Ed_Obermeier

Have you looked at Ski-It-Again.com for a ski? If you don't want to spend that $1K to get started there are a lot of good skis on SIA in your range that won't kill the bank account initially. Until you get rolling with it and know more exactly how you want to go ski wise this is a great lower cost way to get started IMO. Attached one link from SIA but there are plenty in your size range to look at. Enjoy! http://www.ski-it-again.com/php/skiitagain.php?endless=summer&topic=Search&category=Slalom&postid=32033

Really appreciate the kind thoughts guys, thank you. I don't really see this as being any sort of disaster or big negative, it's just kind of one of those things life throws at you that you just have to deal with head on. I kind of did this to myself I suppose (ignorance of youth) and in a way I'm a victim of my own self imposed circumstances. If only I hadn't thought taking up distance running at age 25 (on top of playing basketball since I was a kid) was a good idea... Just wasn't built to be a runner I guess. I enjoyed running, but my knees and hips didn't. In a somewhat perverse way I'm kinda looking forward to getting it done. Certainly not looking forward to surgery and rehab but I AM looking forward to having more function and less discomfort than I've been dealing with for a lot of years now. Maybe I'm just not smart enough to be fearful of getting it done; got 6 months to think about that though. But I'm not gonna let it keep me from continuing a sport I thoroughly enjoy. Haven't spoken to a single person yet, skier or otherwise, who regrets having it done. Thanks again to all for the messages and kind thoughts. Keep the info coming please.

Time to revive this thread. It's official - had a MRI and x-rays last week that confirm that I need a total knee replacement on my right knee. There is no rehab, no exercise, no shots I can take that will make any difference. All 3 compartments have significant damage so a partial isn't an option. No surprise, this has been coming on for a lot of years now - been wearing a full metal knee brace to ski for 5+ years now, been working with an excellent trainer last 2+ years who focuses me on strengthening my knees/hips/core etc - but it's kind of sobering to actually be told it's gotta happen. Not planning on having it done until October so one more summer with the knee brace and ibuprofen. If anyone has knowledge or experience with a specific type or brand of replacement knee, specific type of surgical technique, any questions I should be asking a surgeon etc I would sincerely welcome the information. The more knowledge I can go into this with the better. Traveling outside the Kansas City area for a specific surgeon or hospital is probably out of the realm of possibility due to insurance considerations but there seem to be plenty of well qualified ortho's here that can handle the job. I'd just like to be able to get as specific in questioning them as possible and at least attempt to get the best knee/surgical technique/surgeon etc available. I intend to continue skiing for a long time. If I gotta do it I wanna get it right the first try. Been digging through all the info I can find on the Web but info from skiers who have life experience with this is worth a lot more to me. Appreciate the input.

I think there is something to it, I just have my doubts as to what degree it's going to affect a mid level skier like myself. I got over the "gotta have the latest greatest so I can get more buoys" thing a lot of years ago. I seriously doubt that a new $1500 blue ski is going to get me more buoys than the year old, just getting broke in well green one I got last year. Maybe if I were a line length or two better skier I might notice the difference, but at 35 off and below I doubt I'm perceptive enough to know/be able to use the difference. For the vast majority of us it's much more indian than arrow AFAIC. So for myself I'm not rushing out to drop another $1500 on yet another new ski when the one I have is working just fine (for me), thank you very much.

In the thread "Radar Lithiums Blue Vapor vs. Green Vapor" Eddie Roberts wrote "The 2015 "blue ski" is the same shape as the 2014 "green". The longitudinal flex and rocker are the same. The difference lies in the carbon fiber laminate schedule. The 2015 Vapor is softer torsionally resulting in a ski that initiates and finishes the turn more easily creating sustainable angle and more space before the buoy." I hadn't seen this particular subject discussed on the forum but maybe I'm missing something. To my memory, up to now we've always been taught to believe that the less torsional flex a ski had the better. Successions of various models of skis went from less torsional flex to more (the RS1 had less torsional flex than the MPD, the Strada had less than the RS1, each progression of the Strada had less than the previous etc). Now with the Vapor we're being told the opposite, that the blue Vapor with less torsional rigidity is an improvement over the green, which I assume must be stiffer torsionally than the blue one. This seems to me to be a 180 degree change from everything we've been told previously. So I guess my question is - WTF?

Just taking a quick look at bindings on D3's site, the rear plate looks to me like it's designed to fit the HO/Radar hole pattern too. If not get an HO Animal rear plate, matches up perfectly with the D3 Leverage rear and fits Radar/HO skis. I've used Leverage bindings on Radar skis since they started making them, no issues.

Rubber bindings ---> least complicated. Strada/Vapor bindings ---> more complicated. Hard shell bindings ---> most complicated. IMO start with the least complicated setup while working out the other numerous variables of serious slalom skiing. Once you have all that covered and you want to add a BUNCH more variables to the equation, if you want to mess with hard shells go for it. Just be sure you understand what you're getting into with the various different types of bindings before you invest the $$$.

@skosney sounds like the green Vapor's will be going at fire sale prices now. Pick one up cheap - you won't be dissapointed.

Community lake or private club site? Kansas side?

Hey! My boat is University of ChickenHawk colors. It's a good look.

Bastards! I love my green Vapor and unlike @Horton I have no issues with needing to be particularly technical to ski well on it. Of course my definition of "ski well" isn't at the same level as Hortons. Nor is my ability level... When the '16 version comes out and you're all trashing the blue ones (as you're trashing the green ones now) I'll be happy to take one off your hands at about half price.

Check Raintree Lake and Lake Winnebago in Lees Summit, Mo. kind of the south-east part of town. Across 291 Highway from each other in southern Lees Summit, just south of 50 Hiway. IMO probably the best communities and conditions for course skiing in KC. Friendly and inclusive skiers communities on both lakes. Feel free to PM me if you have questions.

I had no idea...

Shameful waste of perfectly good shot glasses...

@Ilivetoski If you're having issues with dialing in SG both myself and @GregHind have posted numerous times on how to fix that. Do a search or PM me, I'll be happy to send you my version of how to fix it. I'm sure Greg will be happy to help as well, he is very knowledgeable on the subject.

What @oldjeep, @xrated, and @nski said. Take a look at the X-vest and compare to anything else on the market right now, obviously more padding in the sides.

Poll needs another option - "I use the "wrong" hand position, tried switching, couldn't do it". I've tried switching to the "correct" grip 3 different times, couldn't get comfortable with it and could really care less. "Wrong" works for me just fine.

@DmaxJC_ski sent you a PM, check your inbox. @susanm1ski if you have any questions I can be helpful with please feel free to contact me. You can call me at our toll free number 800-216-4461 or contact me through the BOS messaging system. Absolutely no obligation, I'm more than happy to chat with you. Ed @ EZ-Slalom

Thanks Jim...

How big a deal is it to leave your boat in a dock over night in a lake known to have zebra mussels in it, for say 5 days/nights at a time? The large Ozark region lake we've vacationed at for years we're now being told has zebra mussels and some of our crew is hesitant to ever go back to this lake now to vacation. My thought is that for no longer than our boats will be in it that it's not a big deal but I don't know what I don't know on the subject. Obviously we'd want to make sure we flush our engines and any ballast tanks before putting into any other lake but to me that doesn't make it a non starter. Thoughts?

Here is the file I got years ago from Thomas Wayne (the guy who invented/sells the Arm Guard handle guard) for converting a half gallon sprayer to add water to your buoys. He gave me permission at that time to post it, I assume that permission still exists. Anyway props to TW for the idea.

For INT League it's 13' inside the regular skiers turn ball, for AWSA I believe it's 10'.

Years ago I switched to 12" handles after having a series of 13's fold up on me. Damn near didn't get my hand free in time the last time it happened. Years ago, skiing at Matt Rini's old lake near Clearmont he asked me why I was using such a short handle, that it wasn't allowing me to get my shoulders back properly. Told him the story, he suggested the ML Pro series handles with the solid core. Switched back to the ML Pro 13", I like the 13" better and have never had a problem with them.

AKA old guy and girl speed...

For myself and pretty much all of the people I know and ski with (we're all 35 off and/or longer line lengths) the number one issue and lowest common denominator seems to be patience at the finish of the turn. When I/we fully finish the turn before trying to get to the next buoy, allowing time to properly get stacked etc etc it's almost always automatically an improvement in performance. There are myriad other issues of course but for us longer line skiers this seems to be the one common issue where when done correctly improvement begins.