MillerTime38

@JeffSurdej probably dumb question is handle same diameter? Rough up the handle with sand or something, may just be combo of new handle and gloves needing broke in. If that doesn't work than you may be a wimp

I try to aim for the middle of the gates, this way if I do not have enough speed I can roll in early but still hit inside the right hand gate ball. This seems to help with more consistent gates and less worry.

I try to use the same approach to gates, get wide and turn in with speed so you can build angle without load. It is a very strange feeling at first because you feel like you are turning in on slack. But that's the feeling you want, not slack but a free of boat feeling. If done properly the skier should not need to add any more load through gates, just resist the pull of the boat and maintain the angle you have. When I do this properly I feel like I am going 10mph slower into one ball and the entire pass is easier. My wife does most of my driving and she understands that her driving entering course is just as important, if not more important, than driving in course.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VhZK4ERI5AA&feature=youtu.be 4 th of July open water at ocean pond

@Dirt I agree something sent to qualifying competitors would be nice

@dchristman I guess your volunteering to keep track of all the paperwork @Dirt what if AWSA sent you an email after the qualifying cut off date for nationals? Would that make it better? I guess I do not find the current qualifications as confusing as most. Are you level 8? Did you score at level 8 anytime after the cutoff date? Did you place at regionals? I began skiing tournaments during the EP era, from what I remember if you wanted to attend nationals you told the driver I need an EP and most of the time you got an EP. The current ranking system, to me, gives skiers benefit if they ski more tournaments as @Triplett mentioned

Agree with everyone here, find someone else to ride while you ski and give her feedback

Skied Jacksonville tourney as well @jetpilotg met a lot of great people and look forward to going back.

Skied first tourney in two years in mulberry, fl.

No for both, When boat judging I always confirm the line length after each pass with the scorer. If there were any discrepancy it should be discovered between passes (Unless the skier does not complete opener but then it shouldn't matter)

@Jackq I do compete, unfortunately the last couple seasons I was not able to compete because my wife is in the USN and we had to change duty stations so it cut into my skiing time. If you go back and look at the years 2008 to 2014 I am sure you will see plenty of scores recorded for me and even two podium finishes at Nationals during that time. Am I qualified now to have a strong opinion?

@walleye I believe the idea was introduced as an idea to increase membership but no one thought about how unfair the rule was for the old guys. Apparently everyone will ski 36 mph and everyone will get hurt

@eleeski I don't see the correlation between more energy and more risk for injury. So you are saying just because someone is has more energy they are more likely to be injured? Take football as an example. So me 180 lbs ran full speed (not real fast) and ran into a 6'4" linebacker hitting me at full speed running a 4.4 40 yd dash. Now take another person say 200 lbs and a lot faster than me, he then runs into the same linebacker at his same speed. W So we would agree the other person is carrying more energy than I am, who would be more likely to get hurt? I would say me the guy with less energy

@Milford deductive reasoning is different than fact. Would your deductive reasoning also tell you that skiing shorter line lengths will result in more injuries? If so then everyone skiing 36 would make everyone ski longer line lengths therefore lessening risk of injury?

@Milford Injuries can happen in slalom at any speed line length and ability. Is there any evidence that skiing at 58K increase the risk of injury? The ski I am on tells me in bold letters that this activity may result in death.

I agree with @Chad_Scott in the fact that there needs to be a compromise. But I think the level 10 rule change presents some problems, the obvious compromise would be to leave MM @ 55k max and allow for age groups to use ZBS at nationals and regionals, but what happens if a M4 skier decides to ski 36 at class c tournaments and his scores rank him in level 10 then he will be required to ski 34 at nationals because level 10 rule change. I guess it could be required to declare before the season begins if you plan to ski age division or MM if you are qualified?

@Chad_Scott I agree that the data used is not "the best" data. But everyone's opinion that 6 buoys is to much of a difference has zero data backing it up. The one good thing is that after this year there should be plenty of "empirical data" available if guys choose to take advantage of this rule change. Once again, I do not think there will be a lot of guys M4 and M5 age skiing 36 MPH, sure it sounds like a good plan now until they actually start skiing 36 and then the realization will set in that it is not as easy as everyone says it is on the internet.

there is the data in answer #3 that a lot of people have been looking for. So the high end M2 skiers gain 5.77 buoys once they drop to M3. So @Chad_Scott there is less than a 1/4 buoy handicap if you choose to ski 36 mph

@milford sorry the "not fair" comment was not directed at your comment, others in the thread have mentioned all this discussion over 0.87 second

The crazy thing is there hasn't even been a tournament yet to see how this rule is going to play out and already people are taking about not participating because the rule "isn't fair". How is it not fair? Everyone gets the opportunity to ski 36, if you choose not to ski 36 and ski 34 that is YOUR choice. A level playing field means everyone plays by the same rules, @milford how is this not a level playing field with this rule?

@JackQ when is the last time you ran 35 off @ 58k?

For everyone that says running 35@36 is easier than running 38@34 please post your videos to show me, my only experience @ 34 is winter month skiing. i will definitely attempt more practice sets @ 34 to see how deep I can get this spring and whatever speed I can run more buoys is the speed I will ski in tournaments

@BRY I agree and already feel Father Time catching up. That's why I say now that I won't slow down, I may change my mind next year. But that's my point, I think this will affect M3 and MM but other than that I don't see a lot of M4 and M5 guys skiing 36

I don't see this as a 6 buoy handicap it is just giving skiers credit for opting to ski a faster speed. Admittedly I am a M2 skier who goes into m3 next year so I like the idea that I do not have to slow down and get credit for taking the risk of skiing a faster speed if I choose if skiing at 36 is so easy and it's an automatic free 6 buoys than why not ski at 36? Take advantage of the rule change

@BoneHead got it, gate shot made for great one and I wish I could be in that position behind boat from 1 to 2, never doubted he could run it