Director Darwin

MS - we're having a driver's clinic here the weekend before the Big Dawg finals - you would get in all the skiing you could handle for two days if you want to come.

After pulling 'dawg thru 5 @ 39 (36mph), looks like the 9700 ain't so bad either - must be that blacked out top! Skippy was rockin' on his 9700 as well. But Chad's 39 on Saturday was butter. He's run 39 off 21 times in tournaments this year on his 9800. He is ON FIRE. So, the 9800 will work. You just have to get the right flex / rocker combination for you.ÂÂÂÂ

DW - good points but the one thing that makes NASCAR or any other sport popular is personalities. Sports are inherently personality driven. When water skiing was at its peak in popularity you had the likes of Sammy Duvall, Bob Lapoint, Andy Mapple, Carl Roberge and others. In fact, those guys are STILL popular among the water ski crowd and are recognizable names outside of our little world. No one has stepped up to take their place and the media will not pay any attention until someone does.

Mark - I would wait and talk w/ Chad. He's got the ski figured out. He's bringing me a 66.5 to ride this weekend. My 9500 took a hit on Dawg's platform last weekend and took a 1" slice down the bevel. I've never ridden a smaller Goode but he says the stiffness will more than make up for the size. We'll see. At 195lbs, that seems a bit small. But I've ridden other brands of 67" and felt fine so it may work. When I rode Mike's 67" earlier this summer, I found less tip and stock depth worked better.  The ski didn't come to life out of the ball until I was around 6.850 or shorter (jaws).   I also took the old black fin off of my 9500 and put it on the 9800. I liked it better. So, if you have an old stock Goode fin laying around, stick it in there and give it a go.  jhd

Ben's previous record (36mph) was tossed out due to boat path - not an opt-up.As for the crowd at the Big Dawg, unless you place these events at spectator friendly sites in major metropolitan areas AND offer eye candy AND adult beverages, this is what you will get. We used to get 30-35k over a 3-day weekend for our pro tour stop back in the late 80's and early 90's. The difference? There were women skiers, scantily clad spectators, Bud Girls and free flowing beer. Neither is present at a Correct Craft sponsored men's slalom event.

Everyone has their own way of preparing for tournaments. I agree w/ John to take it easy the day before the event especially if you are already familiar with the site. If given the chance, I'll ski two passes at a new site. I start at 28 off so I'll ski two 28 off passes to get the feel of the water and the visuals associated with the course.  Come tournament time, I visualize as if I'm skiing at my own site. When in the water and the rope tightens, I visualize what I see at my home site. I imagine my neighbors house in the distance and when I pull out for my gates, I visualize his house where it would be at my home site. This tends to calm my nerves and lets me concentrate on my technique and not be too concerned with unfamiliar surroundings. Afterall, the buoys are in the same place everywhere you go (except Jim Michael's site). Good luck and have fun. jhdÂÂÂÂ

I agree with MS. I never mess with KX/PX because it is just not the same from boat to boat. Neither is the engine. I don't typically play w/ KX either (don't use the switch) but if you are practicing behind an unusually strong boat, it can help even things out. When it comes to tournaments, I agree. Not worth the guessing.

John: Propping a Malibu correctly is paramount. Chad always gets a special prop for his boat and it works well. Of course, the Malibu you skied behind could have had a more powerful engine than normal or the SSB could have been configured wrong: hotter first segment / slower second segment = actual. Next time you ski behind that boat, try KX-.

Ward - giving up on the Connelly / SS / 9700? Man, you are desperate!! Going back to 15off 28-34mph? You are in trouble!

Roger: We have a Malibu LXI on our site w/ the 383 Hammerhead 400hp w/ a 3-blade prop. Softest boat of all 3 we had at our tournament. As stated previously, HP ratings can vary significantly in identically equipped boats. Baselines can vary as well and effect the feel due to how that particular engine's power curve flows. I drive all 3 in 8-10 tournaments a year. I'm amazed at the different baseline settings identical boats need to pull actuals. Therefore, there is really no "magic-bullet" settings for each brand of boat. It's a crap shoot if you've never skied behind the boat before or the PP has not been set up appropriately for that boat. I typically like the feel of CC's but the boat I drew at Nationals was the strongest I had skied behind all year. The driver agreed when I commented about it. He said it was probably a good jump boat!

John: As Chairman of Jr. Dev. in the SCR, I've seen first hand the impact these programs have. Every year we hold a region-wide JD weekend at a site in the region. We have a clinic on Friday and a two round 3 event tournament on Saturday and Sunday. We've averaged 35 skiers at the clinics (1/2 have never skied) and 65 at the tournament. We pulled 8 hours of trick last year!! Most of the trick runs were under 300 points - now THAT'S excitement. The most exciting part of the weekend is seeing some kid qualify for Regionals for the first time.ÂÂÂÂ

Start w/ stock settings on the CBR. I assume you have either an 88 or 106. You may find w/ the 88 that you have to run it a bit deeper (2.523 for instance).  I would place the 106 at stock settings. I believe you will find that the CBR blade tames the turns as the rope gets shorter. Let us know your findings.

Follow up. Went 3/8" forward of stock w/ my Powershells and the ski did not work as well. Ski stuck on the off-side turn and did not seem as quick. Went back to stock - felt better - didn't bite so hard at the completion of the off-side turn and gained some quickness and stability.  Also, went back to 8 deg wing (7 deg is stock). In conclusion, these are the settings I found work best with this ski: Bindings: 30.5" (stock) Length: 6.953 (tips). Approx. .013 longer than stock Depth: 2.512. Stock is 2.52 DFT: .735 (stock) Wing: 8 degrees CBR 106 blade

I haven't tried the slot fin yet. My neighbor has one that I may try but I haven't had success with it in the past. Currently, I'm using a 106. The 88 is a bit too soft for 35/38. As with all other D3's, the CBR blade works very well.

Not skiing the 98 tonight? Was curious to watch the fun! Decided not to ski the SS. Let Erbster try it since he did so well on the red and blue. I need to tweak the RC some more and then jump back to the 95 to see the difference. Was really looking forward to skiing your place last night. Erbster leaves in next weekend for two weeks - we'll have to hook up then.

.........and Wiley's ARE safe? C'mon, John that's quite presumptuous of you! It all depends on the type/direction of the fall. My youngest daughter broke her leg (spiral fracture) in double Wiley's. One foot came out and the other did not when she hit the buoy so don't lecture me on the safety of Wiley's (or any other binding for that matter). It just doesn't hold water.

I gave up on the Fischer Yellow. I believe the Orange version is better for my particular needs but not necessarily the best ski for me. It is a well made ski but like all skis, has quirks that either work or don't work depending on your skill and style.  I've always liked the "feel" of D3's but never found one that performed as well as my Goode 9500. Until today. I believe Denny has finally created the right combination that works for me. And D3's customer service and feedback justify the pricetag. I don't think Fis©her is there yet. jhd

Review part two: Rode the ski again Friday w/ a CBR 106 fin set a bit longer (6.960 tips). Maintained depth and DFT. Just ran a 28 and 32 w/ Dawg in the boat. He said the ski looked good but needed a bit more tip pressure at the completion of the turn. I felt a forward movement of the bindings was in order but decided to stay at stock until I felt more comfortable on the ski. I elected to use the ski in our two tournaments this past weekend. Got into 38 3 out of 4 rounds (4th round was late Sunday and I was dog tired). I had the best tournament weekend of my life. Even when I needed to scramble, the ski stayed with me and did not put me in the drink. It definitely rides higher in the turns than previous D3's.  It did not feel great at 28 but better at 32 and wonderful at 35.  I don't know what other fin tuning is required beyond what I've already done. I may go back to the aluminum fin at these new numbers to see what effect it has. Maybe JTH will send me a 116 to try (hint, hint).    Moved the bindings 1/8" forward for Sunday's tournament (Powershells allow for incremental movements). Felt like it may have hooked up a bit better on my offside. I will continue to move the bindings forward an 1/8th inch at a time to determine results. H2osmosis recommends one hole forward and a bit longer fin. I would agree with that assessment.Overall, I am impressed with the ski's performance relative to other D3's I've tried and the Goode 9500 I was on. Anyone looking for a new ride would be well advised to try it.  jhd

Mark - you need to try one. I've always liked the "feel" of Denny's skis but couldn't find one that performed close to my Goode. I may have now. I didn't get a chance to try the CBR fin tonight due to tournament prep and rain but hope to tomorrow. Oh, BTW, the RC ROCKS!!! (couldn't help myself)./vanillaforum/js/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-cool.gif Guess we'll be "cell mates" in the JTH correctional facility!

Rode a 68" Nomad RC for the first time last night. I tried the 2006 Nomad and liked the ski but it wasn't quite fast enough across course (lots of effort required) and didn't carry out off the second wake as well as my Goode 9500.  Set my Powershells at 30.5" (stock). Fin 6.940 (tips) 2.512 .780 (stem).  Length and DFT were stock. Stock depth is 2.52. I thought that was too deep based on my experience w/ other D3 skis. First impression: MUCH faster than the original Nomad. Not as stable as the original, still turns consistently on both sides but requires good technique to accomplish. This ski will turn aggresively if you want it too. In some cases, it will overturn - that never happended on the original Nomad. I'll be putting a CBR fin on it tonight to smooth out the turns. I will put a bit more length in the fin to make the off side smoother (H2osmosis says you can run the fin really long). Ski tends to bite hard at the apex of the off side turn if you're not in solid position.  The bevels sharpen up toward the tip of the ski which explains why it bites so hard if you creep up on the front.  A surprising trait of this ski is that you can ride the tail from side to side if you find yourself there. The Fischer would not get me across course on the tail. Goode's will get you to the next buoy if you find yourself on the tail coming out of the turn. This ski will do the same.  I found that surprising.  Again, the "glide" this ski has is remarkable. The quickness and speed are "Goode"-like. Off the 2nd wake, you just ride the ski. If you try to initiate the edge change too soon, it will bite (again, bevel design). You must let the ski transition under you off the second wake. A patient skier will be rewarded and yet if you need to scramble, it will work with you. If anyone else out there in BOS land is working with this ski, please post your thoughts/findings. More thoughts after tonight.ÂÂÂÂ

Count me in the 98 group. That's been my tournament PB for 4 years running. Most of that group rarely get a shot at 38 in tournaments and when they do, they tend to overski the gates which results in a fast #1 and a bad #2. Been there - done that.

Same here but not always hot times. I try for actuals, but as I get closer to the 41 off loop I lighten up the boat just a bit.ÂÂÂÂ

Contact Discount Inboard Marine about a PCM long block. Also, you can find reman long block 351's at various marine engine suppliers. Palmer Power in Houston had the best deal I could find. Expect to pay around $2,400 for a long block. You'll need to salvage your intake, oil pan and timing cover.ÂÂÂÂ

Had a conversation with a friend who went to Jodi's to demo a Fisher ski. Jodi spent the entire time of the phone and chose not to provide any input. My friend decided to do business elsewhere.  I don't know Jodi personally and the conversations I've had with him have been informative but I feel Fischer is falling into the same trap as some other ski companies. Just because someone is a great athlete (skier) does not make them a good representative or salesperson for your company. What Fischer needs is someone dedicated to moving their product not increasing their personal buoy count. Again, I don't fault Jodi for this - I fault Fischer for not distributing their skis thru established channels that would make their product more accessable and marketable. Ultimately, this will determine their success or failure in the marketplace.

Dawg - just come over this week - we'll straighten you (and the boat path) out!! I find most of the problems with boat path is not weaving but the tendency to ride down one side or the other based on visuals. Malibu's and MC's are more difficult to find the center if you are accustomed to driving a CC due to the large open bow area. It seems as though you have to "run over" the right side guides to get centered. I first try to bring the right side boat guides under my right elbow during the first pass. This gets you close and works for any boat regardless of open bow or not. I then look at the 55's as I pass thru them on my second pass to further gauge my center. I try to get feedback from the observer (judge) as to my center. I then utilize the guard rail uprights relative to oncoming boat guides to provide a visual reference for center. I take driving as seriously as skiing. One without the other is fruitless.