mopowpow

@boarditup is correct, you should check the upper Midwest. In addition to Michigan, check for boats in Wisconsin and Minnesota, maybe even in Chicago area. When we were looking 4 years ago we had 2 SN196s lined up in Wisconsin, in the Lake Geneva area. If the first hadn't worked out, we were going for the second one, third choice boat was in Michigan.

Are dogs allowed?

Congrats @MS!

Sherwin Williams has the same type of deck restorer. Has anyone used it? Does it last? Part of our dock is an old VW dock with cedar boards, we just tried using a latex stain and don't think it will do the trick.

Water under the contact and skiing with one eye.

I bought a Connelly soft top from Overton's last spring. It is one of the lighter weight boards, making it easier to load on top of an SUV. I'm not sure how durable it will be.

When I first tried the heel wedge I bought some dr. scholls and taped them in place. I now use a heel wedge made for snow ski boots, it's held up pretty well.

I use a heel wedge in my rear Vapor boot for my bad ankle. I actually switched to a rear boot years ago because I kept nailing my bad ankle with the toe piece.

13-14s had plenty of room for my husband's monkey toe (long 2nd toe). He is on the larger side of 13 and usual has trouble with his toes and ski boots. We thought these would need some work, but are good even without heat molding.

@MS, I just used the instructions from Intuition's website to mold my liners using a sock filled with rice. I was afraid to use the oven method, didn't want to melt them by mistake. I used 3 pounds of rice, I think it will also work in Mike's 13-14. The only problem I had was filling one of his old Smartwool ski socks with the rice, it stretched out too much and was hard to put in the boot. I switched to one of mine (size 9, ultralight bridgedale) that had more elastic and it worked pretty good. I would think a compression sock would work pretty good if you have any around. http://intuitionliners.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/IntuitionHomeFit.pdf

Learned to slalom behind a mid-60s Correct Craft, I think it was a Mustang. Infinity Momba

New Vapor boots, my old RS1s have seen better days.

Years ago I learned to ski the course on an HO Burner, it allowed me to slow the boat down more than a conventional sized ski. I did have trouble running anything faster than 30 mph on it. When I was ready to try 32 mph on a more frequent basis, I went to a forgiving ski - D3.

Ha, we had a similar spreadsheet when shopping for a 196 years ago.

I broke my fibula about 10 years ago on a snowboard with 1 foot out. It was a twisting fall just like can happen on a waterski after the rear foot comes out of the toe piece. I was nervous waterskiing, hoping I didn't have a repeat. I switched to double Radar RS1s (new Vapors are ordered) and love them! I feel like they will release when needed, if not over tightened.

We just got a 2015 Toyota Sequoia so we can tow our boat on non-flat surfaces. The Platinum edition does everything but wipe your butt, or look at the Lexus version.

I agree with @aupatking, you can still buy ML without spending $200. We're not shoreline skiers, but still ski 3-5 times a week. I think we have an 8 section line made with the same materials as the 11 section. I've also had the most expensive ML handle, it has lasted 6 seasons. The grip is getting pretty worn, so I'll get a new one for next season. Prior to this I was going though a Straightline or Accurate handle each year.

I think O'Neill still make as non-cga revenge which is a good compromise. More floatations than most comp vests, but not as bulky as cga. I had the women's version, and would use it on both private and public water.

I can't even open the "show us your boat" thread on my iPad. Too many photos.

What @A_B said.... Check into stem cell therapy. My sister was told she needed hip replacement, and had stem cell therapy done last spring. She said it's the best her hip has been in a long time! She had her procedure done in Minneapolis. One warning, most insurance doesn't cover it yet.

I've got a pair of Vectors for sale: http://www.ski-it-again.com/php/skiitagain.php?endless=summer&topic=Search&category=Bindings&postid=33867

What about some of the pullover vests with a side zip? You could leave the zipper undone. Like the older O'Neill Checkmate, they switched to a front zip last year, but you might be able to find one.

I got tired of my foot slipping out of the rear toe plate. Plus a back boot supports my trashed ankle better.

@Horton, my first slalom ski was a Mastercraft Mirage. But I think my favorite was my next ski, it was a Duvall 900, I ran my first passes in the course on it.

@gregy, I've also been wounding about the Raptor. Anyone been on one?