LeonL

It's my unerstanding the the SR goes with Nationals boat draw.

Hey what happened to my handicap of 89.5?  It was 89.5 for the last two weeks and when I got a score (93) my handicap jumped up so I'm only +2.  I thought I would be +3.5. Does your handicap go up to include your most recent score?  I would think it would be static thruout the month.

What about EXO binding placement on a 67" CoX?  And what setting on the release for 160 lbs and also 190 lbs? 

Can't wait to see the updates.  Mine from the w/e of 7/10-11 haven't made it yet.

Well, guys I've got size 9 Diablo w/ size 9 liners.  I wear a size 9 shoe and the Diablos seem pretty tight on me.  The buckles have to be pretty far open for me.  Maybe high arch or fat feet.  Anyway, I couldn't ski with them and they're in the garage.  I'm using the release plate with rollerblade boots on them.

I'm not here to bash either.  I really like to drive the 200.  Here are actual figures from our last 3 event tournament.  We pulled 1 round of jump and 1 round of slalom with each boat, a 200 and and LXI.  Same skiers throughout.  Trick, not so sure about but I kinda think the Malibu had more trickers.  End result -- 200 25 gallons, LXI 18 gallons.  Small tournament sure, but figures are what they are.  By my math the 200 used 28% more.

C2 is what I use, no matter what boat.  All the brands are going to feel different regardless of setting, and you can drive yourself crazy adjusting settings based on boats.  No one has that much practice time available behind all 3 brands.  BTW I'm 5'11, 160 34 mph, run 32 fairly consistently with 2 - 4 at 35 most of the time.

Yeah, some Southern Region scores were a bit late getting posted to USAWS.  The tournament that I was in for example.  Should help my standing!!

lkb, I assume that where your tank would have to be (in order for a truck to get to it) is 150' from the lake?  That might be tough.  I'd be a bit leary of piping it underground unless you shut off a valve at the tank everytime you used it.  I just got a new tank (old one sprung a leak) from our local gas distributor on a loan agreement, free.  If you go with a tank be sure you get a pump with a meter.  Gravity flow with a meter puts you to sleep while waiting for the boat to fill up.

I see most of the posters mentioning 4 passes.  I agree that 6 is a bit much.  I wholehearted support new blood and kids getting into the sport, but I really don't see the need to run 6 passes either.  As one who puts on tournaments as well, I understand the need for some level of expediency.  Those who do not do tournament director duties may not understand that if your tournaments run forever into the night people won't come back.  By the rules you may limit passes to no less than 4, but you can limit them to 4.

If you charge $0.50 per pass for gas, then who pays when someone other than you makes a gas run?  How do you handle that?  This may sound overkill but have you considered putting in a bulk tank?  I also assume that there aren't many of your skiers that have regular ski partners.  In my experience that just always seemed to happen.  If they did you wouldn't have the driving situation.  No help here just some thought provoking questions.

Polyform boat guides for sure.  When they fade you can dye them.  Polyform turn balls seem to hold color well, but the drawback on them is the eye is hollow and thin.  The cavity connects to the ball and if the eye gets knicked (or chewed by muskrats, as is our case) the air goes out.

What you describe was once the case. Actually most tournaments that ran that format usually stopped the boat after 2 passes (at last the ones that I observed) Current AWSA rules state that "the boat shall be stopped at each end, unless the skier requests at the starting dock to continue at his own risk."  (Rule 10.1)  I don't know what you're referring to when you specifically mention "six passes".  You obviously don't have to start at some "really slow speed."

 

I tried to sign for July, and maybe I did.  Really all that I did was authorize a $1.00 PayPal.  Didn't fill out anything.  Horton, did I read elsewhere that you just take the name from the credit card?  If so I guess I'm in!!

What issue has the article on ZO?  I must not have gotten that month's issue.

I have to agree with Thomas.  It's a piece of equipment that's available to everyone.  I don't have one and don't plan on buying one but I won't complain if someone skis better and/or longer than me while wearing a PowerVest.  Having said that, I have a hard time believing that it can be that much of an advantage.

I think we all have stories about fishermen and slalom courses on public water.  It has been my experience that the entitlement mentioned by a previous poster was all fishing.  A couple of experiences that I'm familiar with on large lake with many coves, skiers get permission to use one for a slalom course and the fishermen would tear it up. Sometimes twice per weekend.  When they were in the daylight if you asked to move over or to another cove they would say "this is a fishing lake" or "this cove is the best for fishing" 

Anyway, I now have a private lake and you wouldn't believe the people (even strangers) that ask me to fish here.  At one time I would have relished the chance to tell them to take a flying @#$%.  Now, somewhat as before, I have valuable property that I can't stand guard on 24/7.  So I politely tell them I can't let them due to potential liability.  They're still in thorn in my side.

I've been on Fogman's for about 3-4 years.  The only  issue I've had is I just could not ski with the Red Diablos.  I was on hardshells prior to the Diablos, but just could not get thing going with them.  So I mounted my old shells on the Fogmans release plates, which is the subject of this thread anyway.  I've had several "significant" falls and as someone stated above, I didn't know that I had a release until I looked down realized that my ski was missing.  In fact, in a tournament early on with the Fogman release system I fell kinda hard and took off swimming for the bank and someone yelled "Hey idiot your ski is over here the other direction, you might want to take it with you."

Take a look a Chris Rossi's article in the September issue of Water Skier.   He references what he calls the 'Power Triangle'.  Saying the same thing some of you guys said only in different words.   Also in 'opening up' sometimes the ski slows more than you're accustomed to and you get too slow, then the boat pull you over.

Slalom course only?  Kinda based on how good the surveyor / TC is and what equipment he uses and the guys in the water.  As little as 1 hour not counting adjustments / corrections. 

Marco,

Try Richard Borea Wheat Ridge, CO 303-238-7632 or, Phil Yastrow Ft. Collins, CO 970-226-2809.  Listed as TCs in Colorado. I think I saw somewhere previously that you were in CO.

 

I don't know how much longer a course would have to be make it easier, but if you're using PP the boat will have to go faster (as 34.2) than standard to get you a 16.95.  If it's very far off it will show up with ZO by virtual timing ending before you get to the end gates. (beeps before the gate, or after depending on which way you're going).  Generally speaking long courses aren't the way to make it easier, but narrow courses will.  Fortunately that is the easiest to verify by simple measurements.

I've done 8 with one yet to go.  That includes KY state championships, Regionals and Nationals. 

Marco,

To answer your first question, perhaps making the rest moot, you are not required to have your slalom course surveyed for class "C".  See the rule book appendix under "Tournment classification requirements" and under site certification.

But if you want to survey I would go with a AWSA tech controller.  They know what needs to be done and you won't have to explain tolerances to your average surveyor.  You can locate tech guys by going to the usaws website under officials and do a search in your state, region etc.

Marco,  I can't say with certainity, but the results that you describe on the SN would lead me to say that you experienced bad driving.  Unless of course you had the same driver in all 3 boats.  The drop off in your glide can be attributed to over throttle and then ZO takes control and settles in.  AS to overly soft in the course, you may have not gotten what you asked for setting wise.  People make mistakes.  I feel that your next round behind a SN will feel more like MC and BU.