1972 Nautique w passenger controls & speedo?

[Clydesdale]

Just saw this come up on facebook. I'm curious about the passenger throttle and the reverse facing gauge (presumably speedo) on the engine box. Was this common, and have any of you piloted such insanity? I suppose in the days before speed control adjusting throttle while viewing the skier straight on could have advantages. Having said that not sure I'm 100% comfortable with a backwards facing passenger controlling the forward momentum of a 2500lb ski boat.

 

[Cooper_Trelawney]

I've seen pics of the rear facing speedo but not a throttle on the passenger side. Wild!

 

On another note, that color combo is spot on for October/Halloween!

[ALPJr]

Pretty sure this was a set up for added safety used in show skiing and parasailing back in the day.

[lottawatta]

The passenger side throttle was for kite flying. Late 60's and early 70's was the heydey for the kite tournaments. Somewhere in my archives I have an AWSA Kite tournament rule book.

[UWSkier]

So the question I have is, which direction do you push the lever to go forward?

[Clydesdale]

And what was the objective? Keeping the kite at constant altitude? Or did they throttle up and down for “tricks”? I think it might be more fun pushing the throttle than being on the kite. ?

[BraceMaker]

@Clydesdale not murdering your kite rider when a head wind kicked up or died. Kites are 100% throttle and 0% rider, the tow loom doesnt even give the rider altitude control.

[ESPNSkier]

Wow does that bring back memories! I had that identical boat back in the early 80s (minus the extra throttle). Wake was like hitting a brick wall and I broke 2 skis on it over a few years. That’s definitely not the original pylon either….too tall.