Than_Bogan

Comparing things is fun. Having a point is optional. But in this case, the takehome is dominance vs. their competition.

Great concept! A ski that is designed to slalom at very low speeds is exactly what a true beginner needs. For most people, 28mph is way to fast to learn course basics and have success, but it's hard to go slower than that on "normal" slalom skis.

Probably the most engaging episode in the series. After an hour and 40 minutes, it still seems like there is more to discuss. What a fascinating journey with some major obstacles but also some very lucky meetings. So many New Englanders first tournament was at Oakham, including mine. Friendly and encouraging people there have launched many obsessed careers of buoy chasing, and perhaps Chelsea is the most talented of the lot!

Graston is silly amounts of pain/discomfort but it can be a miracle in specific cases. I've had some tendon issues where it didn't seem to do lot, but others where BAM it was gone!

Welocme to BOS and good luck!! Personally, I get much more tendon issues from pole vaulting and fishing, so I'd be curious if your ideas are generally applicable or specific to towed watersports. Another consideration is interactions with a neoprene sleeve or under a drysuit, since some in cold climates are using one or the other for much of the season.

Not necessarily odd. Different ski shapes may perform optimally with very different binding placement.

Another random fact about Chelsea Mills: I'm 90% sure she grew up in Wellesley MA -- the next town over from our slalom courses in Natick. But she didn't even know about that, and learned slalom later! This summer, though, she did ski a set in Natick, and I was told she got 5 @ -39. The next few year's pro tours could be AWESOME on the women's side. Regina might still be the literal translation of her name (queen), but there are serious challengers in Whitney, Chelsea, and Jamie. P.S. Seeing Karina Nowlan's name makes me sad. She seemed awesome in so many ways. Hope she's doing well out there somewhere!

It is weird that 11 women have done something that I know for a fact is impossible...

@PatM Although I have done no real world testing, my hypothesis would be that the behavior is sort of the opposite of that: That because the Spectra stretches so little, it will take almost all of the load. The poly would basically be filler to make the handle safer and more ergonomical. I conjecture that if too few Spectra fibers are used, they can actually break in usage, because they take nearly all of the load while the poly is just starting its stretch range and therefore providing very little resistance. But Spectra fishing line can easily be purchased in 100 lb variety, and it's not unweildy. Just 10 strands of that would hold 1000 lbs. So I believe a very small amount of Spectra would be up to the task. Perhaps @Sedge will find out if I am right and/or what I haven't thought of!

@Sedge Have you ever considered a "Spectra-infused" handle? I have moderate experience with Spectra for both handles and fishing line, and I conjecture that even 5% Spectra fibers would noticeably increase durability (and decrease stretch, if that matters). But this wouldn't increase material cost nearly as much as an all-Spectra handle.

Yep. Sometimes names can be very entertaining. Most people in Australia are laughing every single time they see my last name. (Look it up, Joe! [And then look that up.] ) Ooh I just made this thread be about me! Nice! But seriously, the answer is Gilligan.

But somewhat on this topic, I had an interesting moral dilemma a year or so ago in a Class C. At 12m, I wasn't sure if I made it outside 6. I swung the ski and didn't feel an impact, but that could be because I went completely inside OR completely outside the ball. 2 judges gave me 6. But the boat judge called it 5. I know this judge well, and if she is calling 5 then it's because she had a clear view and it was 5. So: While I was skiing, I didn't know, but NOW I do. Should I voluntarily end my round rather than attempt 11.25? I still don't know for sure what I think is "right" in this situation.

At the pro level, there is no value to "selling it," because every close call is video reviewed anyhow. The shorter the line, the less the skier can know for sure if they went outside, so they'll keep skiing if there's any chance they went outside.

In my opinion, a very important aspect of this design is to incentivize toward building a bigger and better Pro Tour as the future unfolds. I think it is more than acceptable if we crown some "surprising" series champions along the way, if indeed this structure achieves the broader goal of a better future. (Not saying anyone is disagreeing with that. Just emphasizing it.)

Spectra is crazy durable. But once you outlast the handle rubber, does longer life mean much?

Hah these are good. More fun than I anticipated so far! Surely there's a Steven entry. Island and Neveu is a promising start!

For a silly off-season challenge, come up with the best team of 3 skiers that all have the same first name. Feel free to match by pronunciation OR spelling, and nicknames are in play as long as they are actually used. (Sadly, nobody calls me Nate...) What made me think of this was spotting @Ali working the dock this weekend with Allie Nicholson and Ali Garcia nearby. Bonus style points if your team has a cool name and/or you can make a team of 4 or more. Who's got a better entry than The Allied Forces?

Gilligan. Obviously.

@aupatking I had the exact same thought! #UnleashTheRabbit Congrats @The_Krista!!

I did not know zbox added accelerometers! That makes it theoretically possible to be extremely similar, and maybe makes patent infringement the main issue?

PP and ZO are fundamentally different control systems that use different inputs and have different targets. PP takes no live measurements except the RPM, and the control system attempts to maintain a constant RPM. PP with Stargazer adds access to some GPS information, but just to automatically determine what the RPM target should be for a given speed. ZO has both GPS information and an accelerometer that can detect rapid subtle speed changes. It then uses this information to target a specific speed, and in doing so it may vary the RPM significantly. You can easily hear the difference: PP has a steady engine tone whereas ZO ramps up and down at every buoy. If you want PP to behave like ZO then it has to have both of those inputs and use the same algorithm to target speed ... at which point it is Zero Off and I'm sure would violate their patents.

@mdb1056 What are marking sleeves for? Always wondered about that. Could there really be anyone who has advanced to shortening the rope in the slalom course who doesn't know the colors? I'm certainly interested in what S-Lines will offer for handles, though!

@Horton That's terminology that (at least) Jamie Beauchesne and Adam Cord both use. It's another way to think ahout staying connected in the swing from second wake to buoy. If you try to ski toward the shore, you'll necessarily become separated because that isn't where the handle is going. If you move with the handle as it goes up course, then it's possible to maintain connection and use the boat to keep you moving. For me, this is the difference between the super ugly 35s and the super easy ones. It also makes -38 "possible."

I'm not a huge believer in "special magic." Joel is doing SO many things well. But nevertheless I am curious what @Horton is focusing on.

If I'm limited to picking a "skill," then it's moving with the ski all the time. Like most "advanced amatuers," I spend far too much time toward the back of the ski or otherwise disconnected. But if I get to pick more general terms, then it's much easier: Dedication. Even a decade ago when I was working hard on getting better, I always recognized there was an entirely different level of dedication possible, with nutrition, coaching, off-water training, and consistent, purposeful on-water training.