aguylikeshark

Awesome video by Troy Crivello JT Rocking the E's and RCX in the city goes downtown at the Nats.

The question as a skier is - what are you working towards? What are the subtle changes you are going to make to progress? What movements are beneficial, vs counter-productive. What do you need to do to work from where you are to where you want to go? Slalom it's difficult to make radical adjustments. It can be done, but instinctively we opt to our comfort zone so we don't take a header or miss a pass. CP's is certainly a great style to emulate if you have the size. I would put JT right in there as well for lefties. They are your USA #1 and #2. Having said that there is nothing wrong with puttin' on a speedo, locking the front leg and skiing behind a Donzi in a classic Mediterranean style!

Optical illusions. CP certainly is one of them. At the limit CP's knees and legs are more active with increased range. Watch him at 35 he's cruising it, no need to overdo things. I am studying JT's style these days. Talking with a coach last nite about it. The early edge change, pendulum or swing effect. It's a different approach than say a decade ago. I am working with that to improve my offside exit and onside results. PS: In the pix John posted I hit the RH gate ball pretty much spot on. I am moving in a 45 degree slip/angle, boat at 55K so in a blink I am right at the gates with decent outbound angle, ready to release out to one. Note that most photos are not taken from on top of the pylon.

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For sure. I like to move mine forward on the ski (on side load up) so that the ski is flatter (max ski in the water), without dropping my chest and keeping my arms relaxed and in line with the rope. The way I do this is by loading up my human springs = my legs. As the line load builds, the upper body is locked and the legs in a way protect the planing attitude of the ski. What happens when you compress a spring or a ski? It rebounds. This is what that terms means to me - and it involves bending the knees. So we might debate the terms but a skier's gotta do what a skier's gotta do. Locking the front knee is a great way to stay in a classic long-line style.

Thanks Eric for keeping the discussion on target. I looked around for the parts DW mentioned but could not find any sites - could you please post some links to sources? Exh manifolds i would consider. Heads - probably not. Pix of your modded boat would be cool too. 250 lbs is a LOT. With the CF motor box i am getting up in that territory. However I must say this SN is starting to feel a lot like my old Sea Doo GTX. The back end sits quite high and am wondering if handling issues will crop up. I've had my boat since new 10 years 1200 hours. It's better than ever - using less fuel, faster, quicker, handles way better, no bow rise. I'm lovin ' it. Also the lack of wake has made the course longer and seriously we are able to focus on technique, instead of getting beat up by the wake so the skiing is much more enjoyable. Also did a video of the wake with the Carbon Fiber Motor Box,copyrighted sound track (lols):

Ghost is just warmin' up. He's driving the lower body forward - both knees are bent onside pull. Skier #2 trying to get to the dock when the throttle is being cut. Skier #3 Offside pull and that looks like the jumper's grip (opposite? can't tell for sure) Anyway this type of skier style is more upright by default. But it's not possible to really compress into the wakes offside. Have to shoot the ski ahead at least that's what JT does as he slinks through the course.

We did this today Kx+ and Px 15 or 20 with the switch. To "gas" more I could use a higher Px. Felt very Zo-ish to me. BTW Any control algo that is tuned for tight control will experience some overshoot beyond the setpoint (e.g 34.2). Unless it's what we call model-based then control overshoot is more contained. To maintain boat "speed" you have to work the throttle pretty hard depending on the skier. Today I had a tech look into developing Laptop based software/hardware for a GPS Slalom Pass Tracker - something that collects the Speed and RPM between the 55's or the gates, then plots it. This way we'll be able to measure boat performance and get one boat close to another in terms of response. ZO or PP

You know I am wondering if the best way to emulate ZO in the really older boats is to go back to the PP switch and just use manual GPS for setting up. Example - We skied today and i plugged in a Garmin GPS. My bud was pulling down the boat 3 to 4 km during the pull and it would recover at the ball. I have a PP Switch, set pretty soft (I think) so I probably can tune that to pile on more throttle to maintain speed and keep the GPS constant. This is what Zero Huff does of course to maintain actual speed (v.s. RPM)

i know it's another dig but.... I wake up early and work fast. Plus a full stocked shop with materials, tools and expert staff a hundred feet from the dock helps a lot!

in 1998 CC degsined a new motor box is that much lighter? Put the 1997 hulking motor box on a scale today 70 lbs. Probably build a composite one in the less-than-20 lbs region. Also did a top speed run today, first time in years. I got to 5090 and 47 mph with the roof up. Also need a new prop my blades are bit bent at the ends.

working late, running a second shift these days. anyway new parts, in addition to what was mentioned earlier or shown, ALL interior removable panels redone in Intuition EVA or Carbon Fiber. Deleted: storage separation panel, those long side pads, audio, heater+hoses, boat bumpers. Slalom buoys integrated into gunnels now serve as bumpers and course spares (see video). Compact battery(smallest one i could find), light-weight paddle, all unecessary item are OUT. It all adds up. Fuel load is visual i don't use the gauge and have a fast ez fill siphon we designed for quick fuel ups. I was looking at the motor box what a honking heavy thing that is. Will weigh that tomorrow. For now the Mbox is located 3" (full) forward. Look at how high the boat sits in the water, how high the grid is. The first chine now clears the surface at the back. I have friend with a 2000 SNOB the grid is at the surface. Don't like skiing his boat. The difference is huge on our lake, way more time in the course all agreed/noted by 4 skiers now. Chris Rathy - world class/rated tournament driver, driven all years of SN is coming to check it out this week. Chris' son Aaron was the #1 3 eventer in the world, used to be sponsored by SN now he boards for MB www.aaronrathy.com He'll give it a good assessment. Cheers.

Wakes are so low they're spooking me. Kinda like this thread. name="allowFullScreen" value="true">

Couple of things: 1. How do you grip the rope? Lucky, Mike, Jeff Rodgers, Kristi are all opposite gripped and yeah ski with straighter legs it's that leverage style I call it. Want to ski a more dynamic style requires the conventional grip. 2. Using the TRX suspension trainer will work your core mobility. The one-legged squats, flexibility program will help your balance and stance. It's great. 3. I am not sure the knee band actually helps with a dynamic stance. I wear one we made here from EVA/Velcro from time to time. In fact I'm using one on the . Look carefully as I come around one ball you'll see the strap. I use it because I have a habit of letting my knee fly out and this produces a slower offside turn for me. With the band my legs are working more as one unit. I am thinking of offering these as a training product because I really like it. 4. To answer the question why bend your knees you'll have to go to Mexico-how-to-ski ha ha. Seriously compressing through the wakes seems to build distance in the course. Your acceleration and speed go up too with that type of position. Will Asher, Jon Travers, JB, MB, Terry Winter are some examples

Wake off: The FM Carbon TSC1 vs the best in the business the SN 200.

Mush to the wakes great. Mush to the propulsion unit i don't think is a good idea. If air under the hull is what you are after here is an idea i thought of last nite - using the exhaust manifold drain ports to pipe (stainless steel - two into one) some exhaust under the hull using the drain plug hole for the boat. Nothing permanent. The engine is a big air compressor anyway. I had Bennett trim tabs on my SN 2001 to reduce the wake. That boat was too narrow but the tabs helped a lot. I had two switches by the throttle could adjust level etc. it was pretty cool but purists had a problem with it. Cost me about $1000 shipped/installed

A2 shallower tunnel at the rear, slighly sharper bevel up front, tip rocker comes on sooner, more inside radius side cut at the tail (to reduce tail volume a bit), slightly wider up front, improved carbon layup and tighter production numbers. All of the above are pure speculation.

The ski flat spot tends to concentrate pressure - so i think it is certainly one of the factors in front boot position. I like to feel that pressure under the middle of my front foot as much as possible through the turn and in the work zone of the pull. At the other end the rear boot activates the ski's rocker for cast out, speed and for turn completion. So the rear needs to be in the "sweet" spot in the tail section of the ski to do its work. Smaller skis you would typically see tighter boot spacing, larger skis larger boot spacing. These days a 66 or 67 ski I found that if my boot spacing it too close (e.g less than 11.875") I lose some of the dynamic of the ski's design. The Elite is an interesting experiment on what happens when you start moving flat spots(FS). The ski that I had the FS was very short and between the two boots. What this did was create a pressure point between my boots, lifting the ski as soon as I generated any sort of speed above 34 mph. I called it levitation. It was really strange. With that FS so far back, getting speed cross course is a no-brainer, it was fast but I had no pre-turn, no contact to setup the turn until the ski slowed enough and then boom. One set was all that took.

Doesn't make sense to me to be adding mush to the prop when our IB's are high speed tug boats with a mission to pull and pull well. True, part of the wake reduction of the later CC's is getting the wakes all foamed & bubbled up - and shifting the weight around (tank, cockpit forward etc.). Now the 200 spread the girth over a wider area to reduce the dent in the water. That is one of the reasons I like the TSC1 wake it's a really clean, pure wake - not all junked up. Sweet hull for sure. CC's are typically lighter than MC's. The biggest issue wake issue easiest to tackle is junk in the boat. The harder I am looking the more I see a lot of unnecessary weight. The deflection or dent the hull puts in the water = wake. Reduce weight - reduce wake it's that simple - one for one. Here's my list so farBack seat (out complete) 50lbs (?)Floor Panel (Carbon) 25lbsSwim Platform (Carbon) 25lbsBattery - Smallest Size 15lbsGlove Box Lid (carbon) 8 lbsStuff (anchor, extra gas, tools etc.) 45 lbs Current Total =- 168 lbsDriver's seat - heavy sucker Passenger Seat (not too bad)Motor Box ??Heavy - (Carbon would be cool - but helluva project)I don't understand why small hydrofoils are not implemented to provide some lift and tracking improvement for the front and rear of the boat

Reminded me of those white bubble boyz out of the cult flick "Space balls" . Apologies. Ski racing you have what? a 2 minute run to shave 100th's and you are doing about 100 km/hr the whole way down the hill. So a slippery suit is obviously a must. But for slalom 17 seconds, a good part of that is needing some resistance, and slower speeds. I dunno never tried one. I will say the new surfing wetsuits are way warmer and a lot more flexible. I use my surfing 4/3 it's great.

Project complete. cleared the grid and installed FM Logo EVA pad. Also installed sound dampening sheets on the exhaust and carpeted the carbon rear panel. The boat handles so much better, is faster and the bow is lower so just feels good to drive it. Panel Done Grid is Done

Yep that's the panel. I weighed it again 29 lbs it has dried out, there was some water trapped in there. The panel is deformed too sunk in the middle. The new panel is a CF sandwich I made last nite using some Carbon fiber scraps/patches and some no-name epoxy. Turned out great - very strong looks like hell i am going to finish in foam or carpet or? The grid needs one more coat and a clear coat. Then a EVA anti-skid pattern because it's slippery. I might do something cool there like a head molded FM logo in the middle. The boyz are all grins. I have to change my ski setup because I am turning at a slower speed, now overturning a bit. Here's a vid with Jon Traver's gate at 39 (at the end). This is behind a Malibu Response LXi which is a pretty big honking boat - yet the wake at Abbottsford is quite small and very soft. I skied practice there.

nice platform shot. for a ski protector we can get then made by our trim supplier in marine-grade urethane coated flexible strips. Say a Teak, Silver metallic or Carbon fiber even. Has 3M on the back so sticks to the hull. I can measure it up next time is see the '05. weight of teak platform was about 33 lbs soaked, new platform is 8 lbs.weight of stock floor is the same about 33 lbs new floor about 4lbs.I also removed anchor, spare gas tools and stuff about 30lbs?might look at a lightweight battery too. Just taking the edge off the wake was enough for me. The floor did that. I skied with a 145 lb jockey 7 am, stock grid . Lunch time 220lb jockey but now with the carbon grid it was about the same. For skiers at 30 mph the wake is now is very flat so our kids will like that.I am going to have to put surfer pads or something on the grid it was pretty slippery At the course depth is about 80 feet to 250 or more. Depth of Two Rivers arm is around 300-400 feet. Depth of Taylor arm 500+. Visibility is over 50 feet. I have a ZX3 video camera I was thinking of shooting from 10 feet below the course. The water does soften up by mid-September if we have no rain and it stays sunny. This year will be a good one. Only 1 day of rain in almost two months.

Jody - Please read above our lake has issues. You'd have to come up here and ski for yourself. My brother hails from McGinnis in Florida, came up here had to wear a full wetsuit and couldn't ski his openers for a good week. Guys who coach with Rini who are into '39 got a few at 32 off in a tournament at a lake nearby. It's not that the wake is big, just like skis, the boat rides bow up butt down. The hollow is what I hate the most and then bam you hammer hard wakes. In softer water you don't even feel the wake -example I skied the dreaded water logged Moomba OB with tower down in Mexico came back saying what wake? OK had the 150 lb Doc ski the boat this morning (with foam floor but standard grid) and he was all smiles. We are gaining at least a pass and I suspect more because the course just got a foot or two longer at every ball!! STOKED! World's First Carbon Grid

I skied a 2005 and wasn't all that impressed until 32 off my ski took off through the wakes like it was on greased lightning. On our lake water conditions amplify the trough and roster. Losing lots of the pull zone to that making shorter lines almost impossible. I have some rope cam photos at 32 off that show the depth of the trough (it's huge!) That's with no back seat and a 1/4 tank. So today I am going to make a carbon fiber floor panel and carbon swim grid. Saves about 60 lbs right off the back of the boat. I've done some testing and the wake is waaaay better. I might have a water-logged hull too. http://twitpic.com/2hjj9r Rope cam pix #2 &4 http://twitpic.com/2gmdfn/full