After Zero Off - Whats Next?

[ozski]

Here is another off the cuff remark I heard recently, Nate has the advantage over heavier skiers such as CP because ZO works better for lighter skiers. And then going on to say that CP would have the world record if PP was still being used.... Who knows, I thought the letters and numbers sorted this issue?

[gpcarson]

I think the next big technical move should be to finish designing an electric or hybrid boat at an affordable price (since high fuel prices seem like they are here to stay). If that happens, I think our sport would start growing again.

[BraceMaker]

@skibrain heck it could have a VIP lounge if you wanted.

[scotty_alz]

Over in the UK they have created a fake wave for surfing look it up at wavegarden.com or on youtube. they use a foil under a pier to create 5 foot tall waves both left and right when it gets to the end it goes straight back allowing you to surf endless waves. but its not big wave surfing. the technology is already there it would just take tweaking the foil to make a smaller wake and similar to a boat wake then make it go fast. this would be a good addition for europe to create real cable slalom trick or jump instead of an above cable like they are using now with no wake. this idea might make it more possible to be viewed as an olympic sport. but it would be a different disciple of water skiing. there is a good possibility it would also grow the sport because the cable park could add it in but on a private ski lake you would only be able to pull one person down and back no turn islands unless you set up a train station track with automatic rails to turn you right at the end of the course then around the island and your track that turned right would have to get out of the way or your not going into the course. if you go straight down and back you would need multiple waiting bays unless the guy that come down the lake second goes back first no more head to head. it may work and definatley could but it would be done but it wont replace a slalom boat. or a die hard slalom skier just something fun or different to go try.

[skosney]

Fun discussion, but I know it's time to bow out of the conversation when people start to "Dislike" what I'm staying and I can't for the life of me figure out what I said to prompt such a response.

 

Just so you all know. I'm a little slow to catch on (obviously), but I do respond well to feedback (positive and negative) if I understand it. So go ahead and tell me what you don't like rather than just poking at me. :-)

 

[ToddL]

@skosney - FYI - if a person is reading the forum via a mobile device, sometimes it is very easy to accidentally click on "dislike" when a "like" is intended.

[oldjeep]

Or just clicking it while scrolling

[BraceMaker]

@scotty_alz‌ - in my imagination I see just physically swapping the rope off at the end.

 

Whatever drags the skier would come to rest at a station where either an attendant would clip your rope onto the pylon or perhaps the pylon could come to a stop in front of the "on deck" area and the skier who would be sitting right there would clip their own rope on. Possibly with a bucket or net where you'd drop the extra line.

 

Similarly to my thoughts before - the goal is to allow skiers to specify certain parameters - such as speed - line length etc. Where as traditional cable systems pull the skier from a position above the head this would need to pull from the traditional spec height for a slalom boat.

 

Wakes are the easiest part - if the motor is strong enough you just have a sledge with a hull running surface you drag along.

[GregHind]

@bracemaker I was thinking the reason for the cable system would be to avoid creating a wake altogether. It would be very interesting to see scores in slalom and jump then. Nothing to interrupt the best "work" zone..... It would be like skiing behind a sky ski.

[BraceMaker]

That - but the option.

 

To me the wake isn't the problem, I'm not one of the fellows here with daily access to a ski lake, to me my average waterskiing costs me 10+ hours in a car for 2-3 sets. And I do so every weekend or two through the summer, plus winterizing/summerizing the boats each end.

 

So the question would be - what sort of benefits could a slalom cable park capable of giving you a real nice pull be? Cycles/hour? Cost/Pull? Set up/Lake length? Ability to co-pull wakeboarders to cover the overheads?

[Stevie Boy]

I cannot find the magazine, but 10-12 years ago, maybe longer, Waterski Magazine, had a article with artists impression, of a tower that run on rails, driven by electric/hydraulic motor, the shape of the tower would simulate wakes, the driver/pilot would sit in a glass dome on top, when the tower reached the end of the run it would rotate to return back down the lake, at the press of a button the rope would shorten, fantastic concept as well as being able to run on a shorter lake, it would also garauntee the same pull for everybody.