Moffattra

I'll admit I don't really understand the current ranking system, or exactly how ELO or something like it would change it. But, it sounds like you're trying to come up with a way to rank skiers based on how they ski against each other on a given day, as opposed to how they ski any given course.

I know it's been brought up before, but this is the way skiers are ranked for alpine ski racing. While the system on the whole is "pretty good" at accurately ranking skiers from all over the globe, it has a couple dangerous side effects:

1. To improve your ranking you need to go to events with better (ideally much better) skiers. This often gives an unfair advantage to athletes who can afford to "chase" events for points. Or even the lucky ones who happen to live where more of those events take place.

2. To improve your ranking you need to ski closer to or better than a higher ranked skier. This leaves the door open (especially at "backyard" events) for high ranking skiers to ski below their ability, artificially elevating the scores of lesser skiers.

Bottom line; there is probably no system that is perfect and people will always try to bend/leverage the rules to their advantage, and while it sucks when people get ahead of you unfairly, hopefully the system separates the skiers who can get a good ranking from the ones who can ski a good ranking.

my $.02

Wow! So rad!

I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t even know that was a thing! How do they score it? Must be can hard not to favor 1 discipline?

I skied behind one of those “drag” boats as a kid. Awesome looks, sound and wakes. AND, forced me to get better ‘cause every time I fell out near a ball the rope would fall on the hot exhaust, get melted through and my dad would shorten 6’!

“Wanna try 38? No? Too bad, that’s all we got left...”

Holy crap! Where is that lake?? Gorgeous!

And btw, love the stoke and curiosity, but you are SO screwed! ?

@TravisNW how often are you hosting tournaments? your local 2-way radio expert will rent you super nice radios for pretty cheap. then you don't have to deal with storing them, keeping batteries healthy, technology getting old, etc.

In ascending order of buoy count:

Tournament PB

Practice PB

After several beers and talking to pretty girls PB

I think you're in NH? there are lots of SUPER friendly tournaments in the northeast; http://waterskitheeast.com

tournament skiers are crazily excited to welcome new people, especially kids. here are some thoughts:

go to new sites first- it's fun anyway and helps break the comfort of home

practice- some of the tournaments have Friday afternoon practice, HUGE help. unfortunately the VT tourney can't practice on the actual course, but there is one just down the lake

Pangea- crazy friendly people and super non-intimidating setup

get in the boat- volunteer to be in the boat for her rounds

maybe let her skip first round- seeing other kids do it helps sometimes

friends?- if you can get a friend of hers to do it too, there's nothing like peer pressure!

do it with her- she'll probably do better than you and love it...

bottom line is that if she has any inclination to go, I think you'll find it friendly, easy, and fun. I hope you go!

yeah, that's a plus for sure.

you're in New Brunswick? I vaguely recall a super nice echelon lx for sale there years ago? purple maybe?

sorry, I'm partial to the monsoon. they are the perfect blend of modern technology with old-school simplicity.

the regular 350 is just lame. I'd be pumped about the scorpion, although it's probably slightly less reliable due to the high performance parts.

seriously splitting hairs here though, all 3 engines have their pros and cons. and in a 22yo boat all of those engines could be in any condition from basically new to about to be your new mooring anchor.

if the price is even reasonable, I would get it. there are VERY few boats out there that are all three:

-good to great ski wake

-useable open bow

-affordable

great boats! maybe the cheapest way to get great wake and walk-thru open bow.

most echelons had MAG 350s, but more '97s had monsoon (I consider this a deal breaker)

computron... annoying but easily replaced

can we see the ad? or pictures??

Very cool! Love that plain, white boats are getting cool again!

Can you share with us how you chose this boat??

Very sad news. Only met him a few times yet regularly find myself thinking of him and re-telling his stories.

that paint can be sanded off pretty easily, but it rarely gets put on boats that don't live in saltwater which means a whole host of other issues could pop up. are you near saltwater?

better get confirmation about that sunsetter having a diamond hull, it's a huge difference and a lot of people get confused.

are these boats listed online? nerds like me can tell a lot from internet classified ads...

I second the echelon if you can find an open bow (it was my 3rd choice in last search). there was a cheap echelon lxi with a 454 in Texas? I think, this winter? that is a real man's boat

I assume the prostar is a 190?

I searched long and hard for either a first gen. prostar 205 or sunsetter lxi to get the best combo of slalom wake and space. ended up with sunsetter because it's newer, bigger better and absolutely love it.

It's really quite simple:

Men ski 36, girls ski 34