Big Dawg Skiers at Masters

[GregDavis]

Who do you like to win?

 

Jeremy Newby Ricci 2013 Big Dwg Finals Champion

 

Harald Hintringer Always tough in adverse conditions. Can run 39 in rollers.

 

Jay Leach I saw Jay get to 4 ball at 41, in the dark at Okeeheelee, during Big Dawg Finals one year.

 

Dave Miller 2010 Big Dawg Finals Champion

[MrJones]

Nope. At the Masters. Although I did not see the MM on the schedule of events. When will they be skiing??

[GregDavis]

The 55th Masters live coverage will begin Friday morning at 7:30 am EST with the Nautique Big Dawg World Tour Final Four from the 2013 Nautique Big Dawg Finals which took place at Okeeheelee last August. The four Big Dawg Skiers will kick things off Friday morning at the Masters. The top two Big Dawg skiers will advance to a Head to Head competition Sunday.

 

 

 

It will be live web cast Friday morning. www.Masterswaterski.com

 

 

 

Good Luck to Jeremy , Dave, Jay and Harald

 

 

 

Due to snow skiing injury, Harald Hintringer took Todd Tistorcellis place at the Masters. Hope your recovery is going well Todd, see ya on the water soon.

 

 

 

Below are results from 2013 Finals.

 

 

 

http://nautiquebigdawg.com/big-dawgs/big-dawg-results/results-2013/

 

 

 

 

 

Greg Davis

[MrJones]

40 year old guys skiing early in the morning... makes my back feel great just thinking about it!! I am looking forward to being there for the final on Sunday. Will have to watch Friday on the computer.

[drewski32]

I hate to say it, and I know many will disagree with me, but I feel like Big Dawg shouldn't be at the Masters. The Masters is about having THE BEST IN THE WORLD compete against each other. Big Dawg is great, and its skiers are great, but if they were the absolute best in the world they wouldn't be skiing Big Dawg, they would be skiing (or be retired depending on age) pro. I feel like having Big Dawg at the Masters might water-down the pro skiing there.

[jimbrake]

uh oh.......

[skidawg]

Can-O-Worms!!!!!!!!

[Ed_Johnson]

You Gotta Be Kidding Me...The Big Dawgs may be the best thing at Masters....I remember when Greg announced it at Okeeheelee last year for the top 4, thought that was really cool, and Thanks @GregDavis for doing that...Believe me, there are a lot of us out here that REALLY appreciate all you've been doing for this sport. The Big Dawg is a Series a lot of us have either competed in, or have friends that do..It is something we can relate to..Plus the competition is fierce...In my opion it is the BEST SERIES there is..I only wish they would have scheduled the whole event at prime time..I WILL be watching it at 7:30 and plan on skiing at 10:00 myself on Friday...THANKS again @GregDavis for all your hard work, you should be VERY PROUD of what you have accomplished !!!!!!

[bigtex2011]

For me, I like the big dawgers there. Many are former pro's, national champions, and industry icons. To win a nationals, big dawg, or pro event is incredibly difficult. I say the more the merrier.

[41off]

@skidawg that's more than a can of worms!!!!!huh. I'm gonna be polite and keep quite.

[Horton]

There are some Pro skiers who feel like the BigDawgs steal the spotlight. The top 10 Pros ski at a whole other level but to the untrained eye it all looks the same. In a world where the Pro skiers have a hard time showing their relevance I think maybe the Dawgs should not be at an event like the Masters.

 

It is CorrectCraft’s show so whatever. Not sure it really matters.

 

[Wish]

There was not any WAKE type sports there either years ago. Unless you have been there the GIANT and I mean GIANT WakeBoats look totally out of place. But it brings the crowds and probably sells the higher $$ boats. I think the traditional 3 event Pro invite Masters has long gone to the wayside and has for sometime now. As @Horton‌ says..It is CorrectCrafts show.. But I do agree with his first paragraph.

[RichardDoane]

+1 to @ed_johnson, @drewski32- everyone's entitled to their opinion, no matter how silly....

[GregDavis]

Boy I'm having a hard time keeping my mouth shut.

[brody]

I agree with Horton on this one, and I personally love watching the big dawg

[Horton]

Someone did make the point to me once that the Dawgs are a good show

[drewski32]

I have NOTHING AGAINST BIG DAWG. It's a great series, and a great thing for the sport. I just think it takes away from the prestige of the Masters.

[klindy]

I'm just disappointed there's no overall at the Masters. There is for the jr masters but not the Open skiers.

[Chad_Scott]

I really don't know how a fan of waterskiing would say having the big dawg skiers at the Masters is a bad idea. It doesn't water down any professional skiing. There are very few spectators that come to a water ski event that don't know the difference. These are the best master men or should I say full time job working skiers in the sport. Why not give them the opportunity to ski at a prestigious event such as the masters. Hats off to correct craft for recognizing the importance of the masters men. Btw I also know that without the masters men and the working class skiers that buy boats and buy equipment there would probably not be professional skiers at all. These companies support their athletes by selling products to those who have jobs and money to buy these products. There is certainly no doubt the open skiers and their performances stand out above what the big dawg skies do at 34 mph. Having the opportunity to ski with the guys who are usually in the hunt. I know that Nate Smith, CP and Will Asher don't feel as though there is not a place for MM skiers at these event. They know that their performance usually stand out no matter who is there and have welcomed the big dawg skiers. The top pros are not intimidated or do not feel watered down by the performances of the big dawg. But I guess opinions are like well u know. Everyone's got one

[Chad_Scott]

Have fun Dave, Jay, Jeremy and Harold. I'm jealous wish I was gonna be there. Will be watching all of it. Big dawgs and the pros rippin

[GOODESkier]

Go @davidmiller‌ !

 

I challenge ANYONE who thinks the big Dawgs water it down to post a better score at 34 than these guys. Likely you will see scores at 34 equal those of the pros. Each one of these guys deserves to ski there. I know that at least one of the MM can run 39.5 at 36. So maybe they could hang with the rest of the "pros" since Smith is out.......

 

It's like saying the 250 classs in the super cross waters the main event down? Really? How is more slalom a bad thing? Especially when it is into and possibly through 41 off!

[Horton]

@Chad_Scott as you know I support BigDawg skiing. I have showed up a few times, paid my entry and been happy with nearly last place. I also think it is an important part of the the manufactures marketing mix. It is an important part of the sport today.

 

On the other hand, I see the point of some of the elite 36 mph skiers who wish to be seen at another level. It really is about perception, marketing value and ego. Maybe this is a different thread but I think Pro skiing has an identity crisis.

 

@GOODESkier show me a skier that is not ranked in the top 25 in the world at 36 mph and I will show you a skier who can not hang with the top 25 in the world. They can do it or they can't.

[DanE]

@GOODESkier Many years back (could have been 2003) Mapple skied a 34 mph set at Trophy lakes while he was still pro, ended up with 4@43 off.

This was on 10+ years old technology equipment.

Just to give you an idea...

[E_T]

@GOODESkier‌ this is on Robin lake I'm not sure if you have been there but they won't be getting into 41 off. Big Dawg MM what ever you want to call it should not be on the Masters stage if you want to see them on a big stage go to nationals. It's just a marketing ploy by Nautique to sell more boats and not doing something to advance the progression of the sport.

[MrJones]

IF they were inviting 10-16 skiers, I could see how it might be a bit of a distraction. In this case we are talking 4 guys, 2 of whom will be eliminated on Friday before the left half of the country is even awake. I think a head to head on Sunday between 2 MM guys will be a great addition to the tournament.

 

 

[MrJones]

Just to follow up on the thought. I see that the Jr. Men's and Jr. Women's have a head to head on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Is that taking away from the professionals?

[Wish]

Had a blast watching the...can't remember what they called it...but old pros skied a round like this at the Masters. To early in the am for me to reach back in the memory bank but I remember Andy and Carl (he was still on the Yellow Kidder and rubber boots). I think LaPoint(s) skied as well. I do remember it being totally fun to watch and the crowd realy got into it. Advance the sport...?... Depends on how you define advance. All good points in this thread but things change, morph, but have a tendency to work themselves out. While the Pros may feel an identity crisis, I'm confident that they are working harder to advance their presence among the masses. Without the BigDawgs nipping at their heals, how hard do you think they would push?

[MrJones]

(This is totally off topic, but how can all of my posts in this thread be #1,009?

[MrJones]

I give...

[E_T]

@Wish‌ if I wanted to see old guys ski next to the pros I would go to WaterSki Atlanta Pro-AM going to be a heck of a finals there.

[skidawg]

@E_T‌ ...any of the four who were invited are capable of running 39 on Robin Lake!

[9400]

Does anybody know what the largest age group of participating tournament skiers is currently?

Has anybody ever looked at participating tournament waterskiers from 1980ish to today and noticed a trend? There is a group of skiers that were in their Teens, 20s-30s when waterskiing was on TV regularly that has somewhat stayed involved in skiing that are now Mens 4 and Mens 5 skiers.

 

[LeonL]

@9400, as you alluded, M4 and M5 are by far the largest groups with very nearly exact participation nationwide, respectively.

[Chad_Scott]

BTW What kind of distraction to the Open division will the Big Dawg Skiers be at 7:30 am on Friday before the juniors ski. Most Open skiers wont even be there yet. A two person head to head exhibition on Sunday should not steal the thunder from the Open. Identity Crisis?? Probably. For those that dont think Big Dawg should be there DON'T WATCH its your right. On the other hand I think more people on this forum are fans of the Big Dawg and will be tuned in. And I agree with Jones whats the difference with having Juniors. The more we include in these events the more exposure it will get. Good luck to everyone at the Masters

[Horton]

@Chad_Scott‌ good points. I hear you.

[GOODESkier]

@DanE‌ you know, not sure 34 mph is easier, but hey I am not a 36 MPH guy and can barely run 38 @ 34 when everything goes just right. Mapple hasn't seemed to post any score like that, or even close in any Big Dawg that I have heard of, heck with a history of running that deep into 43' OFF, I am surprised he isn't at the masters as a Big Dawg this weekend distracting from the reason everyone in this country waterskis..........???? We all ski cause Nate Smith does, right? That sounded kind of sarcastic didn't it? No one in this sport is much of a household name in my opinion. Probably Herb O'Brien is about one of the few the average person has any clue about, or maybe Denny Kidder? Probably cause I live in Washington.......... No one has a 10 million dollar contract like in, dare I say..... "REAL SPORTS"? Heck, I bet the revenue from certain waterski websites almost match a pro skiers income.............JUST KIDDING. While I believe Mapple is one of the greats this sport will ever see, wouldn't we want to remember that the 4 guys skiing at the masters all beat him to get there this year? And they are just "distractions" to the real "stage"? Anyone that places higher than the greatest skier of all time, certainly can't be termed as a "distraction" or a sub par competitor.

 

Personally, I think this "Elitist" attitude about skiing is the reason this sport struggles to ever attract more people. The intimidation level of this sport is not inviting to others and many threads on this (MY FAVORITE WEBSITE) just confirm this dismal past, present, and unfortunately future..........

 

@E_T‌ I would almost wager money that 39.5 will be run in the MM this weekend.......... I can eat crow on Monday.

 

Just my 2 cents.

[dtm]

Seems like the "Big Dawgs" are rivaling, maybe even exceeding, the exposure received by the Pros. Pretty sure this is not healthy for the hope to broaden the appeal of our sport. Allow the Big Dawgs to have an avenue to qualify, but ski 36mph. The Masters is the most prestigious event in our sport. Men skiing 34mph out; Overall in.

[liquid d]

Gimme a break, If I have to watch friggin wakeskate, I think the sport will survive 4 Big Dawgs skiing at the Masters! As for growing or stifling the sport? pleeeease!

 

[GregDavis]

Father time my friend, That's why these guys ski at 34 mph, not 36. We all know 36 is more difficult. The elite of our sport, ( THE PROFESSIONALS ) Ski at 36 mph. LOVE UM AND HAVE TONS OF RESPECT FOR THEM. The Big Dawg was started to give the average guys who chose to pursue education, families, careers and business opportunities, rather than professional water skiing. ( I Hesitate to call the Big Dawg skiers average guys, not even close) These guys have the passion, the dedication, the athletic ability, and desire to compete. The Big Dawg gives them a stage to compete, against the best in the World. ( NOT PROS ) To be the best, you must beat the best. Many of the BD guys are past and present National Champions, in their divisions, ( Mens 3, 4, 5 and MM mens ) But to truly be the best, 34 MPH skier, you must compete against all skiers over 35 year old, non pros, to be THE BEST. For the Big Dawg guys, it's not about the money, it's about the competition. The Pros, earn their living waterskiing. IN NO WAY IS THE BIG DAWG MEANT TO TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM THE PROS. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. I LOVE THIS SPORT, I HAVE ESTABLISHED MANY VERY GOOD FRIENDS BECASUE OF THE BIG DAWG. PEOPLE I WOULD NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET, HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE BIG DAWG. THESE GUYS ARE GREAT INDIVIDUALS AND FIERCE COMPETITORS.

 

[brody]

I think the bid dawgs are an amazingly talented group, if they are there I will watch. I heard a pro skier once saying that it is very hard for the pros to come up with sponsorship dollars which for many of them, this is a career. With the big dawg tour they are now competing for sponsorships! This is why I say to keep it separate. I look forward to watching ALL the skiing I can fit in this weekend and wish all athletes the best if luck!

[wskier]

I totally agree,with Horton on this one. I'm a 3 handicap golfer do you want to watch me at the Masters more than Phil or Tiger. The big dawgs are great skiers butt let the pros have the spot light! I love slalom but I would much rather watch the pros jump. Even tricks, then 50 year olds skiers. I'm 52 I love chasing buoys but when you watch it all day it gets boring! NFL games make sure their games don't last more than 3 hours make it Quick and exciting that's what sells.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bruce_Butterfield]

Brody, are you kidding me? Sure its hard for the "pros" to come up with sponsorships, but how many "sponsorship dollars" do you think any of the big dawgs get? At best, they will get a ski or 2. None of them get cash to represent any company.

 

If anything, 4 over the hill guys will add to the crowd draw. And the crowd draw is what increases the incentive for companies to sponsor the elite athletes.

[MrJones]

If this was on purpose I am ticked. The web cast came on immediately as the MM ended! I mean right after... as Jay was getting in the boat. Did any see the whole thing or was that planned???

[Ed_Johnson]

Same here...Pretty disappointing !!

[Chad_Scott]

Actually it was ready to go. I called someone at the tournament while they were skiing and was told web cast would not begin till tricks. Sounds planned to me

[skidawg]

They have done this webcast for years, you can't tell me that they had problems with the feed. This is very disappointing (especially from the main sponsor of the big dawgs). So lets see if they cut the feed Sunday. anyone know who won the other pairing?

[Chad_Scott]

Jay and Jeremy

[skidawg]

congrats to both of them!

[gjohnson]

I couldn't see it either...disappointing. Scores?

[klindy]

I was watching too. The Jr Tricks afterward was fun to watch but very disappointed that the Big Dawg wasn't broadcast especially with all the build-up here.