Scary Instagram of the week

[Horton]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUZy_UNAzXN/

[UWSkier]

#pig is a freak. Not sure how he doesn't get pulled OTF on his 1 ball. Looks like his back foot comes up. Guy is sure fun to watch. Skis like a wrecking ball out there.

[cragginshred]

Sick

 

[dhofert]

Time to change the shorts!

 

[Texas6]

Sketchy

[Horton]

I guess this video should reinforce why the current rules read the way they do.

[Horton]

10.12C 1 point when the skier has crossed the line of the gate buoys before passing the level of the next buoy with a tight line under the power of the boat.

 

1. The intent of the tight line is to ensure the safety of the skier and boat crew. This means that if the skier can only cross the line of the buoys with a slack line, even if he successfully manages the sudden tightening of the rope, he will not get the full point.

 

2. The end gate case is different because of the spacing and thus if the skier can cross the gate line before the end gate buoy he will be awarded the full buoy.

 

a. This specifically means that the skier is permitted to have slack going through the exit gates. If the skier skis away then he may continue.

b. If the skier does not ski away, the turn ends and the skier scores 6 provided they crossed the line of the boat buoys before the end gate with or without a slack line

[303Skier]

Scary! Seen CP do this before too.

[jjackkrash]

That was sick.

[Cam]

I think this picture was partly responsible for the new rules being put in place.

 

[klindy]

@Horton what would you score him then?

[9400]

Looks like a very solid 3.5...by they old rules, I'm guessing a 3.95

[auskier]

I saw Aaron Larkin hit the boat. Made a hell of a bang. Sure freaked out the boat crew. Waldie (Driver) threw it into neutral and stopped. Fairly certain it was scored a half by memory, but Aaron said afterwards that he went through the guides with the boat so technically it should have been a full point. If it was scored a full point, it would have made the boat time very interesting, as the gas was well and truly off by the time this was taken. That is the first time I have ever seen that photo @Cam, thanks for sharing.

[Edbrazil]

 

That photo from @cam appears to be Aaron Larkin nearly 'eating' the boat at a Moomba

some years back. Under the former Rules, you could get the full buoy by getting back

within the gate line and letting go. Andy did that a bunch of times back On The Tour.

I would call that 3/4 buoy now. If you can score 1/4, why not 3/4? I think that the new

rule is an over-reaction.

Mike Kjellander was able to hold on to some humongous slack and ski away, again back

On The Tour. With his rear foot even coming out at times.

[Horton]

@klindy 1/2

[Horton]

@Edbrazil you completely missed the point of the current rule. If you add something like 3/4 then you're encouraging skiers to try to get back to the center without a tight line. You are encouraging skiers to practically try to hit the boat.

[bigtex2011]

3/4. like it @Edbrazil

[Bruce_Butterfield]

A much better rule for that situation would be disqualification, just like jump if you pass on the inside of the ramp. They implemented an overly complex and confusing solution instead.

[Horton]

@Bruce_Butterfield how the heck would that work?

 

The current rule is almost only for 36 mph skiers who run 38 off or more. It does not take a rocket surgeon to understand. If you get to the boat guides with a slack rope the whole ball does not count. The only way this can ever happen is if you are a SH*T Load of speed and slack.

[bigskieridaho]

If he would have hit the boat that would have been awesome! Or not, extra points for style and the wave.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

@horton, very simple: If a skier attempting to reach the line of buoys to achieve a full buoy, or for any other reason, comes within 5 feet of the boat, his score for that round will be zero.

 

You could also add verbage to the effect of "..or otherwise creates an unusually dangerous situation...."

 

I really disagree with the "tight line" rule as it is frequently misunderstood and misapplied. Many mid level skiers can get back to the wakes with just a little slack and ride away, which is obviously a very different situation than hitting the boat. Why should they be penalized?

[Horton]

@Bruce_Butterfield yea ok that is semi insightful

[klindy]

@horton I would agree with 1/2. And I'd assume you mean 3-1/2 although some may agrue that if you apply the rule you posted in the thread that the score should be 2-1/2!

 

Personally I think the rule you mention did nothing to prevent or discourage him from getting dangerously close to the boat. There should be no question that he didn't score a full buoy. So there isn't a "penalty" applied because he crossed the buoy line with a slack line.

 

That said @bruce_butterfield makes a good point. Not only is he dangerously close to the boat, there's about 25' of rope behind/under him as well.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

Another clarification - IMO the injury likelihood when hitting the boat is pretty small. The real danger is getting wrapped up in the rope. That could get nasty really fast.

[Horton]

@klindy score is clearly 3 1/2

[Horton]

Ok moving on....

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUeWtlphDuo/

[Horton]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUez_gKDr6d/

[MattP]

https://instagram.com/p/BUILFeyAfOm/

[Texas6]

Dear lord, please tell me that is photo-shopped

[Horton]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUfE8xLBSyh/

[MattP]

@Horton the only scary about that @MarcusBrown video is that he does not have his dreads!

[B_S]

@MattP , I don't even know how I would handle that as a driver. I'd be afraid to cut throttle and have him loose balance. I do know if anybody tried that on my boat, I'd wring their neck for them after, and they would never step foot on my boat again!