Ski Photos that just make you happy

[east tx skier]

The old course at Buzzard Bay on the TX/LA border with the old boat.

 

 

And me on a slalom stick for the first time circa 1985. Had to dust off every bit of old equipment to make that happen.

 

[Chef23]

@elr that is a cool pic. My son doesn't have the reverse toe stuff yet. He does basic TB, TF, TSS (sometimes gets pulled) and is working on TB, TF. His TF is better than his TB which I find strange because I am the reverse.

[elr]

@Chef23 - Thank you and your son is looking really strong. The picture really does make me smile. We've been blessed by his natural ability (all from his mom) and exceptional coaching. We have also worked trick alot waiting for him to get stronger. TF is normally more difficult than TB so that could be a sign of something special for your son. RTB is a very hard gateway trick that normally takes a lot of water time and good coaching. My son is working hard on his next gateway trick - wrap in TO - and finally got a few that would have scored last week! (Amazing what bribery and exceptional coaching will do.)

[Chef23]

@elr where do you guys get coaching? There isn't a lot of trick coaching available where we live.

[elr]

@Chef23 - Cory's. Over the years we've also had Russ Stiffler (early on) and Taylor Pavur available locally (Houston) and Bennetts (Storm and Herman) has helped alot.

[pq2]

B O S

[Marco]

@pq2 That would be an awesome ad for a handle guard!

[GaryWilkinson]

A good friend of mine took this one of me 2 weeks ago. It is special for a couple of reasons, 1st its the best pic ever of me and I've been skiing over 45 years.

2nd, it reminds me of a poster I used to have in my room where George Athans is rounding a ball and he's parallel to the water and has the handle above his high shoulder. Wish I still had that poster, It was for Sea-Gliders water skis I think,

 

What a tremendous sport.

GWhttp://ballofspray.vanillaforums.com/utility/thumbnail/2419/~cf/FileUpload/61/7894be8b84696de6c5f0082d3f5df4.jpg

[andjules]

@GaryWilkinson - is this the George Athans pic?

http://www.waterski-wakeboard.ca/hof/ga-action.jpg

 

[andjules]

'cuz real men carve their own ski out of wood

[aswinter05]

 

This image basically sums up my summers at the lake. Picture of my brother finishing up a sunset ski next to our houseboat.

[Dirt]

Here are a few I got in an email that make me unhappy.

 

 

 

[sunvalleylaw]

@Dirt, darn. Dislike button.

 

@Aswinter05, my family and later my wife and I used to take ski trips down to Shasta Lake and rent a houseboat out of Silverthorn. Those houseboat trips are great!

[aswinter05]

@sunvalleylaw, We're lucky enough to use my parents' boat that stays parked on the lake year-round. It doesn't get much better than a houseboat and MasterCraft combo!

[Dirt]

This is what it looks like with no hurricane. The black things sticking out of the water in the first picture above are the boat bumpers.

 

 

 

[sunvalleylaw]

@Dirt, I hope it gets back to looking like that right away. Looks like a nice place.

[XR6Hurricane]

My Facebook profile picture. On my circa 1974 Western Wood 65" XL7 Glass Competition.

[estrom]

@sunvalley, houseboating on shasta is still my favorite vacation. Haven't done it in a while, so it's about time to do it again.

[GaryWilkinson]

@andjules. YES YES YES that's the picture! Fantastic! Thank you so much for finding it. Btw where did you find it? Can you send me the file? Gotta print it out. I know George so I'm going to get him to sign it.

 

Thanks so much for attaching it.

 

Gary

[andjules]

@GaryWilkinson - I actually just google-images'd that. Your description made me think "I'm sure I know the photo he's talking about". Anyhow, the one I posted was the highest resolution I could find, unfortunately.

It also made me appreciate the way we older folks have grown and stayed in the sport. When I was a teenager in the 80s I was @ the Canadian Nationals and George did a quick demo slalom for the news cameras. He didn't compete, just the demo. I think he was skiing 35 off at 34mph. At the time, (it seemed) there were very few older guys competing, and they were all very amateur-ish. We young guys were watching George thinking 'wow, he's so old and still skiis amazing' - he was probably 35 years old at the time. Fast forward 25-30 years and Drew Ross (who was probably with us on the dock back then, watching 'old' George's demo) ran 3 @ 41 at the Canadian Nationals a week or two ago - at 41 or 42 years of age, and I can youtube Kris Lapoint running -39 earlier this at 59 years of age. Fantastic.

[Skoot1123]

@andjules - In Gordon Rathbun's e-mails he continually states how great skiing is because of the facts you just mentioned. What other sport does what skiing does? Most other sports (of course there are exceptions) the pro's are done after 3 years on average. In skiing, people will get BETTER with time. Which makes it all the better for hacks like myself!

[sunvalleylaw]

@estrom, now that the kids are a bit older, swim safe, and getting into skiing and boarding, I want to get a Shasta or Powell houseboat trip on the vacation list. I had so much fun as a teen when my folks first took me.

[estrom]

@sunvalleylaw, we always wanted to do a Powell trip, but the drive time just took it out of consideration. Besides that, you can't go wrong on Shasta. I love that place.

 

[ral]

Here is mine.

[sunvalleylaw]

I love Shasta. Have not been to Powell, which would be a plus to explore something new. It is closer to where I live now also. But if I went to Shasta, and Suyderhoud is still running a ski school, I could pick up some lessons while I was down there.

[E_T]

This is my favorite. No one said anything about being on skis

[jimbrake]

Mike has not had his ski school there for several years. I think you can still arrange to get a lesson from him though. Cue new discussion of "west coast/new school" vs. traditional/old school in 3...2....1...

[cwillygood]

Kind of a cool shot from regionals

 

 

and being in the top 15 makes me pretty happy

 

and of course

 

[pq2]

this really makes me happy

[A_B]

Carrying on the post-Thanksgiving tradition..my daughter.

40 degree water, 32-ish air. Spotty ice on shoreline...

[Horton]

@AB you are a bad man. That poor girl

[Wish]

I live in FL and can't get my daughter to ski much past Holloween. @AB what bribary technique did u use?

[ForrestGump]

God bless John Goodman.

[A_B]

@Wish, she just likes to do crazy stuff, like Warrior Dash, etc. She skied on 2 skis one year, just to go.

@triplett was there too. I pulled him at 36 first pass, then he dropped to 34 mph on the turnaround, it wasn't due to water conditions! Driving was no joy ride. Hot chili and margaritas immediately after!!

 

[doonez]

This is a happy one :)

[doonez]

Doesn't glass like this always make you happy?

[Razorskier1]

September 7, 2007, Waterloo, IA. Fall tournament with brother Dave and son Mitch also skiing. We all skied PB's that day, and I ran 38 off for the first time in my life -- and it was in a tournament. My wife, Susan, had the camera and these are the pictures of all six turns in sequence. One of my favorite moments skiing ever!

[usaski1]

Rounding 3 at the disabled nats in Elk Grove (shortline Lake!) in CA this summer.

[usaski1]

if you don't smile here... well something is wrong...

[Texas6]

@razorskier1 - great pics!! That boat driver looks about as happy as you coming back through the gates after that pass! Once you break through at 38, does it come more frequently?

[Cam]

www.lochlomondwaterskiclub.co.uk/images24/chris.jpg

This makes me happy seeing my wife getting confident on her ski recently after running her 1st pass in the course.

[Horton]

@Razorskier1 that last shot is awesome. The thrill of getting it done. Very Very cool.

[Cam]

This time

[gump]

my daughter in the spray during summer hollidays.........

[JohnCox]

+/- 1982 on a salt water river near the coast of South Carolina...on my wicked Kidder Redline.

 

 

[JohnCox]

1991 at Trophy Lakes turning 1 ball at shortline for the first time ever (22 off....didn't make it to 2). Bill Stevenson driving the mauve Master Craft. Note the girl hanging out of the boat with the stop watch.

 

[JohnCox]

The same buoy in 2012. Only at 38 off.

And the next one is turning the 2 ball at 38 for my tournament PB. My daughter took these pics.

[JohnCox]

My first "non-wood" ski. A hand-me-down Terry Sundancer from my brother. 67", as I recall.

[Horton]

@JohnCox if that is a PB you look wide and calm.

[Razorskier1]

@Texas6 -- to say they fall more -- yes. To say they have gotten automatic or easy -- nope. But I run one or two tournament 38s a year most years and probably 20+ in practice each season. Driver was Barry Madden. Great guy who I knew for years -- he was really pumped too. Usually had a heater hanging out of his mouth while he was driving.

 

@Horton -- absolutely was one of those cool moments that I'll never forget -- my first ever 38! Funny thing was I had NEVER looked at a 39 gate before in my life and somehow managed to get 2.

 

Funny story -- in 2005, two years before this, I bought Barry's MC 197 TT that I still drive today.