Tell us your most challenging tournament conditions story

[RichardDoane]

Sometimes you just have to ski, no matter what. This past Saturday our event at the Ski View Estates in Olympia, WA had some seriously lousy weather moving through. The wind was blowing so hard that over 1/2 of the skiers blew their opener. I started at 28

mph 15 off and struggled to make it into a third pass. Check the first round scorebook pic below, it was ugly out there. Luckily the weather did improve as the day went on, and was much better the second day.

 

 

 

 

[RichardDoane]

 

[ozski]

Public river, paddle boats, massive rollers & white caps - say no more. Brutal.

[Edbrazil]

Trying to qualify in M2 jump for the 1974 Nationals. Had Regionals placement, but no Masters

rating. Living in NH. Went to a tournament in Webster, MA (site of 1964 Nationals) the weekend before the Nationals. Strong quartering headwind blowing across a sandy peninsula, making it

about like jumping in a sandstorm. Cutting distances down greatly. So drove 8 hours to another

tournament at Jud Spencer's in Binghamton, NY. And made it on the 3rd jump. This, I was able to

go on to the Mecca of water skiing: Callaway Gardens, to be the bottom seed in the event. But,

that is another story.

[Wish]

The Mapple Challenge tournament gave new meaning to the word challenge. Held in November on his lake. Winds were easily steady at 25mph with gusts to 30+ and out of about the only direction that could completely blow the lake out. Distroyed my back. Out for 4 months. Amazing how some of the pros got into such short line. So many skiers missed their opener. Did I mention record low temps. Everybody had coats on.

.

 

[Edbrazil]

 

1973 Nationals in Petersburg, VA. Didn't qualify, but maybe just as well, since I got asked by the

Chief Judge to be the effective Technical Controller. Before the Record Tournament special rules,

which came 3 years later. Bunch of records at that event; something like 17 National Records.

 

Final day: Sunday, and it was pouring rain-rain-rain. To get it done, they started anyway after it

became apparent the rain wasn't going to stop any time soon. Open Men Slalom was first, and

2 boats were being used. Next skier was picked up and dropped 'in the hole'. Last skier and

eventual winner Kris LaPoint describes rain drops bouncing off the water 4 or more inches high

while he was sitting in the water waiting to go.

 

He won, with a National Record score of 1 @ 38, just edging out Bruce Fink who was the only

other that made it through 35 off.

 

Weather cleared up later on. The next issue of the Water Skier described the Nationals as the

miracle of Petersburg.

[drewski32]

Probably the most difficult conditions I've ever skied in a tournament were when we had a state chamionship on Robin lake in 2010. I skied very well, but I was hanging on for dear life the entire time and every single pass was challenging.

The worst conditions I've ever skied were in practice when a storm was brewing up and we were using it to practice skiing in bad conditions lol... terrible idea. 20+ mph gusts with the direction changing sometimes 3 times in one pass. It was nasty

[MISkier]

September 2010. My first tournament. Air 50F. Winds of 30 mph sustained with gusts of 45 mph. The course was actually tucked along a protected shoreline and the water remained relatively flat. You could feel the crosswind on your body. Thankfully, the water was still near 75F. That felt like a hot tub when you set down.

 

I still managed to graduate from novice and nearly run 22 off (5).

[GOODESkier]

Jayden Burdick's score was a rocking good one on Saturday! He was one of a handful that went down, back, down, and BACK!. Most of us went down with no hopes of a return trip.

 

It was the water condition that made it unruly for me. The wind was BIG, but it was HUGE chop on the water that triggered the "I don't want to get hurt flight mechanism". And this is coming from the guy that trains on the Columbia River.

 

If I had skied before my 6 year old son, I might not have let him ski. That is how bad the water conditions were!

 

Like @richarddoane said, "There are those that have MOP-ed and their are those that will MOP" Now I have MOP-ed! TWICE in a two round tournament! This year has seen my BEST and my worst tournament scores. Glad weather was the reason for my worst! All my ski friends are the reasons for my BEST scores!

[adkh2oskier]

Not sure of the exact dates, late 70's maybe early 80's. @lpskier might know exact date. In Saranac Lake, NY they held a Class C on Lake Flower. Howling wind with whitecaps, I think the only person to complete one full slalom pass was Emmy Healy and I think Warren Witherall was skiing and he didn't even make an opening pass. It was quite early in my slalom skiing, still in M2 and I was probably running 22 at best and I made 2 buoys at 34 mph. Next day it was calm water of course.

[chris_logan]

It was the first tournament of the the 2010 spring season for the NCWSA Eastern Region on the last weekend in March at Trophy Lakes. This was a camping tournament and everyone had high hopes as Charleston had been having great warm weather all week long so the water had warmed up to be bearable.

 

A cold front came in Friday night bringing wind and cooler air. We woke up and when it became time for slalom to begin the air was 43 degrees and the water was a white capping tailwind of at least 25mph sustained. The people who still chose to ski at that point were rounding up all the neoprene they could find and then going out just to fall early. 6 people ran a pass that day. I was seeded in the middle round, and after watching the chaos of nobody running a pass yet, I put all of my jump gear on and headed to the dock with my jumpers. I told the boat crew to not drop me at the far end if I ran my first pass and just spin and come back in for the second pass. I dock started, ran 3 buoys at 19mph and then skied all the way back on shore in front of my tent to try to keep myself as dry and warm as possible.

 

I've skied in windy conditions since then, but not cold like that.

[lpskier]

Terence Fogarty and I like to hit the "southern" record tournaments in the fall. One year we planned a trip to Scott Tynann's lake. We expected to ski Hidden Pass, Dave's Pond and Bellalago along the way. It was too cold to stop and ski in NY, so T and I drove from northern NY straight to Dave's Pond in Pa. to pick up Lex Brumingen. We took a very cold and windy set at Dave's Pond. The three of us then drove to "Dave Miller from Ohio's" in Ohio and got in his truck. The four of us drove from Dave from Ohio's to Columbus Indiana for the Fall Record as Sawmill. Very cold, overcast, rainy and windy all weekend. When we weren't skiing, we were sitting in Dave's truck trying to warm up and listening to football or Larry The Cable Guy on the radio. GET ER DONE. As soon as the tournament was over, we hightailed it back to Ohio, and then on to NY. We spent over 40 hours driving to freeze our butts off for three rounds of slalom each, plus the one cold set at Dave's Pond. And I didn't even ski that well.

 

All that said, Sawmill is a great site (and so is Dave's Pond). Scott and his crowd are a lot of fun, wonderful folks, and they put on a very tasty BBQ. If you get a chance to ski Sawmill, I recommend it highly. But if you go in September, bring a sweater. Just in case.

[Than_Bogan]

http://www.ballofspray.com/forum#/discussion/9190/impressive-on-her-new-xt-becky-bartlett

White-capping head-wind and freezing cold at Dubes Pond in NH. Only time I can remember thinking I would go 0 for 10 if I tried my opener 10 times.

 

The worst conditions that ever "helped" me were at Nationals 2011, where the water came up nearly two feet overnight and the backwash was dismal. I have a lot more experience in backwash than many of the high-end skiers, so I finished 14th from a seed of about 30. Only day in my life that I beat-or-tied both Lex Brumagin and Matt Pullano (the Eastern region studs in my age group).

[Mateo_Vargas]

Than, don't forget the lack of a simulation pass before your ride helped you out a little too!

[6balls]

Rain, 40 degree temps, howling wind at my first collegiate ski tourney in Lawrence, KS. We were a fledgling team with 4 guys and all 4 of us went out there and skied all 3 events getting points. KS stud jumper wouldn't touch the jump and we all landed. I was the only skier to make a pass in the course at something like 32 mph, 15 off...I think I could have surfed.

So many blew their skiing or simply scratched that our team of 4 came in 2nd.

[Than_Bogan]

Oh yeah that was puuure skill by me. Almost forgot!

[GOODESkier]

I need o add that @richarddoane made running a long line at a slow speed look WAY TOO EASY! That guy can ski any ski, at any speed or rope length!

[ALPJr]

Greenwood Lake NJ 1989. Late August early September a cold front and rain came in the night before washing out practice. I came down with a cold bug. I took some cold meds and went to bed at the lake front hotel early. Tourney day conditions were foot to foot and a half breakers with air in the high 50's. Very few passes run that day.

[Bill22]

Off topic side note: @Edbrazil that place is now a drag strip. I went to a race there last year. They put a land bridge through the middle of the lake so fans can walk from the campground straight to the track.

(End of topic chatter)

[Razorskier1]

Skied a tournament back a handful of years with whitecaps in round 3. Wind was blowing into the start, and most skiers scratched or missed their openers. I'd usually open at 28 off, but wasn't sure I'd make the 32 tailwind (no one else had). Some of the better skiers said they thought about a 35 start, but didn't think they could get wide enough. I was like, ya, I can pull real hard so that's not a problem! I went out at 35 off and pulled like an ox! Got around 5 late and am pulling for six. Swung the ski way out and thought I'd made the pass. Unfortunately, I didn't get my left hand back to the handle. So when the slack came tight, I was stretched and one handed. Nevertheless, I held on and went out the end gates. Then, after about 5 minutes of deliberation, the judges said I didn't get around 6! Damn!

 

Worse yet, that one handed finish tore my labrum in my right shoulder, which was surgically repaired about six weeks later. I don't hang onto crap like that anymore.

[GOODESkier]

@Razorskier1 that is one reason I didn't run an opener either round last weekend......... could I have laid it out and run and opener (Maybe?). But to what end? No way I was running the second pass. My brain registered that I want to ski a long time in the sport and not get hurt. Too much opportunity to get hurt when the conditions go that south!

[Razorskier1]

@GOODESkier - you are correct! Unfortunately wear and tear takes its toll too. Pretty sure the left shoulder labrum is shot -- getting images in the next two weeks, then plotting my offseason schedule based on what I learn. Guessing another surgery.

[CaleBurdick]

Skiing the Yarra River in the Jr. Moomba Masters. The usual trash and jelly fish floating through with the current was enhanced by 3 huge swans in the course. They delayed taking me into the course so a couple dinghies could zoom around in circles to scare them away. Then they took me into the course with all the rollers. I would have preferred the swans! I made that pass, whew.

 

Or maybe it was the 2008 Malibu Open preliminary round here in Michigan on Pontiac Lake. Crazy cross wind from across the large part of the lake. Literally only me and Ian Trapp ran their first pass out of every single pro there. There were some video worthy crashes that morning. JB and Larkin had the nastiest if I remember.

[bojans]

My most challenging conditions didn't have so much to do with the weather or water. We were at Arilyt lake for a colligate tournament my freshman year at MSU. Certain members of the team, one being the now wife of @bishop8950, decided to "initiate" me through the consumption of large quantities of fermented beverages. I vauguely remember holding a post on the pavilion saying no more beer. After a terrible nights sleep I woke up to temps in the 40's or low 50's and light drizzle. After skiing a respectable score for me (a couple at 28' off) I sat in my shorty around a fire feeling like death for several hours.

[6balls]

@razorskier1 I remember that day...we were two of the only chortle-heads not to scratch and both went out at 35 off headwind. Your result was both better and worse than mine...no injury for me that day, but less buoys.

[bishop8950]

Haha @bojans I remember that!

 

Most challenging round weather related was Regionals at Laku CO 3 years ago. A sudden wind burst like I had never seen. Tailwind off the dock that was white capping by the near pregates and I got one buoy on my opener. Somewhere @horton honored me my starting a thread about it.

 

Nationals in Wilmington a few years back when the water was high was pretty challenging as well. It was the only time I ever had to deal with swell while waterskiing