ESPNSkier

Thanks @Horton! I know that your comment about squeezing the handle with your outside hand was meant for skiers waaaaay better than me but I have been really struggling to get back on track this spring so I tried it today. I ran a couple of clean openers and then ran 22 off back-to-back for the first time since last year! I was really struggling with getting pulled up off edge at the wakes and somehow this plus a more progressive approach into the gates helped me to stay in my lean a bit better. Or perhaps it was good to just focus on one thing and not 5 or 6 every pass. Either way I appreciate the tip even if it wasn't meant for skiers at my level....thanks!

Thanks all, good advice here! Time off probably allowed years of bad habits to re-emerge and I need to have some patience and go back to fundamentals.

How have other ballers come back from injury and resumed some semblance of normal skiing? I tore up my sternum in December and did not ski for about 5 months. I have been back on the water now for about 6 weeks and just can't seem to get back into a groove. I'm an older skier, skiing at 32 mph now and was just starting to run into 28 off with a bit of consistency in December but now I can't buy a smooth 15 off pass. Granted most of my sets this spring have been in windy chop or boat rollers but the couple of times I had good water my form was nowhere to be found. I went back to the coach that pulled me through my first ever back-to-back 28 off passes (the day before I got hurt) and I could tell that he was surprised with how hard I was struggling at 15 off. Any suggestions?

All of them felt fine through the final torque sequence with the exception of this one which felt a bit spongy until it snapped. I sent the bolt along with the Lot number back to the supplier. I would have just reused the old bolts but several were in bad shape. Yes @oldjeep, these are not the one-time use "torque-to-yield" bolts.

Thanks @oldjeep, that's my plan!

@DW, no, I mean''t total bolt failure as one of the new 1/2" bolts snapped in the threads above the block. Fortunately it came out and I did not have to drill and tap it. The others torqued OK.

10 days and $1,300 in parts later she is running again! I did not get to do a test run due to rain late yesterday but....no weird noises, no visible leaks and no sign of water in the oil after running in the boat house for about 30 minutes....hopefully, all is good! Had a scare when one of the new head bolts rung off while doing a final torque to 110 foot pounds. Replaced it with one of the old bolts and hope all is well.

Mine has been driving for me since the mid 70s (40th wedding anniversary this summer) and used to manually drive great times through the course at 36 mph. Still drives a great line today and is always there to pump me up...and talk me down. I had to laugh when I read @wish's post about backing down the 4 speed truck. We used to pull our 1st Nautique with an old 5-speed Nissan truck back in southern Louisiana and old guys would ask my pretty little 20 year old wife if she needed help backing down the ramp. She would just laugh and back it down like a pro. I would drive it on, give it a bit of throttle to get the truck started up the ramp and we were out of there in 30 seconds....used to blow them away at the ramp! Like many of you, I am truly blessed and lucky!!!

I just bought a new line (manufacturer name withheld) and when I pulled it out of the package something didn't look right. When I laid it out I discovered that it had been assembled incorrectly with the long line loop attached to the mainline and the purple 38 off loop at the end....huh?!? Simple fix and I'm sure it will ski just fine.

Good point @Mark_Matis, I did not think about that! Don't tell anyone but I haven't skied a tournament since the mid 80s. The funny/sad thing is that we have had one of the windiest springs that I can remember but it has been glass calm every day since the spark plug blew out....and it's driving me nuts!!!

Thanks @Mark_Matis, I may need to do some plumbing work this winter.

Thanks all, great advice here! Given the time of year, I agree with @oldjeep and @Gloersen and plan to put on the new heads and hope for the best. These are GT40 heads and the Machine Shop is telling me that these heads have a crazy amount of clearance. If it was December I would most likely pull the engine and do a total refresh. As @oldjeep said, once I pull the pan I would pretty much have to do a total refresh....maybe next winter. @Mark_Matis, I believe you hit the nail on the head as there was significant blockage in the cooling passages which I'm sure contributed to the cracked head and is probably related to low water levels this spring.

I started skiing the course on the Orange top Comp 1 and loved that ski. However, in the early 80s I had two EPs (I believe it was a Stilletto and an FX200) break in half under the front foot. The first one snapped somewhere between one ball and the 1st wake at 36 mph, 22 off. Left me with stitches and a nasty lump on my knee.

Thanks @oldjeep, that's what I'm hoping!

I have a 1993 MasterCraft ProStar 205 with an Indmar 351 with about 1,100 hours on it and it has been running great. However, last week as I was coming into the course the engine blew out the spark plug in cylinder #2. As it turns out I have a cracked head and I'm replacing both heads. The weirdness happened when I pulled the heads and discovered that the piston in Cylinder #6 (2nd cylinder on the port bank) is rotated upside down. If you look closely at the 2nd image you can see the word "Up" and an arrow....pointing down! I have owned the boat for more than 19 years and the engine has never been apart so I assume that it was assembled with one piston reversed at the factory. Should I be concerned or just put the new heads on and hope for another 1,100 hours?

Sorry @bigskieridaho, just saw this and didn't even realize that I accidentally commented! Fat fingers + small screen + old eyes is a bad combo, all good!

Thanks @303Skier, you too! One of the stranger injuries I have ever had. Good luck @6balls, we feel your pain!

@303Skier, same injury for me with an OTF when I ran over 6 ball (should have pulled up after 5!). Fractured sternum and lots of torn cartilage. Did not ski for over 4 months and still not back anywhere near where I was.

I hear you! I was looking over my shoulder while doing course maintenance this week!!!

Great idea! My guest gator seemed to bite the same 2 or 3 buoys a couple of times a week for a few weeks. He was about 8' to 9' long and sat by 2 ball one day when I wanted to ski. I think a trapper eventually caught up with him.

No but I think they figured that out. I'm just glad that the alligator did not come back this year. Lost about $100 worth of buoys to an alligator about this time last year.

Actually had a good experience with a couple of fishermen today. I tried to squeeze in a quick set at lunch since it was only blowing 12 - 15 mph today (not like the 20 - 25 mph is was blowing when @ScottScott and I tried to ski earlier in the week). As I pull up to the course I see a pontoon boat anchored about even with one ball on the left side of the course with bobbers floating near the left side buoy line. I motored over for a chat and the older guy starts to say "sorry we got here first" but fortunately the other guy asks how the course works. So I explained what we do and asked if they could just move back away from the course a bit. He said sure and they proceeded to reel in four lines and pull anchor. They backed away about 50' and started fishing again. I skied a quick set and then went over and thanked them for the courtesy....some times it all works out. Now, if I could only get my form back on track!

The bass fishermen on our lake are usually pretty decent. We idle over and chat with them before we ski if they are fishing the grass line near the course. We have more issues with the jet skiers (lake cockroaches) who like to run the course....sometimes while we are in it!

Go with the Heat molding as it will give you a better fit.

Made one for my office out of a pallet.