HMan66

I like this topic. I would say "yes" because you want everything to feel familiar. I would also say "no" because when I'm open water skiing I want to be having fun and working on fundamentals and basics (stance, glide, body position) because attempting 30 mph/15 off passes without running them every time means my fundamentals suck and I have poor body position. If I have my course ski under my feet, I want to rip and chase buoys even if there aren't any which, it seems to me, is ultimately detrimental to my progress.

@6balls I always loved the Falcons and Barefoot Warriors. Great ski boats for their time, and the graphics/colors were top notch. Boat prices are nuts right now for sure! I’d seen both of these ads in the last week so when the topic came up I thought I’d post them if anyone was looking for one since they’re fairly rare these days.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/3048785558673791/

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/boa/d/phoenix-ski-centurion-barefoot-warrior/7323120120.html

@ski6jones he’s more of a wakeboarder/surfer but he does ski and wants to learn course skiing. I got him on a new Senate last year. He has a Nautique G21 at his house in AZ. If he buys a boat for skiing (which I’m trying to talk him into) it’ll be a Nautique.

@ski6jones was that on Boaters Crossing? If so, some friends of mine are the new owners.

That was my situation last season. I went and got some coaching with @twhispser. He started me in the course at 27 mph and 15' off. He had me start at 1 ball. I was making the pass and eventually brought the gates into play. A few weeks later I made a full pass at 28 mph. I'm 6-2, 215 and skiing on a 69" Senate Lithium. I started this season at 30 mph and made my first full pass yesterday. I would recommend to get your fundamentals solid and then start chasing buoys. Get your handle position and lean angles established and the course will come to you. Don't get me wrong, while making a full pass is awesome and fun and exciting, making a full pass that feels easy and effortless is even better! I have lots of work to do in that department! Good luck, and welcome to the addiction =)

Great broadcast! I’d like to see more spectators though. Not so sure about Sure Path. I’m not a tournament skier, but a reride because the boat was 10mm off at 6 ball?

What’s your best tip to kill the dreaded squat? I think I need to forget about chasing buoys and drill the fundamentals. What say you?

First time I’ve ever skied on New Years Day! 64 air, 50 water.

The drone cam was the best!

Just installed a Reflex with the 840 release. I'm 225# and the manual calls for a tension of 5. When I did the dry land release test, at 4 it wouldn't release. I kept backing it off 1/4 turn until it would release. It's now between 3 and 4. Does that seem right? I'm currently a 28mph/15 off skier.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NEA0P8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Radar will send you the insert pattern dimensions and you can measure the Connelly to make sure it’ll fit.

@Horton are BOS hats available?

I'm still using my old KD Comp bindings from 2003. They still work fine and aren't thrashed. Would upgrading to something like a Radar Vector BOA be a worthwhile investment?

Wouldn’t a zero ball accomplish the same thing? Or would that render the gates useless and “dumb down” the start of the course?

I just got home from a weekend of coaching from @twhisper and I’ll just say that it was amazing, and is an absolute worthwhile investment in your skiing. I had a nasty crash in June and suffered total PTSD with my offside wake crossing afterwards. It’s mental. If your form is good, you have to trust it. Don’t look down, don’t look at the wakes. Look to where you want to go, and let it rip. Once I started focusing on where I wanted to go (the next buoy), I never even noticed the wakes.

I joined a club this year and the regular members pretty much insisted that they teach me how to drive the lake and the course. It’s paramount for everyone’s safety and enjoyment. Driving the course takes a lot of time and practice to be proficient. Private facilities and their members are pretty dilligent with how things go, so make sure to take everything as an opportunity to learn!

"This is wakeworld. I’ve at least a lurker on this site since the early 2000s. It’s amusing that we’re complaining about the wake that modern boats are throwing. We used to throw the biggest wakes on the lake and we told everyone else to live with it. Now that someone else is throwing a bigger wake, we’re crying about it. The circle is complete. I wonder if the oldtimers from ballofspray ever come over here to get a chuckle out of how wakeboarders are complaining about what wakesurfers are doing to the water." :D

I’ll be getting some in person coaching from @twhisper later this month. It’ll be my first time at any type of ski school so I’m pretty stoked about that. I joined his website as a TWTW member and he’s very responsive and super helpful on the Member Q&A forum. Money well spent for sure!

@PurdueSkier you were the original!

One ski right side up on the top, and one upside down on the bottom. Works pretty good. Got the track and racks from Walmart. Stole this idea from a post here a few years ago form someone that did it in their Malibu.