Skiing/Driving Pet Peeves

[Marco]

The previous discussion about driving tips got me thinking about the opposite; bad behavior behind the wheel or from the skier. What are some of the little things that bother you as a driver or a skier?

 

From a skiers perspective, one thing that drives me nuts is when the driver leaves it in gear after tightening the rope when I first get in the water, expecting me to say hit it without going in neutral to give me a second to gather myself.

 

From a drivers standpoint, it bugs me when, after picking up a skier in the lake, the skier is standing on the platform, not holding onto anything and talking away about his set, oblivious to the fact the breeze is pushing the boat into shore or onto a buoy. I have to interrupt to say "hold on" or similar prior to putting it into gear.

 

Minor irritations in the big scheme of things, but I guess I am bored from sitting around doing nothing for the last 2 weeks.

 

What are some of your pet peeves?

 

 

[RichardDoane]

drivers that give you a constant "tuggy", by not completely stopping the boat during drops to shorten the rope

[skier2788]

It really only has to do with my lake but if I fall don't power turn the boat to comeback. Drop to an idle and drive slowly no wake speed back to me. Unless I am obviously hurt. It throws rollers that kill the rest of your set if you spin fast.

from a drivers perspective a skier that doesn't drop at the drop ball drives me nuts. Hate being pushed into shore or dragging a skier

[rockdog]

I can't stand it when there is a queue of skiers on the dock waiting their turn, but when the current skier finishes his/her set, the person up next still hasn't got the jacket, gloves or ski on.

[Marco]

@skier2788 - I think the fast spin issue is probably relevant on all lakes. It certainly throws rollers down our lake! We throttle back, wait for the boat to settle before turning around. Keeps the water much flatter.

[skiray]

When the driver is watching you ski over their shoulder (both side) and the resulting boat path looks like a drunk monkey was driving.

[Razorskier1]

Sadly, I'm always on a clock. I like to keep it moving. Drop me, come around and shorten, and go. When I'm done, switch skiers and go. Rinse and repeat until done and back home.

[MISkier]

As a skier, I don't like to be pulled up too slowly. I need to get energized and get my tempo going. Once I start to break the surface on moderate initial throttle, I want to get up to speed rather briskly.

 

Secondly, as a skier, keep the boat straight and counter in rhythm. Don't help me with a weave.

 

As a driver, my one concern is when skiers want me to drop them in at the ends closer than I am comfortable with to shore or to the starting dock. Safety and minimizing boat damage are more of a priority than the extra setup distance.

[Wish]

My wife drives for me often enough to never have a pet peeve....ever..!! Happy wife happy set..

[A_B]

Not recognizing that the rope is getting shorter and blowing past me to tighten the line, pulling me 50 foot down the lake backwards...

[MattP]

Drivers need to be looking ahead and aware that they are pulling skiers in the course.

 

I had a driver in a tournamnt tell me after my first pass that I looked really good back there. I looked at the Sr. Boat judge in disbelief. It thew my concentration off and did not run my next pass.

 

Also in a tournamnt I had a driver counter me really hard on my pullout all the way through the gates. At the end of the lake he said he didn't think I was going to pull out that hard... Moving the boat out of allignment. I weight 150lbs... No way I'm pulling a boat out of position like that. Pay attention.

[Zman]

My wife drives for me almost exclusive. So, like @Wish‌ I have no pet peeves. I guess her pet peeve might be after many of my late passes in a set, she hears me say, "just one more".

[thager]

I live in the boonies. Hard to find drivers. Give me a pull and don't hurt my boat! The rest I will teach. Then it is your turn to ski.

[BrennanKMN]

As a skier I get frustrated when my driver doesn't pay full attention. They are talking with the observer or fiddling with the radio in between passes. When I am driving, the skier gets my undivided attention. I get really bothered when I politely ask/suggest the driver do something different next pass and they completely shrug me off.

I only have 1-2 drivers, so I keep my complaints to myself. I'd rather have 1-2 drivers than 0 drivers.

 

As a driver I get annoyed when the skier takes to long to get into the boat and we drift. I get really bothered when skis smack into my boat. Nothing makes me angrier then someone who bangs their ski into the boat jumping off the platform or when being picked up. If I am on someone else's boat I do everything in my power to be the most respectful guest I can be - regardless of how the owner treats their own boat.

[webbdawg99]

As a driver, when I drop you at the end, do NOT cut back in toward the boat! Ski straight ahead until you sink into the water.

[TylerR]

I've never complained about a driver... I ski way too badly to complain

[Kelvin]

As a skier, when I drop at the end of the lake, do not turn the boat toward me under power. Keep it straight until it has settled in and idle around to go again.

 

As a driver, particularly in tournaments, I watch the skier on the sit down to make sure I know where he is before turning toward the skier.

[RazorRoss3]

As a driver, don't ski underneath the boat at the end.

 

As a skier, please do not sit with the extra height cushion, one hand on the wheel at the top of the wheel squinting over the windshield instead of sitting low enough to look through it. I know my boat path will be all over the place because you can't possibly counter steer well if your hand is at the top of the wheel with no anchor point. A couple people on the team used to do it and I'd look behind at the path and it was a disaster.

 

Also as a skier, when I'm set in the water and you are pulling the line tight, don't just sit in gear until I get a big yank, and then continue in gear dragging me along. Neutral exists for a reason.

 

Finally, and again as a skier, either be in the whole, or out of it. If you are coming back to get me don't come back to me with the nose 10 ft in the air at 8 mph throwing the biggest possible wake you can with a ski boat.

 

From this you can tell two (and maybe more) things: The first is that I'm clearly just a bit picky. The second is that the majority of my drivers didn't drive before college and I've been slowly training them to do it as well as getting new members started every year.

[thager]

@RazorRoss3 Bazinga!!!

[6balls]

I don't want radio when I'm driving...in between skiers it's fine...as far as that goes I really don't want a stereo in my ski tug. Next skier up...be quasi-ready cuz I got a busy life and am on the clock. If I'm on vacation these rules may not apply.

 

As a skier, I don't want a gas saving hole shot. My low back sucks and I'm a toe loop guy, get me up on the surface sooner rather than later.

 

As a driver...once out of the course please skier give a meaningful pull outbound. I hate it when I get out of the course and the skier gives some wussy @ss pull out such that I pull throttle and settle in but then need to jack reverse to keep from pulling the skier forward....c'mon really? Can we work together here the boat doesn't just stop when I pull throttle. This is numero uno pet peeve for me.

[MrJones]

Don't drag me.

[lpskier]

When cracking you off to drop, please Mr. Skier, don't turn into the boat.

[jipster43]

 

Please refrain from relieving yourself in the middle of my set. I'm happy to postpone my set until your bladder is empty. Also, I'd prefer to be picked up immediately at the end of my set - rather than after you relieve yourself!

 

I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea.

 

[RazorRoss3]

@jipster43‌, so no relieving ourselves if you're sitting in the water. Does this rule move higher on your list as the boat moves closer to the skier?

[oldjeep]

Drivers who feather the throttle. Unless you have a big block, bury it.

[Stevie Boy]

Drivers/Coaches, that leave me sitting in the water, while they are on the phone, even worse, on the phone when tighten the line or when I am skiing.

"Take me back to the dock please"

[9400]

I don't like senior drivers that shouldn't be senior drivers....I can only think of 1, but that is more than enough.

[Cam]

As a skier I hate when the observer starts a prolonged conversation with the driver which has nothing to do with my skiing, I see it when I am behind the boat and it just distracts me not to mention the driver.

As a driver ditto to above, depends on my mood whether I tell them to leave it until the end of the set or just ignore them.

[LeonL]

@9400, is a bad Senior driver worse than a bad something else driver?

[9400]

Good point @Leonl, didn't quite look at it that way. Same as with all the other officials. I guess I expect that a senior driver (or any other official that is a senior) would be good in that position.

[Spuddy]

A few people have mentioned this before and I have to agree, driver is talking to spotter, looking at the shore line etc. I do have a course on my lake but there are times when it is windy, fishermen, etc and I just go for open water. I can take a few turns stop look at the driver and sure enough lurching towards shore because they want to see if anyone has built a new cottage or something in the last 12 hours since we were out last. When I drive for someone, open water or course does not matter, I stayed focused on driving not what might be happening on shore.

[bbirlew]

For slalom, I'll take any pull I can get. I'm just happy to be out there!

 

For tricks, if my pin person isn't looking at me it drives me bananas! (But I'm still just happy to be out there!!)

 

[skinut]

While I agree with everyone's points, it struck me that this is a great example of why wake boarding is considered a much more social and laid back sport. I doubt there are many wake boarders that complain about someone messing with the radio between a set.

[jimbrake]

@rockdog - amen. After work sets especially need to proceed efficiently when there is limited daylight. I'd rather the skier ahead of me take extra passes beyond our "rule" of 6 than not be 100% ready to go when it's their turn. At our lake rollers are not a big deal, so I do want the driver to spin the boat and come get me ASAP. I'm pissed that I fell and I want to get going again ASAP. Agree with "don't drag me".

[santangelo]

If a driver is texting/talking/browsing on a device, I'm back in the boat. Too much risk, especially when I'm on the platform.

 

Tugging is no fun either, but a distant 2nd.

[GOODESkier]

Happy wife = happy life

 

I have lots of people to ski with, lucky me. Some GREAT DRIVERS, some ok, and some need more feed back and training. I look at it like this, as long as I feel safe, I ski and say thank you, and offer to pay for gas/time. If it was good, I will return for more in the future.......

 

I am fortunate that I have several ski partners that are awsa quality drivers (some cert and some not).

 

My favorite boat driver and crew is my wife and 2 kids..........

[6balls]

I will let a total newbie pull me if that's what it takes to ski that day. Stay at longer lines and have fun.

[colo_skier]

@6balls Thanks I will take that as a compliment.

[6balls]

@colo_skier I must not think you are a newbie...we went thru 38 that day so if that's staying longer lines and having fun I must be a real pro. There's another guy who pulls me now and again...I run openers. He's been in a direct drive boat a lot, but not driven in the buoys much and most often I don't have s'one in the boat to coach him up, either.

[Porkfight]

Never pulled anyone through a course, but driving open water, I get annoyed when the skier pulls all of the rope into his/her lap trying to make the handle arrive faster after a fall or failed start and then complains about getting yanked when the submerged bundle of rope suddenly becomes a tight line. Patience!

 

As a skier, I hate when the driver ignores my speed request.

[ozski]

Recently encountered a skier who was not willing to part with a few drops of personal binding soap. Ugly stuff, glad I was not directly involved in that one.

[drewski32]

Back when I was skiing in B2 at tournaments like regionals and nationals drivers would rush through the round, not giving the skier the time allowed at the ends. At nationals one year I had a driver drop, turn around, and go again without saying a word. I sat in the water for probably 15 seconds. I've heard drivers brag to each other before about how quickly they got through a junior round. It's unfair to favor the M3 skiers and then rush through the juniors because they're "less important."

 

What also drives me nuts is when i'm at -35 and don't need any whip from the boat, but just a wiggle to signal my pull out at the end of the lake, and the driver whips me super hard. I literally ski in a straight line without pulling and I still have to try to kill speed. I can get up on the boat on my own.

[thager]

Drivers that don't shut the dang engine off when I am getting in the boat. You can't hurt me if its off!! Skiers that get in the boat dripping wet with the ski and then dump more water out of the boots into the boat. GRRRR!

[GOODESkier]

@ozski ...... people still use that stuff?

[Jody_Seal]

An item that comes to mind. I have and still run into drivers that believe that they are more important then I as the skier. They sometimes seem to keep the rope tight and pull on me during end drop time. As a driver I like to pull the skier up next to the boat and only tighten up when the skier confirms that they are ready to tighten up and go. This also allows me and or a judge or coach to communicate.

When the they do start pulling on me i will respond you in a hurry???

 

[Deanoski]

My biggest pet peeve is watching or driving my ski partner through back to back -38. And me only get to 4 at -38

 

Right Steve,,!!!!

[gregy]

@thager one of the guys I ski with hates turning the boat off, the other group goes crazy if you don't. I have to remember which one I'm with. The thing that bothers me is I get yanked up fast due to past shoulder problems. Other than that I'm usually just happy to be skiing. Can someone do something about the wind, it bothers me?

[gsm_peter]

As a skier I do not want to rest with a tight rope.

I can not relax then.

 

As a driver I hate when I do not fulfill the skiers expectations.

However, safety overides all other misstakes.

We usually only have the driver in the boat.

 

[rockdog]

@theager that is my other pet peeve, is when skiers get straight out of the water barely pausing then straight into MY boat. Drain the water back to where it came from not into the boat carpet/seats!!!

[Wish]

@thager and @rockdog I actually asked an owner of a boat with over 2000hrs, and a beater boat at best, if I could set my ski inside the boat after I was done with my set. This was well after spending some drip time on the platform. He laughed and said, heck ya...2000+ hrs..I don't care. But I asked cause skiers piling in my boat and soaking it down drives me nuts. Must come from the days of owning a boat with wood floor and wood stringers.