Lifetime practice PB 1.25 @ -39

[Than_Bogan]

Wasn't even planning to ski this evening; was teaching a co-worker how to get up. But the conditions were just so nice that I decided to give it a go. Straight down the rope and ran a sweet -38 -- 5th time in my life and first this year. Tried the obligatory -39 and eeked outside 2 for the first time.

 

This sets a very high bar for the Goode Nano One, which most likely will be my ski for my next set on Friday.

 

But if it's what I think it might be, it may not be long before I'm getting -38 an awful lot and banging my head against -39.

 

If not, I won't hesitate to go back to my 9900 -- that thing is money :).

 

Comical fact: Co-worker Stacey has never seen anyone miss -38. She was wondering why I dropped the rope at -39...

[Chef23]

You rock.

[Than_Bogan]

Forgot to give shout-out to Barak's sweet driving!

[Than_Bogan]

Really should also mention: I believe a ridiculous FIVE members of our club got a practice best today: All 3 Bejerano girls (including a big one for Gal: first ever complete 32 mph), mini-Chef (ran 34/-22 at Cobles), and me.

 

Niiice day.

[klindy]

Slow boat, long rope, narrow course or sun spot activity! Maybe that new Mars rover is causing some gravitational anomaly. :) Great Skiing @Than Bogan!!

[Boody]

I've found driving to be extremely important at 38 and 9. Its nice when you have a driver that just pays attention to the boat path and feeling you skiing, as opposed to watching you in the mirror the whole time. Can really make all the difference.

[6balls]

@Boody agree shortline driving is very important. All my 38's this year are behind the same driver though at different sites and with different boats. Nice skiing @Than, that's really exciting.

Set my practice PB of 2 @ 39 and was on fire about a month ago. Was getting deep 38 and was thru 38 twice in a week, then fell off the ledge and trying to climb back up there again since. Like you was hoping 38's were about to fall like rain. Such an incremental, ebb and flow sport. Die purple die.

[Horton]

1/4 ball? Are you sure? I need video

[markchilcutt]

Great skiing Dood!!!

 

[Skoot1123]

@Than - THAT IS AWESOME! I'm currently at 2 buoys short of my PB.....Good to hear about that new NANO ONE. Would like to hear more about the AM Ski's though too!

[sunvalleylaw]

Congrats Than! That's great!

[jackski]

Nice skiing Than, that's only a dream for me.

[Than_Bogan]

@jackski It feels like yesterday that it was only a dream for me, too.

 

@Horton I wondered if someone would call me on that! :) I don't think it was that questionable, though. In fact, I bet some judges would have given me 1/2, but I happen to know that I dropped the rope before I initiated a turn -- in large part because I am a wuss: no need for a dangerous crash to dampen a new PB!

 

@Skoot1123 Just to clarify, yesterday's PB was on my 9900. The N1 will make its debut on Friday morning most likely.

 

@Boody / @6balls The funny thing is that some of the folks who regularly ski with Barak like to make fun of his driving. I have no clue what they are talking about: I nearly always get good scores on the relatively rare times I have him at the wheel. Maybe they're just razzing him. Or maybe they can't forget his very first season with us when he actually was a bad driver? I dunno.

 

@Brent GOAT POWER!

 

@ everyone else: THANKS!

[Chef23]

@Than I think Barak focuses better with you behind the boat. Even at 32 off the boat path isn't that critical.

 

Mostly I do like to make fun of Barak but I was just thinking I might need to back off. I probably won't though.

[Than_Bogan]

@Chef23 I always get worried if nobody is making fun of me, because that's what humans do if they like each other.

[rayn]

@Than I told Barak this morning, it has been the years and years of razzing @Chef23 and I give him that have made him a better driver. You are just the recipient of our hard work.

 

Great skiing!! I am with you next week as both of these boys are gone.

[Horton]

If you dropped handle @ ball i assume score = 1

 

1/4 is very hard to get at 39

 

What do you think your water speed was at the ball in feet per second? If you were super wide the area for 1/4 is maybe 5 feet across.

[Horton]

Or you get the 1/2

[Than_Bogan]

Yeah, I think a lot of tournament judges would have given me half thanks to that "benefit to the skier rule." I definitely turned back in from momentum, but I was literally at the end of the rope so I would have bitten it HARD if I'd held on. I have the advantage of knowing what I did when, so I know it's 1/4 not 1/2.

 

My reach is 8'2", which is about 2.4m, making my total length at full extension 10.75m + 2.4m = 13.15m. So I only need to reach about 61 degrees to get outside the buoy. I wouldn't consider that "very hard" at all. Where it's hard to get 1/4 is at anything *longer* than -38, because on those lines the geometry almost always allows you initiate a turn if you get outside the buoy at all.

 

[Horton]

Ok if you say so. I am going to score you 1/2

[Than_Bogan]

:) Thanks.

 

My alterior motive is to give myself a chance to break my PB again relatively soon!

[Than_Bogan]

@rayn @Chef23 THANKS! :)

[jlittle]

@Than nice skiing. I'm digging your alterior motive for the 1/4, and not discounting you got a 1/4, but you do realize a skier does not automatically get 1/2 just by initiating a turn back inward.

[Klundell]

I ran a practice PB the day before picking up my Nano One too! Lots of pressure on that new ski. Congrats great skiing.

[cwillygood]

killin it than!