jimbrake

Razor - when you say "get off of it" referring to your edge change, what does that mean to you exactly? To me "get off of it" sounds like a sort of letting up or standing up, which is not a good thing. Do you actually try to push your ski through it's edge change so that you are "off of" your pulling edge and onto your new turning edge early? I don't imagine you are letting the handle away from your body thru the edge change since you can run 38, so I'd really like to understand what "getting off of it" means to you. thanks, Jim

I don't want to read this whole thread, but has no one told "Skiag" to STFU? Oh yeah, I'll be 53 in June. Skiag - STFU.

I cant both of my boots nearly 90 degrees to the center line of the ski just so I can relate when Horton refers to onside as "heelside" and offside as "toeside". Now it all makes sense.

ShaneH - that is exactly what the Strada felt like to me, too. Not a bad thing for the most part, just a different feel. The Strada was very easy to ski, but the looseness in the tip sometimes turned into too much tip rise, which was mostly my fault or something that could be tuned out with binding and fin position. Or probably 4 or 5 ventral fins in various locations and orientations would help. Maybe 6.

The stock binding position on the A1 puts a ton of ski edge in the water. The ski will develop so much angle, and consequently so much load, that it feels slower and makes you work too hard (my experience at 55k - probably better at 58k). Moving my bindings back from stock (I think I went back about 1/4 inch) really freed the ski up and sped it up, too. Much more speed, much less work, and still get all the angle I need (and the tip stays down). I love my A1, although I also really felt good on the Strada when I tried one last season. I think they are both great skis. I have not tried an A2, yet, but would like to compare all three skis. I also think you can ski the A1 in a larger size and benefit from the increased speed while still having great decel and turn. I'm 195 lbs on a 67.5 and think I would do better on the 68.75.

I agree with MS (and Jay L). I'll generally spend too much time on 32 and 35 trying to "perfect" them, but do my best at 38 when I keep hammering away at it. The timing, speed, forces all begin to feel routine and normal that way. No matter how well you run 35, the feeling at 38 will be a surprise if you haven't spent much time at it. That said, it is fun to run passes where you feel so dialed in. My first set of the year will be this Friday. I'm going off the dock at 38, damn it. Maybe not.

Ral, 100 buoys is 4 @ 38

Dsmart - I think you can probably hear what I say when I fall, even from your vantage point.

Dsmart - how is my path? Pretty f'd up I'd imagine.

BLP was a pretty dang good jumper - like 170s back when the record was 180. Think he jumped until the mid-1980s. He took same bad crashes, though. Once reportedly bruised his heart on a bad out the front. That might've been Suyderhoud at about 0:46 going out the front. Guy was wearing a sling on his left arm, which Mike did. Great athletes on primitive equipment (not at the time). Look how damn small those jump skis were. Seriously there are powder skis bigger than that now. Thing that impressed me was how solid and smoothe KLP looked. BLP looked good, too, but a little more radical. Let's see - in '73 I was 15, so BLP must've been about 17 or 18 and KLP maybe 19 or 20 or so? Something like that.

Jumper in red helmet was BLP. I love the "hippy athlete" look - long hair, beards, but athletic and strong. Suyderhoud had to be in there somewhere, but couldn't tell exactly where. Blond tricker was Russ Stiffler (?) Tan tricker w/ speedo (common tricker attire back then) was Carlos Suarez (?) KLP was obvious as was BLP slaloming. Â

Chef23, I believe that photo is of the real thing. I haven't been there, but Teahupoo ("Chopes") is a typical reef pass set up. The swell hits most of the reef head on, which creates that long, long, backless, water-sucking-off-the-reef, hideously sick wave. It's only on the edge of the "passes" (deep channels through the reef) that the wave can peel left or right (left obviously for Chopes) because the edge of the reef curves in towards the island. Notice how all the boats sit to the side of the wave in (relative) safety? That's because they are sitting in the deep channel or pass. Taking off on a wave like that takes incredible balls and skill (especially if you are not being towed in or are a SUP janitor). If you fail on the take off and fall off or get pitched you are generally going to get dragged over the reef. Not pretty.

Drago, I agree. Unless you are really into both and have a good understanding of both, what's the point? I don't think trying to explain the physics and biomechanics of snow skiing to a water (only) skier will help them in much and vice versa. It's fun for me to think about the similarities, but I'm over trying to explain it to either side. Jim

That Ron LeMaster book is so cool. I have several of his montages in my garage/ski tuning room. Now I just need to create some in the slalom course!

'88? That book came out in '72! It was all about "carving" when no one talked about it or taught it at the time (other than race coaches). You can still glean some nuggets from it.

Eric, I whispered a message to Alan Podawiltz, but not sure if he got it. Will you let him know to email me at brake at geoconinc dot com? thanks, Jim PS - go with Head. Everytime.

For even more adrenaline, just wait for Kitzbuhel.

And, after a periof of using a HRM consistently you get to know your heart rate so well you can estimate where you are within a few beats/minute. You get a sense of which range you're in pretty easily - fat burning or cardio or higher.

Au contraire, kstate. Although he became infamous on the various waterski discussion boards, which in my estimation is an extremely easily "rile-able" group, he isn't one fraction the bad character that you see on other sports discussion boards. I would imagine you've probably been on some other sites for other sports, yes? You should see (read) some of the shit that goes down between posters on surfing and snow skiing websites (I won't name sites). In my mind it's all good entertainment and you can't take what people are willing to write on the internet too seriously anyway. I know that's not the concensus here, though, and I agree that JTH should do as he sees fit on his site. Ever notice how quiet it gets on this and other waterski websites when people finally get tired of discussing fin settings, boat winterizing methods, and trailer bunk re-carpeting? I'm not saying we need to start fighting about religion, politics, and global warming, but, hell, I think a few good rants and lively discussion is good content. Especially when they actually involve water skiing. What's better'n a good ol' fashioned stink about skiing narrow vs. wide or the "reverse c" position or, or, or zero off! Yeah - zero off sucks! Just kidding. I like ZO.

Last thought on the banned poster, then I'll drop it. I've been reading his posts and replies for several years and he rarely, if ever, starts a fight. It's generally the new posters on the various sites that either don't take the time to figure him out or are too childish themselves to do that that poke and prod him and start the fights. The reason I even bother to post this is that I think he is by far a "net positive" in terms of what he brings to a website and I will miss his contributions. I know a lot won't get where I'm coming from or agree with me, but I also know several do. It's interesting how each forum in the waterskiing community has a different culture and tone. I like them all for one reason or another. This one tolerates humor and good-natured shit-giving a bit better than the others because your personality promotes it and I appreciate that.

JTH, I think you should read your 6th post on this thread carefully, then make a vow to read and edit each of your posts at least twice before you post them. Just sayin'......I was going to quote you, but then I figured I get banned for sure. Also, please consider un-banning the person who you say phoned you and is rationale and loves skiing. He doesn't "pick" fights, he's just very adamant about defending himself. I think he is one of the most valuable posters in the online water skiing community. thanks, Jim

School Name:Â Mike Kusiak/Bell Acqua Country: USA City, State: Sacramento, California Contact: Mike Kusiak (JTH - I think you have his contact info and you didn't ask for specifics, so I didn't post it. let me know if you need specifics)

Now I've got a hardshell.

Didn't really learn this, but had it reinforced that every day at the lake skiing with my two sons is priceless and not to f things up by making every ride too serious, over coaching, being too hard on them when they mess up. They are hard enough on themselves and pretty soon they'll be gone. Everyone stop crying now - it'll be OK. Regarding my skiing, learned that with ZO, to go earlier and easier on the gate and that my skiing "vision" (downcourse, long-range, level with the horizon) is key to staying balanced and being able to ski back to the handle with good angle, but not too much load.

So, wait a minute...it's not true then if you wake up a sleepwalker that they will pick you up and throw you down the stairs? Doesn't seem so bad then. On second thought, it's almost Christmas, so you don't want to find out what she'll do with the Christmas tree and presents when she's sleepwalking. ("Stepbrothers", the movie)