Water Ski for Geriatrics

[Nicad]

Hello, I am seeking some help in choosing a new ski. Here is the background. In 1986 my friend Chris invited a bunch of his College Buddies up to his parent's cottage for a long weekend on Garbage Island, a beautiful spot on Trout lake, situated in North Bay , Ontario. There were 5 of us at the time. We water skied behind a 1956 Larson All American with a 75 HP Evinrude pulling us. A Totally decrepit but charming boat with no windshield that had been in the family since 1964. The boat had a name…Relic. Chris had an O'brien water ski that was quite stunning. The weekend was a spectacular riot of food ,beer, consumption, gas and laughs. We returned the next year... and the next, and here we are now. Older, fatter and more chicken. Over the years we blew up 3 motors and now have a nice 75 HP Merc . A couple of years we had no motor and made use of a damn pontoon boat. 4 years ago the transom of Relic failed, so the boat was shelved. We still called it the water ski weekend, but it was really more about eating. 2 years ago we decided to run the boat anyway just to get to the island (what cracked transom!!) and take our chances of having a maritime disaster. After last year, I decided that I did not want to see our tradition just fade away, so began searching for a new boat on line. By chance I found an absolutely pristine and perfect 1959 Larson All American that evening with a trailer and motor for $1,000 located in Ottawa. The bunch of us bought it and presented it to our Buddy as a surprise. So we are back in action with our new boat, Relic II. Our age is a bit of a problem now. We are 57-61 years old and heavier (170-205 pounds). We have a pretty fresh 75 HP Merc as our motor. I felt the O'brien was always best suited to lighter skier. My estimate is 150-160 pounder with a better motor. I think we need a new ski. One well suited to easier starts, heavier skiers and an always underpowered boat. A couple of us can water start with the O'brien (Or could) but it is a struggle.

Looking for suggestions for a used ski, size, brand or model to look for that is good quality, and suited to us old Duffers.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

 

[Horton]

HO Freeride

[Chef23]

The Radar P6 or Butter Knife would probably work also or if you want to take it to an extreme the Connelly Big Daddy.

[mwetskier]

video. get video. post link to video here.

[KRoundy]

Another vote for an HO Freeride. And we would LOVE to see some photographic evidence. Where does this event take place? Somebody with an inboard needs to come give you guys a tow after laboring behind a 75HP motor over the decades. CONGRATS to keeping an awesome tradition alive!

[dbutcher]

You are not old. Get after it.

[Wish]

+1 Radar P6. Theres like 5 of them that are 2015s for $175 on Ski-it-Again.com. A 67 or even a 69 and maaayybe the 71 would be great for popping up right outa the water behind the outboard and making some sweet turns at slower speeds. $175 is suuuuch a good deal. Basically brand does not matter as much as ski size. These bigger skis are designed so much better then yrs ago. Literally just watched a friend this morning ski on his 71 P6 (has not skied in 6 months) just walk though the course at 28.5mph and he was crazy early and wide and did it with ease. He is 5'9 175 and that ski should be way to big but it turns so well it looks like it fits him perfect.

[dchristman]

@nicad congratulations on your purchase of a functional boat that cost less than many here pay for a ski. Your story is what it's all about - sharing fun on the water. This is where the sport was born. I still have fun now, but I wish I could re-live those days.

 

PS Get some trick skis - good low power requirement fun!

[Nicad]

Somehow the link for the photo of the boat didn't work.

 

[Nicad]

I'll try that link again for the photo. Not sure why it didn't work the first time.

 

Photos

[Nicad]

Here is RelicII as seen in the driveway of the seller. note the amazing shape of that 1959 trailer finish.

photos

[Nicad]

A couple of extra shots. Unbelievable condition of 1959 interior (I think we got the deal of a lifetime on this boat, which lived in a garage all those yearsO

 

photos

 

Here is one of Relic 1 the day before it was decommissioned. We needed up giving the boat away to a young kid with the beautiful old Evinrude on the back that worked (low compression in one cylinder)

photos

 

This boat meant a lot to Chris, as it is was his only real material possession. He is an international school teacher and returns to this island every summer. Yes we have some amazing photos of mayhem over the years. Took a group shot once a year since day one.

Thanks for the great advice on skis. Now I have something to look for and add to the gear we need to take this into the Death do us Part realm of water ski weekends.

 

[lpskier]

That's a pretty awesome boat! I haven't seen a Soviet hockey jersey for a while, though I'm not surprised to see hockey find its way to the conversation given the locale FYI, I sat four rows behind the Soviet bench at USA v USSR game in 1980.

[Nicad]

That would have been quite the hockey game. The wearer in the photo is usually seen in Boston Bruin's attire.

Adding to this subject, I noticed that skis seem to be sold without the bindings. Is there a good and durable one that you might suggest for multiple feet sizes (size 8-10 is us). Hopefully they are priced like the P6.

Tia.

[Chef23]

There are quite a few binding options. From Radar something like the Radar Prime would probably work fine with a RTP. That would be fairly inexpensive, comfortable and fit a wide range of sizes.

[lpskier]

@Nicad So do you guys play Euchre on your ski weekend? That seems to be the game to play whenever I go north to fish.

[Nicad]

Nope, we don't play Euchre. Maybe we should. We do have a Hacky sack tradition, and have certainly had fun with potato cannons and roman candles aimed the wrong way. Good thing no one has had an eye taken out. We also have a giant large watermelon every year that is ceremonially thrown off the dock…no idea why. Will look into that binding.

 

 

[Nicad]

Thanks Ball of Spray community, I have bought the P6 and a nice boot, now my buddy Chris suggests that some of us wish to go back to the basics and get a pair of twin skis that are more likely to serve us into the Pure Geriatric stage. Any suggestions? I figured this would be a Craigslist purchase.

[Nicad]

What are these like?

?http://www.kijiji.ca/v-boat-parts-trailer-accessories/markham-york-region/obrien-amigo-water-skis-like-new-condition/1152859028?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

 

Our average height and weight is 5 10'. 180 pounds. Tallest is 6'3 205 pounds.

[Nicad]

How about these as a pair?

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-boat-parts-trailer-accessories/city-of-toronto/o-brian-water-skis-100-used-for-1-season/1001938174?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

[Commuterfisher]

Craigslist or out here SoCal we have Play It Again Sports stores and I found a pair of Connelly in perfect shape $ 20

[gsm_peter]

How about a second p6 to make a pair?

[Nicad]

Should be using our new P6 ski in a few weeks. I had a ski recently behind an Inboard outboard on a wider shorter ski and found the wake was much harder to deal with than the one the old boat (Relic) makes. I have a question, how should the boot be setup on the binding? Currently the rear foot strap is mounted right behind the lead foot binding, with some provision for mounting it a little further back? Is there a standard installation that works for most skiers?

 

Tia.

[richfoster]

What a cool story! I agree with @dchristman This reminds me of my childhood. I learned to ski behind a Mohawk outboard when I was 5 and continued to ski the public lake and a Regatta outboard until I started skiing the course when I was 26. We didn't have a lot of money but we had as much fun as I do today. Keep it up guys !!!!

[richfoster]

I should also mention that my mom still slalom skis 160- 200 days a year and she will be 75 in October. So your crew is definitely not too old.

[Fast351]

You want your feet as close together as possible. Mount the RTP to get your toes almost touching the back of the front boot.

 

[Nicad]

Thanks for the clarification FAst 351. @ Richforster,fantastic that your Mom is on the water that often at 75. Very cool.

[ejj]

Radar butter knife or ho free ride.

[Nicad]

Well we had our weekend. The new boat was amazing. For some reason despite them being identical models, the new one is much faster than the original Relic. For the first time we are skiing at about 3 quarters throttle. I am also impressed by how small the wake is compared to the two other boats I have skied behind this summer that were about the same size. I'd say this old Larson is a very good ski boat.

 

As for the Radar P6, I think it is just perfect. The boot feels like a soft snow ski boot and it is super stable and seems to have great power and tracking both crossing the wake and completing the turn as you come around in the new direction.. I skied it quite a bit over the summer, as I ended up renting another boat for a week up on Georgian Bay so my kids could try water skiing.

 

For getting up on 1, the P6 is a snap for me at least. Our rental boat had a 75HP Yamaha 4 stroke on a 17.5 foot Scout. Talk about glacially slow starts for me at close to 190 pounds. Despite how long it took to drag me up, the ski just tracked dead straight, so All I had to do was hang on and it smoothly came up. (This took about 20 seconds). I felt most comfortable at around 27 MPH indicated on the speedo.

 

Only three of us skied at our big annual weekend, but next year, pretty sure we will have 5 in the water.

As for the used twin skis I bought, they are absolute rubbish. My kids seemed fine on them and I thought I would give them a try, figuring how easy it would be. It was the opposite. Felt like I was on bananas with nothing holding them on my feet. I was too chicken to leave the wake on these.

 

Yesterday I mounted the P6 above the doorway in my office because I have limited storage space. Every time I leave the office, it will cross my line of sight and hopefully be a small reminder of continuity in life.

 

Hope all had good summer on the water.

 

 

[gsm_peter]

Super nice to hear about your sucess.

Even Sweden follow your progress. B)

 

Why not consider a second P6 instead of the twin skis?

I bet 2 P6 are fare better compared to any regular twins....

Keep us posted on your progress!

[wtrskior]

@Nicad an interesting fact if you may or may not be aware but 2 of the world's best young slalom skiers are from trout lake; Jaret and Jaimee Bull. Jaimee is one to watch, currently ranked #2 for her age in the world and Canadian record holder

[Nicad]

A second P6 sounds like fun. I think I am going to concentrate on the one though for now. Cheers to Swedish Waterskiers!

[Nicad]

@Wtrsklor I had heard of these two. Will look at some of their videos. I know that two sisters from my ski club are also World ranked water skiers . The Mielzinski sisters. (Actually one has won a World Cup slalom on snow and is on the Canadian National Ski team)

[wtrskior]

@nicad the Mielzinski girls don't waterski competitively any longer unfortunately. Have wateskied with them years back. I remember watching the younger one rip up the course at about age 6. She domin8ted and obviously does on the slopes as well. small world the ski world is!

[harddock]

If some of you want to ski on two skis get a combo pair or some old jumpers. Skiing on two slaloms will be harder to get up on and slalom skis wound ride flat as good as skis designed to be used in pairs. Used combos or sporting good store models are fine for recreational skiing.

[wski1831]

I agree with old jumpers especially because of good bindings. For slalom a Majerajah 360 is an easy ski to get up on.