Need some waterski stoke!

[eleeski]

Cherish every turn, jump, trick and minute on the water...

 

After sticking a giant needle in my hip (actually I have no idea of the size - I was too busy whimpering, trembling and fainting to see) the doctor ordered my not to ski until July. I need your inspirational stories of fun times skiing to get my mind back into skiing - even if my body won't cooperate. Good apres ski stories (or solutions to the Mickey's quiz caps) are always cool too.

 

And ride a trick ski just to humor me. I want to hear about that first toe back or your kid's newest flip.

 

Eric

[xrated]

This related to the pop you had?

 

I find the magic to a Mickeys quiz is somewhere between finishing the first bottle and halfway into the second.

[ral]

@eleeski, I feel your pain, have been there and know this is something we face at this stage in our skiing careers. As I say now, a good set is a set where you can ski the following day.

 

I cannot trick at all, but I have a brand new 37" D3 rubber edge with the cutest Reflex ever ready for my 6 year old daughter. Hope she will be able to toe back and flip.

[Horton]

@eleeski "Idle hands are the devil's workshop" In you case this makes me very nervous

[The_MS]

@eleeski. Pull the MC out and detail it.

[Not_The_Pug]

@MS parts might fall off if he cleans it.

 

@eleeski this gives you plenty of time to work on your next ski design.

[Chef23]

@eleeski I feel your pain I have been on the shelf for almost a month now and my son had been benched for 6 weeks. My son is cleared to get back on the water this week but no jumping for another 3 weeks which is killing him because he has new jumpers that have never been over a ramp.

 

Any help on teaching a kid to flip that is high on my son's priority list for this year.

 

@ral that binding is awesome.

[eleeski]

@MS What are you saying?

@Krlee Details of the Pleasant Oak parties - especially if the tequila is so good that you and Stephanie follow Sam and Kristi's lead.

@xrated I'd do better if Kona or Stone brewing (or even Steel Reserve) had quiz caps. I'm not sure I can choke down that much Mickey's. Also I'll bump the other thread - this is not the place for geriatric complaints. All upbeat here.

@Chef23 Ski school! Is Kevin Jack around? Kirk figured out his first flip at Bennett's. Camilo is fantastic. Flips are a staple of all the high level ski schools. Are any junior developments happening nearby? Kirk is doing one in Bako next week.

Regarding jump, Kirk learned a lot from the Goodmans and has not gotten hurt. Solid form trumps distance.

@Ral So cool! We will see another South American trick star soon!

Thanks all. I'm getting cheered up already.

Eric

[jackski]

OK Eric, this is a really old story but maybe you'll find some humor in it.

Many years ago when we were learning to trick, we'd all go in tournaments anyway. One of our friends had a little larger nose, although we sure made more of it. He did one of his first "backs" in the tournament but bent over so far in that position that his nose dragged in the water for a bit and pretty well made a wake. We called it a new trick a "nose back"

[eleeski]

@Jackski Sweet! How many points?

Eric

[Razorskier1]

@eleeski -- my wife has a torn up hip labrum and had it injected a couple of weeks ago. Her comment, "I think that needle was the size of your wrist, and then they shot a baseball through it into my hip. I will not be doing that every six months!". We will see how long the hip works. If it starts to deteriorate, then probably have her get it fixed in the fall. My knee surgery pretty much chewed up our out of pocket for the year -- might as well pile on while insurance is picking up the tab.

[Not_The_Pug]

@eleeski I make sure I don't drink that much so those little opps don't happen. :)

[crashman]

Not trick related but maybe there's some stoke here- we're having a birthday party for my son and he says "I'm going to put the buoys in". Next thing I know he's making a slalom course out of the balloons and "running the course"

[Chef23]

@eleeski we are planning a trip to Travers he was supposed to be there this week but we had to postpone due to his knee.

 

Unfortunately Kevin Jack isn't around New England much anymore I think he is in FL full time now.

[jackski]

@eleeski unfortunately water ski Canada wouldn't approve the new trick !

[A_B]

@eleeski, you should make sure to avoid this type of skiing, it looks like it could put pressure on your hip....

[eleeski]

@AB Now that's waterski stoke!

[Skoot1123]

Eric - had a great ski session with a fellow baller last night on the lake. A bit breezy for the first sets - but then the water calmed down and the second sets were perfect. My father in law made 6 buoys twice for the first time in the water this year. Fellow baller skied well. I ran probably the easiest ever 22 off pass ever. Finished it off by eating dinner at the ski lake. Can't get much better than that!

[A_B]

...and then the 3 skiers pictured above skied by the dock and put on a show...priceless!

[gsm_peter]

Hi @eleeski

Just back from a training session in Italy (http://waterskiitaly.com)

 

There was a guy doing incredible tricks with many different flips.

Then he broke his ski totally.

He didn't give up so he took a slalom run (he had not been skiing for a long time) .

He did all six at 13meter. When he checked the ski the wing was hanging up side down totally loose on only the back end screw.

Next day when he fixed the wing he made five at 12meter.

 

Best luck healing fast!

[Intheday]

The D3 has arrived to replace the HO Turbo. Just have to get the courage up to drill holes in my new ski to put on the RTP.

[ral]

@Intheday, why are you thinking about drilling a D3 to put a RTP?

[RichardDoane]

@eleeski - I rode my trick ski just for you today, and landed a wrapped WO first try, you'dve been proud !

[Intheday]

@ral the D3 trick has no holes/inserts for mounting the D3 RTP. The mounting instructions say drill pilot holes for the scews. Hated drilling holes in my new ski but it is done now.

[klindy]

@intheday just be sure to use SHORT screws for the rear toe on a trick. They MUST be shorter than those used on a slalom or they'll start to stick out the bottom.

[ral]

Trick! Sorry, looks like I was half drunk yesterday, was thinking about slalom...

[eleeski]

@intheday & @ral I was picturing the old HO Turbo slalom ski. Maybe I should make a carbon/boron version and see how it works.

@intheday You will love the D3 trick! Keep us updated on your progress.

@richarddoane WO! Wow! You'll be a trick star soon.

@klindy 1/2 inch #8 pan head stainless sheet metal screws work well. But several of my skis have holes on the bottom from too long screws. I should know better. Of course some skis have things intentionally screwed into the bottom - I should still know better.

@gsm_peter I don't think he was on one of my skis.

@Skoot123 I'm hungry now!

@crashman I'm setting up a balloon course in the living room.

Thanks for the entertainment, Eric

[tjm]

Duck tape might get you on the water faster. Been where you are and proper taping pattern got me back a little early. Do not ask or tell your doctor. He won't agree with me

[eleeski]

Kirk's boat is broken, his ski is cracked, Lisa has a cold and is wearing flannel. I'm still in need of more stoke...

 

But Kirk had a great time and taught some future stars in this week's Bako junior development. There is hope for the sport with both the great juniors on the way and the juniors of a couple years ago are the competent coaches. Good stoke!

 

Plus this experiment pictured was interesting. Thanks to Stan for evaluating it.

 

Eric

[Brady]

@eleeski Maybe I can help out. I finally ran the damn course this week. All 6 balls and the entrance and exit gates. I cannot express the euphoria I felt coming toward 6 ball knowing that I finally made it through the course at 15 of!!!!!!!!!! Best feeling I have ever had on planet Earth. Better than my longest drive, better than any touchdown catch, and far better than any girl who has ever hit on me!!! Cloud nine does not describe how I was feeling until about five minutes after I got back to the dock: then this feeling consumed me of running the course faster and then at 22 off this year. Back to pushing myself to try and achieve the unnatainable and ever elusive goal of going deeper into the count. This sport is the strongest drug and addiction known to man!

[crashman]

a little more stoke for you. Both my older boys have been skiing on the boom for a while, yesterday they decided to try the rope- and here's the result. I was so busy pulling kids all day yesterday I ended up skiing by the light of the supermoon. @krlee your former boat is having a great summer so far! Both boys are BEGGING to go skiing again today.

[eleeski]

I got some sweet stoke, Kirk pb'd in jump with a 112 foot jump to join the century club! A look at 320ff and just missing his FFL to keep him just shy of a tricks pb gave him a rocking overall score. With potential for more! I'm a proud dad!

 

@Brady How cool! There's nothing like the first time knocking down a pass. You get that same exhilaration making the next pass. That's the addiction.

 

@crashman Good to hear that @Krlee 's boat has gone to a good home (I skied that boat a few times - it was sweet!). Better to hear that there are a couple future ballers in the works! Get them on trick skis right away - tricks are for kids!

 

Eric

[Joeprunc]

Wish I had pictures or video but here is how yesterday went for us.

 

By 8 AM we had 20-25 mph winds out of the SW and a dropping tide which was horrible for our ski course. My friend drove 1 hour out to come ski with us, so we braved the weather. Once we got to the course the tide was almost too low, but since he came out I made sure he got a set in. As he jumped in the water, the wind started calming down (as it was starting to switch due West...worst wind direction for the course). He finished his set, and I tired to have my wife go before myself, as she has never skied the course. I wanted her to go before conditions took a turn for the worst. But she made me go.

 

So far this year I have only been skiing at 30 mph in the course trying to be sure that my form was good, and consistency was there before changing anything. I ended up running 30 mph 3 out of 4 passes. And decided to bump it to 32 mph for the first time this year (my PB with a boat with perfect pass is 2 a 32 mph the previous year, and I'm sure it was ugly). My first attempt at 32 mph I ran it!! I was early to every ball, my offside turn to pull never felt so strong (this is usually where I blow my 30 mph passes), and my ski felt like it came alive. I was so happy it was silly. My 6th pass with the wind to my back I got around 5 but couldn't make it to 6 in time. I was so happy I'm still buzzing from it as I write this.

 

But then my wife eager to learn how to ski the course, because no one was around due to the bad weather, jumped in the water. I told her just to shadow the buoys and if she felt good to try to go around 6. The first two passes were not pretty, but she was on the course and turning at the buoys, I was excited none the less. After the second pass I told her to not even worry about the buoys, focus on hips to the handle, and ski like you do in the open water. The next four passes I was hooting and hollering louder than she was. Her skiing was awesome, I've never seen her ski so well, holding an edge thru the second wake, stacked position, and making quick turns at every buoy! The last pass she decided to make it around buoy 6 and thru the exit gates! Her giving the course a shot, having a good time, and making it around one buoy brought me even more joy than my earlier accomplishment.

 

What a great day despite the horrible weather.

 

(My friend jumped in for a second set, the tide was really low, and wind now on a due West, after 4 passes he called it quits and we headed home).

[eleeski]

@joeprunc Excellent story! I felt like I was on the water with you. Getting the wife into it guarantees a long fun time skiing. Where do you ski?

 

Eric

[Joeprunc]

@eleeski, I was very excited she gave the course a try, she is a competitive one and I hope to have many years on the water together. We ski in the dirty Delta. I'm in the honeymoon phase of joining the Diablo Club.