Masterline Slalom Rope Minute - Measure and Stretch

[Horton]

[skibug]

Maybe it is just me....but they are still spongy out of the box. I always stretch them between by tow hitch and a tree (sacrificial 15 or 22 off section around the tree). I have had pretty good luck with ML ropes. I have bought at least one every year for the last 8 or 9 years.

[Horton]

@skibug have you tried one straight out of the box in the last few years? I got four ropes from MasterLine last year and they were great out of the box.

[TFIN]

With Russell I go down the line straight out of the box. Zero break in required.

TF

[skibug]

@Horton maybe I will have to go buy another one just to try it out.....or.....maybe I will wait until next year.

[disland]

Hmm, If they are certified at the factory why do we require the CJ to do it over again?

 

I would pay more it if it came with the actual measurements written down so I would not have to go thru the trouble of doing it.

[Horton]

@disland why do we resurvey the buoys or time the boats?

[disland]

@horton we survey yearly not before each tournament. I think the rules say it has to be within 90 days.

 

As far as timing boat one answer, 95, nuff said on that one. lol

 

I seriously doubt a rope can lose its tolerance after being shipped in a box. I am also sure that the Masterline factory knows how to measure ropes. So if they just wrote down the numbers I could take a rope out of the box and put it into tournament use and have the numbers for the CJ report. I am just thinking of a way to make life easier for tournament officials.

[skier2788]

The first brand new masterline rope I used was very springy. That was the first time I was told I should stretch a rope before use. About two years ago I heard masterline was stretching them at factory and building them under tension. So I tentatively took my next rope and went skiing. Felt great right out of the box. My last four ropes have been that way.

[Roger]

I'm usually one of 3 or 4 skiers at Okeeheelee that skies a couple of sets on the ropes we will use when we have Nationals (Masterline). The last couple of Nationals we hosted, I couldn't feel any stretch issues at all. I bought a new Masterline rope last year and skied it without stretch issues from the first pass.

[buoyboy1]

I just bought a ML rope last week and have used it for 3 sets. It felt very spongy for the first set and after the 3rd set I would say its 75% better. Need to keep in mind that any new rope is going to feel spongy since we are always comparing it a rope that has been used for hundreds of passes that has zero "give".

[Edbrazil]

The stretch is partly due to knots tightening when under use and in the water. That is, if

the construction of the loops uses knots. The "slide loop" design may be knot-less. Back

back when I used to make Ultra Handles, I made a device with a winch crank and a force

gauge, to load up all assembled handles to 700 lbs. I wonder just what ML does. 700 is

a lot of force, and a full length towline will stretch a few feet before recovering. But,

nothing compares to a break-in period with actual skiing.

[thompjs]

Don't pull with car. You may break rope and have it whip someone.

 

If the ropes have been used for awhile they can get longer. I've measured Big Dawg ropes that were used in previous Big Dawg and they tended to be just a bit too long.

 

Sometimes they hardly change between tournaments.

 

Also once in awhile I've see a section missing! You need to measure.

 

[dbutcher]

In my experience temperature has a significant effect on rope length.

[ScottScott]

If you used a rope too long, it will stretch longer and lose ALL of its spring (some of which is desired.) In that case a properly stretched rope will feel spongy in comparison.

[Edbrazil]

vs. pulling with a car. Been there; done that. Agree with @thompjs. Didn't hurt anyone,

but wrecked my force gauge.

[RichardDoane]

@disland ropes need adjusting, some more than others, it's not a bid deal, all part of the fun for the TC guy

[thompjs]

It is not uncommon for ropes used in a tournament with a lot of good skiers to be 2 inches longer when I measure for day 2. Usually they require fidding rope into them.

 

Big Dawg tournaments are good example of this. If you expect that someone will set some regional or national record, your ropes need to be less that actual when you start the day.