Shortenit

Mapple is the GOAT but it will be pretty tough to hang with the young guys at 36. Will be fascinating to find out. If the wind does come up (think that's why they moved it earlier a few days) I'd think that helps Mapple, he can ski in anything. And moving it earlier may benefit Willy, less practice time for the other guys.....Wonder who will be driving? Coni and Carlos?

Willy has skied there for years and is there the week before. T-Gas has been there several weeks a year for several years. Pretty sure CP has been down there before. Andy is there several weeks a year for many years. Could be wrong but I don't think Nate has ever visited before. The brackish water there does ski a little different. Could be the difference. But then again, he is Nate Smith.......I'm in for $10. $5 on Willy, $3 on T-Gas, $2 on Nate. Can you say "Trifecta"?

Nate stroked 39 but missed his gates. Happens to the best of us.

I see it still there.........in any case check mine for an email address to paypal the shipping cost of $14.65 if you still want it.

akale15, I sent you a message yesterday.

1 Bio front and the 2 rear Approach's still avaialable.

Got it, will go out tomorrow.

Shane, Just sent you an email.

I'm moving and tossing out stuff I'm not taking. Have 4 bindings, and a Trakker that any BOS person can have free, I'll pack them, just pay the shipping. Ski them or use for parts or whatever, just hate to toss them in the dumpster if someone can make use of them. Check the photos. 2 O'Brien Bio front boots, size medium. Are laced with shock cord, but no lace hardware, should be able to get that easily. 2 Rear Approach boots, size medium. Also shock cord laces, no lace locks. Both Approachs have the tongue tied to the side of the boot to prevent twisting. Trakker complete as shown, worked fine but now may have a little of the oil (?) leaking from the fliud damper. Shipping will be from zip code 06812. Each binding will fit in a flat rate box for a max of $15.45 to anywhere in the 48 States. Or figure the shipping to your zip. The Bio's will each wiegh about about 4 lbs with packing, the Approaches about 3.5 lbs. The Trakker weighs about 6 lbs.

LakeOneSkier, thanks I will take you up on that one day. Next trip out in a couple weeks we plan to drive down to Sunset and check it out.

rjb, haven't moved there yet, another month or so. I did email back and forth with Laurie, and spoke on the phone, very nice person. Have just been doing weekend trips out there looking for a home leaving no ski time. Did almost hook up with her once to see the site but it didn't work out. Going out again this weekend, will try again and will let you know if I get out there.

After 9 months, 3 weeks, 6 days and a few hours, finally got back on the ski a few days ago after tearing my left hamstrings off last summer. Free skied first, then ran a couple passes. Never imagined skiing 15 off in a drysuit could feel so sweet!

Had the rope around my neck, and have also been hit by the handle, 7 staples in back of head to fix that one. Both happened with shock tubes. Shock tube reduces risk but no guarantees. Interestingly, like skijay's experience, our handle popping skier changed his hang on forever ways when he was told he couldn't ski with us anymore.

Worked fine with iPad.

OK thanks.

Sounds perfect, thanks. Will call her. Do you know if she can do 7am? Cost?

Excellent info for my wife to maybe get a couple of regular early morning before work sets in. Thanks!

Congrats, that's great news nad very encouraging. Go easy to start! Hopefully I will be back May 1, will be 9 months, 3 weeks. Can't wait!

Razor, Thanks, I will contact Laurie. Had heard that it wasn't ideal for regular sets, more of an occasional deal but will find out.

Would prefer to rent for awhile, never know how things will turn out.....but definitely worth checking out, I will visit there, thanks. Problem is that we know the move will happen, but the location hasn't been finalized, crazy huh? Hopefully soon and before we come out to visit. Most likely Northfield or Glenview, but a chance it might be downtown. If it is downtown Sunset would be attractive, otherwise that gets into a long daily commute for my wife. (And to the airport which one of us will be going to every weekend). I had originally eliminated it as too far away but your train commute info to downtown is helpful. Is it a relatively hassle freecommute? What is the monthly cost? How long to O'Hare and can it be made completely by train?

Thanks 6 balls, I may follow up with you about the Tower Lakes quarry but have a couple closer locations that may work out. Appreciate the lead. Will be going out weekend of 3/4&5, renting 2 cars, wife to look at houses, I'm checking out ski locations first. Gotta have priorities! Teammalibu, thanks, I have those numbers and they may be great options. Will also need to find a weekday early am driver/partner for my wife, I would be commuting there from CT Fri -Mon, so weekends not an issue. Rockford is definitely out of range. House on a lake is pretty much non-existent as I expected. Appreciate the info.

Have a possible relocation to Chicago or Northfield Ill. this summer. Looking for a place for my wife and I to get regular sets in. Ideally we would rent a house on a ski lake but would need to be a reasonable commute and that doesn't seem possible. Have been on Scoke's google earth ski site, AWSA, Ill Waterski Fed etc. and made a bunch of calls. Within reasonable living distance I have found Lilly Lake Quarry, Lauries Quarry, Liberty Lake, Clear Lake, Robinsons Gravel Pit. Unfortunately several have disconnected numbers. Looking for contact info on Pretzel Ski Club @ Lilly Lake Quarry in Highland Park, (number disconnected). Also Laid Back Lake Ski Team, Robinsons Gravel Pit, Gurnee, (number disconnected). If anyone has any other suggestions or contacts in that area I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

I learned that life can change in an instant so cherish every buoy. And while there are inherent risks in waterskiing you can get injured doing anything, so keep on skiing!

I have mediums and wear a 9 1/2B shoe.

Than, I have had the T-Factors since April and also loved them till my season ended 7/10 with my injury (non waterski). I too have a very narrow foot and also found that they run a little small and were tight at first, but they stretched out a little after a few sets and were great and very comfortable without any adjusting. Good point on the flex, I tested the prototypes last Fall and the front to rear stiffness was crazy hard, very difficult to find the sweet spot and maintain it. Same feed back came from the others that tried it, so they were changed for production to be softer flexing front/back and now ski great. I also noticed the same thing with the tongue putting them on, you are correct, it will be second nature in a set or two. As for the long bungees, here's what I did. I first reversed them, so the knot was on the top rather than the bottom, and kept playing with them and trimming them back till they were just long enough for me to loosen and get my foot out comfortably, but not longer. Removing this excess alone made a big difference. Then I used a lace end/keeper with a small hook like many bindings have, (mine were from O'Brien), at the top over the knot and used the hook to hold it under the laces below. Works great. BTW, I agree that they will release, but on mine I replaced the heavier stock shock cord with a smaller diameter one since I broke my foot, (not with a D3 binding, and with regular laces, not shock cord), a few years ago when my front foot got stuck half way out during a crash. Rear released fine but the front did not, hung up right at the tightest point. (Of course I was holding on when brains would have dictated tossing the handle. Older and wiser now.) The smaller diameter shock cord has less tension on it and I think will stretch more easily when really needed to allow an easier release. At least it seemed to release easier during dry land testing. I tighten them no more than with the heavier cord and have found no difference in the feel or skiability of the binding. Probably overkill on my part, but don't see any downside and really don't want to repeat that again.