How to shorten your ski or wakeboard rope?

There are plenty of reasons to change rope length over a season — competition slalom, shortening up to a narrower part of the wake while you are learning wake jumps, or moving to a better part of the wake for more advanced tricks. Any rope designed to be shortened comes with multiple loops to let you do it. The only question is which loop goes on the tow point, and Reuben answers it in the video.

Reuben on selecting the right loop and shortening every type of rope — 5 minutes 1 second.

The rule: load on the bite, not on the knot

Look at how a handle attaches. The loop goes over the tow point and the load sits on the bite of the rope — the curved part of the loop itself — rather than pulling straight onto the knot. That is the strong, safe configuration, and it is the thing you are reproducing every time you shorten the line.

So at each set of loops, the correct one is the loop that is part of the rope going to the handle. Get in the habit of checking where the rope leaves the loop you have chosen: it should head off towards the rider.

Shortening a rope, step by step

Start at the handle

The rider holding the handle is your reference point for everything that follows. Look at how the handle's own loop sits on a tow point: the load pulls on the bite of the rope, not on the knot. Every loop you choose further up the rope has to do the same thing.

Disconnect the rope from the tow point

Take the rope off the pylon so you can work along it freely.

Work up the rope to the first set of loops

Move along the rope from the handle end until you reach a set of loops at the length you want.

Take the loop that is part of the rope going to the handle

At every set of loops there are two candidates. Choose the one that continues on towards the handle — the one with the rider's side of the rope running out of it. That puts the load on the bite. Take the wrong one and the pull lands on the knot.

For a longer rope, keep going to the next set

Want more length? Carry on up the rope to the next set of loops and apply exactly the same test: take the loop coming from the handle.

Put the loop on the pylon and tidy the excess

Place your chosen loop over the pylon or tow point, then lay the excess rope neatly off to the side so it is clear of the rider and out of the way of the crew.

The same rule, across every rope type

Knotted ski line

Come down the rope towards the rider to the length you want, push the two loops together to create a single loop, and put that over the pylon. Check the rope leaving that loop is heading back to the rider.

Knotted line with knots too tight to undo

Common on older ropes. Use the loop backing onto the knot, so the knot cannot unsplice itself under load. The rope still needs to run back to the rider.

Slide loop

Slides out to open, as the name suggests. Slide it open, place it over the ski pylon and pull tight to cinch it, rope running to the rider. To shorten a slide loop rope further, unslide the loop going back to the rider.

Spectra wake line

Treated the same as a knotted line: two loops, push them together, take the loop going to the rider.

Dyneema that will not loosen at the loops

Use the loop backing onto the knot closest to the rider.

Common questions

Which loop do I put over the pylon when I shorten a rope?

The loop that is part of the rope running back to the handle. At any set of loops there are two options, and only one of them puts the load on the bite of the rope rather than pulling directly on the knot.

What happens if I use the wrong loop?

The load ends up on the knot instead of the bite. That can damage or break the rope, and a rope that lets go under load can injure the rider or the people in the boat.

How do I shorten a knotted ski rope?

Come down the rope towards the rider until you reach the length you want, push the two loops together to form a single loop, and place that over the pylon. The rope running out of it should be heading back to the rider.

What if the knots on my rope are too tight to undo?

Use the loop backing onto the knot instead, so the knot cannot unsplice itself under load. This is common on older ropes where the knots have pulled up tight over years of use, and it works on both knotted slalom lines and Dyneema.

How does a slide loop work?

It is a spliced section that slides open, as the name suggests. Slide it open, place the opened loop over the ski pylon and pull it tight to cinch it in place, with the rope running back to the rider. To shorten further, unslide the loop going back to the rider at the next set.

How do I shorten a Spectra wakeboard rope?

Same as a knotted line — find your two loops, push them together, and take the loop that is going to the rider.

Why would I want to shorten my rope?

For competition slalom, or to move to a narrower part of the wake while you are learning wake jumps, or to a better part of the wake for more advanced tricks. Rope length changes where you sit in the wake, which changes what you can do.

How do I know if my rope is worn out?

Frayed sections where the filaments face opposing directions mean the rope has been scuffed by a ski or board edge or by a bad knot. Filaments all facing one direction at the end of a skein is normal and that section is actually stronger. Check splices and knots before every session.

Related guides

• The Breakdown: water ski ropes and handles
• The Breakdown: tournament ropes and handles
• The Breakdown: wakeboarding ropes and handles
• Resource Centre — the rest of the how-to and care videos.

Shop the gear

• Ski ropes and handles
• Wake ropes and handles

Not sure whether your rope has had it? Bring it in or send us a photo of the worn section — we would rather check it than have it let go behind the boat.