Keeping BallOfSpray on focus

[Horton]

BallOfSpray is still growing and that means a continuously more diverse reader base. As the admin it is my goal to welcome everyone but I also need to keep the forum on topic. This is a water ski forum with a strong bias toward competitive skiing. Recently I have seen a number of threads that are outside of the intended scope of this forum. To keep this the forum focused I occasionally close, mute, or move these threads to members-only section of the site.

 

I apologize if this makes anyone feel unwelcome. The success of this forum is largely because of its narrow focus.

 

[The_MS]

Just don’t shut down the beer thread

[thager]

@Horton You told me I was always unwelcome!

[skimtb]

I like it. Thanks.

[Horton]

@The_MS don't worry the beer thread is the most important thing in the members only section. I didn't say the website but all water skiing just mostly water skiing. Consider yourself lucky I haven't started a scotch or tequila section.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

@horton only if you include burbon

 

Damn IPhone is sideways again

 

[Horton]

@Bruce_Butterfield I'm thinking we should skip the booze thread. The beer thread does enough damage to all of us.

[cruznski]

Having seen other forums disintegrate I think you are doing the right thing. However the beer thread may be open to sequester.

[vtmecheng]

I come here to get away from the realities of life outside of skiing, when I can't ski that is. Keeping it skier focused is important.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

@horton yeah its probably a good idea, but since when has that stopped any of us?

[cruznski]

Well it is over 100 degrees here and I am NOT at the Pond, so I am inside reading what y'all have to say or report, and maybe that beer thread right around now might have value after all.

[Fast351]

Just make sure you don't lock out us open water skiers that are very serious about skiing (I wake my wife up every day to pull my butt around). Would love to be competitive, but unfortunately course access in Minnesota, the birthplace of waterskiing for Pete's sake, is hard to come by.

 

[Dysco]

I hope that all of us that as @Fast351 said, don't have access to a course to practice on, much less compete, don't get kicked to the curb.

I had a glorious 7 year (well 3 months or so of 7 years) from age 32 to 39 that I could access a course (private lake, and a drop-in) about 5-9 times per summer. It was the best Jerry, the best! But with people in those groups having busy lives, divorces, or simply getting out of the sport, finding a course in Wisconsin (much like MN) is next to impossible (as the threads on that very subject indicate). Sure, I've driven the 4 1/2 hours to Liquid Edge a few times, and the couple times I've been to Florida, stopped at Mccormick's. But that doesn't

So I drive an hour each way to meet my old ski buddies and each ski 2-3 open water sets because that's what time and conditions allow. But, we are all still very interested in the newest, improved, equipment and tweaking it, who's the top ballers, what the newest boats are like. I hope this doesn't go away for the likes of us.

On our outing Wednesday evening, there were two other slalom boats that showed up. Both had people under age 25 skiing. The boat with four 20-something males appreciated us showing the line, how to do a proper turn and drop off. I commented that it was the first time in years that we've seen guys their age not wake boarding or surfing. One commented " this slalom stuff is coming back, most of our friends are getting skis instead of boards".

Im a wrestling coach, and learning from NCAA champions and olympians has helped me be a better coach for my wrestlers. We need access to what the best training methods and techniques are. This site is that.

[Horton]

@Fast351 & @Dysco Relax guys. All I am saying is that I try to bias the forum toward competitive skiing and discourage conversation that is not skiing. Wakeboarding or wakesurfing or stuff like that is out of scope. If it is about some form of water skiing it is in scope.

 

You have heard the phrase "Stay in your lane"? That is all I am doing around here.

[pregom]

@Horton you are the admin of a great site. I come here, when I can, to read all about this sport that got me hooked late in life, after several other passions that led me to many competitive challenges, always pushing me to better myself. Thank you and keep up the good work!

[dave2ball]

@Horton thank you for this post or thread. I have been reading the forum page and wondering what is up. I hope this thread sets a pathway to the future competitive ski conversations.

[vtmecheng]

I would like clarification of what is and is not allowed in the "other other stuff" category. Beer and where to sell a travel trailer are allowed but pointing out a crazy wake boat is not. This is confusing to me and I don't want to get in trouble.

[jimski]

I live for the competitive structure, the ski tech

The web casts, the informative pod casts.

It’s absolutely incredible that I can connect with pro water skiers on this website and get world class information.

It opens up doors for skiers that no other sport does.

Keep it real.

Waterskiing keeps me alive

[Horton]

@vtmecheng if it is relevant to most skiers who ski buoys it is on topic. Pontoon boats and wake boats are not really in scope.

[oldjeep]

FWIW, most of the skiers I know who ski buoys also wakeboard and surf - or their kids do. Now most of us also ski open water behind pretty much anything, so maybe in that way it doesn't fit in. I'd be careful about pigeon holing yourself too tightly into a sport that many enjoy - non-exclusively.

[vtmecheng]

@Horton it seems like you are essentially saying anything other than sports beyond skiing or ski cross training. Am I understanding correctly? I'm really not trying to be difficult, just seems to be a hazy line and I don't want to cross it.

[Horton]

You got it but don't make a big deal about.

I also encourage making fun of @thager and @The_MS

[Dirt]

This is ridiculous. I wish I could ban Horton. I wanted to discuss fin settings on my wakeboard.

[Horton]

Oh yeah and anybody who wants to make fun of @dirt that is on topic

[vtmecheng]

Ok, no to wakeboarding anywhere but yes to making fun everywhere. Got It!

[Than_Bogan]

Semi-seriously, I think there is a "slot limit." Specifically, tournament skiing is ok and crazy completely off topic stuff is sorta OK. The reason is that wildly off topic stuff is just random and doesn't drift the focus of the site. But stuff that's "kinda similar" threatens to confuse the audience as to what the site is about.

[Horton]

@Than_Bogan

 

[Than_Bogan]

That reminds me that I need to post some stuff about high jump, pole vault, Arcane Gladiator, and why dot product and sigmoid are the greatest operation and function, respectively, in the history of mathematics.