BrennanKMN

@buoyboy1 It only saves you $0.20 a gallon? I assume it is only state level? Here in MN gasoline has a $0.285 state tax and a $0.184 federal tax for each gallon. The station I used to frequent had red-dye diesel (off road) which is fairly common out of the cities, but I have never seen an off road gasoline pump. That sure would be slick. For the 150-200 gallons of fuel I use at $0.20 the $40.00 bucks saved probably isn't worth the time.

It is super easy on the bubble butts. 1. Remove the dog house (2 pins at the rear hinges and 2 gas shocks) 2. Remove the back seat (clips on the posts on either side) 3. Remove the center floor board I haven't worked on the 200 or newer boats, but maintenance on the TSC hulls is insanely easy. I would get a pull rope in place prior to removing the old cable. It is pretty easy with an electricians fishing tape. I'd also pull in a pull wire when you pull in the new steering cable for future use. Never know when you might need it again... I'd recommend dropping and greasing the rudder while your in there. Just be sure to replace the stainless steel safety wire.

I wouldn't think it would be too hard to drive a servo motor gear off some of the ZeroOff signals. That way you get timing right for all speeds. CANBUS integration with ZO and a servo motor (or maybe stepper motor) driving the equivalent of a Ski-Doc.

Always drop. If you do spin you get one pass until the rollers catch up with you. Spinning is only a last set, last pass go go go if another boat started ripping across the lake. Generally I'd rather drop and call it quits then spin for 1 more 'beat the wake' pass.

Interesting question. Given that the boats and drivers are club provided I don't think this would be nearly the same issue as if it were private party boats and drivers. If you're moving to a man made lake, especially wake boarding, and you're not allowed to drive yourself or use your own boat you eliminate (guessing) 90% of the riff raff. The type of people that would be into that situation are serious wake boarders, not party boat goers. If it is private party boats and drivers, it's a whole different deal. But, I still believe a man make wakeboard lake would severely limit the riff raff. If I was into party barging, the last thing I would want is to move to a small, sport only lake where I can't even drive myself around. Regardless, to answer your question. If I am moving to a man made lake, it is going to be a ski only lake. Otherwise I am sticking with public water.

@swbca I am referring to Trophy Lakes in New Germany, not Center City. It is a little confusing that there are 3 Trophy Lakes in MN. Pine Island, Center City and New Germany.

Not much has changed in the past 4 years. There are a few new owners, but the lot prices are still asking $50k. Not being buildable and from what I've heard very unlikely to change, it is a hard sell. I looked at them a year or so back, but couldn't sink that money into land that I couldn't even put storage on.

I find a little frustrating that the title doesn't contain anything about wake surfing, but they sure seem to focus on it very heavily. They never even tested the Response without the wedge... It was a report showing that wake boats with wake boat features make bigger waves than non-wake boats. I think what was most frustrating was 3.6.2, Malibu Response LX operation conditions for condition 2: The Condition 2 variables were set to model conditions commonly used during tubing, waterskiing, and wakeboarding (Table 3). The boat traveled in a planing condition at 20 mph with no wake shaper attached (symmetric wake). The passenger sat in the middle of the boat next to the boat operator to evenly distribute weight. The hydrofoil was placed in the downward position creating downward force and additional aft trim. Come on! At least test it under 20MPH with no wedge and 30+MPH with no wedge if you want to actually provide a range of data. Same for the wake boats... No boat was ever tested faster than 20MPH, and no boat that had a wedge was ever tested without it. The whole test was designed to make the biggest waves possible. The whole thing felt very bias... In case anyone cares, this particular organization had a lot of skin in the game: https://safewakes.org/

Have you verified your tank vent isn't plugged or blocked?

I have to ask or 'notify' people what I am about to do probably 30-40% of the time during the height of the boating season. Most people don't know what it is, or just say thanks for the update and keep trolling through. Rarely do I get a grumpy person who is insistent on parking in the way. I find it works better to provide a warning of what I am going to do, rather than ask for their permission. Most often the problem is someone across the lake sees what is happening and wants to watch and they make a huge wave/mess coming over to see. Then we have to stop skiing and wait for them to pass. We also get fisherman that are trolling the lake and troll through where we would be. I just wait for them to get clear and keep skiing, it is their lake too.

@ToddL Personally, if AWSA reached out to me when I was 25 and offered a free membership I'd laugh in their face. The cost of a membership is basically a non-issue if you actually want to ski tournaments. It is the cost of everything else, both monetary and time. Not to even mention access to practice.

In these threads I always see that collegiate skiing is the 'solution' to the problem. I would be really curious to learn the post graduate numbers of skiers. How many people in the 22-30 year old range are skiing in any form (free, course, tournament)? I always read that collegiate skiing is the way to get them hooked, and I agree to some extent. However, at the current cost barrier it is nearly impossible to keep them hooked. After they graduate they either need to find some very welcoming friends or need some serious cash that no recent grad will have. Yes they don't need a new boat, but any boat and a vehicle to haul it, plus a place to keep it and the cost to operate it adds up. By the time a lot of these 'hooked' former collegiate skiers have the time, money and resources to ski I recon they will be in a different point in their lives. If it is a true passion/priority in your life you can always make it happen, but I seriously doubt more than 10-20% of colligate skiers will return to the sport after they left school.

I run a permanent non-submersible course on public water. It is on a lake with no houses, otherwise I am sure it would be much more difficult to get the permit. I simply email the county every 2 years and get it renewed. The other course I used to be involved with was shut down after the land was developed and houses were built on the shoreline of the course. There is a maintenance aspect, but if you have several parties using it that generally helps. I just ask people to keep a few spare balls, zip-ties and 5 foot ball ropes in their boats to replace parts as needed. Everything else I handle. Sink it in the fall and float it in the spring.

Hell of a nice boat. I loved my TSC1, some days I wish I still had it. Sure would be cool if the boat stayed local. Unfortunately all my ski buddies on the west side of town have gotten into a ZO boat in the last few years otherwise I am sure one or two of them would be all over this.

I have no idea. Getting out of the water onto a ski boat platform in 60-70 degree water is very different than trying to haul yourself up onto something slippery with a water logged snow suit. Especially considering when you fall into the ice water, you're not prepared. The shock alone might make things more difficult than you expect. I don't mess with ice and I live in MN...

If the hitch broke at the receiver, why isn't the remaining part still in the trailer tongue coupler in that picture? Aluminum hitches are pretty popular. Anderson Rapid Hitch is one I see a ton. Given that the vast majority of the aluminum hitches I see are drop hitches, I'd bet that it was a larger drop hitch and there was a panic brake event evolved. A hard stop on a huge aluminum level arm sounds like a bad situation.

I have been on Christmas a few times and always wanted to put a course on it, but lakes like that are impossible unless you live on it. Unfortunately the Wassermann course was slowly killed by the homes the took over the south shore. Great skiing! Pretty cool to see my local lakes with courses on them from 80's!

@Fast351 Send me a PM sometime. I am one of the guys running one of the courses on the west side of town now. We'd love to have you. Since I took over responsibility and maintenance of this course 4-5 years ago I have met lots of new (and existing) skiers on the west side of town that didn't know this course existed. Now they are regulars out there skiing several times a week as it is one of the last floating public water courses in the area. It used to be just me and my crew, now it is 3-4 rotating crews. What I am trying to say is echoing what @The_MS is saying. It is not solely the AWSA's responsibility to get visibility and access for all. Sure they can help pave a way, but without people paying for a course, maintaining a course, using the course and building a community it will never happen. If you're not willing to put forth the effort to make it happen on your own, telling someone else to put forth that effort is a futile expectation. I love running that course and seeing all the skiers use it. Some of the skiers are super appreciative and helpful with maintenance and some are not as friendly. Whether there are others that use it or it is just me, I would still be putting in the time and effort to have a course.

I personally like the idea of a more 'weekend warrior' friendly SurePath like system. I'd love to have SurePath, but without a private site and members to help absorb the reoccurring costs it's difficult to justify. I don't need tournament accuracy, but something that will help make me and my crew better drivers with real time feedback would be great.

I don't think my towel rack budget and support a Denali towel rack!

@chris55

Change your rope more frequently. If your loops are warn to the point of looking melted your rope is too old.

Body type plays an absolutely massive role in competition at the elite level of any sport. I don't see other sports changing the rules to make it any easier for other competitors; why should we? Do you have any idea how much of a slap in the face that would be to any current and past record holders to have the bar changed. Especially as there is no real valid reason to change the bar other than 'we want more world records or because he isn't tall enough'. Unfortunately life isn't fair. If you're not physically tall enough to run 43' you might as well wipe that off your dream list. Who knows, maybe in 30 years a 7'6" guy will come along and find that slalom is his sport and he will stroke 43'. Should we change the game then because it's too easy for him?

There is no camera that will work perfect on an 'automated mount'. If you want video that has no skips, no focus issues, no shakes you'll need an observer holding a camera. Some cameras will get very close to perfect, but they will never compare to a person holding a camera. Not to mention if you zoom in too far on a pylon tracker setup, you will miss the turns when the rope goes slack during shorter line lengths.

I'd get a Tumacs cover if it is only used for the odd day of outside storage. The material they're made out of is amazing and won't lose it's waterproofing. Probably significantly cheaper too. Call Skip Dunlap I have an old loose fitting Sunbrella type cover I use as a winter dust cover and a Tumacs cover I use for 2-3 days a year the boat is outside. P.S. All this talk of winterization and pulling boats needs to stop. It's not even October! :smile: