Will Asher sets pending world record at last tournament of the year!

[Horton]

I just got off the phone with Phil Hughes who reported that three skiers in a row ran into 43 off at a Swiss Ski School record tournament.  Jon Travers was the first with ½ at 43. The next skier on the water was Nate Smith who got 1 at 43. There was a boat change from Nautique to Malibu for Asher who then tied the world record with 2 @ 43.

More details to come

[ForrestGump]

Very common at record tournaments with open skiers who are sponsored by certain brands.

[Horton]

Lelani Travers, Jon's mother, reminded me on Facebook that this is Jon's first score into 43.

 

That moves Jon into a very elite club.

 

 

 

[XR6Hurricane]

That's awesome.

[jackski]

Anyone know which lake it was on ?

[webbdawg99]

The A3 had quite an impressive day! My eagerness to get on one continues to grow!

[mkcfl]

[Horton]

@mkcfl thanks for the video. Looks like JT was thinking about a piece of 2 ball.

[Skoot1123]

@webbdawg99 - you and me both!!! Maybe demo at coble's next year!!!

[Horton]

Has HO ever had the Men's slalom record before?

[JohnCox]

I should have hung around....left after I skied second round, and headed home. 9 hour drive and all...

[MattP]

@Horton I'm going to say no.

I believe Parrish was on O'brien in 2005

 

Will Asher (GBR) 2@9.75m PENDING 2012 HO

Chris Parrish (USA) 2@9.75 2010 Goode

Chris Parrish (USA) 1.5@9.75m 2005 O'Brien

Chris Parrish (USA) 1.25@9.75m 2005 O'Brien

Chris Parrish (USA) 1.25@9.75m 2005 O'Brien

Jamie Beauchesne (USA) 1@9.75m 2003 Connlley

Andy Mapple (GBR) 1@9.75m 1998

Jeff Rodgers (USA) 1@9.75m 1997 Goode

Jeff Rodgers (USA) 1@9.75m 1997 Goode

Andy Mapple (GBR) 4.5@10.25m 1996

Andy Mapple (GBR) 4@10.25m 1994

Andy Mapple (GBR) 3.5@10.25m 1991

Andy Mapple (GBR) 3.25@10.25m 1991

Andy Mapple (GBR) 3@10.25m 1989

Andy Mapple (GBR) 2@10.25m 1988

Andy Mapple (GBR) 1@10.25m 1988

Michael Kjellander (SWE) 1@10.25m 1988 Connlley

Andy Mapple (GBR) 5@10.75m 1985

Bob Lapoint (USA) 5@10.75m 1984

Kris Lapoint (USA) 4.5@10.75m 1984

Kris Lapoint (USA) 3@10.75m 1982

Bob Lapoint (USA) 3@10.75m 1980

Bob Lapoint (USA) 2@10.75m 1980

Bob Lapoint (USA) 5@11.25m 1980

John McElyea (USA) 5@11.25m 1980

Bob Lapoint (USA) 4@11.25m 1976

Robby Zucchi (ITA) 2@12m

[Horton]

JB Connelly

Rogers Goode

MK Connelly

[MattP]

AM O'Brien?

[MattP]

I believe that these are the members of the elite club of 43offers. I can't think of any others.

Asher

Nate

JT

CP

Mapps

Rogers

Jamie

TGas

[6balls]

@mattp...CP

[Wish]

Taking nothing away here but courious. Were they allowed to chose there own boat?? If so, is that allowed elsware in the world. Heard it was Will's personal boat. Just wondering?

[9400]

I think Degaspri on a reride or tie break.

[MattP]

@9400 do you know the event or tournament?

[Horton]

@Wish this is allowed and not news. It is all good if the path is straight and time is good. I am sure the boat is not out of spec....

[MattP]

While I know this is "allowed" and is a common practice. How I understand it is that if 2 boats are going to be used in the same round, there can be two drivers, but they have to have the same hull. I would guess unless there was an exception applied for with the Regional Director? I'm sure @jody_seal knows.

 

USAWS Rule 8.02

E. Other Tournaments: At all other tournaments, the selection of towboats shall

be established by the Chief Boat Driver with the approval of the Chief Judge

from the available towboats. The same boat and driver shall be used by all

contestants in each Slalom and Jumping event, except in cases where similar

boats and drivers of similar abilities are available, in which case the Appointed

Judges, by majority vote, may elect to use two boats and two drivers in the

same event in an alternating manner. However, in Jumping and Slalom tie

run-offs, only one boat and driver shall be used.

 

IWWF Rule 10

i) For Jumping and Slalom, identical boats must be used by contestants in an event. For Tricks, the

skier may select any one of the types of boats chosen for the tournament. Two teams of drivers

and boat officials may be assigned to the Trick event at the option of the Chief Judge. The

driver may be changed by the Chief Judge if he deems it necessary due to the length of the

event. The Chief Judge may decide to use alternating identical boats to eliminate lost time and

to speed up the running of the event.

[Wish]

@Horton. News to me and perhaps others :) . No foul play suggested in my post I hope. . Was just courious. And wondered how the rest of the world set rules re boats when setting a WR. Allowed elsware?

[Chef23]

I don't think at the elite level that allowing the skiers to chose a boat really makes a difference. For skiers skiing 15-22 off and particularly at slower speeds it would make a big difference in a round if different boats were used.

[9400]

@MattP maybe 2005-2006 some European tournament, maybe Eurolac.

[jackski]

@ rico, yes now that I saw the vid I agree. Always liked that one better then the others for slalom.

[Horton]

No pro skier wants to set a record behind the wrong boat. Sponsorship and such

[JohnCox]

That was exactly it, John. It was interesting watching the pros....some wanted the 5.7 Nautique, some wanted the 6.0 Nautique, and Will wanted the Malibu (I would have loved to ski behind the Malibu). Same driver for all of them. They just grouped the skier that wanted each boat. I don't see an issue. They all are approved towboats, and it was all videoed. I skied behind both Nautiques, and didn't really notice much difference. But I didn't make it quite to 43.....:)

[h2oskinats5]

Freddy's world record jump of 247 was behind his Nightmare at McCormick's a few years back. It is very common in the top level for all three events with sponsor incentives in WR situations

[skibug]

who was driving?

[h2oskinats5]

i heard it was John Shealy. but thats just the news in cold ole' Idaho.

it snowed here today :(

[Roger]

That is correct, John Shealy was driving.

[Gloersen]

@MattP TGas ran 41 somewhere across the ditch in 2009?

 

[eleeski]

@Horton Switching boats mid event is OK? Really? I don't see that anywhere in the rule book. I'm glad I wasn't chief judge making the call to switch boats mid division so a skier could ski behind his personal boat brand. It absolutely does not diminish Will's spectacular performance - but I would not be surprised if it nixes his record.

The rules specifically allow boat switching for tricks so I don't see anything fundamentally wrong with switcdhing boats. But when I read the rules, there needs to be a good reason (like a boat breakdown) to switch brands mid event. The rules need to be revised or clarified - or followed.

Eric

[ForrestGump]

It's never nixed a record before. CP got to ski behind the nautique in 2010 for his WR. Regina got to ski behind a malibu for hers. That's been going on for OM and OW for a long time at Record tournaments.

[slalomboy96]

diablo shore's runs 197's and 200's, skiers choice in the head to head rounds, choose the boat the other chooses start order, whats the diff anyway, if it wasn't allowed im sure Will would not have been using it. go Will go Malibu....yeah boouy 2@43 is wicked.

[auskier]

seriously huge scores, great to see scores being pushed again by more than one or two after many years of it not moving from 1 at 43. 43 is the new 41 after this year.

 

There are very few 'tournaments' any more. States, regionals, nationals, pro events.. everything else is just score events.

[Jody_Seal]

Big congratulations goes out to Will, Big score and truly deserving!

 

I too am unclear about switching boats during an event. The rule really does not clarify Similar boats. What is a similar boat? early this year I asked the rules committee for some help on this and was asked to at least make sure a rules exception was in place to"switch boats" during an event. As a chief driver I have requested to the chief judge that if a open skier has requested to ski behind a boat that is not pulling his or her division that the skier be placed in age group division where the requested boat is being utilized. This has been done for many years.

Keep in mind the idealism of our sport has changed to a more performance based nature. The rules were written for one on one style competition, me against you and your whole division. Today's idealism is more of a trials then that of a true competition and a different set of rules should be put in place for that style of event.

My bitch about switching boats is why only the open? I make more money then most of them and am sponsored by a boat company (kinda). Why should they have the option to ski with the boat they want to ski with and not me? or you?

[ForrestGump]

I've actually seen the sanction for some record tournaments read something like "OM/OW/MM skier choice of boat".

[MattP]

@Jody_Seal thanks for chiming in. I agree that there needs to be a rule clarification. I guess the rule that always gets me is why do trickers get to choose their boat? What makes them so special?

[wilecoyote]

Chef23 said "For skiers skiing 15-22 off and particularly at slower speeds it would make a big difference in a round if different boats were used."

 

I'm a 15 off skier and I've only skied behind 2 different boats so far. But they're both late model Nautiques so I doubt I'd know the difference. Firstly, I'm really new to this (started late Aug and got hurt, minor, but enough to end my season in early Oct.) So my PB is 3 @15 off 48kph. I certainly don't expect to be any kind of aficionado on boats, so I was surprised by the above comment. Why would it matter more at slower speeds and longer lines?

[kfennell]

Because the Mastercraft and older malibu's have a much larger -15 off 25-34 mph wake. Once you are at 34/36 or past -22 the wakes are almost all the same, but some of the low speed wakes are quite different.

[Baller2Baller]

This is not too complicated, the tournament sites want the pros to ski, it better for them, and better for the other competitors, I wish i was at Swiss to Witness the show. Nate, Will, CP want to break a WR, Nate and CP can not break WR with a Malibu, Will Can not break WR with a Nautique due to Contract. pretty much end of discussion.

[Horton]

@kfennell it is not really about wake shape. It is more about the feel of the pull.

[Horton]

@MattP trust me, trickers are special

[ForrestGump]

Eric Lee proves that! hahahaha

[The_MS]

Jody is right. How awesome would it be if you could choose your own boat for slalom?

[kfennell]

@Horton It's been too long since you were learning to cross the wake on edge, it is 100% about the shape and size of the wake, the '11 malbiu and the mastercrafts jump you about another foot further if you don't hit them with proper position. Now that I am skiing 36 -22 I have good enough position that it doesnt matter, but before, man it was an adventure skiing behind the club boat. And my wife lost a pass vs her average in the last tourney skiing behind a mastercraft (and she skis within 1 ball of the same score 99.5% of the time she skis).

 

Remember that his question was in reference to slower speeds and longer lines. I realize that the difference at shortline is different.

[Horton]

@kfennell I was referring to the pro skiers not you. Yes for you the wakes make a difference.

[eleeski]

@MattP The Nautique wake is unskiable for my trick run. Really! If I owned or had to ski a high stakes tournament behind a Nautique I would design a completely different run to optimize the feel of the Nautique. The differences are massive in tricks. Trickers have historically always been able to choose - this allows boat companies to make significantly different wakes for tricks as no skiers will be forced into a boat induced disadvantage (or advantage).

 

Slalom boats are equivalent in performance (pretty much). Switching boats does not offer a performance advantage worth switching boats. Sponsorship advantages are real (and should be encouraged) so in an Open boat switch scenario I would ask the EVP for a rules exception to allow exactly what is going on. Correograph the boat switch so the tournament is not delayed and there is no real performance advantage offered to any particular individual and all is fair. And we have happy sponsors who will continue to send boats and support to the tournaments. If a sponsor generated switch is offered to Open skiers, it should also be offered to sponsored non Open skiers (like Jody who can document his sponsorship). But a rule exception (or rule change) should be in place - at least for the appearance of propriety.

 

Eric

[Horton]

@eleeski freaks me out when you make perfect sense.