Killer

very confusing & misleading. so I just re-read BB's handle control article to clear it all up: http://www.ballofspray.com/tech-articles/87-what-the-heck-is-handle-control

just asked the wife if she would prefer this over the kitchen table, she thought it was cool, then saw the price and said I'd have to buy her either a weekend spa treatment or a top to bottom house cleaning. Looks cool but I'll stick with the kitchen table! I shouldn't be playing with my fin anyways...

@brody Robin Reghr plays for hte Buffalo Sabres, formerly a Calgary Flame. Wish he was on the leafs lol the coach for the Detroit Red Wings, Mike Babcock is an excellent Slalom skier, and can or could run some shortline. There are a number of other hockey players that ski, or used to.

Another bang on editorial by MB! unfortunately most of the private lakes don't really work well for free-skiing at all. nothing like carving what seems like an infinate (until your arms fall off) number of turns. hit the public water and SHRED!

@wish what gloves are you used too? We're finding a lot of gloves wearing quicker and larger/bulkier over the last # of years. Theres more neo more asia & maybe some new hand models?? - the 41tails are simple and effective. They have a comfortable curved grip feel with Full neo backhand. Great straps, Go smaller! I really Like the finger nubs and comfort of the old D3 & HO RPM gloves. BRiNG the nuBs back!

about 15-20 years for me, I could run 22off as a teenager, but I had a lot of time off from age 20 or so (now 32), with very little course time until about 5 years ago when I couldn't run 32mph 15off consistently... still nowhere near mastering 28off. my goal this year. Only started running it last season, have had a few balls at 32off. coaching is a key, but so is good equipment, preparation, conditioning and knowing the theory behind what you're doing or not doing (coaching comes into play here). and whoever said time on water - probably the biggest thing. time in the course equally as important for most. If you can't run 22off you aren't going to run 28off with any consistency, just like you wont run 35 off if you aren't running 32off. it simply doesn't work that way for the vast majority of people. If you are working on 22 and 28off in the course, ski at 28 and 32off open water. you will get used to the faster speeds, difficulty maintaining line tension, and the quicker edge change with shorterlines. I try to slow the boat down with new line lengths as well. Something Rossi has mentioned worked for him in the past, 1/2 mph to 1mph slower to start and bump it up 1/2mph at a time. 32mph is too drastic a jump to 34 IMO. I watched all of Terry Winters video's and a key he talks about is running 90% of your passes. if you aren't making 6 balls 90% of the time at 22off, dont spend all your time at 28off. its good to try that length as its different, but being able to run a pass means you are doing things right, just takes a small adjustment to make the next step.

gloves that fit are the best ones... traditionally I have liked the HO gloves, have had to go down a size recently with a few different brands (maybe they are making gloves bigger now?). in the 41tails now. I think they work for a lot of people. had some D3 gloves that worked, but did not last as long as my other HO's. tried the pro-locks from masterline once and liked them very much, might have to give them a shot next. Once you get used to a crutch like that you can't go back to regular gloves I hear... Oneill wetsuits only for me. the Hammer shirt 2/1 works great for the money, or the gooru for some more $. I just picked up the hammer spring suit, which is a 2/1 shorty but with full length arms. can't wait to try it. radar vectors if you're still an aspiring course skier. radar strada's if you're getting more advanced course time. the new Animals are junk IMO.

HO/Accurate has a knotless rope, any idea who makes their ropes? my accurate 8 loop rope looks to be about 1 foot short total from my backyard messurements, but should stretch out a bit when skiing I'd think. has maybe 60 passes on it and looks fine.

http://www.onondagacamp.com/ Over the years have had many international campers, from France, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Mexico, and just about everywhere in between. 2 boats/lakes to ski on and a slalom course. Not tourament level coaching, but an amazing all around camp in the beautiful Canadian Shield cottage country region of Ontario.

TTT Anyone been on the S2 and the CoFXsL to compare the 2? As far as I can tell, same rocker, different concave and shape, same core, with less carbon... I'm on an A1, and its a great ski, but a lot of work for my out of shape A$$... I'm at 34mph, 22-28off make a few at -32 on a good day...

@londonskier make sure you hit up the premium outlet mall on international drive. much prefer to millennia, way better deals and good shops.

look into OS systems. have found they are of the best quality these days. still hand made in USA http://www.ossystems.com/surface/breeze/

are you pressing the on/off button? generally if its asking you to put to neutral, the system was off and you pressed ON. turn the system on when the boat is in neutral, and simply back the throttle off in the turn, and re engage at the finish of the turn.

amazing place, good luck on the sale! I'm not interested because of the jet ski lake.... thats just wrong

the digital gauges on that era Nautique will give you fits, and there is no guarantee the hours are that low if the gauges are fried. A boat that is well taken care of can have hundreds of hours and still look like new. do a search on Planetnautique.com for costs and process on the gauges, it could be a bigger problem then you are aware of. Still great boats, but if its going to cost you $1000+ for the gauges, you need to get a better deal. 20k is too much regardless. 16-18 tops, its a buyers market!

depends on the boat (where the base of the pylon will sit), but I only ever slalomed with the fly high installed 1 time. I wouldn't recommend any real slalom with the pylon installed. rec skiing sure, but any skier that can pull forget it IMO. too much creaking and flexing for my liking.

one of the best features of the sequence plate is the 6 philips screws and it mounts to any MFG's insert pattern. don't use velcro

www.mydeo.com/videorequest.asp?XID=87246&CID=51655 Ed gives you a manual on how to install. its easy. takes 1 or 2 times to get a process going. 3 people is perfect; 2 install 1 drive, but 2 people can do it no problem. the most effecient way to do it on big water is the ski boat has all the gate sections, a tin boat has all the buoy arm sections and turn buoys. they follow the ski boat. you just need more body's and a tinner lol

that was my exact reason for getting the closed bow malibu vs LX. all you get is 1 more seat, but way less storage and easier to swamp it....

I have a sportster closed deck and the biggest difference I find between that and a similar age Nautique is a harder wake at long line and -22off. I prefer the newer TSC2 and 3 Nautiques to the original TSC1 unlike some others ahve posted, but they are great boats nonetheless. With the sportster There is minimal spray for shortline, great tracking and I doubt there are any inboards that are more fun to Drive. It is also regarded as being one of the best Barefoot inboards ever made so if you slalom and barefoot the only boat that can touch it is a Response with an upgraded motor. amazing hole shot and 48+mph top speed stock. I wanted the LX model but if you are ever out on the lake for a day and want some storage space I wouldn't recommend it. the bow area is the only place to store anything on this boat, & with the open bow it is minimalized. The 99 response LX has the rear storage trunk, a great upgrade. also the sporty LX sits quite low compared to the bigger and newer boats and on bigger lakes its VERY easy to dig the nose with a person in the bow. btw my boats for sale, but I'm in Canada. :)

best way to identify a HDS leak is to install the drain plugs, fill the bilge with water (while the boat is on a lift or trailer), so that the water level in the bilge is ABOVE the lid of the HDS box. Trailer might be better because you can adjust the bow rise with the dolly. then look for leaks from underneath the boat. it shouldn't leak at all fixing the box is not a big deal as the most likely spot for it to leak is around the rim of the lid where its screwed in and siliconed. if it leaks I'd simply pull the lid off, sand it down a bit to remove the excess silicone and redo it. FWIW I put a new strip of packing into my malibu sportster and spent all year tightening and loosening the packing gland. I could either get it to drip a lot or not at all it seemed. I found that the new packing material takes a long time to swell, and leak out. so as long as its cool to the touch you should be fine.

gives some perspective, small to you isn't small to some other dude. I'm shorter and about 10lbs heavier fwiw I would think you could ride my 67.5" A1, but I bet you'd like a 66.25 better. I ask really because I wonder if maybe I should even be on a 66.25 sometimes...

Than: what ski/size? and what/how do you ski?

that's what I was trying to get at so HIRE MATT!!! as a sales/marketing guy not doing the simple things boggles my mind! they have great products & great athletes, gotta get the word out. Radar has taken over because of their simple, yet effective marketing. Twitter, facebook, forums, etc.

whats up with Obrien? they were the leader in waterski equipment for decades, have the king Mapple at the forefront and a number of other very gifted skiers, but they aren't even listed as team members on the website?? the only 2 elite team skiers at the masters and neither is mentioned ANYWHERE on the Obrien or Elite website. what gives?