MitchellM

Lots of free skiing this weekend.  I hope to have my new course in the lake by the end of this month!

I just got my copy of this book.  Nicely done with good photos.  As a novice, I got quite a bit out of it.

A good looking coffee table book for sure.

2 hours ago, BKistler said:

Good one. 
 
I have what I call Bruce’s Button. Whenever I lower my boat to go skiing it’s a signal for the wind to come up and/or for the Wallys to appear out of nowhere. Yesterday I fought a breeze that I couldn’t avoid. By the time I was done the lake was glass. 

That's what we've been fighting lately.  Look out at the lake and it's calm as could be.  Cover off, drop the boat in the water, get the wife and gear in the boat, but the wind kicks up along with some chop as we motor out to ski.  Grumble a bit as we take our turns.  Put the boat back on the lift, cover back on, gear stowed away and the lake becomes a sheet of glass again!  

Yeah, it's common courtesy to wait at least until your second post before insulting the Admin.  Doesn't look good.

What did I just watch?

He's so late and slow out of 1 ball that everything falls apart right after as he mentally tries to catch up.  Jodi had us focus on 1 ball and then just get into your rhythm while you try to get 6 ball.  Once we got this down, he added 1,5,6.  This helps to focus on technique rather than falling back on bad form trying to chase unobtainable balls.  This is all done at 25mph.

And tell him to become an active member here.  I've learned a lot just by reading threads and listening to posted podcasts I never would have known existed.  It's a friendly crowd even for us newbies.

How is it that Whitney owns Moomba?  With such variable conditions there, is it a testament to her strength and adaptability?  How do skiers in our hemisphere even prepare for that tournament?

Remarkable list!  

I own a cottage at Callaway Gardens.  My kids all learned to ski on Robin Lake.  One of my biggest regrets is that I never went up to see Andy Mapple ski the Masters.  We always went  there the week after the tournament.  I just didn't know about competetive water skiing back then.  Sad.

Those designs really look great!

Just one more example of why I hate insurance companies.  I hope this jump finds a new home.

5 minutes ago, o2bnMaine said:

Great news!!

It wouldn't hurt to have a few typos in there. Make it harder for people to recognize what you're doing?!

Great idea!  $277 to place this legal notice in the local newspaper.    I'm now at over $800 in fees alone for this course before I even pay Travers.

On 2/16/2024 at 5:56 PM, Gale K said:

Back out there again this morning, temps going the wrong direction. Lake temp 37, air 28... c'mon spring!

You're my hero!

You're not really near Orlando at Flagler Beach.  Consider any of the great places east of Orlando.  I would avoid any place west of Orlando.  Traffic through Orlando is brutal and will sap any fun you have that day.

2 minutes ago, Horton said:

let me rephrase my first post. electric boats are absolutely coming. Electric boats in the form factor of a slalom boat have been evaluated and at the moment they are economically and functionally impractical.

Very well put.  We need a leap in battery technology to make this happen, but there is a lot of reward for those who find the solution.  I predict within 10 years.

I can't knock it until I try it, but I can't wrap my head around the fact that the handle doesn't tip more and thus more easily pull the handle through your grip.  Seems like a different type of grip is required.  More of a squeeze with the one hand as opposed to a fingertip grip in a traditional handle.  I'm a rower and we focus on the fingertip hang on the handle as opposed to gripping the handle which is wasted energy.

Also, with the angulation, don't you have to reach somewhat further to grab the handle with your free hand after the turn?  This may not seem like much, but every little additional distance could make a difference when things get tight.

46 minutes ago, Horton said:

Back to the question asked in the title of this thread.

Everybody loves a new boat just like everyone loves a new car. I think everyone can agree on this for the most part. ( If you are a Porsche 912 super fan I understand but that is another thread )

The fact is, boats are pretty simple compared to cars and there is nothing wrong with an old boat. A 15 – 20 year old car with 200k or 300K miles might not be worth the trouble. Google tells me the average car has 30,000 parts. That is a lot of stuff to wear out. A boat is made of more stuff that lasts for decades than stuff that wears out. Engines, transmissions, steering, electrical, and some bits might give up but all that is replaceable.

During Covid when boats were in super short supply I used a 2008 boat for about 6 months. That old boat drove fine and my scores were exactly the same as with a new boat. If all 3 boat companies quit making boats tomorrow it would send shockwaves through the sport but there is no reason we would not carry on. Today you can get a 2008 or later ZO boat on SIA for 30k to 40K. When that engine gives out you can repower for less than 10K. You can get a pre-2008 non-ZO boat for less and repower if you want/need.

There is not a shortage of boats. The new ones are pricey but you can get a perfectly good training boat for less than ½ of a new boat.

Agreed.  Boat cost is not the problem.  Plenty of great used boats that do the job at an approachable price point.  So few new boats are sold every year at the outrageous MSRP relative to all of the older boats that are still pulling skiers of all abilities.  I just got a great boat for $25k.  Older, but still in good shape and with a wake that rivals most new boats.  Good enough for me right now.

2 hours ago, Horton said:

@MitchellM Good news and bad news. The good news is there is not a bad trick ski on the market. The bad news is can be hard to choose.

I am currently on a Reflex Duo. It is a little less expensive and more durable than most of the others but it is also a little heavier. I am supposed to do a review on it. How do you review a trick ski? Reflex also makes the Neo which is super light and pricey. 

KD, Radar, Quantum, and D3 all make very good skis. I won Regional trick a couple of times in the last few years on a Radar. These are all good skis.

Used trick skis are hard to come by.

Thanks for the information.  I'm amazed how little comes up on SIA.  Plus, the used prices seem high considering I know nothing about these skis.

My adult daughters want to try trick skiing.  Any suggestion regarding a ski to purchase and set up for them to give it a go?

They have been on slalom skis most of their lives.

I'm not sure what to tweak and why I would tweak it.  I'm just too much of a novice to make changes to fin settings.  I do question now if my boot is in the best location.  I'm not really sure how to measure this.  I did slap a radar vector boa boot on my Goode wide ride and just went about my business.  Could it be better located?  Probably the least of my problems.

Superbowl free ski day.  The lake was 69 and the air temp was 75.  Very nice!

And which company will land Regina?

1 hour ago, Horton said:

You have a Rivian? Tell me more. 

I ordered the Rivian R1S 3 years ago.  It finally came  6 months ago.  I wanted an EV that could tow a ski boat (which I didn't own  yet).  So far I have only needed to tow short distances and to drop the boat into the lake where we just bought a house with a lift.  The Rivian has been great so far.

Current battery technology is a stumbling block for boating applications.  My Rivian has 835hp but weighs over 7000lbs!  Not much of an issue on land, but 1500 lbs  of battery might be an issue on a small ski boat.  I think my Malibu only weighs 3000lbs.