jhughes

What's nice is that Nautique was way ahead of the game with the DI motors so you can get a 2016-2018 with exactly the current DI motor offerings. So, best of both worlds with a 16-18- Orlando built boat when it was the premier model and the current engine.

The auto volume calibration is just ridiculous no matter what setting it is on. It's either blasting or a whisper. I wish it worked better but it doesn't. 

You're not missing much, anyway. The interface is clunky and the BT never lets go of the phone, it'll auto-play and connect behind the scenes for months without you even knowing it. I have to "forget" the Polk connection on my phone every time I use it. The volume curve and resolution is really bad and the auto-volume is really poorly calibrated. Pretty much a useless system as-is on that era SN.

This sport has to be one of the oddest as far as inconsistencies and oxymorons with financial perspectives among participants. I'm saying this half-joking but it's always seemed odd to me.

If Rossi is in, I'm in.

Thank you for the appropriate non-aphostrophe use in "pros". I was going to write a PSA about this.

Avoiding an office job for the first 45 years is the real win here, ha! Congrats, you're going to rock.

Anyone driving the 91-94 MC and the bubble back SN (or even a NWZ SN) back to back would never look at the MC again. Sometimes you just don't want to meet your heroes. Trust me.
 

It seems like CC was the only manufacturer who designed anything with the driver in mind for a very long time. 

12 minutes ago, sunperch said:

We found out the airlines will only cover damage to a ski if the damage is reported prior to leaving the airport.  We always take our skis out of the sportstube in the baggage claim area and inspect for damage.  Kind of a PITA but worth the hassle!!

Worst case I suppose if you noticed this on the way in to the destination but not at the airport,  you could always "notice it" on the return flight if this is the requirement.

At the risk of totally jinxing myself, a soft roller bag has never failed me. I don't know if they instinctively go easier on it or what, but I travel at least once, maybe up to 3x per year with it. Never an issue. I'd also imagine it is way easier for TSA to inspect than sliding apart some tube packed with gear.

On a public lake you need the following for course skiing.

1. No other boats moving, for several hours, on the entire lake

2. Favorable winds/weather

3. No boats in approximately 2000' x 300' or so of water 

4. Course not destroyed 

It takes a half hour to hitch up and drive there, maybe 2hr for 4 people to ski including getting stuff on, falls, putting out to the starting spot. At 6:00am. So that entire lake's capacity for slalom is 4 people for the entire day! Most people won't do all that work and even if they do, they may not have time to fit in the rotation.

Private lake may still only have capacity for about 4 skiers before work, 4 at lunchtime, 4 after work. 12 skiers per day assuming everyone is at least somewhat working a day job.

2 hours ago, Zman said:

Maybe my experience is a localized one. But, in my limited tournaments over my 16 years of doing them {in my last year of M7) - if not for Boomers, I do not think any of those tournaments would have even happened.

Tournament TCs? Boomer. Most Judages? Boomers. Safety? Mostly Boomers. It goes on.  The bigger exception, maybe Boat Drivers, but still mostly Boomers.

Does this say something for where we are heading?

Potentially its on thread but I do think about this as well and I think it's worth pondering. That generation feels like it has been the economic engine behind a lot of the sport, and was also the generation that dug all the lakes and really dove into the tournament thing. I do wonder who will be putting the big money and effort into the sport in the future.

31 minutes ago, Deep11 said:

@Horton said :

When coaching where I get lost is the following situation. 

• The skier understands what a stacked or athletic position looks like. The end goal is crystal clear.
• The skier has a decent stack into the first white water
• The skier is a broken hot mess by the secondwhite water.  Hips back / elbows are bent / back ankle is very bent / ass is dragging 

Id be interested in the collective views on managing this issue.  From the coaching I do, I see this a lot and depending on the level of the skier the cause (and solution) appears to be quite different? 

What can be tough to see from the boat is the load that skier put in the rope and how early they loaded. By the time they get to the second spray they are in an unmanageable situation. They can't "do" alignment there because they loaded too much too early. That skier may say they "can't" do it, and they are right because they created an unmanageable situation earlier.

What's sad/funny is that even though the "warm up" passes are incredibly difficult and impressive, it's still:

For each skier:

[multitask until 39 off]
Watch 39, 41, riveted

next skier

[multitask until 39 off]
Watch 39, 41, riveted

repeat

The Python boats are super rare. They actually have factory dual exhaust and a bigger dog house to fit the engine. Very cool boat. At the same time not necessarily a  "feature" depending on the use of the boat and thus doesn't add a ton to the value IMO all this time later.  The more common GT40 EFI is the motor to have in that boat.

Some amazing shots, on a 4K monitor it looked incredible.

VR1 20W50 is the go-to for most Ford ski boat guys these days. Easy to find, high zinc content.

The app is clunky but I've had great experiences with it and the coaching. Incredible value.

Side note- crazy to see the full length rear locker! That was such a trend for so long but you never see it anymore.

For how much shit the new Nautique got when it came out, it seems to be doing just fine pulling big scores in this event! I definitely ripped on the looks of these for years but the solid color boats look pretty good at Worlds, I must say. 

The ski looked super level and stable too, congrats Chris.

It might be best to approach this from the perspective of: "What are we expecting when we invest in a new ski?" I'm curious so let's hear it!

At the extreme end of that expectation, imagine that we are expecting that a ski simply always makes it to the end of the course and we never fall on it no matter what. Put it on, tell the driver any speed and rope length, and you'll always run the pass no matter what. Is that what we are going toward with ski technology? If so, what fun would that be, right?

Since that's a fairly unrealistic expectation, here is what I look for in a ski, 34mph mid-35 skier ATM:

1. Does not want to kill me, aka a "non-homicidal ski". If I'm in a very poor position out of a turn, I should probably fall or be able to re-point. If the ski instead wants to keep going with me on it in a lean lock with no recourse, that is not something I actually want to experience. 

2. While adhering to rule #1, the ski will turn, with me on it and in a recoverable, re-pointable position if needed, (particularly onside where I'm most likely to approach the buoy more separated and directly), with a WIDE array of pre-turn antics, alignment, and positions.

That's really it. It's a "game improvement iron" expectation in golf-terms. Most of the skis I've tried have satisfied requirement #1 lately, and the extent to which they do #2 without doing #1 has been what makes them better or worse particularly onside. For example the XTR team is bonkers onside. I like that. More than previous ski. It wins, that's a worthwhile upgrade for me. The rest of the course feels pretty similar to a lot of skis- gate, offside, etc.

If you look at any submarine or ship, they all kinda have to look like a submarine or ship. To some degree, we are probably reaching a point where a slalom ski is going to look like a slalom ski and do slalom ski things across the board just due to physics and material science.

No comparison between the 91-94 MC and the 97-01 SN. Use the SN. The SN drives, tracks, and keeps spray down like a modern-ish boat, the MC does not.

I'd be worried about the interior condition with that many hours and at that age. More expensive than an engine potentially.

The trailer, additionally, is not a small point. Even trying to order and then receive a trailer is a complete PITA and they are surprisingly expensive. My replacement trailer for our 2000 at dealer cost was still $4500 plus transportation (another $1000) in 2016- and again you would think I was ordering a space shuttle for how much  of a hassle it was.

1.5 Blacktec is all I use into water temps in the 50's. Alien technology, none of my other wetsuits get used anymore.