John Brooks

Glad to say my elbows are fully recovered. Couple years ago both hurt. Now, daily use of the flexbar, year around, no more issues. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Seem to be able to get a set per week in still, although it has cooled off this week, but we usually get a few 60 degree days during the winter. For now, working on home improvement projects my wife reminds me are past due. Yes Honey, I'll be right there, talking to my BOS friends.

@torontoboater I have been using Wiley's for a long time and would loosen the wrap with the excess which hangs over the sides. Good luck.

This is great to hear and anything USA Water Ski can do to support the local skiers and clubs to build our sport would be great. I feel like this sport can grow, but we have to do it at a grass roots level.

Get off a 4 year old ski and get with the program and the new technology. More front foot pressure and that using C2 in Zero Off makes a lot more sense (aka I don't getted pulled all the way to the buoy).

I feel that what they do off the water to grow the sport and be ambassadors is as important as what they do on the water.

Yes, more setups like @OB would really help the sport. I think our biggest challenge is keeping the folks in the range of age 22 - 35 involved in the sport. For the folks under 22, usually mom & dad pick up the tab. For those over 35, that is when disposable income starts to make the sport feasible. So that middle group is the challenge and seems like the group hardest to keep involved. My opinion.

Maybe they belong in the Super Hero category.

Updated my profile picture for @klindy's benefit and to remind me to have fun, at all costs and as @ozski reminds me.

@Stevie & @BlueSki you are absolutely right in my opinion. I can think too often I walk away, disappointed about not skiing to a certain level and forget I do this for fun. I still have my family, health and a whole bunch of other things to be thankful for. I recently read some comments from Corey Vaughn which really hit home: "Some of the most fun sets to coach are first time skiers (on two) or a first time slalom set. The sense of pride and accomplishment are so great that the joy just radiates. It is even powerful for the coach’s mind/body/spirit. I just want to tell these people to continue to enjoy each step from here. Even the steps backwards allow you to take a better path forward if you allow yourself to see that path. What some people see as the ultimate achievement – to run 35 off – is actually where I find the largest population of grumpy, dissatisfied skiers. " I think Corey is saying, and I agree, there is a point where we take ourselves and our skiing too seriously and we forget how to have fun, relax and just ski.

throw not through

I prefer the orange camo so I can blend into the buoys and through off the judge on those close calls.

You mean you guys don't have a ski safe?

I need a vest and ski outfit that my wife will not think I'm going skiing. I left for a little tournament last weekend and told her it was my last one. Her comment "isn't that like your 6th last tournament of the year". Oops.

I think that 2 of the best things you can do is have a AWSA Safety director come to your site and hold a safety clinic for your members, the second is to have several take the Red Cross CPR & First Aid class. The AWSA safety clinic does a nice job of covering safety techniques specific to our sport, such as how to properly turn over someone laying face down in the water. The CPR & First Aid pretty well covers everything else. All of this knowledge is good to have, you never know when you will be put in a situation you will need it.

I think I just finished my 3rd season in my front zip and it is super comfortable and like a second skin. Looks like it is time to replace it.

Yes, I remember seeing George snow skiing in Colorado a couple of times, within the past 10 years or so. RIP.

@Splasheye - Wow, this looks and sounds like a great tool. Would this be something able to share between a couple of sites?

I have also seen some beginners use wakeboards instead of trick skies.

Does the vest come with a duck call?

They must be nice, Performance only has them in 2 sizes at the moment.

Looking at the pylon.

Leon, I agree that submitting all those videos does not provide much value in my opinion. Shane, I also agree with you about the limited value of a DMV check, although for the little bit of cost and effort, seems like not much to ask. My main point is that I feel one of the primary roles of the chief driver is to be watching the drivers for the event and providing constructive support and feedback where it is necessary. Too often the chief is just another one of the drivers who happens to coordinate the schedule when I feel for the benefit of all involved, should be helping the drivers to improve. The boat judges could help some in watching boat path and out of course activity, but often we would be better served by some sort of evaluation of the skilled and experienced eye of the chief driver. The drivers do alot, and I also feel all of the officials put in significant effort to make everything happen and we need the entire team of volunteers. The scorers are working before & after the tournament for set up and close out of the events. The TC's are amoung the hardest working group I have seen. The safety directors usually are on duty the entire tournament without relief not to mention regularly taking first aid and CPR classes on their time and at their expense (which is much more expense than a online DMV check). And the judges are constantly on duty because many events run short on providing enough help.

If a driver cannot pass a DMV check, not sure I want them driving.

My opinion is that on some regular basis the drivers receive a written evaluation by the chief driver of an event. It seems like the only really effective evaluation of all points is by a trainer observer at the sight. This could be used as a ongoing approach in a constructive way to help everyone.