chris55

I definitly recommend a mid-level at the begining just to get the right stance and the feeling. The when feeling comfy at 32mph I will suggest a change.

Joel Howley since the new ski and second choice KC Wilson, so impressive and so young

@TallSkinnyGuy I like your post and it is nice to know there is other skiers learning the course. But to give you hope I am 59 old and I started the slalom seriously last year after a 13 years break and only free skiing before. I was skiing with an old high end O'Brien Mapple from 2002. Not very stable ski and I was looking for a mid size ski. I could not fine one here in Geneva (Switzerland) and I had an opportunity to get a Mapple T2 and after 2 sets only I felt I had a rocket like you said and I loved it. I got only 3 sets with this ski and I ran consitanly 15off (of course...) at 30mph going to 32mph. Before I was struggling at 30mph and I had to work much harder. So I think if you have someone who can give you some good coaching and be sure that your high end ski is tune for you, it is worth the try. Just need to find a good and safe position on the ski for avoiding big falls. Last but not least.....if I could run the course at34mph at 38"off (just kidding) I don't need to change my ski since Cory Vaughn just ran 1@43.....

When you go to the lake and it is glassy (very rare on open big lake in Geneva) and the pilot is 2 hours late, then the wind had picked up (north 10knot) and finally when you can still go skiing with okay conditions and crackkkk, the binding just broke when puting the ski. Well it was a good day for coffee and muffins and croissant and finishing with a beer.

It makes a lot of sense, I never thaught of that this way. I would have thought that the middle of the ski would be a start with the middle of the foot. Horton's way is much clearer for me, thank you.

I have been free skiing between 1992 and 2000 and I stoped because my 1st daughter was born and then my 2nd arrived in 2002. I started skiing again in 2013 free skiing and I tried for the first time the slalom with a new ski for me but old because it is a O'Brien Mapple from 2002 I think. So last year I was able to slalom more seriously and I started at 28mph 15off and we have a slalom on open water so it is very often chopy. I was thinking ....by the end of the season I will pass hmmmm maybe 32mph ???? Seriously ? I had no idea. Actually I passed 15off at 30mph. This year I was thinking ...okay let's hit 32mph and go for 34mph. I was dreaming...Well I spent all my season working on body position at 28mph and I am not really consistant at 30mph. Yes it is a very difficult sport and the progress is slow but as long you really enjoy skiing, you will get where you want. And there is no age limit as long you are in good shape, I am 59 years and be 60 next year so I have 5 years to get to 34mph in a tournement. And I love it. Friend of mine took a video once and it helped me a lot. As Andy advised : "leave nothing on the dock" and he says too "when you ski remember first what went well and keep this positive and then correct what was not good.

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@jcamp you can ask Chad Scott, he won the Big Dawg Acapulco in April and it was parallel. I don't think it would be an issue but lake Ivanoe is probably to small, I agree

@Chef23 I work at the University Hospital in Geneva Switzerland and my wife is a physician as well. Since 5 years, don't ask me why, I work at the library and I have been reading a lot of sudies about back pain an pain related to sport. I am not convinced that an inversion table is going to help you on the long run, maybe just for a few weeks. In the long run, the best you can do for your back is : continue your yoga poses, always good. Then waterski is an unbalanced sport, we have one foot in front of the other, we have a up side down grip, so we need to do some work out to re-balance our body. I believe working hard on the core abdo, the plank and flexion up and down I mean all the way down with your but touching your heels with your arms out. That stretch your back really. Then you can check with your physician if it is muscles related or the spine. Then it is proved tha ointment of comfrey is what is working the best for back pain. I don't know if you have that in the US, let me know I can send you one from here, no problem for me. If you are intersted I can give you more info by my email that you can find on my profile. Hope it will help you. Chris

@Wish you are right, I can imagine a parallel slalom like at Rathbun's paradise ...it would be so cool for the public and Joe. But yes, bring it on.....the more good skiers the best for our sport and the waterski industry. I am gonna watch it trough internet.

To me and for the average Joe that I am and following the event from Europe, we don't care how much money the winner of the US pro or the winner of the BD is making. We want to see scores and ski. But what a bumer, the final is on a 4 buoys......not even a normal slalom course. This is very disapointing for a slalomer and it takes some seriously out of the event. I think having the pro tour and the BD together is good but I would not mix them, one after the other. "we leave nothing on the dock" but for 6 bouys not for 4 :'(

And oh and I forgot.....I have to go to work 5 days a week. @GOODESkier must be a very happy skier :-)

@TallSkinnyGuy I am like you because I started slalom last year and I ski on open lake and I cannot have a regular ski set because of conditions (wind, boats etc...). So this year I focus only to volume at 30mph. One pass at 28mph and the rest at 30mph and if I could ski 2x in one week I would finish a set with only one pass at 32mph just to get the feeling for the gate and then the rest. I went to a tournement (my first one) and I ran 6 at 32mph and I just got 1 at 34mph and I discover that skiing on a hand made lake is easyer too. What I want to say is when you can ski with not too much pressure and really focus on your technique and feelin GOOD about yourself, that is how it works for me and I insist feeling good about your skiing and not geting depressed because slalom is a long process. Good luck to you my friend

Simple question : all the testers are skiing at 36mph or some are skiing at 34mph ? But the infos are so great. It is always super great to try new things and go "sciences" Thank's, I love it. @adamhcaldwell do you plan of having skier from Europe testing too ? Let me know

I have a O'Brien Mapple I bought in 2002, it is a 68 with the same binding with a RTP and I am 6'2 for 170 and I started slalom last year and I can pass at 32mph. But I did not use the ski for 13 years and I like the ski because I ski on open water and it feels so stable (it is a tunel). Everybody told me to change but I cannot buy a new ski so I adapt to it. If you click on my picture you will see the ski.I have the stock setting and I have Andy's setting as well if someone need it.

I look across the course just before the apex of the turn and the buoy and since I am going where I am looking....it helps but I have to keep my head up and shoulders square. Every time I don't do it I end up narrow even at 30mph 15off.

@Horton thank you for having the ProAm on your site I was able to follow it from Geneva (the other side of the Atlantic) and I just love your comment and your second degree sens of humour :) and I think "flowy" is a great word.....

Well guys, I am happy for you but in Geneva Switzerland, the water is down to 68F and we cannot ski with shortys anymore. We ski on open water so september is nice because much less traffic but cold water and cold morning too, 48F this morning. We love skiing !!!!!!!!

@scotchipman thank your for taking the time to measure the 2 skis, it's helping me Chris

If I understand correctly do you consider a Mapple T2 a mid ski ?

Good morning, For @SkiNautique7 I have the numbers for the ski : deep, 2.510 - long, 6.850 - from tail, 0.850 - binding, 30 1/4 these are the standar fin setting given by O'brien and Andy Mapple. On my previous message, I wrote the numbers Andy gave me 2 years ago when I asked him. I run the ski with Andy's setting and I feel nice. Regardless of other people says about old material, I don't think skiing with a bran new ski with change radicaly my performances. I believe it is more me and my techniques and stance and so on. And if the new ski are so much better than the day I can change.....it will be even easier. And just for Andy's memory I will run the slalom at 34mph with this ski and the day I will do it I will post a video. Cheers and enjoy skiing

Okay, I got through my email and here is the exact words Andy himself gave me when I asked him these numbers : "The settings for that ski should be a little deeper to control the aggressive roll the ski has in its design: 6.850, 2.515, 0.80, and boots at 30"-30.25" I started slaloming 2 years ago (I am 59years old 6'2'' and 175pound), I am skiing on Lake of Geneva in Switzerland and I am loving it even I run the course at 30mph. I tried 32mph and 34mph (my goal) and I can feel the ski like the speed and it react better at 34mph than 30mph. I still have at my office the stock setting and I will put them tomorrow. I wish you a great ski with that ski, so stable when crossing the wake and it is kind of "collector" if I follow John Horton's comment.

@skiNautique7, I have all the numbers for this ski because I am riding it now. I have them at my office and I will give them to you on Monday. Talk to you on Monday

When I started skiing in 1987 in Geneva Switzerland, I did not know anything about waterski. Tehn I spent a year in Los Angeles in 1988 and I bought my first waterski magazine and I read about Andy Mapple and his technical advice. I was not even skiing on a mono yet. When I came back to Geneva I wanted to ski the best I could and learnt mono. I started slalom in 2000 for the first time but I followe Andy's career all the time through waterski mag and I always thaught "I want to ski on the best ski ever and I bought in 2002 the best ski ever "O'Brien Mapple". Then in 2003 my 2nd daughter arrived and waterski was gone until 2013. I took my old Mapple ski and started slalom again. At that time I email to Andy to have the right tune up just to be sure and of course Andy responded me to my email so nicely. My dream and my plan was to come to Orlando next spring to meet him and to get me the best ski ever of course. Sorry for that long story but just to say how strong the influence and his aura was to me. His inspiration still is and will continue to help me just to be not only a better skier but a better person. I never met him and I lliked him so much. To his wife and children all my prays and God bless you all. Christian