o2bnMaine

I did two sets yesterday. A total of 14 passes if I counted currently. I got 7 complete passes at 32-. I'm blaming my 5-ball count for one pass on wake reflections. They get really bad by the 5th pass. I'm going to stick with these settings for now, but I'm curious if I should start over with checking my boot placement to see if a totally different setting would be better. ?

@MDB1056 yes. I see a c85 on the horizon. He skied it the day before and after that accident. The day after he was super solid through the course. I told him he'd be wasting money to demo other skis.

Here's a close-up. You can see that the binding's base is still screwed into the ski. The rest of the boot ripped off.

I've been teaching this guy to ski the course this summer. He was a semi-pro wakesurfer who lives near me. We'd go out surfing together. Years ago, I taught him to barefoot. Amazing athlete. He has an uncanny ability to hear what I tell him and then do it. He's very coachable. A little over a month ago, he hit the course for the first time. He probably gets out 3-4 days a week with me. So, a month ago, he was rounding the novice buoys at 15-off/30.4mph. By the end of his second pass, he was doing the full course. Now, he's at 18.5-off/34.2mph -- we have a training loop on this rope. He'll get 2/3rds of his passes most mornings. The amazing thing is that he's never skied to the buoys. He always skis the correct handle path. It has been great to watch his progression. Yesterday, it was too windy for a second set in the course, so we free skied. He gave my wife's Denali c85 a try. He loved it. What a step up from the Omni he's been using. Well, this morning, the Omni gave out on him! I'm not sure if you can see what happened in the picture, but the boot separated from the boot's base. It ripped right off the ski!! It was a very bad crash, but he's OK. I've never seen anything like it before. All of a sudden, he had no stability approaching the wake. Then he had a yard sale. I guess he's going to get a new ski soon!! (yeah, he really only needs a new binding, but how does one get back on a ski after it does that to you?!)

I tried my new settings this morning. The ski reared up a lot on my offside, so I moved the fin back a hair. It felt better. Now I feel like I need to ski on it and get back in the groove. One pass, I absolutely nailed it. The spotter thought I was more relaxed than he's seen me since I screwed up my fin. The driver also commented that I was very light on the boat. The other passes were either struggles to get all 6 or I didn't complete the pass. I ended the morning with the following settings. I may stick with these one more day and see how it goes. I can tell there are tons of things I am not getting right. I need to smooth those out to get a better idea if this is the fin or me. 28.5, 2.600, 6.830, 0.828, 7-Flat

I'm 28.5 for my front boot, by the way. I don't think I've every tried a 9-degree wing setting! I'm going to try something different tomorrow. I feel like I have to work too hard with the last fin position. I have been getting 80% of my 32-off passes @34.2mph. I just feel like I can smooth things out. I'm going to try 6.830, 2.600, 0.849, 7-flat and see how that feels. This will have more length than the last time I tried numbers similar to this. I'm hoping that will correct how much the ski smears. And I may push the fin back to 0.825 again to see how that affects things too. Looking at my log sheet, I keep moving my fin farther and farther back. I've gone through a progression 1.21, 1.18, 1.15, 1.00, 0.89, 0.90, 0.93, 0.85, 0.825, 0.85. My depth and length numbers haven't changed too much in comparison.

I'm 152-155 pounds (5' 10"). I'm using a c75 small. I'm always up for this sort of discourse!! A few weeks ago, someone asked if I was the type of skier who always is adjusting things. I said, "no." My wife laughed, but then she admitted that once I got the fin settings where I liked them, I hadn't changed anything in two years! Adam Caldwell gave me some settings to try TWO years ago. I'm finally trying them now. They seem close to what I had been using. I'm trying to decide whether I want to change the settings or correct my body position. I think it makes more sense for me to correct my body position, of course, but if the body position issue is exacerbated by the fin settings, then it might be in a circular argument?? Anyway, things are good, but I think something still needs to change. 6.75, 2.477, 0.928, 8-deg flat. The ski is coming around nicely on both sides, but I get slack on my offside. I am getting plenty wide enough. I know I'm dropping my inside hip too much most of the time, but even when I get it correct I'm still seeing slack on exit. From a performance standpoint (previous and current settings), I usually get 6 buoys for 4-5 of my 6 passes at 32-off. I'm getting 2 buoys at 35-off as well, which isn't too far from my 4-buoy PB. I know I could do it with better form. Practice Practice Practice!!! The template idea is a good one. I have plenty of 1/4-in PVC sheets I could use for that!!

I'm guessing I'm going to use this "opportunity" to come up with new settings. The ski is turning way faster on both sides. Things feel way different. For now, I'm getting used to how to get in position after a much more aggressive turn. I'm already running my 32-off passes, but things are different. Hopefully, in the long run, different in a good way.

Luckily I had documented my fin settings in May! I started a freeskiing set in Maine this morning and before I even pulled out for a turn, I hit something hard. It was probably a piece of wood. I can't say for sure if the fin slipped, but I'm fairly certain it did. I had a lot more "smear" on my onside turn than I was used to. The fin depth wasn't what I had documented, so it might have moved a little. The wing angle changed for sure. I set the fin back to what I had documented to match what I had it set to in May when I got close to a PB. I'm crossing my fingers the fin is back where it has been for the past two months while I've been skiing in Maine. If not, I'll have to start the arduous process of tuning my ski again. :neutral:

We've been skiing at 6:30am most mornings this summer (in Maine). Photo taken via the Insta360 x2

Quick 3rd party review. My wife bought a c85 last month on her way to Maine. We haven't had an opportunity to hit slalom course yet, but we have been free skiing. Her skiing seems to be much better. After her set yesterday, she commented that she's liking the ski the more she gets to know it. She is finding that she can edge change closer to the centerline without feeling out of control over the 2nd half of the wake. I asked her if she thought she could trust it more. She said yes. I can tell that's the case. She's been skiing at 18.5-off at 27.5mph behind our Response LX. I see her turns as much more deliberate -- she keeps the ski tip down and her hips up more during the turn instead of pivoting the ski. The exits lead to much more speed to the wake. I hope to help the people who own the course in town to put it in by the end of June. Hopefully that happens as I'm itching to get back to counting buoys. But I do love to free ski up here. The water is so crisp and clean!

I'm a fan of releases with RTP. With your hip situation, maybe check out the MOB? http://www.mobsystemrelease.com/

I guess I'm resurrecting a very old thread by voting. I've been putting some thought into my ZO setting. I'm using a '09 Response LX (320hp). I'm finding that any setting I use behind the new Nautique seems to be great. I've only used A2 behind the new MasterCraft and Malibu (so far). I used to go out with A2. I've recently been playing with C2. Both feel solid to me. But, for my boat with its wimpy engine, I am starting to wonder if I can find a better option. So, for someone who's only 155 lbs using a 320 hp boat, should I be thinking about how I set ZO for my boat vs. what setting to tell friends who have newer boats??

I tried a c85 Medium the other week. I liked it!! But I'm not feeling stuck on my c75 Small, so I didn't pull the trigger. My wife tried the c85 Small as well. She was the reason we stopped by to try it out in the first place. Her V-Type was getting a little tired. She is the proud owner of a c85 now!! During the demo at Trophy Lakes, Meg set the ski up for me (I assume it was set to stock with front boot at 29"). I managed to tie my PB on my first (and only) pass (4@35-off/34.2mph). The ski felt very comfortable. Easy to control and totally predictable for me. Conditions were awful. We had winds and rain. Still, I managed to get a PB. It is a great ski. Thankfully, I got back on my c75 and still liked it. That would have been torture if I found I no longer liked the c75 after trying the c85. ;-) Note, Meg told me to try the medium, while I was on a small for the c75 (Front boot at 28.5"). I didn't bother getting a clear reason for this. I figure if the person who builds the ski tells me I'm a medium, then I'm a medium!

I tend to get accessories in May/June as that's when I realize things are wearing out and I know I can still find things at my local shop. I don't get a new ski frequently enough to speak to a pattern. I bought the last one in Fall as that's when I decided I liked the Denali better than the other skis I had demo'd. I don't do tournaments, so I'm not thinking about it from that perspective.

Demoing the Denali c85 medium today at Trophy Lakes, I got 4@35. I almost got out to 5, but it didn't seem like a wise thing to attempt. This ties my PB. But I was much more in control this attempt and my back muscles are still ok where the last time I got this far my back was sore for a week. I'm a huge fan of the ski. Meg set it up for me with the binding at 29 and stock fun position. I did one 28-off followed by two 32-off passes. Then I got 2@35 followed by 4@35. My prior opportunity to ski was on the 18th so I did this pretty much with no prep. The ski felt like it was on automatic. My gates at 35-off definitive need some attention! Next time in the water, I will be back in my c75 small. I'm curious to see how long I go before I want a c85. My wife also demo'd the ski. This was the real reason for stopping at Trophy Lakes. She DID buy a ski. They put her on a small.

I have a friend in your weight range. He's around 70 years old. Double boot. He has a bad back too. I pull him up SLOWER than my 120-pound wife. That's with a 320hp inboard. The key is to get the ski in the proper position to allow the boat to slowly pull you up. I would be describing the position you explain you are employing at the beginning of the thread. I assume you aren't using a bathing suit that balloons?

Hmm. I didn't know how to answer this one. I hit 3.5 @ 35-off @ 36mph ~15 years ago the only time I ever attempted 35-off. Today, I'm at 4 @ 35-off @ 34.2mph. The difference is I can do 32-off much much smoother than the one time I slammed my way through (and completed!) the ONLY 32-off pass at 36mph I ever attempted. The other day, I got 5 of 6 32-off passes; albeit at 34.2 instead of 36. Today, I know I am a much better skier than I was back then. So! How does speed factor into PBs?!

We just got ours. We chose the medium. I'm very happy with how it feels. The construction quality is excellent. I added an 18.5-off loop for my wife. She loves how our wake feels at this length and as a result feels more comfortable in her wake crossings.

I post this to give him the credit due and to remind people he is an amazing coach. So far in 2022, I have gone to Lucky Lowe for three coaching sessions. For one session, we spent almost 30 minutes on his boat ramp changing how I hold the handle during my lean. I finally internalized what he was trying to get me to do. It came to me in two stages. Before the boat ramp drill I saw some improvements, but after it really sunk in what I was doing wrong (and how to correct it). In 2021, I was able to run 32-off OK and dip into 35-off (at 34mph) but both were very shaky and used a ton of energy. After dipping into 35, I usually had a sore lower back, for instance. My form was awful when trying for a new PB. This morning, I ran 5 of 6 at 32-off without any effort. I could have run a couple more passes but the boat traffic was picking up. The final pass, I couldn't have been any earlier at 5-ball than I was. I expected to get to where I am with Lucky's help, but I didn't really have a timetable for when it would happen. We've had a very windy March/April where I live, so hitting the slalom course has taken a back seat to windsurfing. Still, the few sets I've taken have been enough to make a huge leap forward. I think I made three significant changes as a result of his coaching. I know tips people get are specific to them, so this isn't meant to be useful for anybody in particular. I thought I'd list what clicked for me if anybody is curious. Hopefully, I'm describing things correctly! ;-) (1) Lucky had me pull out later for the gates and adjust my stance so that I didn't let up on the applying pressure to the rope so abruptly. This helped me maintain width before turning in for the gates. (2) I've been hearing that I need to get the handle lower and near my hips, but I never figured it out from that advice. A couple of months ago, I figured out that if I pinched my life vest with my elbows, it helped me get across the wakes with more angle. Then, I adjusted a bit more by pushing the handle down even further (this is what the boat ramp drill drilled into me). This motion brought my hips up a bit more changing my skis attitude across the wake. It changed how my body moved when I bent my knees. I crossed with no bounce at all (at 28-off and shorter). (3) Lucky has been telling me to make my 2-4 turns snappier. The one pass I didn't complete today felt more lopsided than usual. My 2-4 turns were very slow, but I made it up with tons of angle out of 1-3. I'd get early to 2-4 but was late to 1-3. The rhythm felt so off, it stuck in my head.

My wife and I are! (Florida!!) I'm hoping to get out tomorrow. Conditions look good. Today was a little too windy.

Normally, my wife and I ski ~4 days a week all year round. And, if not waterskiing, I'm windsurfing, so at least I stay in shape. I've only been skiing once every two or three weeks lately. This summer has been windy enough to stop me from skiing but not enough for windsurfing. And I haven't been spending the necessary time to maintain my secondary option for course skiing on a nearby lake either. Between the above and starting a new project for work, skiing hasn't been as plentiful as when COVID put my professional life on hold. I feel like the season is just beginning for me. Bittersweet... I need to work to pay for the gas! ;-) This morning, a couple of friends came over to pull me through the course for the first time since September 5th. I learned more about my mental conditioning relating to slalom than anything, I think. (1) Mentally, I was trying too hard. I was focusing so much on doing well that I wasn't able to concentrate on mechanically what I needed to do. (2) I had a VERY competent driver, yet I couldn't get it out of my head that it wasn't my wife driving. This was the first time in probably two years that someone else pulled me through the course. (3) I was too bull-headed to drop down to 22-off for my initial passes. I couldn't get past 3-ball on my first 4 attempts at 28-off. Stupid waste of energy that was! After two successful 22-off passes, I shortened back to 28-off and easily ran both of those passes as well. (4) For the 4 successful passes I completed, I noticed my flaws creeping back around 4-ball. 4-ball is where I usually have trouble, which means I'm messing up 3-ball, of course. I found it telling when on 3 of the 4 passes, out of 3-ball, I didn't get my right hand back to the handle properly, which left me with a very weak grip crossing from 4 to 5. This really drove home how important it is to direct energy from the leading shoulder through the body as one crosses the wake. Without a good grip, I found I was out of sorts approaching 5-ball. I'm going to keep reminding myself of this for when i'm back into 32 and 35-off. (5) I prefer when the water is below 90 degrees. ;-) Today felt great only being in the mid-80's. I'm looking forward to trying to fit more skiing in during the coming months!!

Did you guys lose a drop ski on Lake Cannon? Someone reported one found. White with red stripes.

I was out windsurfing the other day as I deemed it too windy for skiing. While sailing, I had the treat of watching some people using our slalom course at the north end of the lake. They clearly didn't think it was too windy! They happened to nick an entrance gate buoy free, so I sailed over to it and snagged it since I was done for the day. I sailed back to the dock as they were leaving. Since I had the time, I put it back in place right away. The next day, a group of guys on a Bachelor's Party Ski Trip stopped by our dock with a couple of spiffy new buoys for us! Thanks for beingi awesome!!

Skied this morning. That's the first time since early February!! We've had windy weather this winter. I've windsurfed over (average) 175 miles each of the last three months. Anyway, waterskiing. Air: 75 Water: 70 Wetsuit: What's that?