Hate to say it but @SkiBigDawg World Tour cld B really bad fr Pro Skiing. Sport isn't big enough....

[Horton]

A few days ago @Marcus_Brown_ sent the following tweet: “Hate to say it but @SkiBigDawg World Tour cld B really bad fr Pro Skiing. Sport isn't big enough 2 support 2 sets of pros.”

 

This tweet has been re-tweeted a few times and I think it is good food for thought.

 

If I was a pro skier I think I would whole heartedly agree with @Marcus_Brown_

If I was a BigDawg skier I might say if someone wants to pay me to ski that is awesome.

 

As the owner of this site and someone who thinks a lot about promoting the sport I am conflicted about BigDawg / 55K Pro skiing.

 

Inside the sport, the appeal of the BigDawgs is that they are older guys with jobs. The BigDawg are like most of us. They are the guys who buy boats and skis. It is something it aspire to.

 

Looking in from outside the sport the Pros are at another level and should be seen as our Elite. I do not think there is a BigDawg that can hang with CP or Smith. Or can they…. When Rogers and Mapple are skiing 55k it blurs the lines a little.

 

[boarditup]

What is the approximate number of spectators at Big Dawg events?

[MattP]

I agree and disagree with @marcusbrown

From the point of view of an Elite Pro which Marcus is I can see how he would view it as detrimental to the Elite level. Some of the BigDawgs either get paid something small or get skis from companies to ride. Not to mention all the sponsorship money that goes into the BigDawg tour that could be going to the Elite Events who live off of prize money (sorta). All of this is lost money or profits that could be going back into Pro skiing.

 

I think that the Big Dawgs are great skier and I look up to some of them as competitors that show that one can ski at a high level and still have a normal job.

 

Wait doesn't Marcus Brown brother ski BigDawg? A little bit of sibling rivalry there.

 

[Horton]

@boarditup

Good point.... I think in most cases few. The problem is next week at Moomba the Dawgs and the Pros are on the same stage with LOTS of folks on shore. The $ are being split between the groups. Maybe from the promoters point of view this is not the case but from the a Pro skiers' perspective there less $ for them.

 

Before I get my butt chewed or Chad arrests me, I am not against the Dawgs but I do think that it would be good to frame the groups better.

[Horton]

@MattP I do not think CC Brown skis the BigDawg

[MattP]

@Horton you could be right.

[aussiemc]

Hi Guys,

Been a lurker for a while, this is my first post. I tend to disagree with Marcus (whom I have met/skied with, prevoiusly).

My view is that if more high quality skiers/ski events are around, the sport gets more / longer exposure, appeals to an broader audience, and lets face it, we 40 + yr olds are the ones with the money that the sponsoring companies are targeting. It may be that initially the prize money drops slightly for the Elite skiers, but, I see more potential for larger sponsorship / promotion in the future.

[KB]

CC Brown = Chris Brown and is not Marcus's brother. Matt Brown is Marcus's brother, and does ski the Big Dawg, one of the top contenders at those events.

 

I could ski open and get my butt kicked. I have a better chance to compete with the Big Dawgs. I choose the latter but it is a tough choice. If there was no Big Dawg, I would still ski MM. As long as there is a Big Dawg, I am going. I dont know if its good or bad for the sport overall, but it works for me. Am I being selfish? If it is bad for the sport, should I boycott?

 

KB

[fu_man]

Just some more thoughts...I think this discussion is interesting. When the other thread started about Mapple skiing in a Big Dawg tourney, I thought there were some good points made on both sides. I think that getting more people talking about the sport and skiing in any tourney is good. I see the point about this taking some attention away from the elite athletes which is not good for them. Not much of a budget for this stuff anymore. However, when you look at it from a grass-roots perspective, getting more people involved at any level is good for the sport. How cool is it for the little guy that a legend of the sport is skiing in an amateur event? On the other hand, the question remains...is it fair for the little guys to have arguably the best slalom skier ever enter the amateur event? This is a grey area. If Andy still has the ability to ski at 36 with the potential to get into 39 off then he still has the potential to win any tourney at the elite level. Maybe the rules should be re-evaluated to minimize the grey area that we are seeing.

[Horton]

@KB Yes I know. Always cracked me up that so many guys named Brown from NorCal were such killer slalom skiers.

 

[Horton]

@OB I assume (I know that is a bad thing to do) that MB's comment is about Moomba where the prize money is (again I assume) not mostly from entry fees.

 

If all or most of the prize money for the BigDawgs was entry fees I think it is a different discussion.

 

Wonder what the odds are that I totally missed MBs point?

[lhoover]

The Big Dawg idea (not sure if that was his title for it) was started by Ken White many years ago, probably mid 80s. Whitey had been with Correct Craft forever and since they had pulled out of the Pro Tour (not wanting to associate with alcohol advertisers) he figured this could be a showcase IF there were money in it for the participants.

 

The brilliant ones at AWSA shot it down pretty quick, refusing sanction and umbrella insurance, their reason being that nothing would be a bigger purse than the US Open, which they controlled at that time. There the Big Dawg idea languished for many years until the personnel at hdqs. changed and they allowed CC in the door.

 

There is a good argument to be made on both sides of the MB quote, but doubt seriously if there is much money leaking out of the Pro Tour purse toward Big Dawg. If you are looking for 3 event money, tough toenails. The wakeboarders have 99% of all towed water sport moneys. Not complaining, either, since they saved tournament ski boats from being anything but a memory. Just saying, there ain't much money to begin with. However, twas ever thus, and our (noble?) efforts to “grow the sport” shall continue.

[jimbrake]

Although I highly respect the Big Dawgs and enjoy watching them ski, I'd much rather watch the true, elite athletes in our sport if given the option. If people can put together cash for Big Dawgs, more power to them, but in terms of how the "world" sees our sport, I would prefer they see the elite athletes like we all want to see in any sport. I went to a nationwide pole vault comp in January. It was cool to see older athletes still vaulting pretty high bars, but nothing compared to watching the guys in their 20s go 18 or 19' and the girls go 15'.

[danbirch]

But Marcus also believes that the Big Dawg's should be skiing at 36 mph.

[SM]

I understand Marcus's point. The pro's ski at a different level than most of us and most of us will never get to that level at that speed. It's very impressive what those guys do and few can do it at that level consistently. At the same time, I think that us "older guys" are showing a significant interest in the BD's because it's something we can aspire to actually getting into and from a product perspective, I'm more interested to see what and how the 34 mph skiers are doing on what skis. But If there was a pro tour event and a BD event happening near me, I would go to both. I watch every webcast of any event I can and I'm blown away by how both the pro's and the BD's ski. In the end, the more exposure that there is for the sport is better for the sport. The BD folks are catering to a niche that probably represents the demographic that most skiers fall into. Most people under 35 can't afford to participate in this sport without help, it's an expensive sport. If anything, the BD makes it so us "dads" buy boats and teach our kids how to ski and bring them to tournaments. Many of us "aspiring Big Dawg Dads" make it possible for the next generation of pro's to get a start.

[skidawg]

Whom ever said "Andy could still get in 39 at 36"? Pretty sure he can run that still, may just not be quite as regular.

[jdarwin]

Sour grapes in my book. Want more money? Justify an ROI for sponsors and it will come. Most of us can relate to BD skiers, are close friends with some and tend to follow their advice with regard to spending our dollars on equipment. Sponsors know this. I appreciate the effort elite skiers expend to maintain their skill level but similar to the art world, unless you find a benefactor, water skiing is a business and is affected by market factors just as any other business. In the end, Marcus may be right; BD skiing may be bad for pro skiing. But is it bad for skiing in general? Those two may be mutually exclusive.

[klindy]

Wasn't there a discussion on another thread about the funding available to elite skiers from USAWS? Pretty sure there isn't $1 spent of that funding on the BigDawg tournaments or skiers. Until that changes, I have a hard time calling a "self-funded" series bad for waterskiing.

 

That said, I probably should think this through more before I share half-baked thoughts.

[jlittle]

There is a distinction between pro skiers and amateur skiers right?

[GregDavis]

The problem is next week at Moomba the Dawgs and the Pros are on the same stage with LOTS of folks on shore. The $ are being split between the groups. Maybe from the promoters point of view this is not the case but from the a Pro skiers' perspective there less $ for them.

 

THERE IS NO PURSE FOR THE BIG DAWGS AT MOOMBA. Zero, ZIP. Each of these guys are spending $5,000 of there own money to go down under and compete. They love to ski, they love to compete. I'll give ya one to think about, Last year at the Nautique Big Dawg Finals at Okeeheelee, one of the Big Dawgs, who place on the Podium, gave his winnings to Kristi Overtons, ( IN HIS WAKES FOUNDATION ) He said " hope this will help Kristi with the kids" Talk about a class act. which most of the Big Dawg Skiers are. Hey, these guys have jobs, businesses, family responsibilities, etc.etc. They ALL, share the same passion for slalom skiing and compitition. Lets get off our butts, and promote the sport at all levels.

[Bulldog]

Both the Dawg and the pro stops need some real $$$ and some crossover events (moto cross or concerts, for example) to make these events appealing for the general public. Until that happens our sport will continue to be a non issue for the general population.

[GregDavis]

Both James Stewart and Ricky C have Nautiques. Working on something. Should be interesting

[Texas6]

You won't find many, if any pro skiers who are poor ambassadors for the sport. That point isn't in question on this forum. Marcus Brown has gone above and beyond in support of the grass roots. The same holds true for the Big Dawgs (or anyone on this forum for that matter). Any one of them/us would give the shirt off their back if it meant it would help the sport. Having said that, we owe it to the pros to carry that leadership position for our sport. Regardless of the interest level in Big Dawg, the pros are our best examples of what the sport is capable of. When that example can't be made to the general public, the sport will suffer. They deserve their own competitive format, separate from the Big Dawg (or the rest of us aspiring Dawgs). Major league baseball has a minor league, Pro Golf has the Nationwide Tour, we have The Big Dawg. All are great events, all have a large following. Improvements could/should be made to the competitive format of both events to improve the number of spectators, but they should stay separate in my opinion.

[Wish]

Look at how the BD has affected equipment. 34mph specific skies are far more a part of the mix than ever before. Discussions of wakes on boats is more oriented to 34 now than ever before. It's become part of the lexicon because of the BD. Bad for the Elite? Maybe, but sales generated around 34mph do trickle up into sponsorship money for them along with jobs for the most part. Just look at the demographic of this site and how advertising has increased based on a bunch of 34mph skiers (for the most part). It's a business and I agree, the BD for the most part are a bunch of hard working class acts (Elites are as well).

[boarditup]

The average spectator cannot tell the difference between 36, 34, 39, or 43. Slalom is generally boring to the un-initiated spectator. They want to see jump and wakeboard. Not enough of us travel and support slalom events to generate a crowd with critical mass for external sponsors to be interested. If our events regularly drew 5,000 people, our skiing community would be very different and flush with external cash.

[Horton]

@GregDavis I have been wrong before. Thanks for correcting the below quote. Now I am not sure what we are talking about...

 

The problem is next week at Moomba the Dawgs and the Pros are on the same stage with LOTS of folks on shore. The $ are being split between the groups. Maybe from the promoters point of view this is not the case but from the a Pro skiers' perspective there less $ for them.

 

 

[skier]

If the Elite skiers are smart, they will embrace the BD skiers, form an organization (like other pro sports) and look to the future, rather than just Moomba. The BD skiers, many are great athletes who made a choice to put their skiing dreams aside and pursue a career. Now they have a career and back enjoying the sport. Many have been where the Elite skiers are now, and I know would have a great deal of resources and advice to help the current Elite skiers take the sport forward. It is not about who is on the same stage, but rather what can you do with that stage and move it forward.

[wwk87]

While Andy and Jeff do blur the lines, Andy will be 50 later this year and Jeff doesn't qualify to be in the Big Dawgs because he's placed too high in recent tournaments. It would be nice to see more emphasis on the Legends division where Andy, Jeff, Kris, Lucky, and others could compete without being a part of the Big Dawgs. But if they want to compete in the Big Dawgs I don't have a problem with it, 34 MPH doesn't mean it's any easier when you're switching from 36.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

First, its hard to get full context from a tweet, so I'll try not to read too much into this. As a skier who has competed at both the Pro and Big Dawg level, I will add some random thoughts:

 

The problem is not dividing up an already small pie among the competitors, the problem is getting the format and promotion to generate a large enough prize purse so that the "pro" skiers can actually stand a chance at making a living at the sport. A Big Dawg or Legends sideshow will only improve the format.

 

As Greg commented, the Big Dawg skiers aren't getting paid – the thing they do bring to an event like Moomba is drawing some of the older skier/spectators who may not otherwise attend. This will increase the crowd and excitement and benefit the sport overall.

 

The approximate number of spectators at a Big Dawg event is 3. This is not considering the family members, judges and property owners.

 

What is this about "blurring the lines"? How many skiers are actually making a living from prize money and sponsorships?

 

In my mind, one of the biggest highlights of the Big Dawg series was the debut of Kris LaPoint a few years ago. How cool is it to go head to head against him even if you do get your ass whipped? How much better is it if you actually slay the giant? The same goes for Andy.

 

On the flip side, there is a long list of "former pros" who have found out that the Big Dawg is not anywhere as easy as they thought it would be.

 

Is there any other sport that requires real athletic ability and still has competitors in their 50's turning out impressive performances?

 

[robscholl-OF]

Did the Senior tour ruin golf? I don't think Big Dawg will ruin skiing. The more skiers able to ski at a high level longer is good for all of us.....my two cents. OF

[KB]

Horton, sorry, I thought you knew CC vs Matt but was confused by your post, and did not mean to patronize.

 

All, maybe the Dawgs should all ski Open/36. Maybe it is sad the entry fees comprise the purse. The Pro skiers are definitely the most impressive athletes in the sport, but how does the Big Dawg hurt? I can see arguments that it may or may not help, but how would it hurt? I am not insisting it doesnt, I just need it explained to me because I dont get it, and sorry if I missed it somewhere above.

[Horton]

@KB sometimes I think I am funny and I am the only one...

 

[Taelan28]

ITS ABOUT MONEY! What a joke Marcus. I suppose he wants government subsidies for waterskiing lakes just like all the major sports get government subsidies for their arenas and stadiums. Do you know why all sports were formed in the first place? To favor the top athletes and businesses, not to make the spectators happy. NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB all have monopolies as on the elite level so team owners dont have to compete for talent, and when everyone is going to see one event then the elite athletes benefit because they can negotiate the most money because the fanbase likes them. Unions only go on strike to throw the lower guys a bone, but its all for the top athletes and business men.

 

Let me get this straight. You dont want high level amatuers having their own tournament to so eyes and prize money are not drawn away from you. I suppose you'd rather have those entrance fees for the Big Dawgs go towards ticket sales.

 

How about this Marcus (and every other "pro" skier out there), what about no sponsorships from any companies? This sport isnt big to begin with and its getting killed by wakeboarding. Why am I paying an obtuse mark up on the price of a ski to subsidize your face on an advertisement?

 

God I wish I could find the video on Nautique's website but something that particularly infuriated me a few months ago were some raggy headed punks telling me about how Nautique is about a lifestyle of just hanging out on the ($700,000) lake (shore property) with your friends all day skiing (because you're sponsored) being a ($80,000) boat.

 

Marcus Brown wants what is good for the sport, just like everyone else, but if the good of the sport threatens his income then he will do what everyone else does and misinform you. (see new york fed chairman claiming inflation not happening because an Ipad 2 is twice as powerful as the original and the same price).

 

I have a job too and I say the same thing about English speaking Korean teachers who were cutting into my salary but flooding the market with English teachers. I dont blame him for saying these things. I just want to call him out on it and encourage everyone else to think for themselves.

 

That being said seeing "pros" doesnt sway me in any purchase because they do this stuff every day and have the "lifestyle". Im much more inclined by buy based on borrowing someone's ski or equipment for a set or two because their abilities are similar to mine. I'll buy Andy's ski because its feather light, wicked fast and looks cool, not because he designed it or because some clowns won some money making three lefts and three rights.

[Taelan28]

I suppose one thing that concerns Marcus is that to the average person the difference between the big dawgs and the pros is negligable. I'd like to know what the fan attendance is for both events.

 

Everyone brought up great points, minor league baseball, pros vs amatuers.

 

Marcus if your skiing talents are worth enough money to earn a living then you'll continue to earn a living WITHOUT dropping tweets to the community like this. DO YOUR JOB!

[Ilivetoski]

I don't see how these tournaments like BigDawg are hurtful in any way to pro skiing. The guys at tournaments like BigDawg are the guys who are above your class C competition but not at the pro level. This is good because it keeps them from dominating every class C and they aren't gonna be the ones getting last at all the pro stops. Does minor league undermine MLB? Does farmer league undermine NFL? No, it's a place for people to play who are good enough to make a living doing it but not good enough to go play for the giants....

[Taelan28]

Y'all can dislike the hell out of my posts all you want. My wording and persuasion may not always be the best but my thesis stands: Marcus disapproves of big dawgs for financial purposes. Id like to hear an argument suggesting otherwise.

[Texas6]

I think its ok for the pros to want to make money at their profession. They made the choice to dedicate their lives to the sport, and they are the very best at what they do. They sacrificed everything to try and eek out a modest living at the sport they love. They also give quite a bit back to the sport in their spare time in an effort to make it better. If it wasn't for the pros, I'd be shocked it the Big Dawg existed at the level it does today. They deserve to get paid for their efforts and I wish they got paid more than they do. I don't think MB had any intention of downplaying the Big Dawg or its role in the world. But I do understand that the combined format has the potential to take money out of their pockets and I get it.

[jimbrake]

Taelen28 - you're just not going to get any support from this group, most of who are at least familiar with Marcus and many who have had direct experience with him and know that he is a quality person first and an outstanding (elite) athlete and ambassador for the sport. We are lucky to have him. His opinions regarding this sport are valued. Your opinion is fine for you to express, but it won't fly.

[GregDavis]

Guys, I like Brents com ment. Pro's & Big Dawg's need to join forces & act together.

 

in 2002 / 2003. It was very clear who was the best 36 mph Pro slalom skier in the world. ( Andy ) Regarding the 34 mph amature skiers, who is the best ??? this was very, very unclear. You had: Mens 3, Mens 4, Master Mens, etc. OK, who's the best 34 mph skier? Lets find out, put all the guys in same pond. In 2004, Dave Miller and I promoted the first Big Dawg at his lake in Ohio. It was a big success. 65 entries form 17 states and several foreign countries. At the first BD, the skiers could choose what brand of boat they wanted to ski behing. A Malibu, mastercraft, or Nautique. Out of 65 skiers, 54 skiers choose to ski behind Nautique. The following year, Malibu and MasterCraft decided they didnt' want to support the Big Dawg. Nautique Stepped up and helped it grow and supported it. It was not by accident that the Big Dawg has grown to where it is today. If you beleive in something, and are passionate about something, then let nothing stand in your way, or stop you from realizing your dreams. This pertains to life as well.

 

I would love to see the Pros and the Big Dawg guys join forces, and really take it to yet another level. anything is possible, if you work together.

[ForrestGump]

I was within close earshot of a large gathering of pros having a meeting last year and I'll just say it....... some, not all, of them are out of touch with reality in our current market environment and economy. The interesting thing was watching Jeff Rogers facial expression as he sat there and listened. If you know Jeff, you know he says next to nothing. His facial expression said it all, though. He was just shaking his head with a look of "You guys are fools." I got the distinct picture that there was a subset of pros who thought they were owed something. You don't get that feeling being around Big Dawgs. They're just happy to get to ski.

[Taelan28]

@Brent You're right I dont know how much harder it is between 39 1/2 at 36mph vs 34mph. You also misread. I was echoing what Boarditup said

The average spectator cannot tell the difference between 36, 34, 39, or 43. Slalom is generally boring to the un-initiated spectator.

 

So my overall point was because the common spectator cannot discern between the big dawgs and the pros (nor can my untrained eye admittedly) so its potentially cutting into Marcus' sponsorship.

 

@Jimbrake I've read through my posts two or three times now to make sure that there were no personal attacks. I have no doubt he's a nice guy and helpful, and I have no doubt he helps the sport as much as you guys say he does, but my point was his comments that Big Dawgs is hurting the sport are tied to his paycheck and I stand my comments until one of you can soundly refute it.

 

Further Jimbrake, you just spent a paragraph qualifying Marcus Brown's character and contributions (which, again, I take everyone's word for and dont dispute) and telling me how I my opinions wont fly, but you havent addressed the issue: Is Big Dawg bad for skiing because the sport is too small?

 

Although I have little knowledge of the sport I argue no big dawgs is NOT harming the sport. For reasons mentioned by other people:

Participants pay their way in

participants are amatuers and hobbyists

thus participants have day jobs to pay for said hobby.

 

I agree with these whole heartedly and question Marcus Brown's intention for these reasons:

All major professional sports maximize profits through centralized competition

Big Dawgs is comparable to the pros because of the average spectator cannot discern between the two.

Therefore Big Dawgs takes sponsorship and attention away from Marcus Brown.

I'd also like to add that Marcus Brown's contributions to the sport would remain constant so long as he is involved in waterskiing and not another job: Running clinics, marketing skis, designing them etc. Again, its about his sponsorship dollars.

 

[boarditup]

One thing to think about - there is no single organized organizer for professional waterski events. Anyone can meet the USA Waterski and IWWF standards, put up money, and host a tournament. Very few people do - Dana Reed (please pray for his recovery from cancer surgery) is an exception. The Big Dawg was created by a person with the gumption to make something happen. So, I support it. I also support anyone who has the gumption to make a go at organizing a pro event or another segment of tournament (say female jumpers, Little Dawg, etc.). I'll even provide the site - and I mean that.

[jimbrake]

Taelen 28 - it's a difficult question to answer, so I'll just answer it the way I would like to see BDs vs. Elite Pros handled. First, I love to watch BDs ski. They are better than me. Because I'm a competitor, I can tell the difference between 35, 38, 39, and 41. If there are any skiing in the tournaments I ski in (just local Class Cs, a few records, and Western Regionals) I will definitely watch and see what each is doing (I might even give one a pro call out - "Hey, so and so, I can't believe you're a Big Dawg. I'm so much better than you! If you don't get that, do a Google search for the movie "Gnar"). I'm not good enough to ski in a BD comp, so I don't go to any except for the Diablo Shores tournament and then I'm mainly there to see the Elite Pros. I still like watching the BDs, but they aren't who brought me there. Sorry guys. So, I would prefer that there remain a separation between the two groups. BD tournaments and pro tournaments. If the BDs can raise money through entry fees and other means at their tournaments, then great. I don't like the idea of a "purse" that is generated by sponsors having to be diluted by payouts to the BDs (if that was the case and I understand that it is not at Moomba) that are included at a pro tournament. Let the pros that have worked so hard to get their skiing to where it is split up that purse. Not that the BDs haven't worked hard, too. But they generally have other incomes and aren't relying on winnings.

[skier2788]

@talean28 Marcus if your skiing talents are worth enough money to earn a living then you'll continue to earn a living WITHOUT dropping tweets to the community like this. DO YOUR JOB! I think most find this comment offensive. Just cause he tweets doesn't mean he isn't doing his job and yelling (all caps) at an incredible person and athlete to do his job, one that you admitted you don't know much about. Doesn't sit well with me or I think with most on this site. Imho.

[Taelan28]

@skier2788 You know what skier reading that a second time I now realize I came off too strong. I read my larger posts two or three times but I guess I over looked that one. I was kinda heated from work yesterday and my argument came off a little strong.

 

All you you like Marcus Brown because (Im assuming for these reasons) he does a lot to promote the sport beyond the other pros with such things as Marcusbrown.tv and he has those dreads going which are instantly recognizable (one poster already mentioned her personal appeal). I for one took notice of him on HO's website...Will Asher who? When he's water skiing and helping others get better then he's doing his job. I remember seeing one of his posts on this site and I said to myself "whoa is it really the guy from HO? Hey its cool that he posts here." Same with Chris Rossi who posted on my leg press vs squats thread. I didnt know who he was but thought he might be a pro because he has a first and last name as a handle I googled it and found out he was pro.

 

The tweet just didnt sit well with me for reasons already explained, and if you look at it closer there were a lot of other people who had similar sentiments and I was the only to go all out with a thesis. The tweet came off as pedaling influence instead of being in line with what everyone likes him for, thus "do your job."

 

The man obviously makes a living because he's good at what he does. Lets suppose a very wealthy ski manufacturer and sponsor a skier under the conditions that he not post opinion to the market at large pertaining to the sports rules, organization or politics. And lets suppose this tweet broke that contract. I as a consumer would tell the CEO to get off it because his benefits far outweigh a tweet and he cant possibly have every action out of his thousands over the course of the year be in line with his contract.

 

Since Marcus does post here on occasions I'd like to apologize for telling him to do his job. I'm not a customer of his and its asinine for me recommend he, or anyone, do anything without him prompting me.

[Texas6]

Well played Taelan28

[Terry Winter]

I've been competing in waterski tournaments since I was about eight years old. I remember telling my dad when I was like nine or ten that I was going to be a professional waterskier. I watched every single tournament that ever came on TV, and I watched them thousands of times. I could tell you word for word how the announcing goes in any of those Hot Summer Nights tournaments. I loved going to Marine World to watch the pros compete. To me guys like Duvall, the LaPoints, Kjellander, and Andy are superstars and that's what I wanted to be. Pros give kids something to aspire to be in any sport, and I think it's necessary to keep those kids in our sport if we ever want it to become something bigger.

I don't think it's the Big Dawgs that are hurting our sport, and to be honest I'm glad they seem to have something going on because in only two years for me that opens up another outlet for me to be a competitive skier. I don't ski for the money, and I know that not any of the top skiers in the world do. Looking at this season there are very few professional tournaments that I will compete in. That doesn't even phase me. I still went out two days ago in a whitecapping crosswind to ski because I love to ski. My first tournament from now? Couldn't tell you. Doesn't matter because I'm going to be training as hard as I can to be the best skier I can be anyway. I've skied in tournaments all around the world, and trust me if you add up all of the prize money and sponsor money I've made it doesn't even come close to the cost of competing.

I have known Marcus, and have been competing against him since I first started skiing. He skis for the same reasons I do, and his interest is in making the sport what it deserves to be. He's not looking to get rich. He's just trying to make a living through waterskiing so that he can continue to ski like he always has.

My only suggestion for the Big Dawgs is make it a little bit tougher by maybe going 35mph so that when they are skiing at the same venue as the pros their scores are not higher than the guy who wins the pro division. I think it takes away from what Willi and Nate are doing when they run three at 41, and then a Big Dawg gets a piece of four.

Just my thoughts. The topic is a good one, and caught my attention.

[danbirch]

@twhisper thank you for your response. I agree completely, except, the part where a Bid Dawg getting 4@41/34 mph would take away from a pro's score who is skiing @ 36 mph. It seems to me that 36 mph is MUCH harder than 34. For me, I sure couldn't ignore the speed traveled, and REALLY appreciate ALL of the PRO'S. They are the creme of the crop (and critical to the sport). The Big Dawgs are awesome (and admirable) as well, just a notch below (the pro's), though. They are where some of the "normal/mortal" skiers have an opportunity to achieve, which is fun to watch as well.

[Horton]

@Brent

Really? Where did you get that?

 

[SM]

I was there when Brent heard this information from "an insider". It's not just in this industry. I have a buddy who is a journalist/columnist and they are expected to tweet, Facebook, Linkedin and whatever else their stories. How many followers you have directly affects your bottom line.