Vernon Reeve

At those speeds, you might find that your Senate feels better without the wing. I've run 34mph without the wing on my 69" Senate. Feels like taking the brakes off, much easier to carry the speed around the buoys. I've also found on older Senates, moving the boots a little further forward helped it turn easier. But the 2017 Senate suggested measurements had the boot a little further forward already, so I just used what they suggested.

There's a popular car guy who talks about this for cars, and the bottom line is to use the octane that your owners manual recommends.

You need to keep your speed through both wakes. After you cross the second wake, change edges to begin the turn. No more pulling until you complete the turn. A couple drills to help teach this are: "FM Web Cast Clinic - How to Slalom Water Ski : The Direction Drill" A slightly more advanced version is: Seth Stisher-Slalom Ski Rhythm Drill (Whips)" https://youtube.com/results?search_query=whip+drill+seth+stisher

As @KRoundy said, the Senate is a great ski. A few years ago I picked up a used 2017 Radar Senate Graphite that is amazing. Much better even than the prior years Senate. I'm 215 lbs (230 at one point), and on a 69" Senate for both weights. I ran 34mph on the 69" when I got my weight down to 205 a couple years ago. So you definitely don't the pro build. I think my ski was about $500 (end of season new pricing). But I'm sure you can find a used one for less. I also took the wings off to carry more speed through the turns.

That's all really good to know, sounds like they all work really well. Thanks everyone!

Costco has a gallon of a biodegradable dish soap that will probably last me a life time. Prior to that I used Suave Green Apple. They work nice mixed with mostly water in a spay bottle.

I'm concerned the newer models with their stabilization might have the same issue as the newer cell phones, so thought I'd check here before getting a GoPro 7 or 8 or 9.

Look up Seth Stisher Slalom Ski Rhythm Drill (Whips) on youtube and work on that, and the Lean Drill while free skiing. Also video yourself.

Port/Left is what I used to use to remember until I heard this story. The really old boats used to have a rudder (or oar) was hanging off the side of the boat for steering. So it was originally called Steerboard since that was the side for steering. Which is maybe why the steering wheel is on that side now. Since the rudder/oar was on that side, you couldn't get out of the boat on that side, so you had to get out on the other side, the port side. Port is defined as an access point. You'll see that word used in computers, bays, windows in a boat, etc, so the access point to the boat would be the port side in those old boats. It would be a lot easier if they had left the name Steerboard.

Like @75Tique was saying, it's much easier with a low horsepower boat to get up with one foot in and the other leg extended behind you. I'll just add that you need to make sure you are not pushing against the ski. You should have your weight forward and step up on the ski. To get an idea of how this feels, find some steps and step up onto the second step. You'll notice as you're doing this, that your weight has to be forward and your other leg is extended back. It should feel the same getting up on one ski.

You're no Goode

Cue the heavenly choir!

Maybe fin setting?

It would be fun to use the blue balls with the @wish system:)

I saw a video where a physical therapist used a tool to rub out the adhesions and scar tissues in the forearm and biceps for a guy that couldn't get rid of golfers elbow. This caused the muscles to quit pulling on the attachment point in the elbow all the time. The guy was instantly pain free. So I went to my physical therapist, and he used a Graston tool to rub out the muscles in my forearm and biceps. It felt like he was going over lots of speed bumps. Felt much better when he was done. Went back a month later to hit it again and the speed bumps were way smaller, and it feels pain free. I also had a shoulder that had a sore spot in front, so he hit the part where the chest meets the forearm, and the upper bicep that pulls on that same spot and that's feeling better also. But just to be sure I give that elbow as much rest as possible, I'm going both palms down on the start this year and switching to a reverse grip.

Seems like you could put a bubble level on a quick release platform setup with adjustment knobs to level it. Then after initial setup, one could just check to make sure it is still level if you have new passengers and/or weight distribution differences.

I used to use Spex for contacts (I had eye surgery so don't need them anymore) , but still use them for sun glare when necessary . Worked great.

Living on the edge.

Sounds like what Wade Cox calls a safety check:)

That's almost like mine which is "XTA SKI"

40f today in Kalispell, Montana.

How far off from center is it? Is it touching the wheel fenders? I usually don't worry about it if it's a little off center as long as it's not touching the fender protector. The road bumps will center it eventually. I've also seen where a couple guys will just push up on the side rub rails to rock it until it gets perfectly centered. I have a 2003 Malibu Response LXI on a tandem axle Extreme trailer and have no problems. We back in far enough to get the bunks wet, then pull out until the water line is on the reflector which is on the front of the wheel fenders. Then power the boat on.

I noticed a difference in my Radar Senate going from a 2015 to 2017 (not exactly sure on what year my prior Senate was). The 2015 had a rounded tail and the 2017 had a more square tail. I'm a bigger guy (215lbs) on a 69" ski. The 2017 seemed faster, and the deep water starts were easier. So I'm a believer in the tail shape making a noticeable difference.

@MlSkier I was thinking it would look ahead and extrapolate a line using the buoys out front to where the boat currently is, just like our human brains do. Could even put a few rods in a row on the end shores for sight alignment if needed. It should be close enough just like it is now. Just thinking it might be easier than gps, but maybe not. However, for the ultimate pull, if the boat knew where it was in the course (using gps since it's already mapped into zero off), it could swerve a little to give the skier the perfect pull (eliminate blocking). But the driver would have to enter the line length. Just thinking out loud as you can tell:) I for one, would like a system like this. It would be nice to not have to worry so much about beginner drivers.

Seems like the system could just look at the buoys to know if the boat is centered or not, kind of like lane assist in cars. That would eliminate the need for gps accuracy and accelerometers.