Rumjahn

I remember going to Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, CA as a kid, and seeing their water-ski show. That was in the 80's, about 30 years ago. They were doing the pyramids, whipping the skiers around the boat, and they even did just boat driving stunts, like "thread the needle," where they ran two boats in one direction, and a third boat would go between them. It was a small lake, and they were probably inches from each other. I remember the announcer saying that they were travelling over 30 mph, so their combined passing speed was over 60 mph. Those shows were what got me really excited about water-skiing. Great for the sport.

AWSA Midwest put her on the front page of their regional web site: http://awsamidwest.org/

I just asked an orthopedic surgeon this question, and his response was All Out. He cited studies that were done in the '50's and '60's on cadaver ankles using crude methods like putting them in vise grips and applying force in all sorts of directions. The conclusion was that fractures happen more easily and severely if one part of the limb is locked down, as opposed to allowed to move freely. I asked whether this applied to a tight-fitting boot that extends above the ankle, and he said it doesn't matter, the force has to be transmitted somewhere. So either the ankle will break anyway, or you can suffer a knee or hip fracture. He said a sprained ankle is preferable to torn knee. The logic make sense to me, so for now I'm All Out.

I got them today, and so far on dry land I like them. They give you two options for the upper laces: non-stretching or stretchy bungee style ones. Based on the comments above, I'm going to use the bungee style ones, for easier release. This Carbon V is an amazing piece of equipment. The only other ski I have to compare it to is my 23-year-old Concept. I am amazed at how light this thing is. Must be less than a quarter the weight of my old ski. When the box came in the mail, I thought it was empty! Connelly customer service is top notch. After unwrapping it I had a few questions, so I called them and they answered all my questions and then some.

@Than_Bogan thanks for that advice, it makes a lot of sense. But I'm not that good a skier to notice subtle differences, or maybe even major differences, much less know what to adjust. I was more concerned about the safety of the Talons vs the wraps @wtrskior my front binding is 20 years old, but the rear one is a new Wiley mid-wrap, which I replaced an RTP with. I don't remember if it was cost or ability that kept me from using a double boot 20 years ago, probably both. But today I love the double boot way better than RTP. The Wiley would probably go onto the Carbon V just fine without drilling new holes, so if I wanted to switch I'd just get a new front one. As far as comfort, I can't imagine anything being more comfortable than the wraps I have now, so I'm very interested to see how the Talons feel. Looking at them, I thought they might be more uncomfortable from being too restrictive, so thanks for that input. Based on what you said, I guess you release right out of the boot, just like on the wraps? I'm comfortable with that. A lot more familiar to me than boot separating or ejecting off the ski, which makes me a little uneasy about mechanical failure. My plan is to try out the Talons. If I really hate them, I'll switch them for the rubber ones.

I started skiing over 20 years ago, when state of the art bindings were high-wraps. I'm upgrading my 1991 Connelly Concept to a Carbon V, which I got a smokin' deal on, but it comes with Talon bindings. I've never skied with a boot before, so looking for advice on what to expect going from my 20-year-old wraps to brand-new Talons. I know that if I don't like the Talons I can always switch them out for Stokers or Wiley bindings. I figure I should at least give them a shot though. One thing that concerns me is that the Talons don't release as easily as the wraps, which could be more potential for injury. What do you ballers think about that? If I'm used to skiing with wraps, should I just keep on doing so? Or would it be worth it to upgrade to Talons?

@6balls thanks for the warm welcome! I started skiing back in about 5th or 6th grade, and it was all open water then. When I went to college we had a water ski club, which I joined. I got a Connelly Concept, a very little bit of tournament experience, and some coaching. That was 20 years ago. After college, life got in the way, I no longer had access to boat or water. The last time I skied was 14 years ago. Fast forward to today, life has been good, I have a family, and am blessed enough to be able to afford a boat. I got a family runabout, because the boat was mainly for family outings. However, I dusted off the old Connelly, got back out on the water, and lo and behold, it all came back. That was a few weeks ago. Since then, I've been reading these boards nonstop, catching up. Right now I'm looking at upgrading my ski to a Carbon V. A buddy at work is a competitive skier, so I'm going to get out on the course soon, if all goes well.

I'll be at Prizer Point the weekend of July 26. I have a stern drive boat, not inboard, but would be happy to give you a few pulls if you're willing to brave the wake.

I grew up skiing in California 20 years ago, and they had the orange flag while skier was down rule back then. I remember the spotter just held the flag in his lap and as soon as the skier fell, he raised the flag and held it up as the boat came around to get the skier or set up for the next run. The flag did not have to be raised when skier was up, only when he was in the water and down. It actually made sense, because when you saw a boat with an orange flag, you knew to look for a skier in the water.

What happens when you remove the wing completely? Over 20 years ago I was told by a coach to take off the "cheater" because I skied better without it. Then I didn't ski for about 14 years. Now I'm getting back into it. That wing is nowhere to be found, but I wonder if I should get one and put it back on. What kind of differences will I notice if I were to do that? Just recreational skiing for now, but depending on how it goes, might start course work. I'm on a 91 or 92 Connelly Concept.