Southern Canada here I come.

[Wish]

Well, about to board a plane for MInnasota. Tournament tomorrow in Center City MN and skiing with @MS, @OTF, @Pjirsa and the best part, @Mrs MS for the rest of the week weather permitting. May even get in on another tournament at the tail end of our stay. Want to ski with the Ross brothers but I believe they may be out of town or busy. But if I'm wrong, can fInd some time, and their up for a visitor, I'll head their way. Looking forward to escaping the heat of FL and rain for some cool temps and epic skiing.

[thager]

@Wish Hopefully I will get to meet ya too!

[Wish]

@OB hoping to see epic green split time buoys as well. @Thager I'll be the one with all the neoprene on. Hate cold water.

[The_MS]

If the rain didnt cool it down, we hit 80 on the water temp yesterday. We are ready for ya.

[Razorskier1]

@Wish -- I'm around all week -- just have family here from the 4th through Saturday. If you are here early in the week give a shout. I think Mitch and I will be trying to hit it early Sunday morning out at TLE IV if the wind stays reasonable.

[xrated]

hmmm, @wish I may have to drive over towards that hickville town that ms lives in and meet ya as well.

[Wish]

@xrated. Works for me. Will be getting in touch with the boys today hopefully and as many morning as they can stand of me, I'll be there.

 

So tournament results from Center City..not so good. Not because the site is poor..its actually awesome. Not because the folks up here aren't friendly...I actually love coming to MN BECAUSE everyone is so friendly...especially at a tournament. It was the wind. The kind I do not practice in....ever. But I did have an all time first. Did I miss my opener.?.nope. Did I fall getting up behind the boat.?.nope. Did I miss a round do to a flat tire.?.nope. Did I pull up at 4 thinking it was 6.?.nope. Been there done those.

 

I could not get through a 35 with a 15+ gusty headwind in 2 rounds of 3. Turn and burned the last round. Knew what went wrong in other rounds and opted to start at 35 up wind, no warm up passes. Announcer (amazing BTW and at it ALL day) was talking it up. Did what I needed to do and was "smoking" the pass according to boat judge. Rounded six plenty early with a pinch of tip rise, got unbalance or something. The tip of the ski reengaged and me and the ski were off In a lean lock like there was a 7 ball. Darted across the wake and could not swing back to exit gates for a continuation. Total score round 3 = 6. Ahaaaaaaaa !!!! So tournament first for me. Crap.

[6balls]

@wish sorry to hear it.

May have some flexibility over here Wed (a.m., noon, or evening)...will keep eye on weather and wind direction as well as schedule.

[Wish]

@6balls sounds good. Not disappointed. New it wasn't gonna be great when I saw the forecast a few days earlier. Still had fun though.

[thager]

I am available wed morn. Wind is forecast North but is public lake.

[Than_Bogan]

@Wish I'm missing a few "accomplishments" on your list, but I've done the lean-lock 7-ball thing. It was actually the first time I ever "ran" 36/-22 in a tournament. Little bizarre to set a PB and then not get a shot at -28, but a PB is a PB, and of course it wasn't but a few years from there before -22 became my opening pass [and then I missed it at Nationals, but that's another story...]

[gjohnson]

@Wish Thanks for the nice comments. It was I who was tethered to the microphone last weekend. Thanks for clarifying what happened on your last run. I've been curious on what happened as you turned buoy six, I thought you had it in the bag and then you took off like a rocket across the wakes. Leaving us dumbfounded as to what had happened.

[Wish]

@gjohnson been to a lot of tournaments and have to say that was THE best anounced. The boys on the pro tour would be lucky to have a commentator like yourself. Great music by the way. Hope to hear you at the MidWest Reginals. Making another treck back to MN for them. We'll be parked in a 5th wheel partying it up between the lakes. My wife feels the same way about the dumbfounded thing.

[6balls]

@wish if it makes you feel any better, your killer announcer was smoking 38 at a tourney I attended in Pine Island @MS site. Looking all color coordinated he was making it look just pretty. Excellent line out of 5 and I'm really jazzed for him...snaps an early ski around 6 and plops in the water. Doh!!!

Alas as nightfall came, the signature hat came out and the drinks flowed...and all was forgotten til the next round. Ahh tourney skiing...

@gjohnson rocks! Helluva skier and a great guy (and apparently announcer).

 

[The_MS]

Team Beer rocks

[Razorskier1]

@gjohnson and I were just sharing our laments. He has back issues, and it looks like my left knee is reinjured and will require another surgery -- we'll see what the MRI says next week, but since I can't walk, it hurts to touch on the inside, and it is the size of a small volleyball, I'm pretty sure I tore the medial meniscus. Between the weather and this, not my favorite season.

[gjohnson]

@Wish I really appreciate your comments. I enjoy getting the crowd revved when it needs to be. AKA a 35 off start. Yes, I'll be at the MW Regional tournament and will make sure to look you up. Glad to hear you like the site as well. That was some nice skiing giving the conditions last weekend.

 

@6balls - Doh is right. But what I really enjoy is hanging with fellow skiers, like yourself, after the tourney concludes and having a few beverages with good friends. At the end of the day, that's what tourney skiing is all about. MN skiers rock!

[xrated]

@wish will you be around Thursday morning?

[Wish]

@xrated. I guess I missed you last night. @MS said you were out at Pine Island. I commute about 40mn early am to get there. So far (for @OB) EPIC conditions. Hoping the rest of the week holds out and my body holds out as well. Tomorrow morning I'll be back. And through the rest of this week. Havn a blast. Even if @Mrs MS hasn't stopped down to the starting dock. Want to at least say hi. ;)

[xrated]

@Wish I get off at 7:30 tomorrow morning, see how I feel and I might drive out to meet ya.

 

[6balls]

@gjohnson you would be so proud. I got a new pair of boardies in blue, light blue, black and white and they go perfectly with my cookie monster t-shirt. I may need to borrow a vest next tourney but we could look like twins...except for you are taller, have more hair, ski smoother, and are a far better announcer!

[gjohnson]

@6balls borrow a vest? If I borrowed you a vest, the seems would pop like fireworks going off on the fourth of July. I have to ski smooth as I'm not winning a strength contest....ever. You on the other hand, have the strength card sitting in your boardies back pocket just in case it needs to be played. That's card I wish was in my pocket during the hockey season. Anytime a new pair of boardies gets tossed into the mixed is a good thing. I've always thought it's better to look good than ski good. That way no matter how the set goes, nobody will remember anyway, you're killing it. Now, why do you have a cookie monster T-Shirt?

[6balls]

@gjohnson my kids got it for me...if I see there are cookies around they are gone. With that we don't have 'em around. It's a pretty funny shirt. Cookie monster blue with huge cookie monster on the front kind of brushed in blurry with mouth wide open--no teeth so black and big beady eyes.

I put the boardies on and was going to the swamp so any t-shirt will do and I saw the blue. Matches perfectly and I thought "Allright, I'm dialing in my inner gjohnson".

As for me popping your vest...you'll be surprised next time. I'm at 182 lbs.

[gjohnson]

@6balls As Fernando, of SNL, said "You look marvelous. It's better to look good that feel good darling" 182? That must be 40lbs lighter than when we skied in Iowa years ago. I think that was in your heavy lifting days. Wow, that does seem surprising. What tourney's are you going to this year?

[6balls]

@gjohnson you are just about right on the 40 lbs. Gave up comp lifting a few yrs ago and decided I had some skiing goals and maybe lighter would help. Tourney and practice PB's last yr of 2.5 and 3 @ 39 so maybe contributed. Have not decided really at all on tourneys so far with such a late start only just now feel worth a dink on the ski. Have only tried four 38's this season thus far and have run 2 of 'em. I think my odds are best in new boardies.

Will be at Jim's place all of next week skiing buoys and monitoring my check liver light. Maybe check out the tourney schedule while there and try to make some decisions.

[OTF]

@wish after our discussion Thursday am I decided the ankle has not been bothering me and I should put my boots back to stock. The results were nice, way more acceleration especially on my off side, going to take a few more sets to re-calibrate but thanks for bringing it up!

[Wish]

@OTF your welcome. :-)

 

 

Goodby Southern Canada. Was a great stay. Logged 13 sets, one tournament and two lakes. Woulda had a third lake but the lake my folks are on was without a course this year do so some inconsiderate boaters that tore it up at the end of last season. But did enjoy the relaxed end of water time with swimming, pontooning and just hanging out with family and friends. Missed out on seeing some Ballers around the state but hopefully next year.

 

Time spent with @MS @Pjirsa @OTF was great. Flat water in the early mornings I made it down to their place which was most mornings. Much thanks to them for putting up with me.

 

So, what was learned

 

1. Check fin settings after retrieving ski from plane. Skied on a jacked fin for most of the week...thought it was just cold water.

2. If you ski a tournament in MN, you better have some windy sets under your belt. Weather changes hourly up here. Kinda forgot about that. And there's guys up here that do get it and make it look easy.

3. @Mrs MS is not a morning skier so did not get to see her. Bummer.

4.@MS still talks about his Monza like the fish that got away .. daily. And he's pissed at current beer prices. Oh, and when he skies he doesn't give up. He pushes till the ski goes to the inside of a ball even when I was sure he wasn't gonna make the previous one . I give up WAY to soon.

5. @PJ is the best driver in the great white North and that's not coming from just me. Also he's the Pres of the MN Water Ski Assoc. They are in good hands.

6. I must ski with just short people cause when @OTF popped outa the water at -28 he looked like a giant...oh to have a wing span like that.

7. MN tournaments are a 100% family affairs. Names repeated on the running order like an episode of the Walton's. Cool to see all those kids ripping it up.

8. Liked it so much I'm heading back for their regionals.

 

 

[The_MS]

@Wish It was great skiing in the glass all week. The water is just starting to get warm and you had to leave. Maybe see you when you are back up here for the Regional event.

[Mrs_MS]

@Wish Sorry I didn't get to see/ski you! I was flying some of the days! Didn't sign up for the TLE3 tourney! Got home from work at 1:30 am on one of the mornings y'all skied. Monday I had a soar bun from hamstring pull I've been nursing for about 2 weeks (while still skiing)! Hopefully the stars will line up next time! Glad you had fun in Southern Canada! Welcome to stay/ski with us anytime! :)

 

[6balls]

@wish heard about "the swamp" and I think was scared to come over n get bit :) Just razzin' ya, maybe next time.

[Wish]

@6balls. Really wanted to. Didn't realize how far away that was from where I was. Under normal circumstances I would have made the treck but my mom had her knee replaced June 1st (doing awsome BTW) so focus was on helping her out. The run to Pine Island worked cause of the early am sets. I was back home every day I skied by 9ish. Best part of the week besides skiing was seeing her walk down the 23 steps to the dock and on to the pontoon for several evening rides towards the end of the week. She's got it down now. Awsome!!

[6balls]

@wish, our favorite hoof trimmer has a nice hook-up in Mound which is western Minneapolis suburb. Mint-kept 196. That would be a good shot for you too next time you visit the Twin Cities.