Do you think in feet or meters?

[Horton]

Do you think about rope lengths as ...

[Than_Bogan]

I am 100% embarrassed by my answer. Telling how long something *isn't* in a totally obsolete measurement system could only happen in America.

 

But since all discussions are in ft, that's what I know.

[RichardDoane]

as a skier I think in feet off, but as a Scorer I think in meters

[MattP]

I am somewhat in the same boat as @richarddoane.

Having worked with a European skiers ski school and spending a lot of time in the boat with him over a few years I picked up meters. When I come home my boat crew looks at me funny when I ask for the next line in meters. I guess it depends on the company. With scoring and running ballofscores I use meters in the scores and in the archive. I think of both at the same time usually every time. I am score bipolar you can say.

[Wish]

You should add..Do you think in feet or meters? Fourth choice;..... It should be feet, but "on" the line not "off". Maybe that's not the point in the thread but had to explain and explain again to non skiing spectators, and there were lots, again and agian at Soaked what the "off" was. Makes even less sence when they start at 32 "off". Way easier to say the rope was 43 feet long and now it's only 40. Got lots of big eye opening "Oh..I get it now!!! " responces. Why or how the sport ever got caught up in "off" is beyond me. But it stunts the understanding of non skiers a great deal IMHO.

[Horton]

Sorry @MattP BallOfSpray is not the UN or the IWWF.

 

This is the land of the free and the home of the brave. We talk about skiing in feet and MPH because that is what George Washington and Abraham Lincoln would have done. The USSR used meters and look at what happened to them. Do you want to be like France or Greece? NO!

 

Darn it I think I am going to put on some blue jeans and drink a warm Budweiser from a can in my Chevrolet.

 

[MattP]

@Horton yeah yeah yeah I know. The only reason I "like" meters is what @wish is talking about. For the common man off makes no sense, but the meters "on" do. Why when the IWSF went to meters on did the us not just go to feet on?

[Horton]

This is America screw the UN! Screw the commies. Nuke the whales! Baby seals taste good!

 

http://fashnberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/kate-upton-gq-us-1.jpg

[eleeski]

The metric system rocks! The USA is totally backwards sticking with english units. Even England doesn't use english units anymore. Let's see, there are 12 inches to a foot and 16 ounces to a pint. Or is it 16 ozzes to a lib? Nothing scales rationally or makes sense relative to other properties. When doing science or engineering I work in metric and convert to english if needed.

Waterskiing in the US is 100% english rope off. Some scorers have both listed on worksheets but always tell the US driver in feet off and mph. The course isn't any easier measured metric...

Eric

ps fix the typo on the title

[MattP]

@eleeski good catch, fixed. We all know @Horton can't spell!

[eleeski]

@Horton is a bit deranged on his measurement tastes too. But he posts good photos.

Eric

ps the poll still has the same typo. Kind of like english units or a qwerty keyboard, it's hard to fix all the screwy things that get out there.

[thager]

Understand both, just too old to change.

[tsixam]

The only time I use feet is on this board.

Tsixam

[DW]

Feet off because the people in the boat understand that. Awkward units and backwards orientation, but that is common convention in the USA. Gladly say feet off and pay $3.50 a gallon for fuel.

[MattP]

@eleeski sorry can't edit a poll, but changed the title of the thread.

@DW $3.50?? I paid $3.10 last night!

[Horton]

@MattP so looks like I win

[Chef23]

The metric system will never catch on.

[9400]

meters because I'm a TC and it's just easier in all official capacities. But at the handle end of the rope, I speak in feet....unless I'm skiing with someone not from the US.

[Waternut]

I would like to find the idiot who decided to take a rope length in meters and convert it to a length minus 75 feet. Really? I realize it makes perfect sense when you start from a 75 ft rope but to me it's one of those ideas that's brilliant until you take a step back, look at it again, and think that's a terrible idea... We don't say "plus 2 or plus 6" when talking about boat speed.

 

That said, one place it backfires is when the skier who normally skies 34mph tries a new ski, doesn't make his opening pass at 28 off, or is tired from the first set and says "give me 32". Uhhh did you want to go down to 32mph or bump up to 32 off?

[A_B]

I think to most of the folks on this board, 36 24 36 means something..... and it is not centimeters!

[alex38]

in reading these posts i realize that i refer in feet "off" and meters "on", which is weird in and of itself, not a big whoop until im trying to explain it to someone that does not ski. maybe ill start asking for my rope length in meters "on"-will definitely throw some people off!

[XR6Hurricane]

The metric system should have stayed in Europe, along with zebra mussels and front wheel drive cars.

[A_B]

I wonder if we need a new poll that counts the number of freckles on the picture that @Horton posted in this thread????

[thager]

What freckles?

[A_B]

The kids must have had my default view zoomed in.....

[auskier]

http://i.imgur.com/tZwKg.jpg

[DUSkier]

@auskier thats bound to upset someone here!! =)

[Jody_Seal]

Both! and multi task!

And Horton don't forget spotted owls make great taco's! As does Manatee!

[ral]

I think in meters as a judge, but in "shortenings" (or maybe the word should be "clipping"?) when talking to other local skiers...

[hacker]

English units rock! 12's are where its at... Think of the metric alternative's:

20 hours a day?

10 months a year? (Well maybe, if we get rid of Jan/Feb)

A 5 pack of beer???????

These numbers just don't work....

[Than_Bogan]

Veering way off topic, but anyhow: 10 hrs a day, 100 minutes per hour,100 seconds per minute actually would work out surprisingly well, with seconds being a similar length to what they are now. (Currently 86,400 seconds per day; "metric time" would be 100,000 seconds per day.)

[Horton]

@auskier

So says the man from the penal colony

 

@hacker

A 5 pack of beer??????? That is clearly insane

[estrom]

Would it make the number of hot dogs in a package match the number of buns in a package? That might be one argument in favor of??

[Chef23]

I think we are off track here and need some more pictures of Kate Upton.

[gump]

@horton,france is not grece or ussr and we think in meters,don't forget your jeans have been invented in France in the town of NIMES,and beer come from cervoise invented by french people and celts called "gaulois";your chevy don't run if denis PAPIN and ferdinand FOREST didn't have invented the engine.So americans are great because waterski slalom is yours idea THANKS A LOT !!!!!!!!!!!!

Gump french baller .

[Razorskier1]

When guys in the boat say something in metric I have no idea what they are talking about. Been using feet off my whole life -- don't try to make me change now!

[Horton]

@Gump please do not use facts to confuse my irrational rant

[Horton]

http://api.ning.com/files/ExrtULE3gvR9iovgRoiwhZUmQ3LCDB36Quo7dPrwye59DmFJ9ik1G8S4GuZfPJkqiRwMvpCE0oM9i*WddsMqFnWSrsFwO6nZ/KateUptonSportsIllustratedSwimsuit201118.jpg

This is all the proof I need that feet and inches are best

[Phil2360]

@horton,

 

Was 37°C down here in the Penal Colony Yesterday!

Expecting 34° to 35° all week.

 

And Hey! We get to ski in our 26° Water!

 

[Horton]

C?

[BRY]

@Horton, your photo's are proof that feet and inches are best. But where's the off?

[BRY]

When talking with other skiers almost always in feet off

When talking to boat crew(s) almost always in colors (anyone should get that right)

When scoring the dock/boat almost always tell me feet off but I put meters in the computer

[sixball]

We use collage team colors. Michigan blue Michigan state Green Nebraska red ...........

[A_B]

For all you metric guys, I guess instead of saying 38 off, you could start saying 11.75 meters off. Eh?

[DUSkier]

1 problem with that @AB there is no 23m rope length for slalom in the IWSF rulebook, 18.25m is the longest rope length for Slalom =)

[A_B]

So 38 off a IWSF rope is really short!

[ral]

@Horton, F are great.

 

In C, 0=Freezing water temp 100=Boiling water temp

 

In F, 0=Somewhat warm for winter temp in Canada, 100=Somewhat hot for summer in Atlanta

[Bill Gladding]

It's new years so I am thinking in liters:) hic...

[Mrs_MS]

It depends on who I am dealing with at the time. Mostly colors and feet. Not that anyone cares what a 47 year old chick thinks who doesn't ski 32 off or shorter! :)

[Horton]

I care.