Here's my 2cents to drive well in a pinch:
Access the subject, if she comes to the boat with high end well used slalom, gloves, her own ski line, binding soap, & asks to go to the slalom course, your screwed, begin apologising now & say you will do your best. No ski boat has full autopilot. (not yet) She is probably used to cruise control & your boat ain't got one. True slalom skiers are verrrry picky about drivers. Here are a few tips:
1) Use the center pylon not the transom eye & ask what line length she wants to start at, act dumb & have her attach it to the pylon unless you know where 28 off is, skiers are also fussy about how their line is attached.
2) Accelerate with a "medium" pull unless she asks for more, better skiers actually don't like their arms pulled off
3) Weather in the course or open water, drive in "straight lines"
4) Calibrate speedo against a GPS before pulling her
5) Ask what speed she wants, expect 30,32,34
6) Throttle smoothly & directly up to the desired speed & do your best to maintain it to a needle width +/-
7) If she's a regular course skier ask if she prefers someone else to drive that she's used to, if so hand off the controls & ride shotgun & enjoy the view.
Good luck, these are some of the same tips I use when one of my friends ask to start at 35 off/ 36mph & run through 41...I still pucker up, but if you ever get a chance to ride in the boat with a serious shortline slalom skier take it, you will never forget it!
