• Published on Thursday, 28 February 2013 19:59

(Oak Ridge, TN) – PTM Edge, a division of Protomet Corporation, is pleased to announce a newly revised web site at www.ptmedge.com. This creatively designed interactive site has a fresh look, user friendly navigation and features every product produced under the PTM Edgebrand. The site allows users to find a dealer, compare mirrors and identify the correct bracket for their specific boat. It has been updated to include information about their latest products.

PTM Edge/Protomet Corporation president, Jeff Bohanan said, “The new web site allows users to find the products designed for their specific boat and find the dealers carrying our product who are close to them.” Bohanan continued, “Detailed product information and specifications are easy to find and easy to understand.”

“The new site is colorful, playful and fun to operate. Users can interact with the site, finding the best mount for their boat, while comparing mirrors for the field of view best suited for their recreation,” said Chris Nicely, director of marketing. “One of the many great features is the testimonial section, where prominent athletes from all over the world weigh in on how PTM Edge products have improved their ability to coach and perform.”

The new PTM Edge web site allows users to browse through all products or quickly find a specific product available, and then identify the closest stocking dealer/retailer.  Additionally, a comparison tool demonstrates the  different field of view options and HD clarity in the various mirrors available. The newly developed web site is easy to navigate and can get users to their desired destination in only a few clicks.

For more information, please contact Chris Nicely at 865.425.0600 X124, email  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or visit the Protomet website atwww.protomet.com 

Read more: PTM Edge Announces New Interactive Web Site

• Published on Wednesday, 27 February 2013 21:18

Snoqualmie, WA – For Immediate Release

HO Sports is off to a great start in 2013. The world leader in waterski equipment and vision is looking forward to a fresh start in their new digs, with the completion of a new 135,000 square foot office/distribution center located about 20 miles east of Seattle in Snoqualmie, Washington.

HO leaves the Redmond, WA facility they've called home for over 30 years for new headquarters that consist of 18,000 square feet of office space and a massive 117,000 square foot warehouse that will serve as their main distribution center.

HO's Research & Development center will also be based in Snoqualmie, while R&D testing will continue to take place under the feet of their Syndicate Team skiers in Florida, including World Champion Will Asher, Hall of Fame skier Wade Cox, and waterski legend and design guru Bob LaPoint.

"The entire HO family is thrilled for this new chapter to begin," said CJ Vlahovich, VP of Sales. "We look forward to bringing our valued customers to Snoqualmie to see the latest and most innovative products from HO."

"The move to a brand new state-of-the-art HQ has everyone at HO brimming with excitement," added Dave Wingerter, VP and Brand Manager at HO. "That excitement is inspiring the creation of the next generation of unmatched performance waterski equipment."

About HO Sports
HO Sports is a manufacturer of premium waterski and towable watersports equipment. Based in Snoqualmie, WA, HO has been a pioneer in the watersports industry for over 30 years. The company produces revolutionary waterski products that are the result of thousands of hours of research and development from an innovative team of designers, athletes and manufacturers. For more information about HO, visit our website at www.hosports.com, or connect with us on http://www.facebook.com/HOSports, http://instagram.com/hoskis, or https://twitter.com/hosports.

Read more: HO Sports Completes Construction of State-of-the-Art Office/Distribution Building

• Published on Tuesday, 26 February 2013 19:47

We're pleased to announce our new Radar SUP Division. For our initial product line, we're offering "The Traditional". The board is epoxy construction with a CNC shaped core and the custom pad is dual density for comfort. They're beautifully finished boards with real wood inlays and attention to detail with additions such as an FCS camera mount in the tip. The boards will be shipped with a padded bag and fin. Paddles are sold separately with both aluminum and carbon fiber options.

We look forward to bringing you Radar quality in our new division.

Read more: RADAR SUP

• Published on Sunday, 24 February 2013 21:20

Sign up for Mapple Skis’ Demo Day for an opportunity to test the company’s new 6.0 slalom ski with Team Mapple skiers on-site for coaching, fin adjustment and to provide the ultimate demo experience.

ATLANTA – February 25, 2013 – The BallOfSpray Atlanta ProAm Water Ski Tournament is proud to announce, slalom legend Andy Mapple and his namesake waterski company, Mapple Skis, along with fellow Team Nautique skier and World Record Holder Chris Parrish, have agreed to host a Demo Day Thursday, May 23, 2013 at Princeton Lake prior to the Pro Am Tournament. 

“We are looking forward to having a full day dedicated to sharing our product with skiers in Atlanta that may not have had an opportunity to try it yet,” said Andy Mapple, slalom legend and founder of Mapple Skis.
“Part of Mapple Ski’s vision is to share our collective expertise with skiers wanting to improve. The BallOfSpray Atlanta Pro Am Demo Day is a perfect opportunity to spend one-on-one time with skiers eager to try something new and learn from Team Mapple’s experiences.”

Princeton Lake is located in southwest Atlanta and is hosting the BallOfSpray Atlanta Pro Am for the second consecutive year during Memorial Day Weekend. However, this is the first year the Demo Day program has been added to the event. Skiers of all levels are invited to partake in the Demo Days prior to the event and then compete in the ProAm tournament held Friday, Saturday, Sunday and then along side the professional skiers on Monday.

“The addition of the Demo Days turns Memorial Day weekend into the ideal waterskier’s weekend,” said George Obser, Atlanta Pro Am Event Director.

“It provides an opportunity for slalom enthusiasts to try the newest products on the market with the best skiers in the world.Then they have an opportunity to compete themselves and can even make the quick trip to Callaway Gardens to watch the world’s best compete at the prestigious 54th US Masters. The addition of the Demo Days creates a perfectly packaged weekend for any hardcore skier. I couldn’t be more pleased to have Andy Mapple and his team kick off this exciting event.”

To sign up for the 2013 BallOfSpray Atlanta Pro Am Mapple Demo Day, please visit www.waterskiatlanta.com/ball-of-spray-demo-days. Guest list will be created on a first come, first serve basis.

###

ABOUT MAPPLE SKIS: Mapple Skis is in the business of designing, engineering and selling waterskis. We deliver to customers worldwide. In addition to selling waterskis we offer a range a of water skiing services that includes consultation, coaching, customization and testing of new and existing waterskis at our facility in Orlando, Florida, or at a venue of you choice. Mapple Skis was founded by Andy Mapple in 2012. Core team members are among the most successful currently competing and we work with best of breed partners to provide the highest level of service. www.mappleskis.com

ABOUT WATERSKI ATLANTA: WaterSki Atlanta, Inc., a water ski club based in southwest Atlanta, is located at 3870 Redwine Rd SW Atlanta GA 30331, just off of Camp Creek Pkwy, one mile outside I-285, and only five miles west of the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

ABOUT BALLOFSPRAY: The event’s title sponsor and “Demo Day” organizer, is the internet-hub for all things waterski-related, BallofSpray.

• Published on Saturday, 23 February 2013 20:55

Goode skiers swept the girls slalom podium and nearly did the same in boys at yesterday’s Junior World Water Ski Championships in Mulwala, Australia.

Samantha Dumala led the Goode/USA sweep by winning the world title as Erika Lang finished second and Kara MacIntyre third. Samantha and Erika tied in the final round with 1 buoy at 38-feet off, but Samantha come out on top in the runoff.  Kara scored 4 buoys at 35-feet off to win the bronze.

In boys slalom, Goode skiers finished first and second as Yannis Nathanail of Greece earned the title with 2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off and Santiago Robledo of Colombia took second with 3 buoys at 38-feet off.

Both Samantha and Yiannis train at Chet Raley’s Palm Beach Training Center, an official Goode demo center.

Read more: Goode skiers sweep girls slalom at Jr. Worlds, finish 1-2 in boys

• Published on Thursday, 21 February 2013 20:07

A new technological innovation so effective we delayed the public release date until the design was completely patent protected. The tournament ski market is highly competitive and as we began to realize what a huge game-changing innovation the ROCKERBLOCK was we knew we wanted this innovation proprietary to D3.

Much like the "rocker ski" craze that is sweeping the snow ski market, the magic of our ROCKERBLOCK is in the placement of the rocker. The extra-wide snow ski design was a great innovation for powder skiing. The width allowed the skis to float on the top of the soft snow making powder skiing more fun and less effort. But with this extra width came a downside, they were hard to turn. The addition of tip and tail rocker made these new wide skis now effortless to turn. The wide skis when combined with rocker make skiing easier for everyone.

The patent pending ROCKERBLOCK delivers a similar experience to water skis. Flatter skis with less rocker are typically more stable, cross the course better and allow easy access to the front of the ski into the turns. The down side is the turns are difficult on a flatter ski. The skier is typically forced to push the tail to complete the turn as the ski does not naturally want to come around on its own. Conversely a ski with a lot of rocker will turn well but is quite difficult to control, does not hold angle well thru the wakes and skis inconsistently at best. With ROCKERBLOCK the rocker is positioned in the last 8" of the ski. Now the Quest can reap the benefits of a flatter, overall ski design while still achieving effortless turns that must be experienced to be believed.

The D3 QUEST featuring ROCKERBLOCK technology is easily the most technologically advanced slalom ski in D3 history. The new bevel design, increased surface area and a revolutionary new reduced rocker pattern are all designed to work in perfect harmony with the patent pending ROCKERBLOCK. This new rocker shape allows the Quest to deliver maximum stability and control while maintaining effortless course width and symmetrical turns.

ROCKERBLOCK pat pending – Standard equipment on every 2013 Quest. This industry first fin block creates rocker over the last 8” of the tail of the ski. When mounted, ROCKERBLOCK delivers the perfect ski shape where it matters most. The patent pending ROCKERBLOCK delivers a feeling that can only be described as a “complete game-changer”. Skiers who experience ROCKERBLOCK for the first time are shocked by the angle they can easily create and maintain.

QUEST  w/ Rockerblock   65”, 66”, 67” & 68”

QUEST GS  w/ Rockerblock (softer flex)   65” & 66”

$1,299 includes patent pending ROCKERBLOCK, fin blade and all mounting hardware.

Read more: Technology worth waiting for…

• Published on Wednesday, 20 February 2013 17:10

The Pacific Slalom sponsored Oahu Water Ski Club tournament was a great success with many mainlanders flying over to waterski-perfect saltwater conditions. Matt Brown and Steve Cesnauskas  proved that the new Syndicate A3 holds it weight in the waterski arena with a first and second place finish. The new A3 turns on the dime and accelerates quickly holding great cross coarse direction. Pacific Slalom owner Steve Cesnauskas stated that the A3 demos were as successful as anticipated, "We are excited the ski was so well received during the demo sessions at Keehi Lagoon with a number of A3s calling Hawai'i their new home. Thank you to the Oahu Water Ski Club and visiting waterskiers for all their support. It was a great event with perfect skiing conditions. A special thank you to Matt Brown for representing Syndicate and Pacific Slalom". 

• Published on Tuesday, 19 February 2013 17:09

D3 realizes that to grow the sport of competitive water-ski jumping & show skiing they need to get skiers the finest jump skis on the market. So for the 2013 season, D3 is offering any current AWSA or IWWF member a discounted price on jump skis when you provide us with your up to date membership number at the time of the sale. D3's belief is that by supporting these organizing bodies of the sport, and offering jump/show ski athletes additional value within their membership, they will help grow the sport(s) for the future. However, you must provide a current number at the time of your order to receive this special offer. We will verify your membership after your order is placed and you will receive the discounted price at that time. Please contact D3 directly with your membership number to start the order process. Send an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or call us at 916-714-9389 to receive discount information. Discounts are available for both Nightmare and Team jump ski models.

Read more: ATTENTION AWSA and IWWF MEMBERS Special discount program on D3 jump skis

• Published on Monday, 18 February 2013 18:10

Important Notice: Chris Rossi has decided to ski exclusively at 34mph and is shooting to compete in the Big Dog events in 2015! No, that will not be happening just yet, but this 34mph set was my first real go at 34mph. Here are a few interesting things I noticed...

1) 41off/10.25m is very short, regardless of speed. As you can see, this was NOT an easy pass. I was pushed very hard to complete it. I have
always been a proponent of slowing the boat down to learn new passes. Steve Schnitzer broke it down a long time ago for me saying that each line length is like a new race course. You can not go full speed on the first time through a course you do not know. If you add to that the idea that you don't know a pass until you have completed it 1000 times, running a pass at any speed will get you closer to your end goal of running your hardest pass at your top speed.

2) Biggest difference between 36 and 34mph is the window for error. With the gate I have in this video, I would NOT have completed the pass at 36mph. Actually, I would have been very lucky to get past buoy 2. I notice a huge difference between the speeds right at the connection point after the buoy. At 36mph, if you do not finish the turn with the ski pointed optimally across course, you will not create enough space into the following buoy to make a good turn. At 34mph, I was able to finish that buoy one with the ski pointed at the boat and still get to buoy 2 with enough space to make a turn and continue.

3) My ski did not ride that much deeper in the water at 34mph. I did not feel like I was plowing water by skiing 2mph slower. As you can see in
this video, I was very surprised by how much speed I generated in my gate glide. I actually over shot my optimal location. The Strada has very efficient water flow and keeps its speed extremely well.

4) The tendency at 34 is to load harder out of the turn and thus get pulled inside the optimal arc earlier after the wakes. I felt much stronger at 34mph than I do at 36mph. The boats down course force on me was less at 34mph so it made me feel stronger. This is a very nice feeling in general. The only problem with it is that it promotes taking the power too far. It would be very easy to load more at 34mph and spike that load too early (before 1st wake) thus getting pulled to the inside through the edge change. This causes a loss of direction into the following buoy and even more detrimental, a loss of rope tension. If you do not have rope tension, you can not turn properly and end up delaying acceleration out of the turn.

5) You do not need to pull longer at 34mph, center line is still the optimal edge change location. I see a tendency to pull longer at 34mph. I believe this is mainly caused by what I spoke about in #4 above. When acceleration is delayed, you need to pull past the center line to create enough speed to get out to the buoy. I believe that if you do things right, center line will still be your goal for transitioning from pull to edge change.

6) Gates are still the most important part of any pass. I was fortunate enough to complete this pass, but it could have been a lot easier if I had not messed up my gates and thus came into buoy one on a less than optimal line. I work on gates on every pass of every set. I want to be wide on the boat, with my body outside the handle (handle near my right hip, not out in front of me), with line tension, and shoulders facing the pylon. This sets me up to start accelerating the closest to my wide spot as I can. When this is done right, I will reach optimal speed and direction by the center line.

Thanks to my sponsors: Radar Skis, Tige Boats, and Perfmormance Ski & Surf
Look for more videos and up-to-date action on my fan page at www.facebook.com/ChrisRossiSlalomguru
Web: www.slalomguru.com
Twitter: @Slalomguru
Instagram: rossiski
YouTube: ChrisRossi41

Thanks for watching!

Chris Rossi

Read more: Important Notice: Chris Rossi has decided to ski exclusively at 34mph

• Published on Sunday, 17 February 2013 18:25

Radar Skis, in conjunction with Performance Ski and Surf and Matt Rini's Ski School announce the dates of second annual fight against cancer in Orlando, FL May 3-5. 

 

"We had huge success last year! We raised a ton of money, made some great new friends and had a blast doing it!" said Chris Sullivan, Radar's Brand Manager. 

 

The second annual event is adding a skill based tournament for all skiers, even with no slalom course experience. Returning activities include a Performance Ski and Surf demo center, pro skier coaching and a Bill Doster art exhibit/auction, all benefitting The Prevent Cancer Foundation. 

 

Kent Millecam from Utah was an attendee last year. "Skierpalooza was awesome!  Radar put on a first class event.  I skied and was coached by top pros and Matt Rini's place is world class! It was a dream come true weekend and it was all for a good cause, the fight against cancer."

 

Reserve the date and stay tuned for registration information coming soon!

Read more: Skierpalooza II

• Published on Sunday, 17 February 2013 10:47

Read More

• Published on Friday, 15 February 2013 18:38