How to Start the Waterski Season the Right Way

March has finally arrived. The days are getting longer, the sun is starting to warm up again and, if you are a waterskier, we know exactly what you are thinking: opening the garage, checking your ski and getting your bag ready for the first set of the year.

Here at Jolly Ski, the water temperature has reached 11°C (52°F) and we have been up and running since Sunday, March 1st. The late-winter sunshine can be misleading, though — one look at the lake and it already feels like summer. In reality, your body isn’t quite ready to go full speed yet, even if the memory of those last sets in October is still fresh.

That’s why the start of the season needs to be approached with a bit of strategy. A few simple precautions are enough to enjoy yourself right away, avoid unnecessary strain and make your comeback smoother and more solid. Put your ski bag down for a moment, grab a warm drink and take five minutes to read our tips.

Pre-Season: Build, Don’t Force

Many athletes consider pre-season the most important time of the year. This is when you build volume, rebuild your physical condition and reconnect with the feeling on the ski — without the pressure of chasing peak performance straight away.

If you have done a good winter training program, you’re already one step ahead. Consistent gym work reduces soreness and fatigue during the first weeks back on the water and allows you to handle more sets without accumulating unnecessary tiredness. If you were lucky enough to ski during the winter in warmer locations, even better. Those repetitions break up a long off-season and make your spring comeback feel more natural. They don’t replace pre-season work, but they definitely make it more effective.

Despite the cold temperatures, maintaining good volume in pre-season is essential — both to regain waterski-specific fitness and to work on technical corrections. Intensity matters less than the quality and quantity of your repetitions.

Of course, available time, winter preparation and weather all play a role. But in general, it is not ideal to skip the building phase and try to do everything during peak season. Spread the workload out and aim to arrive in summer with a solid foundation.

Managing the Cold (Without Suffering)

Before even stepping into the locker room, dedicate at least 10 minutes to a proper warm-up. Go for a light jog along the lake or do some cardio, followed by targeted exercises for legs and arms. Finish with some active mobility work.

Warmer muscles mean smoother movements, less stiffness and a lower risk of injury. This is true all year long, but during the colder months it becomes essential. The biggest mistake? Arriving at the lake, rushing into your wetsuit and jumping straight into the water.

As for equipment, a good full neoprene wetsuit (at least 1.5 mm) is a must. Make sure it fits properly: a suit that’s too tight restricts movement, while one that’s too loose lets cold water in. It should fit snugly and seal evenly. For slalom, a neoprene beanie — or even a simple swim cap — helps protect your forehead and retain heat.

A small but useful trick: always bring a jug of hot water to the dock. Warming up your hands and feet before getting in makes your set much more manageable. With these simple adjustments, 15 minutes in the water are absolutely doable — even in March.

Slalom: Start Outside the Course

If you’re a slalom skier and think March is too early, you’re probably missing a great opportunity. This is the ideal month to restart without pressure and allow your body to readapt to the feeling on the ski.

Begin outside the course, even if you skied during the winter. This allows you to focus on balance, rhythm and body position without the pressure of the buoys. After all, a good slalom pass starts with precise and fluid free skiing — the famous pendulum effect.

Use your first sets to regain your feeling behind the boat. Simple but highly effective drills include side pulls (essentially doing a pull-out cut), two-handed free skiing drills and the classic cut-and-coast. In this exercise, you cross the wakes (cut) without changing edge and keep the ski flat next to the boat (coast). It’s a great way to rebuild stance and cutting position without the added variable of turning around a buoy.

Tricks: Build with Patience

In tricks, your feelings on the ski usually comes back quickly, but building full runs takes more time. That’s why pre-season is the perfect moment to work on new tricks or consolidate existing ones without rushing. A proper dry-land warm-up is even more important here. Getting into the water with cold muscles and no prior movement only makes every attempt harder than it needs to be.

You can train both hands and toes, choosing whether to separate sets or combine them depending on your goals. Set duration will inevitably be influenced by the cold, though they are often longer than during competition season, especially when learning new tricks. It can be helpful to return to the dock occasionally to warm your hands and feet with hot water.

Breaking new tricks into simpler components, repeating easy sequences or repeating helpful drills helps both technically and physically. The early phase of trick training may not be the most exciting, and the first sets will require patience, but it’s essential preparation before approaching full tournament runs at your best.

Jump: Confidence and Progression

In jump, the feeling on the skis also returns fairly quickly, but confidence in stronger cuts takes time. Your comeback here needs to be progressive.

Work on free skiing cuts to prepare for the ramp, gradually increasing intensity. We usually recommend a series of drills, including skiing the slalom course with jump skis and a jump rope (no switch and no sling), leading up to the classic craning drill.

Craning — performed at very low speeds and on one leg — is a powerful tool to build full trust in your dominant ski during the cut. In this early stage of the season, many exercises can also be done starting and finishing seated on the dock, staying almost completely dry. Not bad, right?

One Last Tip

If you are an overall skier, don’t prioritize just one event. Start right away with slalom, tricks and jump. Dedicate your first sets to free skiing and long lines in slalom, refinement and early sequences in tricks, and progressive cuts without ramp and single cuts on the ramp in jump. Don’t rush to “pick up where you left off” at the end of last season — pre-season is about rebuilding calmly and consistently.

Between sets, especially during long breaks, take care of your recovery. Remove your wetsuit and gear immediately after skiing, warm up under a hot shower or spend a few minutes in the heated tub we have at the lake. Dry off properly, put warm clothes on and sip something hot until your next set. At the end of the day, add a short stretching or yoga session to help your body recover.

March is the perfect time to put your ski back in the water and start building the season together with our coaches. At Jolly Ski, we are ready to welcome you for the first sets of the year, help you regain the right feeling and share those first beautiful days on the lake.

If you are thinking about getting back on the water, contact us to book your first sessions and start working seriously toward your goals. We look forward to seeing you in San Gervasio!