braindamage

Hydrodyne: Benefits: most likely done with major issues; better skier; Downside: lower sale price; lacks the “cool” factor; you sound disappointed with it; MC SS: Benefits: ITS A MC SS!; definitely has the “cool” factor; you like restoration; it’ll look cool even if you are just putzing around your lake; your grandkids will think it’s awesome Downside: not sure what you are getting into; parts availability; not as great a skier (do you still have daughter’s ProStar?); Since I believe that all decisions are emotional decisions, and that all emotional decisions are justified by fact and logic. The fact and logic above says to go with the MC. When in doubt, flip a coin. If you are happy with the flip, then you have your decision. If you aren’t happy, then do the opposite of the coin flip, and again, you have your decision. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

I said lighter “first”, because if you are overweight and wondering which to focus on, weight loss will happen more quickly and be more impactful. Building strength as a part of losing weight would be good as well.

I’d say light first, which will maximize the strength you do have. Unless you lose weight in an unhealthy way and deplete lots of muscle in the process.

That’s a bunch of booze :) I’m not sure I could finish all that before spring thaw!

@PacMan , I think it’s hilarious that even though you no longer have the ski connected to your body, and it’s obvious that you have been in the process of an OTF, you are still holding the handle!

I am definitely wired for constant improvement, faster, shorter, etc... but when it comes to waterskiing, I just love doing it. My goals: ski a lot, improve form (mostly to avoid injury), ski for many, many years to come, and have fun. This is probably sacrilege on this site, but sometimes just enjoying something is a good goal.

I think all above are factors. One other major issue is that waterskiing is inherently not a social sport for large groups of people. I loved waterskiing from the beginning. I had my 2-3 buds that would be more serious early in the am or for sunset sets, but it was my 19’ I/O that could haul 8-10 ppl and still pull a skier that cemented the sport and got my friends who were more casually interested to join us. To this day, my friends from long ago tell me of the great memories of me teaching them to ski or hanging out on my boat. I think this is why surfing is becoming so popular. Easy, can do anytime even in rough water, everyone can do it, the boat can be filled with people, I can listen to music, I can talk with the surfer... I love the guys I ski with now, but it’s just a few at a time, is focused on skiing well, and doesn’t build a broader community that is actively interested in participating. Without a strong social network that gets built across expert to novice skiers with the whole family, it will be difficult for the sport to become fast growing.

Has anyone done float therapy as a way to do muscle recovery or visualization? I'm "taking the plunge" this Friday for the first time.

More than usual, but I didn't keep a count.

Bad about an ortho...they don't recognize any alternative medical options like chiro, ART, etc. For these things I start with alternative options then after that go to a Dr.

I had a displaced rib as well this year after my rope broke and I took a very bad fall. Very painful.

Yep. ART hurts. Brief periods of pain for long term resolution to chronic issues is a small price to pay if you ask me. I've never had Graston.

Try finding a sports therapist that specializes in ART (active release therapy). It specializes in soft tissue injuries including removal of scar tissue. http://www.activerelease.com/about.asp I had lower back issues that had gotten so bad that I had to stop all workouts, including skiing. I tried chiropractors, PT, massage, Swiss ball workouts, you name it for about 8 years. In 6 treatments (2 months) I was back to normal and able to successfully train for and complete 3 Olympic triathlon's within a year. If you are close to Milwaukee I have a contact that is awesome. Be sure to find one that specializes in sports injuries (iron man certified), otherwise You will just get a nice massage and not fix the root of the issue.

My prayers are with you and your family. God bless!

Just make sure you don't have a stepped transom. I have an '00 sunsetter lxi with a stepped transom and the swim platform wrecks the wave.

Took out the 'bu Thursday when it was 55deg. Winter arrived yesterday. My ski bud says he'll keep his boat ready in case there is a day or two left but my boat is on it's way to hibernate under the "blue tarp of sadness".

Too much technicality to list, other than to say I learned more about correct form this season than all the others combined. Mostly I learned that I don't have to muscle the ski around and that by just having proper form and letting it do its thing I can ski better and with much less effort. I also learned that I love this sport, that it's great to have fellow waterski friends (zealots), and that I want to be able to ski until I die.

mrpruess: Thanks for helping. I am hoping you can put out a video or something.

Nothing. I use 93 octane no ethanol gas. I top it off come spring with same and haven't had any issues. I do this for all my seasonal engines.

Fwiw...I had to tighten my '00 Malibu pylon when I bought it in 2011 but haven't had to touch it since. I haven't noticed any movement but this is a reminder to check it before I put her away for the winter. Thanks BoS!!

I have a 4wd. Maybe I can mount some metal edges on an old wooden slalom ski and practice out on the ice behind it...hmmm I wonder if it's legal without a spotter?

Me: I'm Rob, 48. And I'm a slalom waterskier BOS: HI ROB... I live on Lac LaBelle in SE Wisconsin. I grew up on crystal lake south of traverse city, mi. My dad is a boat fanatic, and though he is really a sailor, he bought a 1969 evinrude tri-hull and taught us to ski. I loved skiing from the very beginning and quickly moved to slalom. I also snow skied competively in high school and college. My brother and our friends put in tons of hours skiing, but with no instructions other than every once in a while buying a water-ski magazine. I was the fanatic. All I wanted to do was fill my boat with bikinis and ski. You couldn't put up a course so we only did open water skiing. (Though I did enter a competition once just to get a chance to run one) I bought my first boat as a replacement to the evinrude in 1984. It was a Chris craft scorpion 186. We propped it down so it could pull a skier with 8 ppl in the boat. Great party boat, not so great ski boat, but we didn't care. "Braindamage" was my first boat's name due to the partying and aggressive skiing we did, so that's where my avatar name comes from. I sold it to my parents to pay for my final year in college. We averaged 100hours per summer in the short N Mich season, which is quite a feat. I graduated from college, moved around a lot, and spent many years only skiing when I could get a pull or when visiting my family, maybe 0-2 times per year. We bought a lake cottage next to my parents home in 2004 and thats when I started to ski consistently at least a couple weeks out of the year. In 2011 I bought a Malibu and started skiing regularly again. My form was awful and since I'm old I could only ski 1/week to recover. I started to learn better form from the 'net, bought my first new-to-me HO CX SL in 2015 (used to have 1989 HO extreme). I got to skiing 1-2x per week but my form was still really bad. We moved onto a lake in 2014. My middle son got the bug and he was my primary ski partner. He's now in college. More hours on my Malibu doing sunset Margarita cruises with my wife than skiing (not complaining). This past summer I met UW Skier and he and our friend "Boomer" helped me improve my form more in one season than I did the previous 40+ years. I now ski 3ish times per week, multiple passes and sometimes multiple sets. I am really loving it!! I plan to be in better shape for next season so I can pick up where I left off. I lurk on BOS a lot. I don't post that often cuz I don't have a strong technical background and the technical language is a bit esoteric. I'm learning. This is a great site!! Thanks to Horton for doing a great job!!

Transition pull-ups, like this? I couldn't do 1

Bummer. I have my off-season workout plan so we'll see how that goes. For form maybe I'll set up a rope to a tree. Thanks!!

MTU-my alma matter, class of '91 We used to ski the portage in the fall but it was short and chilly. No waterski team but downhill and CC skiing were big. Oh yeah, and hockey...and broomball...and beer...and cold...and snow...