Who Are You Guys?

[Horton]

Me? I am the SkiTest Guy, The CarbonFins Guy and a life time skier. This forum as well as the Photo page, WaterSkiBakersfield.com, SkiTests.com & CarbonFins.com are all me.

 

I Goggled “Horton Skier Crackpot" and was really disappointed that Google did not find me. I am going to have to work on that.

 

I ride want ever ski I find at the dock. This week it is a OBrien SS . . . run consistently half way through 38 at 55k. I am working on . . . everything. I used to jump & trick but now am old. Dorky details can be seen at http://www.carbonfins.com/personal.htm. That page is as close to a trophy case I have.

[tsixam]

I am married with a waterskiing wife and we have two kids. I have been waterskiing since I was about 14 years old but I didn’t try the course before I was 24, then after 6 balls I was an addict, and been ever since. I ski both 34 and 36. At 36 I ski into 38 and at 34, on a good day in to 39,1/2. The last three years I have been on a Sixam 1.0 , the red/blue and I believe it is the best ski in the world. (I do not believe in Santa).  When I am not waterskiing I am fly-fishing or working as a sales engineer or rebuilding our house but for the moment I am rebuilding a Ford GT-40 with a blown head gasket. I don´t know what else to write but feel free to ask if you want to know anything.

 

Tsixam

[Director Darwin]

I am Ski Test Guy's assistant, Mugsy.........Actually, I'm a M4 skier from Louisiana.  Lifetime skier.  Get into 38 when the moon's aligned right or the boat times are slow.  Touney PB is 2 @ 38.  Used to trick and jump in my younger (dumber) days.  Developed a lake / subdivision in my neck of the woods.  2 daughters who ski (better than me) and am surrounded by individuals who are great skiers.  My ski of choice is subject to change.  At present, I'm on a Fischer Yellow.  My trusty 'ole Goode 9500 is still hangin' in the garage awaiting the day I realize how much I miss it.  And, that day will come.  Was on Nautique's promo team for 15 years and then re-purchased my 1997 boat, retired and never looked back.  Chairman of SCR Junior Development since 1999.  My day jobs are transportation management and real estate partnerships.  Leaves just enough time for me to increase my buoy count by 1/2 each season.  Enjoy the sport of waterskiing due to the people I've come to know.  Without the social component, this would be one boring / frustrating sport!

 jhd

[Lakewaterjunky]

Hello my name is Hartley and I am a slalom skiaholic,

 

 I am 40 years old and have been dry now for the most part of a year with the exception of one moment of weakness in April at a much more southern climate, where I actually paid for a fix just outside of Tampa at a joint called McCormicks.  It was there that my insatiable need for buoys was temporarily fulfilled for the first time since hitting rock bottom with my addiction in June of last year when I was forced to quit skiing by breaking my ankle during a nasty OTF.

 I have been involved in this aquatic dependency since my early teenage years when pear pressure from the people I was surrounded with enticed and coerced me into a life of swerving and lake water addiction.  

After being introduced to this sport by family members that were descendants from generations of this disease, my interest was to fit in and be involved in the same activity.

 

 Just like so many others, at first I though it was cool, then after a few times behind the boat on one stick, I was completely hooked with no chance of stopping.

 

For years, simply carving figure 8’s and spraying rooster tails was enough to settle my never-ending need for this thing that had consumed me.

 

Then one day three years ago, a friend of mine said here try this, there’s nothing else like it. That’s when I got turned onto the hard stuff and got hooked on buoys.

After “Running the Course†the thought of free or open water skiing just didn’t glass cut it for me anymore.

 

I should have seen the warning signs coming by knowing the lingo of the crowd.

When you start communicating about your habit with familiar words from other addicts such as, swerve stick, glasscutter and butter knife you need to be aware that you have a problem.

 

I am lucky to have the understanding sponsorship from my loving wife of 17 years and our two girls who may meet with the same fate of addiction to watersports, therefore struggling with this adrenaline rush and fun the for rest of there lives.

 

Since there is no cure for the sickness all of us share, forums like this are the “methadone clinic of skiing†and support group that we all so desperately need to treat the symptoms of this all-consuming lifestyle.

 

I wish everyone living with this addiction and their families to have the strength to deal with it in a manner that is conducive to a somewhat normal life.

 

God Bless you all   

James Hartley Davidson     the Lakewaterjunky

[Old MS Accout]

I am addicted to orange balls. I will ski anywhere and anytime. I have been on a Monza since 2004. I am a loyal HO Monza guy but if I slump bad and ride somthing else that feels good, I will dump it like a bad habit. So far that has not happened. Free skied from 13 -35 when I got a accu float and started to ski the course. Started to compete at 36 in INT. Minn CC promo member with a 2007 196 for sale.  

[skidawg]

Hello,

My name is Ward and I am an alcoholic, oops!  sorry, wrong forum.  I have been beating my head against this sport for my entire life.  Learned to river ski at the ripe old age of 5 and ran my first 6 at the age of 18.  The rest has been PG-13 (eye strain and frustration).  Spent 9 of the last 12 years doing all three events with jumping having been my strongest.  Then I realized I didn't have to kill myself jumping anymore and started to slalom only.  My slalom scores became pretty good for a jumper with a PB of 4@39.5-36mph accomplished two years ago at JD's lake of butter on the original red and blue.  I have numerous jump and overall medals on the regional and national level and a few slalom medals as well( i even managed to back into some trick medals).  I am currently 36 yrs old continuing to ski open chasing my tail trying to run the black loop!  My favorite pasttime is giving JTH as much crap as possible!

 

[skidawg]

P.S.  I am also the person in the greatest waterski photo ever!  The Ball Of Spray!

[Horton]

[Marco]

Greetings

It sounds like we all have the same addictions.  I am 47, have lived in Telluride, CO (snow ski town) since 1979.  Was a free skier until 1997 when I went to Ski Paradise in Acapulco, where I discovered Aldegundo's Mezcal, the slalom course, and later bungy jumping.  I mmediately got addicted to all 3.  With the help of Jason Parades (we'e still good friends) and Will Bush, I ran my first pass ever on the 3rd day.  When I got home, sold my Sea Ray and bought a Mastercraft.  Went back to Gordons 5 more times, mainly to hear Gordon tell me I looked like a "monkey %#&*ing a football".  I wasn't satisfied skiing on a public lake with jet skis and rollers, so in 2002, we built a ski lake an hour away from home.  The way I figure it, going to Gordons that first time cost me over $500,000 between the vacations, boats, lake.....  Luckily we sold 4 other lots on the lake and paid off the 2nd mortgages. 

 I now ski on an '01 Malibu LXI, up until now an X5 (just received my Yellow Fish a few days ago) and on a good day get into 38 34mph, but haven't run a 35 yet this season (3 weekends so far).  Hopefully the Fish will do the trick.  PB is 2 @ 38.  A bad back from too many years of bump skiing is slowing me down some.

Have a lovely wife of 20 years and a wonderful 16 year old daughter, both like to ski and hang at the lake.  Life couldn't be better!  (Except for work..I am a general contractor in a very stressful environment, can only get to the lake for long weekends).

Marco

 

[Horton]

Ya know Dawg,

It is kind of funny that a couple of old jumpers like you and me ended up trying to be slalom skiers. Man I still miss jumping. Every once in a while I do some jump  coaching and no one believes or remembers that I ever  knew how to slide up the wall of wax.

At least you got to ride real skis . . . I think Goodman waited until I quit to bring out the good stuff. I'll ever forget Swensen telling me that 74s were just too long. 73s were the limit. 

[Horton]

While I am wallowing in the past, I swear I did a 1/2  twisting (Back to Front) front flip before anyone even heard of Jimmy or that french guy what ever his name is.

Think I need a beer.

[auskier]

can you even get 73s anymore?/vanillaforum/js/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-tongue-out.gif

do you mean WFLIPBBF? how can you do a B to F front flip?  that would look down right funky...even better than russells WFLIPB5F or dodds WFLIPFB /vanillaforum/js/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-cool.gif 

[skidawg]

I remember the flippin on the bayou.  My buddy chatten skied w/ langley one summer and learned a flip.  His entire collegiate run was:  B,F,REV, REV WBack, WFront, Flip  Hillarious.  Butt check the landing and everything.  Real skis made all the difference for me being a 200pounder.

[ScarletArrow]

I am 32, married my highschool sweetheart and have 2 kids.

 Got into skiing as a kid...combos in junior high...taught myself to slalom on my dad's vintage O'Brien woody in high school...dad had and old 70's tri-hull...i loved that boat as a brother...skied only on public lakes.

Used to have a SeaWorld in NE Ohio...as a kid saw the waterski show and thought 3 things...1 - those inboard CC's are the coolest boats ever...2 - skiing at sea world would be an awesome job...3 - I want both.

 Boat my CC last year...started course skiing midway through the summer...full of a typical free skier's bad habits...try to ski the course 3-4 times a week.

 I'm keeping a ski log on fifteenoff.com - link as I work on my fundamentals and completing the course for the first time.

 My wife is very understanding about by new addiction, mainly b/c the family can participate...we camp at the lake and my daughter loves to ride in the boat...wife skis on 2 when the opportunity aries, she'll probably get up on slalom this year.

 

Anthony

[JCH]

I'm 37 and live in NW Ohio. I am an electrical engineer by day and a complete slalom junkie 365 days a year. My brother first started me skiing when I was a teenager and free skied for several years. When I was in my mid 20's, I became addicted to the slalom course and there has been no turning back. My PB is 5@35 off at 34 MPH. I was skiing on a Connelly F1, but I bought a Sixam 1.0 at the end of last season.

My wife and I had our first child last year. He is eagerly anticipating hitting the slalom course.

 Jerry

[Horton]

Welcome Welcome Welcome.

I am sorry to hear that we have another engineer but since you are a slalom freak I will let it slide.

Horton

(Surrounded by engineers where ever I go)

[ScarletArrow]

JCH - glad to see another Buckeye here!

[DaveD]

John,

What's your problem with us engineers?  Face it, waterskiing has progressed into an engineering sport.  With all of the opportunities to tweak and improve the equipment used in skiing, this sport is a natural breading ground for anal retentive engineers.  I love basketball too but it doesn't off the intellectual stimulation of skiing.  Dave

 

[skidawg]

JTH is an anal retentive engineer at  heart, he just doesn't have the degree!

[Old MS Accout]

He must have a degree in fin making. He makes 1 hell of a great fin. Is there an engineer school that teaches fin cutting? 

[Horton]

Darn Engineers! All I want is a straight answer from you guys and I always get the Stephen Hawking version. If I ask if about project status I do not need a lecture about freaking quantum physics!

Now ask me about DFT  . . . well that is going to take some time

[Old MS Accout]

Here is what I know about DFT. If it is to far forward it will not work. If its to far back it will not work. If you get it just right, it rocks.

But the key is to play around with it. Take the time to put some sets in and see how a DFT move feels. It is well worth the effort. I know that on both the Monza and the Goodes, you can set the Length, and depth to recomended. But the forward aft moves will be the tweak that make the ski change attitude the most.   

[DaveD]

Ok, from now on when talking to John only use small words and short sentences.  Phrases like:"I get back to you on that" ; "We're working on that as we speak";and "It will be finished in the near future" are the kind of things John can understand without having to think.  When communicating ski set-ups keep it simple too.  Like "distance from tail is about 3/4 of an inch"/vanillaforum/js/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-smile.gif

 

[Horton]

Dave from your kind I want to hear % complete and finish date. That is it. When will it be done. I really do not care why. And if you have such a smarty pants degree why can't you update your status yourself? Do you really need me in that meeting? I have freaking TPS reports to do.

[DaveD]

We can't update the status report until you've finished that TPS report.  We're going to need you to come in on Sunday to work on that ok?  That would be great. 

[Horton]

http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/front/my-stapler.jpg