WDKinley

I'm not listening to Mr Teeter tho... I'm listening to Rylie ;D

wakeboarding definitely disrupted the ski industry.... many of us have migrated back.

mid 90s boats (196, 197, 205, sport nautique, echelon, sportster, sportstar, etc.) can be found from 6K-12K all day long. Add perfect pass with zbox (zero off emulator).... and boat spray only becomes an issue at 35 headwind or shorter. I've heard many 28-35 off skiers say that the perfect pass with zbox gets them within a buoy or two of zero off boats. These older boats weigh 23XX LB-27XX LB. The new ski boats weigh 33XXLB. Believe it or not the power to weight ratio is better in many of the old ones. If I can emphasize anything on this forum.... please help your friends find budget ski boats to get them started in the sport. Over the years I've got 5-10 friends/acquaintances OUT of I/O's and into older ski boats. Sold a couple boats multiple times after the first purchaser realized the sport wasn't for them. Watch craigslist / SIA for good quality used gear to help them out. If your friends get hooked.... you may even get a driver for life ;)

1995 Sport Nautique w/ 16X hours. Someone decided to put the Ski Nautique decals on. Does great in the course and throws a decent surf wave. Not sure what else a guy could ask for.

yeah baby. (austin powers style)

I've skied the sv609 open bow hull a bit. Did plenty of wakeboarding behind it. Ski wake is nothing noteworthy. Average in the segment at best. The good news is the mercruiser engine should have plenty of parts availability unlike the boat itself. A family member has had one since new (early 2000s) and can't complain about the overall longevity and maintenance. YMMV

Thanks for the input guys! I still don't know exactly which route I'm going to go. Wake edition you can definitely map a ski course and it times ball 3 and exit gate.

Hey crew, I'm looking for advice when purchasing speed control on a budget..... I see that perfect pass has basically three options. Stargazer Stargazer 3 event. Stargazer 3 event plus z box. Now.... I'm a 15-22 off 34 mph skier. (for now) I think the best option for me $$$ wise right now is to pick up Stargazer and add the 3 event and z box at a later date. I believe the basic stargazer times ball 3 and exit. I hear the new Stargazer 9.12 is quite a bit better on short setups (which I have) and locking in speed. The interesting thing is my ski partner runs through 38 off at 34mph.... but he's probably not going to like the pull/wake anyway. What are your thoughts on me just going with the basic Stargazer to get by for now? Or am I going to regret it and should just pony up the extra $$$ for the 3 event and z box? Dwight

I have just scouted a new potential site here in MB, Canada. Got permission from the landowners, drilled 15 holes through the ice and we are 4-7 feet deep for 2200 feet. Just waiting on the ice to thaw so I can sonar for trees / rocks / etc that may be hiding. Topo map ridges are every three feet. Plenty of protection from wind. The stoke level has never registered this high!