Thought Florida was the home of skiing?

[gt_skier5]

Hey all, I just bought a house in Titusville. I'm looking for a public site to ski, I have all my own gear and 196sn, but I can't seem to find a site.

 

I'm from California and skied with a great group of guys on the delta. There is also many other places to ski, that I was use to. I moved here for school and have been disappointed after looking for a place to ski.

 

Is there any place around that I can slolam ski with out paying an arm and leg for a privet site?

 

I've looked around and either get the response of thousands of dollars to ski, or simply not allowed to ski at a site. There has to be a normal ski club that is a reasonable price that I can also bring my own boat, too.

 

Thank you for your time.

[9400]

I don't think you can swing a cat by the tail and not hit a lake in Central Florida.

[unksskis]

While your logic is understandable, unfortunately it is not what I, or many experienced. I can only guess with more demand, the supply is tougher to come by. Lakes are everywhere, but mainly private. Clubs are few and far between. Want to ski, pay $30 for an uncoached session at a school. My best advice is to network, attend tournaments, shops, etc and put yourself out there, hopefully you'll find someone looking for an extra or partner.

[ScottScott]

Between orlando and titusville there's a lot of swamp, and not much else. Most of the public lakes in orlando that do have courses I know of are on the west side of orlando, not sure if the conway chain does (they probably do,) and winter park i think has 2. I do know of some private (community) lakes with courses on the east side of town, but they are going to have limited access. Like @unksskis said, over time with some networking, you will surely hook up with some folks, and there are likely some friendly folks living on the east side of town here on BOS that will invite you out to their locations...... Not sure about boarding schools rates (they are certainly closest,) but for just a set without training Lapoint is pretty reasonable even without the membership.

 

[spicoli]

Wow t town I grew up there my next door neighbor was president of titusville ski club.we had course and jump on Indian River over bridge .they had a cc mustang had a kite used to put ski shows on lots of members dick pope ruled .coco might have club

[riplash]

Hi @gt_skier5,

 

I am the the new guy that @Mark_Matis talked about in his post before. Last year I lived in Indialantic, and now I live in Melbourne on the Eau Gallie river 1 mile boat ride from the community boat ramp to the Indian river Lagoon. Lake Poinsett and Lake Windsor are a bit a far and the water is always relatively shallow. (every body of water around here except for the ocean has there shallow spots). My friends that have a boat and drive for me are irrationally scared of alligators in Lake Washington. I have only been able to get them in lake Washington 1 time 2 weeks ago, after trying to get them to go for 10 months due to alligator sightings and the Disney Alligator event last year.

 

In the near future I am probably going to build or buy a portable slalom course for the river.

 

You should look up Melbourne Wakeboard/Waterski Friends on meetup.com. Tomorrow we are having a morning waterski/wakeboard meetup. (I should be in bed so I am not too grumpy tomorrow rather than typing this.) The morning skiing is new, but last summer we would ski and wakeboard in the Indian River Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. The 1st week would be on Tuesday and it would be my turn to host and drive, and the next week Rick would drive his boat on Wednesday evening. We would normally ski in the Indian River between Pineda and Eau Gallie bridges, but sometimes I would go south between Sebastain and Vero.

 

Both Rick and Myself don't have fancy Inboard skiboats yet. We both have sterndrive bowriders.

 

I hope I can stay awake long enough to send you a private message but I need to go get the boat ready for tomorrow and It is already later than I wish it was.

 

-Cheers

Ryan "Rip" Lash

 

 

[Orlando76]

Ha, CFL home of waterskiing... home of the super elite rich who took over Lake Hancock (sorry, super sore subject w me) and home of the pros who train here. For the average joe with the average wallet it's tough to ski here. Real tough. It's probably easier to find an underground alternative lifestyle club here than a ski partner.

You're gonna have to drive. Poinsett is an option but like mentioned, no good if water is too low. There's also two curses under the radar within your range on Trout Lake in St. Cloud. Two courses on Conway Chain but wake barges really trash that lake. I live across the street from Dora Chain, pushing 90 minute drive for ya. There's a rough course there's and anchors on next lake over. If you find the time contact me if you wanna make the drive. I'm also might be interested on skiing trout lake but buoys need to be attached to sub buoys.

 

I also have a never before used ez slalom course I might be talked into using time to time.

[skihacker]

I'm sort of curious, is the lakeland/winter haven area any better?

[Stevie Boy]

Ski Paradise near Mulberry could be worth enquiring about.

[mnewth]

I just moved to the area, and while I live on Spirit Lake outside Winter Haven (4? slalom course), it sounds like the rest of the traffic on the lake makes it pretty rough to ski on once the summer months hit.

 

I've been skiing out at Ski Paradise (Mulberry, FL) and I'm probably going to become a member. skiparadiseflorida.com

 

I'm always looking for people to ski with in the area, if anybody's wanting a driver. Should have a boat in the near future too.

[floridagm]

We ski on Lake Ivanhoe (downtown orlando) almost every Saturday year round (you would think I would ski better based on that description.) Saturday 8am at the dock. We use several boats so just show up the first time to see if you need to bring your own. You can call Mike at Ski World in Orlando to make sure we are going that weekend. PM me if you want to chat more!

[DavidN]

Funny story, Bruce! :smiley:

 

There's no lake in Florida without gators.

And even if they can be intimidating - how many skiers have been attacked by one? Exactly - none.

 

They are more afraid of us humans than we are of them.

And always keep in mind, they lived in this area long before any of us.

So it's basically us who invaded their territory and these guys do the best they can to co-exist with the human species.

 

To the OP - if you need a pull in Clermont - shoot me a PM

 

Cheers,

 

David

[spicoli]

Yea grew up swimming with them and it don't hurt to watch a little .feeding them is the nono and can bet the one a Disney was looking for food.

[Wish]

@DavidN they do attack jetskiers, wakeboarders, wakeskaters, wakesurfers, tubers and general Walley skiers. At least that is what I tell someone looking to get on our lake that does not slalom. It is different here. MN there are 10,000 lakes and even more public boat ramps. 10,000 lakes here and very few public boat ramps.

[MISkier]

The gators actually don't like to consume snowbirds. Too much work to tenderize a snowbird. They are too tough from the years of harsh winter climate and all the shoveling.

[skierjp]

@Bruce55 that is not a air strip. I have seen 1 helicopter land there.

[Wish]

1.3 million gator's in FL (and not the football kind).

[303Skier]

@gt_skier5 - I live in UCF area on Lake Price (Jennifer Leachman Lapoint's old home lake). If you are ever in the area and want a set, hit me up!

 

Jarrus,

720-771-0299

[Gar]

Wild reptiles can be unpredictable. If they are being fed, that's a different deal...we will be their food perhaps. American Alligators are different than Bull Gators. Salt water Crocs are the real scary ones!

[gt_skier5]

Who's course is on little sand lake behind Rocco's tacos?

[lpskier]

@gt_skier5 Doug Atkins

[gt_skier5]

How about fox lake and south lake and the small finger lake that's connected to it south west of south lake?

 

Lake poinsett have any updates? @riplash

 

@lpskier is he a friendly fellow or is the lake 100% privet or does a college use it?

 

There has to be a course some where on the Saint johns that has a one way in finger that's deep enough and long enough. I'm half cocked to buy a gheenoe and go searching for a spot under the radar to put a course.

 

Back on the delta there were several course, bars, restaurants, and islands. Uptwards lake Monroe and lake george it's kinda like that but I just read lake george is one of the saltiest lakes in Florida. I dont know about Monroe or the St. John's that connects the two, but geesh there must be a place for the non elite to ski.

 

I'll never go back to Cali but not having a place to ski and use my boat except for Indian river when my brother wants be towed tubing is really shitty. A perfect 196 just sitting.

[spicoli]

I grew up in tville and spent many hours on st Johns from 46 to 50 and everything is pretty swampy u have lough man's and salt lake close but shallow .south lake ,fox lake spent lots hours fishing them lived right there never skied them never saw course very weedy but several years ago they went in to fox and scraped the silt out .harneys not to far.never saw course but nice lake go halve some shrimp at goodrichs mm all u can eat night.

[gt_skier5]

@Mark_Matis T lake, I seen that right off the bat when I moved here. I Asked my friends mom about it as she's lived here her entire life, she said she use to ski out there years ago. But nothing came of it.

 

I don't mind driving just don't want to tow my boat through Orlando if I don't have to. It would be a shame if some person ran into my boat.

 

Thank you for all the info!

 

I'll check out lake Washington this week.

 

Do you know of anything north? Such as lake Harney as @spicoli said?

[Orlando76]

@Mark_Matis Lake Blanchester? You mean Mark G? That should be quite a drive from Titusville.

[Mastercraft81SnS]

There is a course on lake Ivanhoe and lake Conway, but there both in Orlando.

[Edbrazil]

Also see:

LINK

 

[MattP]

@Edbrazil long link

[liquid d]

Florida is not the home of skiing...central Florida is.

[spicoli]

Hard to believe we had a course and jump in the Indian River over the causeway used to get big crowd gotta be some skiers in area .how bout down Melbourne didn't coco have a course 1 time in the river they had a club

[Ed_Johnson]

WOW, Sykes Creek, that sure brings back memories. I was flying Fighters out of Patrick Air Force Base in the mid 70's and skied there all the time. It was right across from Merritt Island Airport where I ran an Aerobatic School and could keep my boat in my hanger and launch it from a ramp at the end of the runway. It was a really Great setup back then.

[Ed_Johnson]

What a shame. Skied there nearly every day back then and never ever saw one manatee.

Sounds like Gov. over-regulation taking away skiing once again.

 

 

[Edbrazil]

Link, shmink. Here it is in text for Lisa St.John in the Orlando area:

LINK

Great personality to work with.