dvskier

Moomba Bommerang, Aztec Coyote, Ski Ray, etc. none are still being made. There are only so many buyers for direct drive inboard ski boats. Get a 196 with a bad motor and take it to Jody for a reporter and ZO. Then you'll have a great practice boat that will last a long time.

I agree blame it on the dog!

@Horton I'd love it if we could have a slalom course on our lake but Duke Energy (who controls the lake) denied our clubs request for a course 2 years ago. As it is I drive almost 2 hours for a private site. Wake boarders and surfers run up and down every cove on my lake so it doesn't really make sense to worry about it.

Awesome!

@oldjeep you should try a tournament, it might get you hooked. Lots of fun and the people are very nice and accommodating. Or maybe attend a Radar session this summer.

I used to ski on open water, now I only ski at private sites. Wake boarders and surfers with massive wakes and crews never stop for more than a few minutes to change riders. I snow ski over 100 days per year as well. Running NASTAR doesn't interest me, I'd rather cruise the whole mountain, glades, steeps, etc. I'm far beyond middle aged at 71 but find completing the course and fulfilling my goals very satisfying. Smooth water is critical to course skiing if you don't want to get hurt. The sport isn't dead, it's just shifted to private sites.

@oldjeep, lots of rollers that don't go away. No good when trying to run the course. Would be even worse with a v drive loaded down.

@wawaskr Think the manufacturer would rather have a $200k wake oat build slot or a $70k ski boat build slot? They only have/need so many build slots for their maximum capacity. From what I know they only sell about 200 ski boats/annually so why do they concern themselves with a shrinking market. The lake I live on is heavily populated with wakeboard or surf boats at over $150k each. Fifteen year financing, ka ching!!

@TEL that could have changed your plans if you stepped on it. They have the most powerful venom in the USA.

Classy boat Erik, clean lines.

The Profile boots run true to size. I love mine.

Beautiful @MS.

I lost 32 pounds in 2005, it's still gone. I read "The South Beach Diet", it took maybe an hour and a half. Once you learn the glycemic index of different foods it's not hard at all. Also quit drinking a 12 pack of beer/day. Don't miss the beer, have replaced it with red wine. May not work for you but when I saw Bill Clinton drop weight with it I realized it was possible. Feels great to be physically fit. I also hit the gym 3x/week and walk hilly terrain 3.1 miles/day. Used to run 7 miles/day but the knee cartilage started getting thin. Anyway losing weight is getting serious about what you want out of life. Many diets to choose from.

I am a dyed in the wool Nautique guy but the new Mastercrafts give me a better pull. I ski at 30.4 so your opinion could be different. I don't really care about the tracking, looks of the pickle front, etc. only concerned with how it feels at the end of the rope.

SureFoot makes the best snow ski boots on the planet. I bought a pair this week and the control gained is worth the cost.

Get on the back of snow skis = Mr Toads wild ride!

Overtons of course, they have about 20 pages in their catalog.

Lucas the prince of darkness. I had a good friend with a Norton motorcycle, one dark night as he was rounding a curve on Cape Cod the headlight went out abruptly. Got very exciting for him as there was also sand on the road. Never rode that bike again at night. I sold MGs for a couple of years, a lot of electrical gremlins, not a fan of Lucas.

Four inches of fresh at Keystone. More on the way Saturday and Sunday.

SmartWool socks are the best in my experience.

I believe the boats that are being sold by dealers are primarily wake/surf boats at $150-$200k. They are making thousands of these boats while traditional ski boats are in the perhaps 200 units per year. When Nautique has 25% of total direct drive production going to promo team members something has to give. My opinion only, all based on "follow the money". The lake I live on is 99.5% V drives. MasterCraft, Malibu and Nautique dealers don't stock any direct drives. All they stock is loaded V drives and they are selling them with 20 year financing or straight cash sales.

@Chef23 disclaimer ( I am not an expert boot fitter) however I have skied 100 days/year for the past 6 seasons. Up until I got new boots fitted by SureFoot I had issues with boots fitting properly. If you can get to a SureFoot shop I am sure that they can help. "They guarantee your satisfaction. I also believe that circulation is likely a major factor. I've structured my workout routine to include an hour per day of cardio. No cold feet here. Best of luck in finding an acceptable solution.

I agree, RFF = right palm down. I skied with the wrong grip for 15 years but was able to switch to correct grip in about 4 sets. I couldn't go back now. Offside feels much better.

I'm 71, still skiing. Keep moving or rust, the choice is yours.

A Basin, Keystone, Breckenridge, Vail, Beavercreek, Park City. Maybe Whistler.