RGilmore

Not sure if this has been brought up but, as with boxing and MMA fighting, reach may have more to do with buoy count than height alone. Without having measured him, it's always been my impression that Nate Smith has unusually long arms for his height. I boxed in college, and my worst defeat ever was from a guy who only came up to my chin. Problem was, he came up way too often.

@Andre - MC has a patent on their "frictionless" pylon. Not sure if it's old enough to be in the public domain yet, but anyone with the extra pocket money can legally have a machine shop replicate it on their own personal pylon, regardless of boat brand. @LOTW - I'll bet your rope hasn't "melted" at all. What happened is the pressure on the inside of the loop flattened the rope fibers together and the constant rubbing polished the newly-flat inner surface to a high shine. A little bit dust/grime rubbed into that shiny surface can easily resemble a sort of "charred" appearance as well. As always, IMO.

For the record, there's footage out there somewhere of Andy Mapple doing the very same thing, maybe a couple of decades ago. One of the LaPoint's (Bob/Kris) was known to have also pulled it off now and then. Doesn't make it any less amazing, however, to see Caldwell do it too.

I don't know which is the most popular ski currently, but when I was a kid in the 70's the most popular ski was the Maherajah, although I suspect that had something to do with Suzanne Somers.

@Bruce_Butterfield Or even butt him with her horns?

@swbca Your hips are back through the wake because your hands are up and out. Your hands are up and out because you never really got them down and in. You have to finish your turn with skiing into a stacked, hip-up-hands-down position. Until you learn to do that you will never look like Nate or Terry, because once the load comes on you do not have the physical strength to then get stacked - no one does. My key for getting stacked before load is to sight down length of the rope through the second wake, while also making sure I can see my chest/hips in my lower peripheral vision. My "mantra" for focusing on achieving this position is "Hips First" - the underlying concept being that my hips must lead the gate turn-in, lead the wake crossing, and be connected to the handle before the load comes on. Being RFF, this will not be as hard to learn as you might think - your right hip will naturally lead the gate turn-in... if you learn to let it.

@BHarris You've heard the old saying, "Pain is just weakness, leaving the body"? Well, in your case, pain is just GRIP STRENGTH leaving the body. The good news is, it can't stay gone forever. Give it a rest, literally, and it'll be back before you know it.

@OldboyII Actually, I'm a Naproxen Sodium man myself, but "Ibuprofen" flowed better in the joke .

Nearly 100% of my slalom falls result in medical care, assuming mass quantities of Ibuprofen therapy is considered "medical care".

@Wish - it's super easy to modify ANY fin hole to "asymmetrical" like the Denali fin with a 3/8" (or 10 mm) hand reamer and a battery drill. Plus you also gotta have a steady hand and an eye for estimating angles (or an angle jig of some sort)

Not for nothing, but Bob LaPoint famously said, "Ski on the longest ski you can turn."

@Stevie Boy It's my understanding that the bit at the front also helps during deep-water starts. Just sayin'

What @Clydesdale asked. Inquiring minds want to know.

It's been done. Somebody on here a few years ago posted a fin he had milled vertical step-grooves into, with the anticipated benefit being... I have no idea.

@BS74 I had the honor of skiing with British skier Aiden Willers when I spent some time with Andy Mapple at his lake in Orlando. Aiden is an amazing guy, but he has had to overcome a horrific arm injury from getting caught up in the handle. I said all that to say this: If you think a dislocated elbow is the worst that can result from an arm getting caught in the handle, you're gravely mistaken. Many injuries are MUCH worse; a merely dislocated elbow would be more like a lucky break (pun intended).

"Not-tique"; "Notique"; "No-tique"

@A_B I think any doctor who recommends duck walks is probably a quack.

Agree with @ALPJr - ankles take time. But it IS still summer, so... "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". You can go proactive by either learning to properly tape your ankle, by consulting with a Physical Therapist (on Youtube, of course). OR - something a friend of mine did for a while - use a THIN, high-quality lace-up ankle support, which you should be able to get used to under your Radar boot. (maybe re-mold the liner if it's really bugging you). IMO, of course.

Video from the POV of the pylon can prove or disprove this thought, but I'm betting that your handle/hands are not properly aligned with your body while crossing the wake. Even if you have a perfectly aligned body "stack", if your hands are out in front of you as you cross behind the boat (instead of aligned with your stack's centerline) you are gonna overload the front of the ski and risk the kind of fall you are describing. I do not have my copy in front of me, but there is a great full-page photo in your Fin Whispering book that shows a LFF skier in an offside pull with perfect ankles/hips/ hands/ shoulders alignment while directly behind the boat. I'd advise you find that photo and study it closely. If you can manage to look like that guy there's a good chance you will manage ski like that guy (of course, YMMV). As always, IMO.

NP.com = no clue (for me)

@gcam4 Unless it's a glitch in my laptop, "NP.com" leads to a domain for sale - by "Paul@Np.com" - for a mere $2.5M. Apparently, Paul is hoping to retire on the sale.

"a submerged rail or cable engineered into a purpose built ski lake would be the ticket" It sure would be "the ticket"... the ticket to total OBSCURITY - and ultimately DEATH of the sport. The boat, boat crew, boating ads, etc, are ALL what make pro tournaments worth watching. If you want to eliminate all those things, just take up cable slalom - I hear it's all the rage in Europe (or something like that). Also, NOBODY is going to want to spend time with their friends at their place on "a purpose built ski lake" with no boat - how could THEY ever experience the thrill of their first time up on skis? Or just riding on a screaming fast [to them] inner tube? Or riding in the back seat of a 3,000 lb boat doing a 180* turn around at 36 mph? Lake properties like that would quickly go the way of silent movies - right after our sport did. As always, IMO.

@Horton Just touching on what @Gloersen mentioned. And who's to say using the right hand to drive the handle vertical doesn't contribute to the overall result? The alternate theory would have to be that it's just an odd, inconsequential habit... right?

As for the handle "twist" move that initiated this thread, Chris Parrish also does (or "used to did") this move into this onside turn.

For my money nothing beats Suave Green Apple shampoo. I would never let this stuff anywhere near my hair, but my feet love it and my bindings smell great.