It is time for a new "Who Are You Guys" thread

[LZywicki1]

My name is Larry Zywicki, I'm 56 and ski on Middle Straits Lake in W. Bloomfield MI with my wife and 2 daughters. Oldest is a grad. student at Texas State and the youngest a junior in hight school. I'm a Field Service Eng./Project Manager for Thermotron, we make high performance environmental test equipment.In other words I'm jack-of-all-trades and master of none.

 

 

I've been skiing for about 35 years now and just love to be out on the lake, (skiing or not), it just takes all the pain and troubles of the day and floats them down stream. PB was 6@32 about years ago before I took a small detour to the dark side and dislocated my knee wakeboarding. Now I'm trying to run 28 off with soconsistentlynly but keep getting stuck going around 4 ball most times.

[crashman]

Hey it's crashman AKA Robert Byrn 36 y/o from Indiana. My screen name comes from my college nickname "Crash and Byrn"

 

I Grew up skiing open water behind fishing boats- tried the slalom course behind an inboard for the first time in October 2010- at the time I didn't even know what side of the course to start on. In late 2011 I met a guy at a local ski club who needed somebody willing to drive him through the course in return for sets behind his shiny malibu lxi and I was just the guy to do it. He wouldn't let me pay him for sets because as he put it "without you I can't ski." By the end of 2011 I had tasted 6 ball for the first time. Sometime that off season I did something I never do- I clicked on an add for an internet sweepstakes in order to win a new ski. When some dude named "Horton" from California called to tell me I had won and new Radar Vice I thought it was a joke at first. It turns out that ski was anything but free because after winning it I decided to kill the golden arrangement I had and buy @krlee 's nautique (which I essentially stole thanks again Kevin). I hit the course pretty hard last year and by year's end I could round them all at -15 31mph and was making good progress at 32. This year it's 34 or bust.

[GAJ0004]

44 years old, single. Grew up in Pittsburgh PA, and Hudson OH. 3@35 off 34 MPH in practice, 5 @32off in a tournament 34 MPH, and PB of 1600 points in tricks. Trying to get back to the Midwest Regional Championships in Center City Minnesota for the second time.. Skiing since age 12, and barefooting since age 18.. Formerly a computer systems analyst, now a collections recovery agent, and part time auto/boat detailer..

 

[Horton]

@crashman haaaa I screwed ya good

[lpskier]

John WIlkins, Lake Placid, NY. Skiing seriously since age 12, but with a hiatus from 1982 to 1990. Started skiing tournaments again in 2003 or so. I am 56 and an attorney. The thing I am most proud of in water skiing is my daughter's success after going to college for the equestrian team (she grew up horse showing) and switching to the water ski team after her freshman year. She is the captain of her college team (Auburn) and placed fifth in Womens 1 jumping at U.S. Nationals last summer, PBing in slalom and jump in the process. She is going to take a little hiatus of her own and take a year off from school to go work for Seth Stisher this summer and fall and then she plans to spend the winter with Lucky. Her goal is an open rating in slalom and jump. She has a long way to go, but she is determined.

[Horton]

bump

[Fatroll]

Jeff Janzig from Aurora, Ohio. My wife and I have three boys (6, 4 ½, 3) and ski whenever we can. We live in a lake community where we have access to a slalom course. There are a number of guys in our ski club, so there is quite a line up on Saturday mornings trying to get sets in before the wakeboarders and tubers come out and trash the lake. Thank the Lord there are no jet skis allowed on the lake!!! I am a veterinarian, so my time off during the week allows me some ski time when everyone else is working. We also ski at my parents place in western PA and vacation on Lake Norris in TN.

Over ten years ago, I weighed in over 310 lbs. I was able to run the course at 15 off @ 30 mph and land back rolls on the kneeboard (thus Fatroll), but I was pretty limited. I was able to drop over 100 lbs which kickstarted my love of the slalom course. While I yoyo in weight, my personal best is 3@35 off at 34 mph a few years ago. I skied consistently through 28 off last summer. I have never skied in a tournament, but may try one this summer just to meet some people in the sport.

My wife and I will also barefoot if we can get the water. She can foot long line, while I will only hang onto the bar. I am excited to send her down to KSO’s women’s week this fall. When the water is trashed, we will Kneeboard, wakeboard and ride a pair of trick skis. Our boys have been riding the kneeboard and skimmer. Last summer, my two older boys were able to ski on the boom. Can’t wait to see what they do this year. I will NEVER buy them a tube.

 

[Wish]

Wife skis, foots, tricks wakeboards and kneeboarding?? Wow...Assuming she drives....you are a lucky guy Mr. Jenzig.

[rodltg2]

Rod Luppi from Rocklin Ca. ( near sac ). Used to run 28 fairly often and scrap 1 or 2 at 32. Didn't ski much at all in 2011 and got back into last year. Joined new ski club that encouraged tournament participation. Skied my first couple tournaments last year at the young age of 39. Got the bug and hope too improve my tournament best of a couple at 28 this year. Being in M3 I don't get nervous at tournaments since I'm pretty much sure to place last ! I love it however and skiing tommorow in fact. Btw I love my new to me 99 SN I bought in Bakersfield , skied 3 times behind it already.

[Fatroll]

@Wish

Two weeks into dating, I had her driving the course. It was "Man overboard" at that point. I was done.

[Murrski]

Hello Ballers! Brian Murray from Folsom, CA. I grew up waterskiing on a public lake (Britton - 1hr NE of Redding, CA). My brother and I installed a slalom course back in the late 80's and we both got hooked. I took the passion with me to Chico State in the late 90's and skied on the ski team there (absolute blast). After graduating from CSU I headed to Folsom to start a career. I didn't ski buoys for a few years until I came up to the Sky Lake tournament in Chico just to hang out with old friends. I got a ski ride after the tournament with Eric Kosney and realized how much I missed it (set a PB by way - go figure). From then on - I was hooked again. Got married to my high school sweetheart and started a family (2 boys ages 11 & 6). Now we are all into the sport and are regulars out at Pleasant Oak Waterski Club. Love the sport, the people and the great sites. One great quote that I like to live by, "families who play together - stay together"!

[gator1]

Just found Ball of spray about a month ago. Not sure its healthy in off season.

 

Craig Gates from Spokane WA. 54 yrs young. My uncle Bruce Kunde got me into skiing on the Rock River in Sterling Ill. when I was 14. He's still 3 eventing at 75, holds the jump record for a string of age groups. In '74 Dad bought us a used up '67 CC mustang. My brother and I swapped the 289 out for a 351 so we could get it to pull 36 mph. (real fun when we figured out it had to run backwards). Still got her down in the garage, take her out once a year for retro pull. I invented cruise control while I was in grad school. Mine used electronic speedo to feedback boat mph, so it held 36 mph if the engine was big enough. Took it to a tour stop in Madison, spent all night putting it on a MC. Pulled LaPointe in practice and knocked two passes off his performance. First generation ZO!

 

Moved to Freeport Ill, skied with Bill and Mike Kosloske and Mike Yankaitis on Kos' lake west of Rockford. Make it to nationals few times jumping, was (am) a notorious choker in slalom. My last name is one of those cosmic ironies.

 

Burned my sons out on water skiing. Dads, don't take them until they beg.

 

Moved to Spokane in '94. Luckily, no jump ramp around. Ski on the Spokane river over lunch, July to Oct. In August, the river has warmed up to 52 degrees. Don't ski many tournaments, but now that I'm skiing some with Farley, Little and Hodge I'm being shamed into it.

 

Tore my AT and dislocated peroneal two summers ago, now I'm on a mission to get us all a good binding.

 

My 34 mph PB pre-tendon is 4 @ 41, post is 5@38. But now that I know to put 62.5% of the load on my trailing arm from 3.5 ft to 9.875 ft past the second wake I am optimistic about this coming year. Previously, I was only loading trailing arm to 58%, so.........

[RichardDoane]

@gator1 - welcome to the BOS, now see if you can get that group of Spokane area misfits over to the Broho for our Memorial weekend event !

[gator1]

Yah, @richarddoane, I've heard about you and your pink strada. Otherwise known as a gateway ski.

 

You need to move to Portland where they have a parade for people who ride pink skis. And, sorry, you'll have to put the pressure on the three amigos for broho, my stretch of river will still be flooded with snowmelt on Memorial day. I'll be starting to try a few tentative pull ups about then, wondering where the wife put my spray leg and cussing the drysuit for shrinking yet again over the winter.

[GAJ0004]

@wish Fatroll is my younger brother. The summer before they got married we taught his wife to drive us in the slalom course on a 1994 Nautique with no cruise control at the time. She held the speed manually by just reading the speedometers and the tach. She picked it up pretty quick.. When she barefoots she always has the biggest smile on her face..

[Moggie]

James Mogridge here, 27 from London, albeit I live in Perth Australia at the moment. I did a fair bit of cable slalom when I was younger at John Battleday and Princes Club and just got back into skiing after years off. The Aussie weather was somewhat of a motivator! Finally doing things properly by skiing behind a boat. Currently my PB is 4@34mph/15off but I'm determined to get into a short line in the next few months. Hence I'm immersing myself in all things skiing to help improve. Only just joint BOS and it's certainly feeding the addiction.

Picture was taken at the Perth night jump where I ski. Conditions were particularly bad that day as you'll see. Great place to ski though, glass 95% of the mornings with the city as a backdrop.

[oldbananaron]

Ron Engblom here live in Brainerd lakes,MN which is 2.5 hrs north of mpls/st.paul live on a great waterski lake.I have a passion for the sport and have been doing it for 55years and enjoy slalom and barefoot.do not run the buoys now due to living on a public lake and not many slalom skiers here.would love to start running the course before its too late.....collecting social security and on medicare already!!!!have a great set up for skiing anyone who is in the area and wants a pull contact me.we stillhave lots of snow on the ground and the lake is full of ice.this year it will be a late start however I always ski till mid to late oct.the past year I skied on the A2, S2,strada,goode fire, and fusion.I liked all of the skis however felt the fusion really was the best of the bunch.looking to purchase a new one this season and it looks like the market has a lot of new skis available.......quest,goode,mapple,a3.any ballers who have any comments for an old guy that might help make me ski like you young guys would be helpful...............thanks lets all enjoy the upcomong ski season

[Than_Bogan]

@gator1 62 and a HALF percent? CRAP! I've been doing 62% this whole time. No wonder I can't do a damn thing at -39!

 

Btw, your post is awesome in multiple ways.

 

But I especially wish you luck in your binding design! I wouldn't mind avoiding my ski partner's fate as I continue to track much of his skiing career path (good and bad) with a 15-year lag.

[gator1]

@than_bogan, Thanks for the good wishes. The lawyers say the patent will be filed first week in May. So, allowing some lead for lawyer speak, probably end of May (I lead a crossing pheasant about 3 ft, patent lawyers about 3 weeks). Once its filed I'll post the pics then we'll see what you Phd types think of the poor efforts of a pitiful BS ME.

 

Glad to hear you're straightened out on the trailing arm load now; should be a good year for you.

[Horton]

bump

[gsm_peter]

Peter here. A bit late...

Age soon 59. Live in a house in Stockholm Sweden. Work as Project Manager at Consultant company. Enjoy life very happily with my wife. We have two adults kids.

First time in the course 5 years ago.

Getting close to 34 @15 off now.

Trick type 600p.

Like snow sking also.

 

Drop me a pm if you ever come to Sweden.

 

 

 

 

[Green]

John Hutchison, 52 years old

First 40 yrs skied religiously once every 10 yrs. Now that my religion is more fanatic I ski 3-4 times a year. Looking to do a grass roots tourney at the end of Apr.

Really enjoy Ball of Spray

[sixball]

Dick McGibbon I may be the old fart 65. Live outside of Midland Mi. I have been lucky enough to have participated in many sports single and team. From Fast Drag racing Pro stock cars run in sportsmen classes to large sail boat racing. Lived snow skiing for some of my young years and skied with some of the best back then. Raced dirt bikes mostly woods enduro some motocross. water skied as a kid then moved to snow. Got back into water skiing back in 96 and have been skiing since. Did a small amount of course but we lost our course so just work at improving open water skiing. Ski hard at 35off 36mph and love it. Sking better today then ever. Oh how humbling a course makes us. I live on a lake ans ski three or more time a week. Three times is a bad week! Getting deep into photography now but looking forward to another ski season. It look to be only week away from starting. Ice just went out, but then its going into the single digits tonight and snow this weekend.