BrennanKMN

Does this trimming need to be done with the Roxa hard shells as well? So far it seams like that is the only issue I have seen with the OB4 setup is you need to cut up the boots to get them close enough. I would have a REALLY hard time buying something for $1000 and cutting it...

I screwed up my shoulder a few years back getting pulled up. After the driver started throttling up I lost grip with one of my hands on the handle. Rather than letting go I continued to get pulled out with only one hand - bone headed move. I made it up and skied the rest of the day, but a few days later I knew something was pulled. A few weeks of PT and I was feeling better, but took until next season before I fell 100%

OB4 Boots

It was great to see this, I am really excited to hear what you have to say about how they ski. I know I will be getting OB4's on my next ski - just have to make some choices about which boots.

This is a hard one, because you didn't say a year. A 2000 model year with 1500 hours would be just fine. A 2010 with 1500 hours and I might keep looking. I don't have a dead set number for when I walk away, it is all relative. A boat could be trash at 500 hours just as easily as it could be at 2500 hours. It is all dependent.

They are all out skiing. They don't have time for website's when there are buoys to round. Or at least that is what I tell myself...

This is an awesome thread. I wish I saw this earlier! Getting the time in for tricking is hard when you have a boat crew that wants to ski. There is a lot of time spent sitting in the water waiting for the boat to come back around and people get tired of that. Unlike slalom I can almost never recover from a mistake on my trick ski. I am down for the count every time.

I don't think he has any kind of perfect pass at the moment, or at least that is what it sounds like to me. It's going to be more costly to find something and upgrade. All the used gear you could get on SIA would need to be fully replaced anyway. See if you can get a group buy going. I did that a few years back on Planet Nautique when I got my stargazer.

@Roger‌ Please re-read my statement. By first I meant cheapest in the lineup. The 6D is the cheapest full frame DSLR cannon offers.

6D is the first (cheapest) camera that is full frame from Canon. I'd love to have a full frame camera, it's on my list, but they are mighty spendy.

As a skier I get frustrated when my driver doesn't pay full attention. They are talking with the observer or fiddling with the radio in between passes. When I am driving, the skier gets my undivided attention. I get really bothered when I politely ask/suggest the driver do something different next pass and they completely shrug me off. I only have 1-2 drivers, so I keep my complaints to myself. I'd rather have 1-2 drivers than 0 drivers. As a driver I get annoyed when the skier takes to long to get into the boat and we drift. I get really bothered when skis smack into my boat. Nothing makes me angrier then someone who bangs their ski into the boat jumping off the platform or when being picked up. If I am on someone else's boat I do everything in my power to be the most respectful guest I can be - regardless of how the owner treats their own boat.

I always spend most of my time at my hardest pass. My first 2-4 passes are passes I can make most of the time, the reminder of my set is taking stabs at my next length. If I am having a depressing set I will usually take my last pass at a line length I can run for a easy confidence booster. So in a typical set I make probably 40% of my passes. I am not good enough to run my way up through the line, 2 loops and I am starting to run into trouble.

Yep, strap it down really good. I lost mine 1st time out and it was even tied down. The whole plastic mount snapped. That left a sad image with GoPro's for me so I doubt I will get another for awhile. I don't like throwing money away.

I don't think a machine will ever beat a skilled camera operator. There is really no good way to avoid the rope slack and still have the skier in the frame. I know I will probably be getting a Wakeye in the spring. Some video is always better than no video!

It was a really really fun summer for me. I taught my best friend how to ski and by the end of the summer he was confident on a slalom ski. I went from running 22 off to 28 off - meeting my summer goal of 28 off @ 31MPH. I bought a used trick ski and realized how much fun that really is. So I will probably kill a lot of time next summer out of the course on the trick ski. Surprised more people don't trick, it seams like it is an almost dead sport outside of the hard core 3-Evert community. I am now really excited for January where I am going to Orlando to spend 5 days skiing with coaches. This will be my first time skiing in front of a real coach and I couldn't be more excited. Goals for next year: Run 15 off at 36 MPH. Goals for next few years: Run 22 off consistently at 36 MPH and start entering tournaments. I told myself I would buy a new ski and bindings once I run a pass at 22@36.

Personally, I think any boat mid 2000's and newer would be just fine. Minus the 197, that wake was sub par at 22 off - otherwise it was a great boat. Regardless, my humble opinion is, I don't think you should be buying boats because of the wake. If you need a wake from a particular boat to ski your best you are doing something wrong. The boat wake doesn't make the skier, the skier makes the skier. Now I do understand that some boats might be better for new skiers, but honestly the differences between them are so marginal it doesn't really matter.

I honestly couldn't care less. As long as the line is tight (in gear or something) before the boat is throttled up I am fine. I haven't not gotten out of the water on the first try in 3-4 years. I guess I just get a lot of practice getting out of the water. When teaching new people how to slalom I will keep the line loose while they are resting. Then I tell them to give me a "in gear" when they want to tighten it up and get ready. Then they tell me when they are good to go. Then I give it a slow acceleration up to speed taking about 3-5 seconds to be at about 26 MPH. I have found out it is mostly about how your stance is. If you are getting the handle pulled out of your hands it is most likely the skiers fault, not the drivers - unless the driver is just gunning it.

@oldjeep I always drained it as one more way of preventing freezing. Replace the water with antifreeze that shouldn't freeze, then replace the antifreeze with air that will never freeze. However, after reading a few of the others here I might have to rethink what I am doing. Mostly due to the possibilities of surface rust and drying seals out.

I always use the pink RV stuff; but I also drain the block again after. I fill with anti-freeze and then drain all of it out.

I'd love a few too. Hell, I would pay for a few. A large 3-4 foot one would be sweet for those who like back window stickers. I could add it below my Nautiques sticker.

I am also curious about the 428. I have had the factory OJ propeller on my TSC1 for a while now and I was looking into getting it reconditioned by OJ. I called them and they said that if I get new one they will recondition my current one at no cost ($100-140 normally). Now I am really considering an upgrade to a CNC propeller and keeping my original as a spare. Seams like a pretty sweet deal to me.

I would recommend testing a bunch of skies. It is very hard to straight recommend a ski to someone. Everyone skies differently. What I can say is I did not like the Connelly Concept for a course ski. That was my first ski after running on combos. Yes, it was way better than a combo ski, but not a really good slalom course ski. If you are going to start to focus your efforts on the slalom course I would not get the Concept. If you are looking for second hand use ski-it-again.com You can get some great skis there for cheap; and much higher end skies to boot.

I would always try one line harder. So when I was learning 15 off I would always end a set with 2 passes at 22 off at the same speed. That way 15 felt that much easier. When I was working on my 22 off I would do the same, always end each set with a few attempts at 28 off. Now that I am working on my 28 off I try and end each set with a attempt at 32 off. I am sure this really only works for the longer line lengths and slower speeds. But I try and not mess with speed much. So far this technique has gotten my to be really solid at 22 off and making 28 off occasionally. Plus it is down right fun. Even if I don't make a pass, trying a pass at 32 off is a blast regardless if I make it around 1 ball or 6 balls. When I hit 28off, it was like 'whoa', this is a game changer. MUCH different that 22 off for me.

I have always found looking at the pylon from handle hookup to the second wake has made a huge improvement in my stack. I think that is because it helps force me to square up. Looking at things that make my body react are way more effective for me than just thinking about square shoulders. Regardless, amazing improvement. Keep up the great skiing!

Thanks for all the comments guys! I am definitely going to invest in some good gloves. My hands were pretty torn up at the end of this season. I went really hard my last few sets. (You have to when your season ends mid august. :( ) I think at this point I am going to do a cardio/lift combo. Cardio M W F and Lifting T Th. Any specific weight training you would recommend? I was thinking lots of core, squats and pull ups.