Waterski Mag article on Nate Smith

[skibug]

I just read the article in waterski mag about Nate Smith.  For the record, I only met him once and skied a couple sets with him at our lake in NC.  He is a real humble, down to Earth kid.  He will challenge the record in short time.  I saw some excerpts that were taken from other ski forums (below).  I don't really ever visit any other ski forums except for maybe Rossi's every now and again.  I am glad we don't have this kind of trash on Horton's site.  I am actually a little disgusted that there is this element out there in the ski community.  For anybody to say what they have in these excerpt is either really stupid or jealous or both. 

“The tournament wasn’t even a class-C tournament — good joke.â€
“If it’s not a record (tournament), it’s not a score.â€
“I wouldn’t say I could run 41 unless I did it in a record-capable tournament.â€
— Excerpts from the skifly.com message board on Nate Smith’s competitive achievements

The article is actually a good read and a good job by the author.  For Nate's 1 @ 43, with exception of the tournament not being a record tourney, there were senior level drivers and judges (Dana Reed and Jeff Gilbert for example) that were driving and judging.

[Than_Bogan]

Disappointing.  But jealousy does seem to be the obvious explanation.

Nobody is saying Nate already *is* the best, just that he seems on track to challenge for that title in the future.  Seems silly to argue with THAT!

Anyhow, look forward to meeting Nate some day.  Good luck to him!

[Horton]

There are other forums? What?

[h2odawg79]

There's  2 types of Funny.   Funny -ha,ha... and Funny -peculiar.

I find it very Funny -Ha,ha, when people use their online anonymity to say peculiar things that they would either not have the guts to say in person or would simply never speak so recklessly in public.

Rock on Nate and everyone else who's had their fill of spineless on-line trash talk.   

[Roger]

Nate is on the running order for Palm Bay this weekend. I don't know if I'll get a chance to pull him, but at the very least, I'll get a chance to watch him http://www.ballofspray.com/vanillaforum/js/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-cool.gif

[thager]

I don't care if Nate only runs 39 in practice. He's still got my respect. Back that up with a second at a pro event to Will Asher and it's obvious he has the right stuff and will only get better. You get the coward types on every forum including the occasional internet bully. They are probably jealous and just don't matter!

[boarditup]

I was there when Nate came in second to Asher.  The course was real and record-capable.  The competition was real and record-capable.  The boat and drivers were real and record-capable.  I watched him ski several times in competition - he is real and record-capable.  Although really young, he is very good, focused, consistent, and a genuine nice guy.  He has my respect as a skier and as a man.

The IWWSF top 10 have some real competition from Nate. He also has a real shot at the World Record in the near future.

 Karl DeLooff

[lpskier]

Who are Nate's coach and ski partner? What ever they are saying is working. I want to hang with those guys!

[Ed_Johnson]

To Roger,

Pisses me off that these "No Name" Walleys will criticize a really talented skier such as Nate. Hope you get to pull him and spend some time with him. He is a very humble, exceptional young talent. He is what we want to represent and advance our sport.

Roger, Speaking of being attacked. Do you know what happened to Robert Marking in Okeeheelee. Is he still skiing there? He was totally persecuted and driven off of the Water Ski Forum. Respect your opinion as to what may have happened.

Good Luck in Palm Bay,  ED

[Roger]

Thanks Ed, I'm looking forward to it. As for Robert, he has not been out the last couple of practice nights I was there (Tue and Thu) and he usually is. He has had his share of run-in's with Okee regulars as well, but I don't know if he's gone down the road again or not. He was skiing with Harold quite a bit, but Harold skied with me this week and I didn't think to ask him about Robert. If I learn anything, I'll let you know.

[Ed_Johnson]

Thanks Roger, have a good time in Palm Bay....ED

[Chris Rossi]

Nate is a heck of a skier.  I did not know who he was before the Global event.  Definitely knew who he was after.  Then he backed it up at Diablo.  It's exciting to see guys pushing the limits.  I look forward to skiing against him next season!

 Chris

[kcslaloms]

As an Indiana skier who's skied with Nate, and followed his skiing since he started competing in Boys 1, I'm very happy for him and very proud of him.  He's a great young man from a good family.  His improvement this season, is nothing short of incrediable, and is a direct result of a combination of dedication and natual talent.

To answer lpskier's question, Nate has been training the last couple seasons with "Big Dawg" skier (& curent M3 National Champion), Scott Tynan at Sawmill Lake in Columbus, IN.

 Good luck at Palm Bay this weekend Nate, then enjoy a well-deserved break!

 Kim

[Chef23]

It is too bad that people are so negative.  He sounds like a good kid with the right attitude.  I hope he skis well this weekend.

[LeonL]

I've met Nate. Pulled him in an "L" in 2009.  Know the guys he skis with daily.  Know what he can do.  The real rub for me in the skifly comments isn't concerning Nate, it's a real slam against people like Dana Reed, Jeff Gilbert, Alan Long, and the sponsors.  These guys are straight-up whether it's a CERL or whatever, things are gonna be right and a score is a score.  I'm not familiar with the site, but I'm confident that Alan (listed as CJ) checked things. 

[Horton]

I think the short story is this is not SkiFly and pretty much everyone here is impressed with Mr. Smith. The question should be how do we turn him into a baller?

[Steven]

Horton, you need to send him a BOS Sticker for his ski. Then He Be Ballin'

[Horton]

If I was thought he would put it on his ski it would go out FedEx Monday.

[lpskier]

Getting to ski all the time with Scott ought to be considered cheating.*  Kim, it was nice seeing you guys at Clermont. Have a nice off season. John

* sarcastic compliment

[kcslaloms]

Thanks John.  You as well!

[scoke]

Nate ran 1@41 rnd 1 today and a 2.5@41 rnd 2. Travers runs 2.5@41 rnd 2.

 

Stillwater lakes at palm bay Florida.

[Horton]

Video?

[scoke]

Had mY digital video camera but didnt get j3 to film. I was up next after Nate so I couldn't.

 

I didn't twitter or take pics. I'm tired.

[A_B]

 

 

What, there are BOS stickers?

Anyone from Ohio eligible to get one?  I lost my sponsorship http://www.ballofspray.com/vanillaforum/js/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-cool.gif, so looking to fill up my ski with stickers!

Ed - RJM is on his way to SD.  He said he was retiring from posting.  Too bad, he brings a lot of enthusiasm to the table.

[Horton]

Scoke,

How did if feel to go after him? If it was me, I would have gone off the dock at 38 and then acted totally surprised pissed when I fell at 1 ball.

 

Stickers? I have an email box full of requests. You might as well pile on. My trip to Europe and such has me WAY behind on that kind of thing.

[kstateskier]

I met Nate at the Junior US Open, good kid, great skier!

I find it humorous when people bag on these kids for coming out of the woodwork and posting good scores.  For every big name skier there's a ton of these up and comers like Drew Lindsey, Brooks Wilson, Mechler Bros, Sam Greenwoods that no one knows about but have been busy skiing well for years and getting better and better.  

[HO 410]

Skifly has suffered from a serious case of forumitis for a long time. It reflects well on Horton that he is committed to maintaining the tone of face to face discussion that has always made Ball of Spray, and the original tweakers forum, stand apart.

Pretty sure that running 10.25 is a big deal, even with a soft time and generous boat path. Big IF. Record capable site, ZO, and world class driving. That said, I don't know anyone that can ski within 6 buoys of a record that would be willing to post a shady score. I watched a Big Dawg take the crash of crashes partially because he was going to get generous judging at 6 ball on his -39' pass.

[bmiller3536]

Scoke, how many do you get @ 41?

[Roger]

Nate ran into 41 two of three rounds. I was in the judges tower for rounds 1 and 2, and in the boat for round 3. If he's not for real, he's doing a great job faking it. Jon Travers stole the show though running 39 all three rounds. Both of them (and all the men and women open skiers) were just awesome to see from the boat. Whitney McClintock also looked terrific.

I was not in the boat for rounds one and two, but Gordon West drove open all three rounds and I can tell you he was having a world class day at the wheel at least while I was in the boat (IMO). Some of the stuff the open skiers hung onto gave the boat (2011 Malibu in rnd 3) some serious tugging and Gordon was right there for them without over doing it. I was able to see the end course video for all three of the assigned R lake drivers this weekend (Gordon West, Mark Griffen, John Shealy) and all three were right where they should be. It's nice as a skier to look up at the boat and know you don't have to worry about that end of things...

 

[scoke]

 

bmiller: i got 30 hot wings, 2 pitchers of coors light and a piece of key lime pie. our college student waitress smelled good too.

 

on a side note, Nates handle: in-tolerance right on the money. /vanillaforum/js/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-innocent.gif

[Roger]

For Ed:

 

Robert has vacated Okeeheelee. No one seems to know where or why.

[Ed_Johnson]

Roger,

Thanks for the info. I did hear he was on his way back to South Dakota.

Thanks,  ED