It is time for your yearly Who Are You Guys thread:

[Horton]

The never ending thread

[Horton]

I am John Horton, this is my website. When I ski, it looks like a big BallOfSpray. I run this place. Below is my bio. I post this so you know that you know who you are dealing with.

I first skied when I was 3 and come from a water skiing family. Until recently I was better known as Dr. Jack Horton’s son. My dad is the inventor of the man-made private ski lake and a legitimate water ski legend (Water Ski Hall Of Fame - Award of Distinction, many time National Champ, USAWS Board of Directors, US World Team Doctor, Sr Judge & Driver).

In my younger days I was a somewhat promising 3 event skier. After college I quit skiing for about 5 years. After a radical career change, I came back to skiing to market CarbonFiber slalom fins. After the bottom fell out of the CarbonFins market I went on to organize and write the Independent Ski Tests for Water Ski Magazine 2006, 2007 & 2008.

I am by no means the best skier on this forum & I do not pretend to be. I am all ears when the real MM or Open guys have something to say and try to help less experienced skiers find good information.

Currently a rated judge and driver

The below stats are really old because now I am old. The older I get, the better I was.

13 Time US National Competitor (Could be 11 or 14 times - really not sure)

US National Slalom, Trick and Jump Medalist*

US National Overall Medalist *

Western Regional Slalom, Trick and Jump Champion**

5 Time Western Regional Overall Champion

Western Regional Men 1 Trick Record Holder (1991 to 2006)

Open Rated Jump*

World Ranked top 50 for Jump*

World Ranked top 100 for Tricks*

Member National Champion NLU/ULM Ski Team 89-93

Moomba Masters Night Jump Competitor*

Horton Lakes Ski School Instructor 85-93

* one or more times in the 80s and early 90s

** a bunch of times in the late 80s and early 90s

(This is all old news but it shows that I am not just some crackpot)

 

[Tuney]

I'm Michael Bullock,I am a University student, 23 years old and I've been skiing since I was around 7. I got into slalom accidentally when one of my skis fell off the same year and I never went back to two skis. I have never tricked or jumped, I do have a wakeboard that I noodle around on once or twice a year but it's usually just slalom for me. I keep my boat at the dock at my parents cabin on Emma Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada. There is no course on the lake so I have always free skied. Surprisingly there have been two slalom courses that I didn't know about on another public lake that is a 2 minute trailer drive - the lakes are connected by a channel which you can't boat through. So I hope to hit the course up at least once a week next year. I've never skied a tournament although I am definitely interested maybe after I start going around buoys next year it'll happen.

[Horton]

 

Thanks Tuney,

 

after the big scarie software update this winter I may set it up everyone will have a bio. I think it is better that way.

 

 

[bobuna]

I'm Michael Koutsaris. Bobuna means, 'bid dumb greek.' I'm a 28 year old student and live in Toronto, Canada. I skiid as a kid until i was about 13 and started again 2 years ago. I primarily free ski as my lake in muskoka canada does not have a course and it is generally pretty rough, so early am and evening skiing is the only option. I started skiing buoys this past summer at Bush's Ski school which is near by but only got a half dozen sets in this season. I am planning on getting much more course skiing in this coming season and starting the season on a new ride and hope to move south next fall for grad school, which could help lengthen my season.

[slalom frog]

I am Mike Boulet, "lurker" at BOS.  I am a 40, married and a father of 3 great kids.  We all live in Maine and I am quite possibly addicted to slalom and trick.  Having skied the course actively for the last 5 seasons, I am always working to improve my buoy count, which has been happening but not as quickly or gracefully as I would like it to happen.  The long off season in Maine causes you do do a bit of catching up at the beginning for every season. 

 I have never skied in a tournament but do put a course up on the public lake that I live on in the summer.

[slalom frog]

Than- I do not know Cy.  We are on a small lake called Sheepscot.  My wife and I are probably the only ones on the lake that know how to ski the course.  Others try but with limited success.

 Mike

[jedgell]

I'm Justin Edgell, M2 skier for one more season.  Live in Missoula, MT ski at a private lake 45 miles north of town.  Started skiing when I was 13, tried the course when I was 22 and got hooked.  Moved to Houston for work in 2000 and started skiing regularly after I got my boat in 2003.  Moved to Montana in Nov '05, now ski regularly from April through Sept.  I'm currently on a 67" D3 Nomad RC with Strada Bindings, hope to upgrade next year.  I have  a '95 SN with Stargazer that's dialed in and skis great.  Tournament and practice PB are both 1 @ 35', got to figure out how to get past 1 ball.  During the off-season I spend my time snow skiing at the local mountain, some hunting, and spending a lot of time on the forums and waiting for Spring.

[Than_Bogan]

sf -- Minor note: That was a "whisper."  But not because it was in any way secret, just because presumably nobody else would be interested.  You can use the "whisper back" button in such a case.

 

Anyhow, Cy would be in the "limited success" category.  I think his best is 4 buoys, in part because I cannot convince him that he needs to go much slower to learn the course (and get a ski with more surface area if needed to make it feel comfortable).

 

[kona]

Bob Boyle from ewe-tah i am 49 and dont spend much time in the course. When I do I poach Scots course on Utah Lake. I have been snow and water skiing since 6 yrs old. Used to work at ski resorts and would ski 120 + days a year did that for 27 years now I work for the local university repairing elevators ,electrical tech. I ski behind a tige 22v not to bad but not a d drive.

[LakeOneSkier]

I’m Clay Horsley.  48 and a ski addict.  

Learned to ski at 4 years old so I’ve been skiing just about all my life. 

Skied my first private lake, Shortline Lake (Elk Grove, CA), in ’85.  Fell in love with it.  Knew that someday I had to live on one.

Skied at Stillwater Ranch (Pleasant Grove, CA) up until ’04.  Was involved in the creation of Redwood Shores (Lincoln, CA) in ‘03/’04.  Shortly thereafter relocated east to a place where you could not ski year round.  Went stir crazy only being able to ski 3 months out of the year.  

Built a home at Lago Santa Fe (Santa Fe, TX) in ’06.  Yes, it is on Lake One.

Haven’t skied a tournament since the late 70’s/early 80’s and really have no desire to.  But I do have a desire to ski 3-4 times a week and ‘foot when the body allows.   Current PB was set this summer, 3 @ 35 off/34mph.  (thank you A1!!)   I’m excited as hell that I’m still setting PB’s at this point.

Have an 8 year old son who is slowly coming back from the dark-side (wakeboarding) to slalom skiing.   He can make the mini-course and get 2 regulation buoys.  Watching him round the 2 ball and the smile that he gets on his face is absolutely incredible.  

My wife has skied for 9 years and just started to get all 6 buoys this summer.  She is totally addicted.  She actually stated that making all 6 is better than sex.  Not really sure if she was kidding or not.  http://www.ballofspray.com/vanillaforum/js/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-undecided.gif  Doesn’t matter though as she can drive the boat with the best of ‘em.

Part time lurker on BOS.  Author of ‘The Rant’.

[skibug]

I am Robert Grizzi, and I am an addict.  I am 39 and currently living (15 years) in Mooresville, NC (Race City USA) with my wife and 7.5 year old son.  We are about 20 miles N. of Charlotte.  I am an engineer; which explains a lot about my anal nature and attention to detail.   I started slalom skiing on open water around 10 years of age.  I grew up skiing on the weekends at our summer place (we lived in the Chicago Suburbs) in North Webster, IN (Lake Webster)...it may sound familiar because it is the home of Bart's Watersports.  I spent about 19 years engraining my perfect open water skiing technique only to find the slalom course in 1998; and, I have spent the last 12 years trying to deconstruct that bad technique.  When I started dating my wife and realized this was the one, I taught her to ski.  She too is now an addict which makes it great as a family activity and she understands where I am coming from in terms of having to ski.  She now chases buoys too.  She can ski the course at 32 MPH – 15’ working to 34 MPH. 

Vital stats:Ski Club – Little Mountain Lake Ski Club

PPB is 1 @ 35 / 34 MPH; I don’t ski in tournaments

Current boat – 2009 MC 197 TT w/ZO, setting C1

Current ski – 2010 D3 68†Z7 ST

Current bindings - Fluid Motion E-series RFF w/RTP

Eagle front zip vest, clincher gloves, Masterline rope, HO 13†Accurate ARS Custom handle

[rq0013]

Im Rob Quetschke (24), I live in WI and have skied for University of WI Madison and WI Whitewater. I started skiing when I was 7 and started the course when I was 14. I live on a public lake but get time on some private courses. I feel my large amount of open water skiing has enabled me to really work on technique with out chasing bouys. Im a huge fan of Radar skis and feel they are headed in the right direction with their skis and company. My dream and goal is to build my own lake either in WI or the UP of MI.  I would like to become a Radar rep, Ive been selling so many people on Radar skis its not even funny, both people I know and dont know. I spend a week at Bennetts every spring for the last 3 years and love it. I have mostly skied college tourneys but Im making the transition to summer tourneys. I ski with Boomer behind his 08 197 TT, IM light so I use A1 but want to make the transition to B1 for the short line lengths. 

If your ever in WI hit me up to ski!

PB 2@35/36mph

Radar Strada 66, double RS1 bindings- I think my next bindings will be the new Obrien elite bindings, I like the concept

 

[nam1975]

I'm Nick Mohler, currently live in the west burbs of Cleveland, OH. The North Coast!

No, I don't ski on Lake Erie. I only go on the big lake in 5'-7' waves to perch fish and not puke.

Ski with a great club on a farm pond near Sandusky, OH - world capital of roller coasters and waterparks.

My wife just started skiing the mini course and is getting to be a pretty good driver.

I also frequent SE MI - family has a lake cottage in Lenawee County. Just goof around and foot, board or sit on the float boat.

Past Ohio University Bobcat ski team member....Glass City Waterski club too. Last year in M2 if I went to tourneys.

99 Response LX w SGPP

67' D3 X5

Need to spend a whole week at H2OZ, Swiss Ski school or the like.....one of these days!

 

 

[jimbrake]

Jim Brake - 52 (last yr of M4). Began skiing at 4 yrs old when we lived in Houston, TX. Moved to the SF Bay Area when I was 8 and we began skiing with friends on the delta, but no access to a course. Several fun years of free skiing with family and friends on various foothill reservoirs. Skied the course for the first time at 17 in 1975 when I drove past the Santa Clara Co. WSC pond and a collegiate tournament was going on. I stopped to watch and a guy I knew (great tricker Mike Wendt) saw me and said we could say I was from De Anza JC (I was in high school) so I could ski. I missed one ball (!), but wanted to keep at it. Went to Suyderhoud's in '76 and progressed from 28LL to 34LL in five days. Also learned to jump. Joined the Santa Clara club in '77. Skied for Chico State '81 - '83. Went to grad school at San Diego St. and skied at Mission Bay and in southern Cal tournaments '85 - '87. Moved to Sac in '87 and have been skiing all around this area since then - Bell Acqua, Sac Water Ski Club, various other private sites. Practice pb 2 @39, tournament pb 4 @38. Haven't jumped since '90 but pb was 132' in 1983. Snow ski raced for several years and became a full-cert snow ski instructor at Squaw Valley, but now only teaching my two boys - 11 and 13. They are hooked on slalom and are both working on 22 off - one at 34mph and the other at 36. Still enjoy tournaments, especially now with my boys. 67" A1 with D3 rubber.

[Than_Bogan]

Why does this feel like an AA meeting?

 

"Hi, my name is Than and I've been an addict for 20 years."

 

Well anyhow, I'm 39, and while I've been skiing some semblance of a slalom course pretty much entire life, I didn't get truly into it until I went to The Swiss Ski School in college (roughly 1990) and I found out there were people waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than me.  Humbling yes, but more so inspiring.  There was SO much more to learn!!  Since then I've been on a constant quest to be as good as I can be.

 

I began skiing tournaments in 1995 and my best that year was a buoy or two at 36/-22.  I first qualified for Nationals in Men II in 2000 -- the year with the lowest EP in decades: 2 @ 36/-35.  My bests are 5 @ 36/-35 and -- just last month! -- 4 @ 34/-38.  In practice I've run each of those passes, but VERY rarely, and not since before my disc injuries in 2007.

 

Update 2011: Tournament best is now 1 @ -39 thanks to the insane water at John's Pond in NJ.

 

I am generally interested in competition.  I've competed in Magic: The Gathering tournaments, am always ready for some tournament-style poker, and generally love playing any sort of game.  I typically prefer watching sports (in the broadest sense) over other things on TV.  Lifelong (and long suffering -- I was born after The Guarantee) Jets fan.

 

I am a Certified Geek, all the way from a strong interest in math and computer science, to a well-known name (as Thanimal) on the Dungeons and Dragons Online Forum.  I work as a software engineer with a specialization in algorithms and speed optimization.  I enjoy The Big Bang Theory, and I have no clue why so many "normal" people seem to also!

 

Despite all this, I somehow tricked an awesome woman into marrying me, and we have two girls, 9 and 5, who just got interested in skiing this season.

 

My hobbies include overthinking, fishing, and making fun of myself.

 

[JacStocks]

Jacqueline Stocks

Communications Director for the INT League

I promote grassroots and amateur waterskiing and wakeboard. Sometimes we do it right, sometimes we make mistakes. But I do believe that we are doing a good thing and growing our sport.

Easily excitable and passionate about our work within the watersports industry.

Currently working on running 35. I love to ski and I love skiers. I grew up skiing in INT Events, I skied in College for the University of Washington. Now I ski INT and a few USAWA events a year. I ski on Lake Sammamish, Winlock or wherever anyone will pull me.

[thager]

Tom Hager - 54, Pilot type, M5 slalom hack and friend of MS. Please don't excommunicate me! Skiing since age 12 in Southern Canada (Minnesnowda) 2002 SN196 with ZO, own accusink course, PBT 3.5 @-35, PBP 3@-38. Downhill since. Dry sense of humor. Love to tinker especially with ski stuff. Plastic fin protector, slalom courses and ski cases to name a few. Happily married with a daughter. Only ski addict in family and area for that matter!!

[rawly]

Steve Rawlinson-47,living my long time dream of having a place at a tournament lake(Ski West Village).My family and I spend half the year skiing on a regular bases and the other half racing our motorcycles out in the Mojave desert(District 37 AMA).Just a blue colar guy barely making it by,but we do. 

[londonskier]

David Kaye - London, England, Real Estate Developer / Trader. 49yrs, skinut,Princes Club member, PB 2@13meters (32off I think?)  skiid at 6, then a little age 16, and went mad for it age 38. son of 18, daughter of 13 - both skiers, but not the wife. how hard I try - she wont.  Oh well.  that means I get to go to Orlando regularly without her. (is that good? - I'm not sure). 67" Radar Strada - theyre getting really popular here.  We ski when its cold!

[londonskier]

Typo - I'm 47 not 49.  Its late at night and I'm trying to catch up with Ryder Cup news.

[kpickett]

Kyle Wiley Pickett - 39 years old, from the bay area, currently living in Northern California. I'm a symphony conductor. I conduct the North State Symphony (in Chico and Redding) and the Juneau Symphony in AK. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I'm probably the only professional orchestra conductor who skis into 35 off.

We ski at Villa Lagos - Eric Pettinger's lake in Gerber, CA - along with a couple other BOS lurkers.

I grew up free skiing on Lake Shasta, and got to take a few lessons with Mike Suyderhoud over the years. I didn't really get to ski much during all the grad school years in Baltimore. I got back into skiing the course around 2003, when some great folks in Chico invited me to ski at their lake. I built a portable course to use on Shasta, but I really got into it about 3 years ago when we joined Villa Lagos.

I'm really proud that my wife is hooked and running the course at 15 off/30mph, and that my son got up behind the boat this summer before his fourth birthday. We also have a one-year-old son who doesn't ski (yet). As an orchestra guy, I get asked by people all the time, "What instruments are your kids going to play?" and I always respond, "It doesn't matter to me, as long as they waterski."

I skied the INT tournaments this year - Tourney PB is 1.5 at 35. My practice PB from a couple weeks ago is 3 at 35. I'd sure like to get through 35 next summer, and I'm considering doing a couple AWSA tourneys next year.

I ski on a 66" Connelly Prophesy, although I'm thinking of making a ski switch next year. I ski behind a '94 MasterCraft Prostar 190 w/ the LT-1, which I still think is the best slalom boat ever made.

[PT Mike]

Mike Cantamessa 46 from Long Guyland, New Yawk. Lurking here for only a week but diggin' the site so I'm jumping in.

Iv'e been skiing the course since 94 when we installed one behind Jones Beach in a salt water tidal flat. Pretty challenging

site to ski regularly,ski at high tide only, ocean breezes, etc. Joined Twin Lakes in Monroe,NY a private two lake site 65 miles

North of New York City about 5 years ago. Normally run into deep 32 when I'm behind my 96 PS 190 or my buddies 04 Moomba W/ PP classic but

Struggle W/ 28 behing 2010 LXi W/ ZO at Twin Lakes.( That's a thread for another day). With all the info here I'm looking foward

to getting my SG upgrade dialed in AND learning how to better deal W/ ZO. I been riding a D3 Nomad (white top) for about 4 years

but have a few sets W/ a new S1. Seems I can turn and build better angle with alot less effort. Looking foward to making some contacts.

Cheers.

[dleenhouts]

Doug Leenhouts, 27, of Wolcott, NY. I just figured out counter-rotation after 22 years of skiing so you can imagine that there's a ways to go yet. I refuse to wear a wet-or dry-suit, I have a slalom tattoo, & I despise jet skis. And I will never, ever, take skiing for granted.

[LeonL]

Horton, a bio file or user profile would be great so that one could look up individuals at leisure.

This is who I am.  Leon Leonard, age 63 M6.  Got started in skiing at 40, first tournament at 42.  Kinda over the hill but still able to ski near my personal best.  (I guess if you've never been very good that's not saying much).  Personal best in tournament is 3.5 at 35 off and did 3 at 35 in a tournament this season.  Senior driver and senior judge.  Live on a private, 3 event site (don't jump or trick, though) in Eminence, KY (near the center of a triangle made up of Cincinnati, Lexington, KY and Louisville, KY.)  Ski on a D3 RCX with roller blade shells on a Fogman plate.  Ski behind a 2008 SN 196 w/ ZO and a 2002 SN 196 w/ PP classic.  Can't tell the difference.  Ski in about 5-6 AWSA tournaments a year if I don't go to Regionals or Nationals, then a few more.  Our site welcomes BOS guys if you're going to be in the area! 

[disland]

I am Dave Island. I didnt start competitive skiing until I was 40. I was a surfer and windsurfer and lived in Hawaii and California. I moved to Dallas in 1999 and saw my first slalom course and jump. Bought a lot at Princeton Lakes and asked Mike Thompson to teach me to jump. I went from plop overs to winning SCR Mens 3 jump in 2007. Ok I backed into it because Kevin Withrow didnt jump that year. I love to slalom just wish I was better at it. My son now kicks my butt.

[Laz]

I'm 40, married with three kids, living in Toronto. 

My biggest asset is having a wife, kids and parents who are all into slalom.  That seems to be the biggest factor in getting out to the lake.  Two days ago, I took my father to our local ski club where he is very close to getting the course at 28mph.  Then yesterday, he turned 65.  Not bad at all.  And to think, he learned to get up on one ski last year.

Next year my wife and I are going to Waterski Costa Rica.  It will be the first time we travel without the kids in 10 years.  Egad. 

When I was about 10, my dad bought a leaky 14 ft, 70 hp outboard and taught the kids to ski.  We continued to ski and upgrade the boats.  Then medical school, residency and small kids nearly got me out of skiing and into sailing.  Yes, horrible, but true.

Then, funny story.  Four years ago we were camping with the kids not too far away from the McClintock lake in Cambridge.  I remembered having a few lessons there about 25 years ago.  So, for a lark, I met my dad there and we both had lessons.  It was the first time I had ever skied through a slalom course.  I got 5 balls at about 28mph and was transformed.

I tell my non skiing friends to imagine a golfer who spends his whole life hitting balls on the driving range without ever knowing about a golf course.  Then one day he is shown Pebble Beach.  I felt like a junkie after his first hit.  Everything snowballed from there.

The next year we bought a Moomba Outback.  (Which, by the way, is a great boat for those just getting into slalom.  The $20 000 you save can be put towards lessons).  Then we got an EZ-Slalom course.  Finally, this year, my wife increased my allowance so I could join SummerSki, a private club just north of Toronto.

 Now I've progressed to an official PB of 3 at 28' off, 34mph although I got through 28 off once with a strong head wind.  I'm working on handle control and back arm pressure.  My main hurdle to improving is having my "swing thought" disappear as soon as I go through the entrance gates.

This summer I took a half day off each week, met up with 5 friends and a pontoon boat.  Then we would install the slalom course, get the BBQ going on the pontoon and ski and eat till dark.  That was a blast.

Laz Klein

[Rpc29]

My name is Ryan from Atlanta, Ga. I've been working at Coble Ski School the last two summers. I'm 24 years old and my best in a tournament is 3 @ 35, practice is 2 @ 38. Started skiing the course in college when I was 20 after years and years of free skiing. Started going to NCWSA tournaments with the University of Georgia and fell in love with the sport. I ski behind a 2001 Malibu Sunsetter LXI with PP Classic when I'm in Atlanta but I like ZO better.

[Chef23]

My name is Mark Shaffer and I am a Mens 3 slalom and trick (not very good at either) skier.  My PB at home is 2@35 off (out of the water) and tournament PB is 4@32 off.  Tricks I have run 920.

I learned to ski young (5) and skied the course regularly but never really skied tournaments.  When I was 16 I could run deep 32 off consistently at 36 mph (obviously hand driven).  From the ages of 22 to 38 or so I didn't ski at all. 

 I have two kids an 11 year old son and a 12 year old daughter.  The boy is a Boys 2 competitor who dragged me into tournament skiing last year.  He has a tournament PB of 1/2@32 mph (15 off) and a practice PB of 2@34mph.  He also tricks 660 points so far and jumps with a best of 48 feet.  My daughter mostly skis for fun right now although she has dabbled in the course a little.

I live and ski in MA with Than Bogan among others including a couple of lurkers here who will hopefully jump in.

I qualified for regionals in slalom this year and was first off the dock in my division and didn't finish last. I ran a PB at the time for me of 2.5@32 off at regionals. My goal is to qualify for Nationals in slalom so I can go one year and ski when my son skis.

I forgot to add earlier that I am currently the Mass State Mens 3 trick champion only because there was no-one else in my division.

[Ed_Obermeier]

OK, I'll jump in too...

I'm 55 years old, live in the countryside near Paola, Kansas (half hour south of Kansas City on the Kansas side of the state line).  Started skiing at age 18, learned to slalom at age 25 m/l, skied the course for the first time at age 34 and was an IMMEDIATE addict (this does feel a little like an AA meeting, not that I've ever been to one ...).  I do ski INT but I'm not a seriously competitive skier, I find it more fun to get out with the gang on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings and compete against my self and my expectations. 

My standing practice PB is 5 @ 35 off, tournament best is 1.5 or 2 @ 35, PB in wide ride is 2 @ 38 off 30 mph (that was FUN!), average score recently is 2 or 3 @ 35 off old guy and girl speed.  I've spent the past year really focusing on my fitness level and I believe that I'm in probably the best physical condition I've been at the end of a ski season ever, which I expect to result in a new PB soon (I'm REAL close to running 35, just gotta figure out a consistant gate/one ball) even despite my rapidly advancing age.  So don't let advancing age keep you from thinking you can't improve, I truly believe my best skiing is still ahead of me.

Boat - '05 Response LXI with StarGazer (I love this boat!).  Ski - 68" Strada (love the ski too, since Matt Rini finally got it through my thick skull how to counter rotate on the off side...), D3 Leverage bindings.  I'm also the owner of EZ-Slalom Course Systems which is how I support my addiction.

I feel like I know a lot of you folks on BOS on some sort of personal level, several I actually do know personally (I've skied with Horton 3 - 4 times now i.e., great dude BTW despite appearances) and many of you are EZ-Slalom customers.  For that and for putting up with my occasional rants without flaming me too severely I sincerely thank you.

Ed

[Deke]

I'm a 53 year old engineer living and playing in Telluride, Colorado. Got hooked on waterskiing about 11 years ago with the help of "Marco" who is also on this forum and I continue to organize a club on a public lake in Southwest Colorado. I don't ski tournaments yet and I don't count partial passes, so my personal best is 15 off at 34 mph... or is it 22 off at 30 mph?. Whatever. Would like to figure out a way to spend more time on private water or a way to eliminate tubers at the public lake so that I will improve before I am too old.

My wife, Nancy, also runs the course at 15 off, 28 mph. Deso our Labrador is the spotter and coach. Our boat is a 99 RLX with Stargazer. I couldn't care less about ZO.

When we're not at the lake we are snow skiing, playing in the mountains, or mostly working!

Deke deCastro

[Steven]

First and foremost I want to thank Horton for this great site and the wealth of information and entertainment it provides me and secondly I want to thank his his Dear old Dad for the vision and desire to design the ultimate ski site. Without his pioneering efforts who knows where the sport of slalom skiing would be with all of the restrictions and competition for lake time on public waterways.

With that said, my name is Steven Haines. I'm 47 years old, M4. I was raised in the upper northwest corner of Montana where I learned to ski when I was 8 at our family cabin. For years I skied recreationally until my High School years when we tried to build a slalom course and failed miserably on our first attempt (we uses 1/2" emt conduit, can you say limp?). Since then I' ve been involved in 2 lake projects and started competing at No Wake Lake in Helena Mt. I now live in Canyon Lake Ca. where I'm a member of the Canyon Lake Ski Club. With work I only get to ski our local tourneys and sometimes make it out to Barstow. My TPB is 5@ 35 prior to ZO and my ZO PB is 1 @ 35. In practice my PB is 4 @ 38. I have a 95 Malibu Response and ski on older MPD wth Fluid Motion boots. If your in the area get a hold of me for a ski ride.

[Roger]

Roger Clark, 57 (M5). Didn't start skiing until age 33, first tournament at age 35. Married (20 years), no kids (there seem to be plenty).

TPB: 2 @ 38, PPB: 4 @ 38

Boat: 2009 SN196 Limited, Ski Z7ST, Bindings RS-1, Fin: CB Carbon Fin.

Profession: Programmer, mostly doing ecommerce work these days using .NET and SQL Server.

Previous sport: Skydiving, 1000 jumps, 2 world records and several skydiving firsts. Between skydiving and skiing, rode street bikes until my 2nd accident which is what led us to waterskiing. My wife said "we have to find a sport where you don't lose a ton of skin and are layed up for a month when you fall." So we bought a ski boat, not with the intent of competition, just to play in. Now I'm a senior driver, senior judge, and ski 7 to 12 tournaments a year.

 

[skidawg]

I'm thinking, I'm thinking

[jipster43]

I'm JP Polsak ( my grandpa was PJ Lawless which is way cooler).  I started skiing when I was seven or eight.  When you get to be my age (43) those things start to blur.  I skied the course for the first time when I was 16, but I was so gawd awful that it shouldn't really count.  I didn't get in the course again until this summer.  I just skied a PB today (15 off @ 32mph), so I'm super stoked.  I have a '93 Mastercraft Stars & Stripes with 215hours on it, and I just installed stargazer this week.  My family is healthy, it's an indian summer, and I have a private ski lake all to myself at the moment, so I couldn't be happier!  Today one of my pals said he wished he was 16 again.  I'm just stoked to be alive!

JP :)

[ForrestGump]

I'm Shane Hill. I'm a telecom project manager, 40 years old, from Cypress, Texas.  I ski in nearby conroe at a private site that two long time friends own. There are five of us that are lucky enough to ski there in exchange for splitting maintenance costs with them.  While I"ve skied for 15 years, I only started skiing the course in 2005 and had my first tournament in 2006.  Right now, my tournament pb is 5 1/2 at 32off/34mph and practice pb is 3 at 35off/34mph.  I'm riding a 67 Elite and am lucky enough to have a ski partner who's the CC dealer in Houston. So he floorplans a Team200OB to us that we'll flip a few times a year. I have one pearl of wisdom to hand out and that's that life is too short to be with an ugly woman. :)

[thager]

Shane, That's what the beer is for!!

[auskier]

My name is Toby, im 23 and from a few hours north of Melbourne in Victoria Australia. I am a uni/ski bum and work summers at a ski shop.

First skied when i was about 10 and ran the course for the first time at 14. Think i was 16 when i skied my first tournament.

Ski a 65 A1/stradas at 36. Normally ski deep 28 off. Goal for this year is to post a few scores into 32off and run it in practice. Had my first set for spring in the course yesterday and ran my regular opener first up, so fingers crossed for a good season.

I have been a technical officer (TC i think you guys call us?) for 5 years at moomba and done multiple nationals, state events and everything else. If you followed twitter during moomba here on the BOS home page you have probably seen my tweets and photos. 

Went to the states in 06 and skied with chet at his place, seth at trophy and spent some time up at cobles in NC. Looking forward to getting back state side for a summer, skiing everywhere from CA to FL and going to many of the pro events... when i finish school next year!

[LZywicki1]

My name is Larry Zywicki, I'm 54 and ski on Middle Straits Lake in W. Bloomfield MI with my wife and 2 daughters.  I'm a Field Service Eng./Project Manager for Thermotron, we make high performance environmental test equipment.  In other words I'm jack-of-all-trades and master of none.

I've been skiing for about 35 years now and just love to be out on the lake, (skiing or not), it just takes all the pain and troubles of the day and floats them down stream.  I've nerver skied in a tournament but have been to a few.  I'm  not a person that like to compete with others just better myself.  PB was 6@32 about years ago before I took a small detour to the dark side and dislocated my knee wakeboarding.  Now I'm trying to run 28 off with some consistenly but keep getting stuck going around 4 ball most times.

 I've enjoyed this site, my carbon fin and all the information very much over the past couple of years very much.  Keep it up John.

[tsixam]

auskier,

I am going to Melbourne this winter, first week of January. Are there any ski lakes in the Melbourne area?  

My name in the real world is Thommy Bergstrom. I am 49 years old married with 2 kids and we are living in Sweden. I am a sales engineer, selling aluminum profiles for machine building. I started skiing when I was about 23 years old and have been an addict ever since.  I am a LFF and am skiing on an Obrien Elite. My PB is 4@38.

Tsixam

[A_B]

Al Bishop, 51, live near Toledo, OH.

Bought a borrow pit in 1982 with two friends and converted it to a slalom lake.

Grew up skiing in the Maumee River, bare footing, skiing in tennis shoes to protect feet from the river crud, trick skiing, skiing in a disc or anything fun. Started course skiing in 1978 with a 2 handle line and quickly converted to a single for fear of looking odd.

 

Have lived and skied in Pennsylvania and New York, met some nice folks along the way.

 

Probably peaked in skiing about 10 years ago, running 1@39.5 in practice and finishing 3rd in Ohio State champs. Probably averaged mid 38 on most good days in practice. Qualified but never went to Nationals, one regret.

 

The last few years have been on the downhill slope with too much work and too many nagging injuries.

Still enjoy getting in the boat and helping my buds and newcomers at our lake.

I enjoy the technical side of the sport and would be considered a tinkerer by any definition.

[Marco]

Mark Carlson, 50.  Started skiing the course in 97, got addicted immediately, and built a lake in western colorado with some friends, finishing my house on it this past june.  TPB 1.5 at38,  PPB 4 at 38 a month ago.  Would write more, but suffered a complete shoulder dislocation yesterday afternoon, and typing this much with my left hand has already worn me out.  Time for another percocet...

[Jim Neely]

Jim Neely, 54. Live in South Carolina. Use to ski a lot in my twentys, skied very little until I turned 50. For my 50th birthday I bought a HO Triumph and started competing in INT wide ride division. Wide Ride PPB 2 at-32 TPB 3 at-28. This year started competing in INT 34mph, Radar Senate. PPB 2 at-28 TPB 3.5 at-22.

 

[waterskicorey]

 Corey Walters, 47 yrs old, live in Abbotsford, B.C. Canada, engaged for the second time, have 2 kids and have been a firefighter for 20 years. I have been a member of the Fraser Valley Waterski Club (www.fvwsc.org) for 15 years and the president of the club for the past 2 years. Have been skiing since I was a kid and love slalom skiing, PPB 4@38, TPB 3@38  I hate ZO, ski on a Goode 9900 Mid Ride. Our club skiies behind a 2010 Malibu Response.

[tru-jack]

Jeff Hunter 41 years old, civil engineering manager at city hall, 2 young girls that started to ski at 2 and 3 but haven't been too interested lately, however are in the boat for several sets a week and really enjoy it.  Live in Orillia, Ontario on Lake Couchiching with 07 response lxi with SG in the boathouse that skis every sat and sun am on one of the 4 courses we have access to nice and early before the rest of the boating population wakes up.  Usually home by 9 for family breakfast, kids and wife ski, then lunch, then to a sand bar at an island to swim, play and party with hundreds of others, bbq, bed and do it again.  (typical weekend)  We have run the Victoria Point Ski Club for over 35 years, my Dad and Uncle were founding members.  We maintain the courses, and schedule a pontoon boat every tuesday to hang out on, and have 2 ski boats pulling through our courses. (our main club courses are very near one another in a secluded bay.)  Usually get out monday, wednesday and friday evenings if possible so we get a lot of skiing for a short summer, on very public water.  Took a few years off to build a house and get the family going, but now back at it full swing.  Still play competitive hockey and mountain bike in free time, and have my wife now skiing quite well for someone who just started, she's almost got the course at 30mph on her first real season, so obviously she's the athelete, former national water polo player among other sports, so it's only time before she really improves.  We really enjoy our time skiing and in the boat, and feel it will only improve as the kids get a bit older, they're only 3 and 5, and already love it!  Plan on skiing my first tournament next summer in Ottawa and am interested in the Ballers Bash, as it sounds like  ... well a Bash!  Run 28 about 90% of the time so 32 can't be too far away, but best to date is 5 at 32 and it's usually 2 or 3.  Also hope to get some coaching during our family florida vacation this season.  Really enjoy the site, especially nice to see very good skiers that have not forgotten to have fun and enjoy the sport and themselves, something that I have only solved 2 of the 3 but will continue to strive to improve on the skiing and will always practice the have fun and enjoy the sport and myself aspect.  thanks for a great site Horton.

Just reading my post and would like to add, that skiing is not dead in our neck of the woods, as almost every evening and early weekend morning, there are about 3 to 5 ski boats waiting to take turns through the courses, most know each other, with the odd new face, but it's pretty amazing to see this participation at 7am on weekends..

[jdarwin]

Joe Darwin - 49 year old M4 slalom skier.  I manage a 3rd Party logistics company and partner in real estate developments/investments.  Quit jumping in 1989 after a bad crash (actually, MANY bad crashes!).  Began skiing competitively at LSU in 1979.  Learned to jump at Bennett's summer of 1979.  Saw first slalom course there but did not get serious about it until 1989.  2 daughters.  One still skis competitively at ULM.  I've been an AWSA official since 1996.  3-event driver and judge.  Promoted the Turn and Burn concept in 2010 - made many friends (and a few enemies). Chaired the Junior Development Committee in my region from 1998 until 2010.  TB = 4 @ 38.  Ski on Goode Mid Ride (this week) and have a 2010 SN 200.   Built Cottonwood Water Ski in 2002.

[skidawg]

Ward McLain - I'm a 40 yr old MM slalom skier (former 3-eventer), I am self employed.  I live in Bossier City, LA.  My lake/ski club is Olde Oaks (horton recently renamed it Old Ward's Pond).  We live about 5 minutes away from JD's lake; Cottonwood.  Naturally we are a bit blessed/spoiled because of two awesome lakes one north-south, one east-west (almost always good conditions between one of the two lakes.  I learned how to slalom at five yrs old (recreational skier my whole life) on a public lake in arkansas.  I was so small my dad had to sit on the back of his fishing boat and hold the rope over his head so i could cross the wakes while my sister was driving the boat.  I learned how to run the slalom course at 18 at Louisiana Tech University (jump and trick also).  Horton, smart and several other top level skiers were at NLU 30 minutes away, but we never took advantage of their knowledge. After teaching myself for 5 yrs of college and a brief 3 years away from skiing while in grad school and first job, i have spent the last 15 plus yrs retraining my brain and body (for those of you who don't think you are good enough to spend money on quality coaching, get it if you can, much easier to start the right way). 

A little skiing back ground, (not nearly as impressive as our leader) but here it goes from memory:

skied my first regionals my last year in men I ( skied all three events, drug slalom as my weak event). Didn't qualify for nat's (1995).

First nationals was in 1996 (destin, FL) jump only-qualified on placement in regionals.  Skied overall in every nationals after that until the last one in BAKO (2001?)  I have several regional overall/jump titles in MII (even one reg trick title one year-funny because i am not a good tricker, pb prolly 3000 pts best ever).  I have placed nationals in overall, trick, jump and slalom. Senior slalom judge

My tourney PB in MensII: 165' jump (5.5-35mph), tricks 3000pts, slalom 5 @ 39'off-36mph

My tourney PB in MensIII/MM:  3@41'off-34mph.  (quit jumping/tricking last two yrs MII-still overall at regionals but was pretty much done).  I will still strap on a trick for some trick slalom action (taking JTH down at the bash).

I have skied a few Big Dawgs (lots o fun) but family/business has kept me from going at it full on.  Looking forward to hitting more of them next year with full focus.  Big thanks to JD and his crew for givin me an alternative place to ski when I shorten up.

I have a beautiful wife who skis (tourney PB 1/2 or 1 @ 35 off, not sure) and three kids, (17 yr old boy, 8 yr old boy & 2 yr old girl).  all three ski, oldest skis course occassionally (not his gig), 8 yr old got into tourneys this yr w/ a tourney pb of 4 @ 30 mph long line, and two yr old girl loves to ski down the lake when ever dad will pull her.  My wife loves triathlons, road races, adventure races, Mountain bike races, just about anything that can be raced, she loves it.  I do a few tri's early season to stay inshape for skiing. (did half ironman last yr), but I prefer MTB.  We do a 70mi mtb race in march in ARK every year (6200 feet of vertical climbing-monster ride).

I ride the 68" elite, best ski made in my opinion for 34 if you are 190lbs plus!  GO Team ELITE!

I am looking forward to the BALLER'S BASH and putting a face with the BS'ers I don't know.

[Jody_Seal]

Jody Seal

Age 53, Men5 skier . Started sking in 1964 on the Colorado River behind big cubic inch v-drive race boats. And a big move to Montana as a teenager sking on flathead lake. I started skiing tournaments and recieved my first judges and drivers ratings 1980. Many years later and way to many tournaments later I am now a 3 event senior driver and 3event senior judge and still a sloppy tournament skier. Best record tournament performance 4@12. Only title I have is the 1988 Montana State men 2 Slalom champion. Worked as senior field tech at Correct Craft for 20 years also part of the design team testing and R&D of new products. 

Currently own and opperate Florida Inboards Inc. a repair and sales facility dedicated to tournament inboards and performance inboards of all types. Also have raised two children who in each of their respected divisions and age groups over the years have been in the mix and even top of the heap as competitors. Stephen Multi time National champion in overall and jump, regional record holder in jump and member of US junior team at one time ranked #2 in the world in junior division Jump. Daughter Monica Regional champion and national medalist all three events and State womens 1 Jump record holder. Wife Michele is a long time senior Scorer current Masters Chief scorer and chief scorer of many international events and team trials. and past Montana State Slalom Champion.

Currently a member of the Pickos Water ski Group and the Emerald Coast Boat and Ski Club in Panama City, Florida.

[lpskier]

My name is John Wilkins. I am a 54 year old attorney from Lake Placid, NY. I learned to ski as a child, got hooked and started skiing tournaments (slalom, trick and jump) as a young teen, continuing though my mid 20's.  Then I went to law school, moved to New York City and took up golf. In 1988, I moved back to lake Placid, quit golf (a stupid, stupid game), and started skiing again. I un-retired from competition in about 2002 or so. My current PB is 3@38 (then the NYS M5 record) and have a 98.5 average. I used to have an EP rating (and for some reason I am much prouder of that than being a "Level 8" skier).

My ski partners are Terence Fogarty (M3, MM), Matt Matthews (M2) and Jon "Koosh" Kusiak (M2). I ski cold public water on a 68" Prophecy with Fogman Diablos behind a red 2007 Nautique with Stargazer. I listen to music my ski partners mostly don't like. My ski is three years old, and although I haven't touched the fin in two summers, I have moved the bindings.I take a bath with binding lube on the swim platform every morning after I ski. I wear a Speedo under my board shorts. I am always late.

I own a business and have a partner ( a scratch golfer who played in the U.S. Senior Amatur last year). I have two employees to whom I provide family health insurance. I am taxed to death. I do not like our President, the Speaker of the House or the knucklehead from Nevada that runs things over in the Senate.

I like to read, hunt, fish, play tennis and telemark ski. I am an amatur photographer. I root for TW on thwaterskiforum. I do not watch TV. Except 24, and that is over, so I again do not watch TV. Well, I watch Auburn football, too. But that is it. Otherwise, I do not watch TV.

I have been married for 21 years  this Thursday, consecutively, and to the same person, Aimee. Her mom was a skier and I was in like flint the first time I met the family as it turned out Jim McCormick was a mutual friend. Aimee skis but is not "a skier". We have a photo of my wife, her mom and our daughter skiing triple.

My daughter Grace attends Auburn University as a sophomore, where she majors in business (I suspect mostly of the monkey variety). After 12 years of doingnothing but showing horses, she has decided she loves water skiing. Sheis a first year member of the Auburn Water Ski Team, where she slaloms,tricks and jumps under the watchful eye of Jeff Wiswall, who with his wife Vickie are good friends of our family. If anyone needs a really nice horse, I seem to have an extra one in inventory.

My son John is a senior in high school (National Sports Academy, nuf said?) and aspires to snowboard in the X Games. He is very good at snowboarding. He has a cool video on http://hardwayapparel.com/  (second video on the page, titled "Windell's session 1", watch out for the F Bomb at the end)(his photo is also the background wall paper for the site). I am away on vacation right now and I am praying he doesn't have a party at home while I am gone and get kicked out of school. Again.

I know Brent from a Lucky Lowe clinic last June at the Pangaea Puddle, said hello to Jody at Whitestone on Saturday and saw OB get his pb at Ski Watch yesterday (Nice skiing OB!).

I am skiing with Lucky again tomorrow. I'll ski with my good friends Lou Alcamo and Eddie Roberts this week and ski a record tournament at Phil Hughes' lake in Clermont, FL on Saturday, concluding my season. I will start training for next year on Monday.

 

[Chuck_Dickey]

Hello, my name is Chuck Dickey. I am 54 years old, M5 and have been skiing for about 25 years. Learned to ski in Tahiti at Club Med on two skis that looked a bit like fence boards! One of them had printed on the tip “Tips up! And the other “keep smiling†and I have been ever since. I had a great time learning. Saw they had a slalom course and borrowed a slalom ski and made it through the course at 30 mph by the end of the week. Called my boss and told him I was staying another week. Hooked ever since! Suffered a major slalom crash, it’s incredible how hard water is when you face plant at 50 mph ! It has been slow to recovery but I keep trying. So my best score so far this year is 5@28off@34, still some season left for us So. Cal skiers and I have the Green loop in my sites yet this year. Have a terrific 12 year old daughter, Carly, in G2, currently ranked 3^rd in the western region for trick, tricks about 700. She and I are on the lake every weekend and every vacation. I made her a custom Radar MPD 61†and so far she can run the course at 26.7mph. She likes Trick a bit more than Slalom and wants me to buy a Trick ski so she can teach me! We both love this sport and promote it whenever we get the chance.

Many thanks to Fish-bait for all his efforts! Bubbles and Freak Show say Hi!