measure 90 cm and the (Point C) right mark would be at 180 cm.

Third, using your marked rope, position your measuring stick so Point A and Point C are both 182.5 cm from the pylon Note, Point B will be in the middle at center line and be 158.8 cm from pylon (The Pythagorean Theorem describes the relationship among the three sides of a right triangle. In any right triangle, the sum of the areas of the squares formed on the legs of the triangle equals the area of the square formed on the hypotenuse: a2 + b2 = c2.)

Fourth, position the rope where your 182.5 cm mark is at the Point C 90 cm mark on the measuring stick then extend the rope beyond the measuring stick so it crosses the right side of your boat. Use tape to mark the crossing point. This will be for audio buoys 1, 3, and 5.

Fifth, repeat the Fourth step to mark the left side audio buoys 2, 4, and 6.

As mentioned in the video, skiing sets using a CRONOS audio-slalom device, the official ASSG approved by the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF), will be required to take your audio slalom to the competitive level. In the meantime,

hopefully the above description and video is helpful, and you will be out on the water practicing audio slalom soon.  

NOTE: The measurements used are based on the IWWF disabled Rules. Rule D19.02 details the process to homologate an ASSG for competition. Starting with the release of the 2024 rules, a video, by yours truly, has been added to the detailed description in the rule book.