Iowa_Ski_Team Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 First place in slalom goes to a trick skier running buoys at 30 mph 15 off and all the guys who run into 32 off full speed miss their openers. Second place goes to a guy on Jumpers Third place goes to a normally 32 off skier who got 5 buoys on a missed opener. I guess that's what happens when no one has skied all year and we all decide to show up at a tournament anyways. Looking forward to our home tournament this weekend assuming the Cedar River doesn't flood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller MrJones Posted April 29, 2014 Baller Share Posted April 29, 2014 I remember those days. Down south the main issue was normally the wind. I do remember women's slalom at Aquaplex outside of Austin being won on jumpers. That place skis great... unless it's springtime and the wind is howling. Fun times though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Kelvin Posted April 29, 2014 Baller Share Posted April 29, 2014 At UT's tournament 2 years ago at Frameswitch the wind was so bad that only 1 woman in the A-team group ran a complete pass. And this included ULL and ULM, the traditional #1 & #2 teams in the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Craig Posted April 29, 2014 Baller Share Posted April 29, 2014 My favorite memory of a ridiculous spring collegiate tournament. Skiin' Freezin', early April 2004 (I think) on Lake of the Ozarks, MO. A portable course was stretched across a cove in front of a major bar/restaurant and marina with many gas pumps, on a Saturday. Friday night we arrived in MO, and within a few hours were told that we were not allowed to come back and stay Saturday night. Saturday morning, the tournament began with a lakeside bar as a staging area. If you were early in the morning you only had slight wind and rollers to worry about. As the day went on, the wind started howling, whitecaps were plentiful, and there were many pauses in the action for 40 ft yachts to plow through the middle of the course on the way into the cove. The guy who won was one of the first skiers of the day, normally skis into 38' off, and won with a full pass at 22' off, if I remember correctly. I think he was the only person to run a pass all day. Most everyone else fell between gates and 1 ball. We found a new place to stay Saturday evening and spent Saturday night at the lakeside bar laughing at our attempts to ski in such a ridiculous situation. Off the water, it was a fun tournament, but that was the lowest ski-time to travel-time ratio I have ever had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller_ MISkier Posted April 29, 2014 Baller_ Share Posted April 29, 2014 There will be a Collegiate tournament here on May 10. The lake was cold (upper 40s) when we put the course and jump in on Saturday. I don't expect it to improve too much before the tournament. They are a dedicated bunch for sure. The worst slalom equipment I own is between my ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller BlueSki Posted April 29, 2014 Baller Share Posted April 29, 2014 One night at a fall tournament one of our women skiers left the women's team dry suit turned inside out on the roof of her car. The next morning, it was covered in frost. We had one woman that actually put it on and skied. She was tough. I think she is a Sherpa on Everest now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller MattP Posted April 29, 2014 Baller Share Posted April 29, 2014 @MISkier thats pretty late in the season for a college tournament! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller_ MISkier Posted April 29, 2014 Baller_ Share Posted April 29, 2014 @MattP, if they held it any earlier, it would be a hockey tournament. We have some in September as well, and they start to get cold, too. The teams ski the early ones in other states. They were in Kentucky a couple of weeks ago. The worst slalom equipment I own is between my ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller MattP Posted April 29, 2014 Baller Share Posted April 29, 2014 @MISkier this is true. I was just thinking if skiers were trying to get scores for All-Stars which are the next weekend and that at least down here it would be after finals and a lot of our skiers would be back at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klindy Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 This reminds me of the time I was asked to be chief judge at the MSU Spartan Open in Lansing, MI. This had to be the late 80s early 90s and I arrived onsite and quickly realized it was me, a driver (AWSA senior) and something like twelve teams (most full!). Even though I wasn't the scorer I had to figure it out. I had never even been to a collegiate tournament before much less scored one. So we enlisted the help of anyone who would step up and started pulling the tournament. Since the site was on the Grand River we had more than a few disruptions like the occasional boater, a few 8-man crew teams practicing, oh and a full stop from noon to just about 1 for a "float what you brought" regatta which was the closest thing to Marti Gras that Michigan has ever seen! Seems I remember a "duck in the chest" reride for a slalom skier who ended up going thru a flock of ducks around #3 or #4. We had the required number of jump crashes too. We had to have an impromptu judges clinic just to have a handful of folks who understood how to read meters for jump! However in the end it ranks as one of the most fun tournaments I've ever attended! I can't remember for sure but @bishop8950 may have been there too (or it was just before his time). Either way collegiate tournaments are awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller bishop8950 Posted April 29, 2014 Baller Share Posted April 29, 2014 @klindy I was tournament director of such an event on the Grand River in the mid 90s and although it sounds just like your description, we had no "float what you brought" regatta" so maybe a different tournament. At any rate, it was fun and I do remember leaning heavily on the volunteer officials to put in 2 long days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller 6balls Posted April 29, 2014 Baller Share Posted April 29, 2014 I won slalom my first collegiate tourney as the only guy that made a pass in the white-caps. Ran 32 mph 15 off and got a couple of buoys at 34 mph. Team took 2nd with only four guys cuz we all jumped and landed despite the wind, all tricked, and 3 placed in slalom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iowa_Ski_Team Posted April 30, 2014 Author Share Posted April 30, 2014 @MattP, when it comes to team Midwest we don't have the spring season to be able to put up qualifying scores until Fall season, most of us go to All stars on next to no skiing. @6balls, since we know you are among our valued alumni, we still are the ultimate wind warriors in the conference. Great Planes Conference Championship 2012 hosted at the Dream Lakes site was a 15+ quartering head tail and as we know there is little wind protection on that site. Team placed third because of the lack of skiers who practice in the questionable conditions that define collegiate skiing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klindy Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 @bishop8950 could have been the same tournament. Might have been a little earlier. I seem to recall some kind of "parade" on the river with various costumes or something. I might also be thinking of some place else. I've been to just a few tournaments between then and now. Either way collegiate tournaments are awesome. MSU tournaments were/are always great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller eleeski Posted April 30, 2014 Baller Share Posted April 30, 2014 UCLA is hosting a last qualifier at Ironwood this weekend. Forecast looks warm and calm. Maybe those frozen teams should come to Bakersfield for some fun. Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller MattP Posted April 30, 2014 Baller Share Posted April 30, 2014 @eleeski If I did not have a final Tuesday I would consider it! Not to mention seeing the shock on @Horton's face when I show up in town. @klindy "Either way collegiate tournaments are awesome." You are right! Also we still read meters down at Faith Lake a few times a year. Always a fun time giving the wide triangle sign from the boat.. We have a great group of officials that follow us around the SAC. @webbdawg99 @mmosley899 @chris_logan to name a few. Always a great time! @Iowa_Ski_Team Y'all should head south next year! We had Miami of Ohio at our tournament last spring and Purdue hosted a tournament in TN this year it was great to see my MW friends and make some new ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller eleeski Posted April 30, 2014 Baller Share Posted April 30, 2014 @MattP Don't let schoolwork interfere with your education. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller BCM Posted April 30, 2014 Baller Share Posted April 30, 2014 @MattP - I agree with @eleeski, go to Bako... You'll pass your final and do fine. You can always re-take the final... Trust me, I did those sorts of things during my undergrad and 6 years later I am preparing the final draft of my PhD dissertation... I learned many valuable lessons in Bako when I should have been studying... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iowa_Ski_Team Posted April 30, 2014 Author Share Posted April 30, 2014 @MattP, we might, it's a long drive to get down there but then again there were seven six of us who trekked down to Louisiana for a spring break at Bennett's so we can't say we haven't made long drives before! Always great to make new friends in the ski world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller chris_logan Posted April 30, 2014 Baller Share Posted April 30, 2014 @Iowa_Ski_Team all of the SAC teams have to make a drive in excess of 7 hours for at least one tournament each season. That doesn't usually hamper the attendance at tournaments though. The SAC would be more than welcoming to any MW teams who show up at a tournament. At the Purdue tournament, I was discussing with @MattP about the potential of having a big spring tournament that was a split-conference tournament - open to both MW and East schools. This is easily feasible due to the typical spring tourny numbers and you end up with: twice the schools = twice the party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller ForrestGump Posted April 30, 2014 Baller Share Posted April 30, 2014 Driving a collegiate tournament is always a blast. One slalom skier you're pulling into 41 off. The next you're pulling barefoot into the slalom course, the next could be on a wakeboard. And the jumpers, oh man. Funny, how I always need 100-120lbs of ballast in the boat to get it just right at a collegiate tournament. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller chris_logan Posted April 30, 2014 Baller Share Posted April 30, 2014 @ShaneH the center ballast is always a must Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iowa_Ski_Team Posted May 5, 2014 Author Share Posted May 5, 2014 A split conference between the East and Midwest would be an interesting concept, spring is a little funny for most of the Midwest teams though since many times our first tournament is the first time any of us have hit the water. Spring comes late to many up here. The idea that team Midwest is competitive at all stars is still a mystery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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