ScottScott

@Orlando76 I watch Gator Boys....does that count? Certainly can't blame you for staying close to home, especially if you are directly on the lake. Logic tells me I'm OK near boat with it running, and I have never heard of an incident between skier and gator....but its still in the back of my mind. I am fascinated by them, and try to learn as much as i can. Enjoy viewing them from inside the boat, or the Lake Apopka Wildlife drive. This was taken at a par 3 on deer island.

@Orlando76 Thats why I don't ski on the Harris chain. We boat there often as its one of the few places with a nice variety of restaurant/bars on the water to boat to.....but no skiing. Within the last year there have been 2 gator bites making the news on the harris chain, people working along the shoreline behind their canal front yards.

I ski various locations in the central florida area. Despite the fact that the kind of water we like is often going to be smaller lakes or quiet coves, closer to shore, and often undeveloped areas (the kind of locations there would more likely be gators) I have never heard of an attach on a skier, or even seen one while out skiing. I have only really heard of 1 close encounters with an aggressive gator from a skier, but especially with the boat nearby, their preference is to stay away. It is in the back of my mind every time I jump in the water tho, or wait for the boat to come back for me after a fall. There are certainly chains of lake, or areas that I don't ski. Deeply saddened by the incident at Disney, and my heart goes out to the family. With as many people that are from other areas visiting, there should probably be more warnings other than "no swimming." There likely will be now. The waters edge after dark should be avoided.Although, I believe as long as disney has been around, I think this is the 1st gator incident like that.

2006 Toyota Tundra double cab. 2 wdr. Over 250,000 miles. Only thing other than oil changes, batteries, and brake pads I've done to it is U joints.

Is this a new situation with the new ski? Possible boots are a little too far back putting your weight too far back on the ski....? Maybe you can find someones settings on that ski. Is it the same on onside and offside. I was hitting the wake harder on my offside. I finally realized that with all of the body position issues I was working on on my offside, I was a little tense and needed a little more bend in the knees, and that helped.

Never stopped.....was a nice winter here in central florida. Wore a wet suit once this year, but too much of a pain....didn't put it on again, didn't really need it. Skied almost every weekend.

@6balls certainly wasn't thinking it while on the course.....but as I barely made it to the 5th ball after an offside cross (and having to pull a little longer than ideal) I had an onside turn and cross to make it back to 6, which I managed with some room to spare. With 4 being my previous best, I had a lot of offside work to do to get to 5 I stayed on 4 for quite a while before finally getting around 5. But once around 5 was able to keep going on around 6. Its all onside/offside, and being LFF its always been easier to get to 2,4,6 than 3 and 5. When I started trying the course the 1st obstacle was getting to 3. 4 came quick after that, and the goal became getting to 5. All along working on offside, offside, offside. And still working more on offside now get more consistency.....of course also working on not pulling to long on onside to set up the offside turn.

Ran my 1st full course this weekend also. 15 off 28 mph, behind a bowrider no less. Been free skiing for the last couple weeks working on offside body position....paid off. My overall average was significantly better than last time I tried course, including 2 runs of all six. Previous PB was 4 balls, once I got around the 5th, the 6th was easy (I'm LFF.)

I've heard the shadowing all, then getting 6, then adding 5, then 4 etc. I've also heard some people will do all of the odds while shadowing even, then do even shadowing odd. I'm too stubborn (or impatient) and just try for all....tho i still cut inside those I know I won't make....have ended up making 1, 2, 4, and 6 many times. May do me some good to shadow evens and try for odds....tho I know my issues and work on it free skiing....getting close. I used to start out wide and just turn after 1, but started pulling out left and just make my cross plenty early.

Ive seen that subject here before, and articles other places such as waterski mag.... Pretty much all of the top instructors recommend leaving off the wing until you are shortening the line (exactly what point that is I can't say.) I'm probably at about the same place in my skiing as you, tho I have gone through 4 balls and touched the 5th (wiped out going over the 5th.) I'm also going 28mph.....those 2 mph make a big difference. Any slower and the ski probably wont work very well...but you may try slowing down a little more till you can get through it with good form. Make sure you aren't pulling past the wake and you shouldn't have an issue slowing down for the turn.

Scott, 50yrs old. Living in the Orlando area, originally from Durham NC. Very limited skiing as a kid (just on 2 skies and never consistent enough to even successfully get outside the wake.) Started again 4 years ago when i got a boat, fairly regularly for last 3 years. Started trying the course in the last year and attempting to refine my form. At 15 off 28mph still have only accomplished 4 1/2 balls. Have taken a couple lessons, hoping for more. Ski behind friends Nautiques occasionally, but most of the time its behind my 18ft searay bowrider (actually not bad wake, just a little slow pull-up, which is more of a problem for some of the people that come out with us learning than for me.) Skiing on a 2010 Elite I picked up last summer.

@Horton Ha!! Thats funny. I was conflicted which way to vote as I am generally exposed to feet off more (being in the US stuck in an antiquated system and all....) It is a pet peeve of mine that the US has been to stubborn to adapt to the BETTER and simpler system in all areas.....not just water skiing.

If the US would just go all metric and stop clinging to imperial a lot of things in this world would be easier.....