Moving To Orlando

[mnewth]

Hey Ballers - I'm moving to Orlando here in the next month for a job, and was hoping for some ski advice! I'm a young professional (i.e.: poor) and hoping for some help getting connected into the ski community in the area. I skied collegiately at Kansas State a handful of years ago, and have helped run the Midwest region since I graduated but am still a mediocre 3-event skier trying desperately to get into short-line, jump into the century club, and have a 2nd trick pass...

 

I don't have a boat, so it'd be nice to know my options on clubs to join or people to trade sets for cash/beer with!

 

It looks like there are lakes everywhere, but I believe the SW side of town the best to be centrally located around some of the bigger named lakes?

 

Any advice is appreciated! I'm super stoked to move to the waterski capitol of the US!

[floridagm]

There are 5 of us that ski every saturday on Lake Ivanhoe which is in downtown. 8 am at the dock!!

[lpskier]

LaPoint Ski Park is a slalom focused ski club located in South Orlando. I know young folks like yourself don't have a lot of extra dough, but we are very reasonably priced and have a great place to ski with a club boat.

[Razorskier1]

@lpskier -- and if you ski at LaPoint odds are you'll meet famous skiers!

[MickeyThompson]

I visit LaPoint's 2 to 3 times a year. What a great place to ski and great people.

[Edbrazil]

I stupor-vised the setout there, working with Lucky Lowe. Not a lot of room,

but it works with an 8-buoy overlapping configuration. Kris and Jen are good people.

I also worked with both on other projects. Including Jen's WOW Tour events. Such as

the "impossible" site on the Ohio River at Parkersburg, WV.

 

[lpskier]

@Razorskier1 you are correct, sir! By way of example, Wade Cox dropped by to watch a couple sets just this morning.

[SM]

I was there yesterday:)

[lpskier]

@SM Yes, but we aren't bragging about it....

[ScottScott]

A LOT of great choices, especially in the SW area. I went out to Lapoint for the 1st time not long ago, and hope to come back as often as possible, as mentioned before that would primarily just be slalom. I'm also looking to check out a lot of the other options, ((Jodi Fisher (in winter garden,) Matt Rini, MonteCarlo/freddie winter (in clermont)....among my short list)) in addition to revisiting Jack Travers (groveland) and Aidan Willers (winter garden.) For 3 event, Matt Rini (S orlando) is a good choice, or right there in winter garden/windermere is Jason Seels.

[jayski]

LaPoint ski park...awesome option, great group and great rates!

[mnewth]

Thanks for the information!

 

It sounds like joining a club like LaPoint's is the way to go once I get things figured out. Are there any other club style options? Does anybody know somebody who's constantly trying to find a driver?

 

I got into a pretty good swing this past summer of skiing at least a few times during the week and then skiing tournaments nearly every weekend... paying for sets and coaching from some of the higher tiered places mentioned sounds awesome but a little difficult to maintain.

 

Hopefully through work and meeting some people in the ski community will help the process of finding a decent ski setup! It also looks like I'm going to have to get in ski shape a few months earlier than I planned...

[IheartJump]

Where are you living / working? Orlando is pretty sprawling. Where you are definitely affects how much skiing you can fit in

[Stevie Boy]

@mnewth just put Jason Seels into google great three event skier and coach, lake sharpe at the back of disney, eight bouy slalom course, did have two jumps to accomodate wind direction, fantastic trick skier can flip and jump any which way you like, value for money generous with time on water.

[mnewth]

I got a job with USA Water Ski - we'll see what I can change from the inside! So I'll be out more in the Winter Haven area.

 

I was fortunate enough to find a place to rent on the side of Lake Spirit (which apparently has a few slalom courses on it), so now I just need to make some friends on that lake (or buy a boat).

 

I think I'm going to try and make a huge list of all the awesome sites in the area though, and see how many I can ski over the course of a year. Has anybody kept track of the # of lakes they've skied on over the course of a year/decade/life?

[floridagm]

There is always plan Z, a six pack will get you some pulls on Lake Ivanhoe just about any Saturday morning! If it's Sam Adams we may even take you all the way back to the dock!!

[thager]

@OB1 Because no one ever invites you back? :#

[dchristman]

@thager if nobody invites him back there's got to be a lot of courses out there for @OB1 to ski 20 to 25 different sites a season!

[A_B]

@mnewth if you get a list out together, please publish. We launched a new service center in Orlando and I may drop down for a visit from time to time.

[mnewth]

@A_B Absolutely. I'm probably going to need help making the list from the ballers as an outsider to the area. Seems like I've already made some good connections to get started with though!

 

Hmm. I guess my starter goal is to beat @OB1 ... 50 seems like a pretty big number to get to though!

 

[mjump]

Let me know I might know over a couple