SusanT

@‌skigirl

@Moggie One of the male skiers at my lake that organizes the tournaments had a thought. Do you think we would get more women to get tournaments a shot if we offered a free entry at the smaller local tournaments to get them going. Heck, many of them are already with the family. Thoughts???

@6balls Thanks for making the effort to reach out to women skiers. I believe we want to talk about skiing, training tips, gear...the same stuff the guys as far as skiing goes.

Where are all the female skiers hiding? I don't think I have seen any other women posting on this site. Are you all out there? Do you slalom, trick, jump, wakeboard, barefoot or just cruise around on combos with your family?

@DmaxJC_ski I do not believe you nor I intended this to blow up. You asked a question, I attempted to explain why it is difficult to get a ski ride in AZ and then ski handles began to fly around. Hey, we are all here because we love water skiing. No, I am not here to "solicit" private ski lake homes, but I do answer questions about the AZ lakes because I am here and have a place at one of them. Besides, I am personally out of inventory. The 3 I had listed have sold, and not because I am on this forum. @Stevie Boy, yes there is not a huge market for the private ski lake homes. First there are only so many of us and unfortunately, even the least expensive are costly. I do think too, that some people forget to remove their properties for sale from Ski it Again. In general, it takes about a year to get a home sold on a private lake. In short, I am sorry if I have pissed off a few people. I was merely trying to have you look at the other side of the lake. I do believe I did mention two very good and viable options for getting on a private lake in AZ.

@ShaneH & @mwetskier, yes attitude is everything. Anytime you come to AZ give me a shout and let's ski.

I guess you missed the point @Brady. I am not here to start a pissing match. Honestly, my bindings do fit a bit differently. I am on a lake with only 21 owners, in a climate that gives us year round skiing, thus we get several "ride seekers" on a regular basis. If you have read all my posts, you will see that I DO take skiers out. However, it needs to fit my schedule. I am not at my lake during the week, as it is an hour and a half drive from my primary home. I will not drive out there midweek unless I have the time in my schedule to do so. I am there most weekends but that is not a guarantee I will have time for guests. YES, my family time is extremely important and sacred to me, as I went through a lot of struggles to get a family. My kids will only be young for a very short time and they are my first priority. I have a career that can be demanding on my time so I do have pretty heavy boundaries on my personal/family time. My husband feels the same way. I don't know anything about you. I do not know if you are married, have kids or whatever. I do know you love water skiing. I love skiing as much as the next guy or gal. My closest friends are skiers, therefore I have frequent ski guests so it is not always convenient to entertain a new found ski acquaintance. The logistics of a private tournament lake may require an hour or longer wait between ski sets. If my new ski friend shows up and expects to take a set, they may need to wait that hour before they ski. Then I need to wait an hour, then one son has to wait and hour, then the next son has to wait an hour, then my husband needs to wait an hour. Are you getting the picture on how this works? This is my last post on this topic as too many ballers are taking this personally. Yes, I welcome other skiers at my lake home. No, it is not my obligation to "give back and grow the sport" on my dime and time. For the record, my dime = $12,000 a year to carry and maintain my little ski paradise...and that is with owning it free and clear.

@BWHITE There is another property available at Lakeside. You may want to check it out next time you head to AZ, if it is still available. I have someone coming to check it out next week AND they will get a ski ride. @webbdawg99 Hmmm...ski in our bindings first before you make remarks about being snobby. When you are on a private lake and on a rotation system, you may not be able to just show up take a set and leave. If it is a busy day at the lake, I am getting my set first and so are my family members. The HOA at Crystal, Santan and Lakeside do not permit "for hire skiing", so we cannot charge for ski rides. Dave Buchli can since he owns his his lake. He makes the rules. Quite honestly, if you want a set on a private lake, you should give him a call. It is my understanding that he will gladly pull you for $50. For all of you complaining that "we owe it to the sport" to give you a ski ride...really??? Again, I have non-owner guests ski with me frequently. I have also had skiers "come out for a set" that I have never met. Some have been great and others, I wish I never did meet them. Over time, I just am not in a big hurry to have a stranger invade my family space. My weekends at the lake are sacred family time and I don't feel compelled to entertain strangers so they can "put a another notch in their slalom line" of a private lake they skied. If you truly are on a mission to ski as many lakes as possible, we do have 2 tournaments a year at Lakeside, as does Crystal and Santan. Usually those tournaments are back to back. One Saturday at one of the lake and the other on Sunday at another one of the lakes. You would have the opportunity to ski two of the private AZ lakes in one weekend. Just check the Western Region website and plan your trip during those tournaments. Lakeside has a tournament in May and October. Hey, you may end up making friends with one of us snobs and get invited out to ski again. That's all I've got to say about that!

@ntx What would you like for desert? I will be sure to have 1000 thread count sheets should you decide to spend the night.

OK, so lots of name calling and finger pointing. @SDNAH2OSKIER, were you looking at a house with a REALTOR, owner or REALTOR/Owner? Unless the REALTOR was an owner, they would not have the authority to take you for a ski ride. That being said, if the REALTOR were doing their job and performing to maximum standard of care, they would have made arrangements for a ski ride provided that you were pre-approved for the $$$ to make the purchase. Personally, I have never refused a ski ride to a prospective, serious buyer. Please keep in mind that there are quite a few skiers out there that pose as buyers, thinking they can get a free ski ride. In your defense, anyone that over uses a word deserves a slap. Especially when the word is use in a derogatory manner. Personally, I have never sold a ski property yet without the offer of a ski ride. I have also given ski rides to many people that did not end up buying. A few of you ballers have also attacked us AZ skiers for not inviting every Joe that calls us because "they will be in area and would like to get a few sets in on a tournament lake." Turn the table for a moment. This is our home and even though it is a weekend home for some of us, it still is our home. Do you welcome everyone "passing through town" to come and hang at your house for several hours or all day? Yes, I get that you want to ski as many places as possible but when you ski on a rotation system and you have family and regular friends, adding one more person can take a big chunk out of your ski time and your day. Trust me, we have all let a fellow skier we have never met come out for a ski set. Unfortunately, we have also all had the experience of the person that did not know when to leave and then thought they had an open invite whenever they would "pass through town." It's not that we don't like you, we just like our families and close friends better. My family has 4 skiers and quite frequently we have friends or extended family with us on the weekend. To address @cragginshred, when you are purchasing a home on a ski lake, you are purchasing the private lake experience. The home is a secondary item. That is why a manufactured home will fetch $225K. Your best bet for a few ski sets is Firebird Lake with Ed Fisher fsd2@cox.net , (602) 482-7571. They can do "for hire ski sets". OR you may want to contact https://www.facebook.com/groups/waterskiing/ https://facebook.com/groups/waterskiing/ This group sets up a portable course on the public lakes very early in the AM to get good water. As for Spring Mountain, it does not look skiable at this time. I did a drive by last weekend and the water level is so low you could not get your boat around a turn island without damage. Hope you get your ski sets in while in AZ.

Hey @scotchipman, thanks for the shout out. Hopefully I can help with some answers since I am an owner at Lakeside and REALTOR that knows the Arizona tournament lakes. First, it is not that we don't have ballers in AZ. We have quite a few and some pretty good ones that consistently ski 39. That being said, the hard core ballers are a bit stingy with their ski time and are not in a big hurry to entertain other ballers. They are not being snotty, they just like to get their sets in and get on with their day. Also, all of the tournament lakes have language in their CC & R's and lake rules that prohibit exchange of $$$ for ski rides. The exception would be Buchli Lake if you get in touch with Dave Buchli. He may consider paid ski rides but not entirely sure. It would just depend on what he has going on at the time. To quelch some Urban Legend @cragginshred, the home at Lakeside that was listed for $349,000 was not a manufactured home. It was a site built home that sold and closed last week as a cash sale. One of the manufactured homes at Lakeside sold and closed for $225,000 last week also. There is a home at Spring Mountain listed for $349,000. It is NOT a manufactured home but a site built home. It has not been built yet. It is listed as spec home to built upon and accepted contact. That would be the first home to be built at Spring Mountain. That lake has some potential. At this point it is all vacant lots with docks only. Unfortunately, that project was a victim of the housing market crash. People paid as much as $425,000 a lotat the top of the market. The developer ran into financial difficulties and the owners have taken over the project. They are making progress with it. It is slow but steady. The good news...consumer confidence is now at 94%, the highest since the crash. I have personally seen an increase in interest and sales of recreational properties in the Phoenix market. I had 2 showings at Lakeside this weekend and another one tomorrow. I am fairly confident one more home will go under contract by midweek. Bottom line, when you are buying on a tournament lake you are buying the private lake skiing experience. The place where you will hang your board shorts & skis is secondary, thus the reason you will pay over $225,000 for a manufactured home in Buckeye/Gila Bend, AZ. And hey, your double wide is in a gated community!!! ;) One more tidbit about Lakeside in Buckeye/Gila Bend... it is the only tournament lake with a full-time on site caretaker and a gas dock. No hauling gas cans and pulling your boat out to fuel up. Also, the lowest HOA fee of all the lakes and NO HOA transfer fee upon sale. @DmaxJC_ski I think Firebird or Buchli will be your best bet for some ballin'. Unless you are already buds with someone at Crystal Point...not much of a shot getting a ride there. Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to get the correct info out there about the baller scene in AZ.

I am on a tournament lake and have no need for an open bow, nor do I want one! Might be a different story if I were on a public lake.

@MISkier‌ Digging Lucky's mullet and Kris's stash! Those were the days.

Ah yes....Wayne Grimdich (sic). Not only did I never miss it, I have most of them on VHS. Wish they could do something like that now. It would be wonderful for our sport.

Shhhh....top secret, covert activities taking place.

If we told you where it is, we would have to kill you. It is an undisclosed water ski location in the desert..

Ho Ho Ho! Merry Skimas!

Lucky enough to be able ski all winter in just a light wetsuit.

Another LASIK fan here. Best money I ever spent. Honestly, @dtm8119 just stay out of the water as long as you Dr. recommends. It is your eyes and you can't get new ones. If you really want to push it, just use swim goggles. Either way, still plan on 2 weeks off the water.

We've hit our 4 weeks of winter here in the AZ desert. Highs only in the 50's this week, back up to 60's next week. But out at Lakeside, the water coming in the lake form the well is 65 but the night air chills it. Current water temp 60, so getting ready for a 3 or 4pm ski set. Water was still rather nice last weekend at 64. Looking forward to hitting the slopes in 2 weeks.

After reading these posts, I am almost feeling guilty for whining that I can't ski tomorrow because of rain. So glad I live in Arizona and will be skiing again on Wednesday after the rain is gone. Actually, a good chance I will find a chance to get in a set or 2 between rain drops this weekend.

@Skoot1123 Does she want to stay in Orlando or is she willing to drive to Winter Haven? There are several good wakeboard coaches in Winter Haven. Send me a PM and I will hook you up and spare all of the ballers the pain of wakeboard talk. ;)

@Golfguy In general private property changes what laws need to be followed. In gated subdivisions, the police do not have jurisdiction to issue speeding tickets or other traffic violations since the roads are private. It could be argued that the same applies to a private waterway. Hence, if i choose to ski without a vest the state water cops do not have jurisdiction over that.

As a show skier, I have seen ugly injuries and if no flotation had been worn, they would have been worse. The non-CG approved vest came from show skiing from the Bonifay family. Betty created them for show skiing and her boys Parks & Shane introduced them to wakeboarding. Several years later, they came to the 3 event scene for slalom. Honestly, with trick skiers pushing the envelope with more difficult tricks and flipping, I do not understand why they do not wear them. I wear flotation when I trick and swivel. Occasionally I ski without prior to a tournament. The is no restriction of movement or flexibility....and trust me, some of the stuff we do on swivel requires much flexibility and mobility. Remember when we didn't wear seat belts in cars, helmets on bikes or helmets when jumping?????????