GAJ0004

I definitely think you have to find the ski that fits you. I just bought a D3 Nomad RCX at the end of last season after being on a 2000 O'brien Mapple for 8 seasons. I tried the HO Syndicate A1. I liked it because it was very fast, but it did not match my skiing style. It would slip out from under me after finishing the turn. I skied on it for two weeks. I ended up on the D3 Nomad RCX which worked nearly perfect for me right out of the box. I was worried that I was not going to be able to find a ski that would work for me. I have always been on O'briens with the tunnel bottom. 1986 TRC, 1993 Synergy Z, and then the 2000 Mapple. Some of my fellow skiers have HO CDX's on my lake. Everyone else on my lake was afraid to ski on my Mapple because it rolled on edge very easy. My philosphy is try different skis until you find one that responds the best for you right out of the box.

Finally back on the water. The water temp is PA is 60 degrees. The air temp is in the 40's sometimes in the morning. We are trying to beat the wind. My whole crew has drysuits now. Got the course put back in before the end of April, and got all six timing magnets in too. Just about back to form. I am getting into 32 off at 34 MPH. I am still adjusting to my D3 Nomad RCX after being on a 2000 O'Brien Mapple for 8 seasons. The water temp is still bouncing like a basketball so I have not messed with my fin settings. This new ski is more sensitive to cold water than my old one. It rides a little higher.       Slalom is not so bad in a drysuit, but it makes tricks really hard.

I always free ski in the early spring, especially in the cold. I think it is a necessity to build up your endurance for getting back in the course. The ski area on the lake(Pennsylvania) I ski on is almost 2 miles long. I free ski like it is one giant slalom course. Now that I am over 35 I ski the course at 34, but I free ski at 36 to condition. If you jump in the course too soon you will pick up bad habits. I see it as the process of restoring muscle memory after six months off the water. I free ski for 2 weeks before entering the course again. Then after that 2 more weeks at my max boat speed at 15 off to smooth out the rought spots before shortening the rope again. April this year was cold windy and rainy. I am hoping to have my lakes slalom course put back in by the end of April. Later start than usual. Work and weather got in the way....

Since I ski in Pennsylvania my season is 6-7 months. My first ski was a the slalom off a pair of combos(age 14). I was able to get through the course at long line up to 32 miles per hour. When I started doing 34 miles per hour long line at age 16 on the combo ski slalom I knew I would have to upgrade. I was pretty much self taught until I was 23. I have been skied on a 1986 O'Brien TRC, 1993 O'Brien Synergy Z, 2000 O'Brien Mapple Signature, and a 2008 D3 Nomad RCX. I liked the tunnel concave skis because they ride deep, and are easy to slow down(especially at 36). I was worried I was not going to find a new ski that would work when my 2000 Obrien Mapple started to delaminate after 8 years of very hard use. I ski on them until they are completely shot. I can't afford a new ski every season or two. I tried an HO Syndicate A1, but I almost killed myself on it. I could not control it. The animal bindings hurt my feet too. I liked the speed it generated, but it gave be trouble when it came time to finish a turn, and start pulling across the wakes. It slipped out from under me like a banana peel. I skied on it for two weeks. It was just not compatible with my skiing style. The D3 Nomad RCX worked nearly perfect for me right out of the box. The only adjustment I made was pivoting the rear binding for left foot forward, and moving the fin back .02''. Can't wait to get back on it. I only skied on it for a few weeks at the end of last year.

I am able to stay pretty symmetrical on both sides. I am left foot forward. I started struggling with my offside turn a few years ago when I started going 36 miles per hour. What worked for me is turning my hips and shoulders so they are less open to the boat and more to the spot I am aiming for before the next buoy. It took me quite a while to get it right. I have not broken any records, but it has made me more consistent in all conditions. Because of the stance on the ski you have to make different adjustments for different sides. It helps to me mixed dominant too. I kick a soccer ball with my right foot, and I am left foot forward. I am right handed, but in the last few years I have been learning to write with my left hand too. I still use my onside turn to make up time if I make a mistake in the course.

I have slalomed behind a 1993 Malibu Echelon. I liked it too. It had a nice flat and narrow wake even at 22 off. I got to ski behind a Nightmare edition Master Craft last summer(closed bow), and a friend of mine has a 197. I like the Nightmare Edition better for slalom, and the 197 better for tricks. Nothing beats a boat that is paid for. The new Master Crafts are nice trick boats. I add a 1 foot section of rope to my trick line to find the flat spot on the table when behind a Master Craft. I have not had the chance to trick behind a new Nautique. The one thing I don't like about all the newer boats is vinyl on the stern. I would rather have more floor space when I have a crew of 4 slalom skiers. Sorry Ed, I did not mean to start an argument on here. I was just curious to see how people go about picking out a boat. I would not mind having one of those 6.0 liter engines on board for barefooting..   ÂÂ

I like the Ski Nautique 196 the best. I pull a lot of slalom course skiers and barefooters. I hate open bows and towers. I have a 1994 Ski Nautique that still looks and runs like new with close to 1400 hours on it. The main advantage of a Nautique over its competitors is it is the most user friendly for driving. I like my 1994 because it has a good slalom wake, but it also is great for tricks and kneeboarding. The main thing I have noticed over the years is a Nautique's skiability is less affected by adverse conditions(spray mostly). All of the big 3 Malibu, Master Craft, and Correct Craft all feel pretty much the same to me slalom skiing behind them. Can't wait to get mine out!

I have not entered a tournament since 1996. It costs me too much ski time to travel and wait to ski at a tournament, and it does not fit into my budget since I drive 76 miles each way just to practice. I slalom, trick, kneeboard and barefoot. I would have to quit 2 or 3 of them to be competitive in one. Tournaments are just not in my budget. Besides in tournaments these days, 32 off will get you laughed at from what I am told..

No amish skiers that I know of.. I may be the closest thing to an amish on the water. Wakeboarders are taking over. There are a handful of barefooters(myself included). I slalom, trick, kneeboard and barefoot. The lake I ski on is called Lake Latonka. It is about 2 1/2 miles long and about 1/2 mile wide. The course is out in the middle in the widest section. It is not the perfect place to ski. You have to drop at each end of the course to keep the backwash under control. It is pretty good most of the time. You have to get out in the early mornings on the weekends to get good water. I have learned to handle rough conditions. I can get into 32 off in 6 inch white cap wind chop at 34 MPH.  It is as good as it gets unless you can get to a specialty ski site like Dave's Pond in Edinboro PA, or Ski Utopia in Newton Falls OH. The owner of the property built it back in the 70's. I think the Eastern Regionals were held there last year. The course is in water that is 15 feet deep on the north end, and 22 feet deep on the south end. Here is a picture of my boat with part of the lake in the background. http://www.planetnautique.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=12879 I will post a winter time shot too. Speaking of cold water. I will be putting my lift and docks back in soon. I am waiting on an order of new slalom course buoys. Our docks have wheels on them so we can move them in and out without getting in the water. The ice tears of lifts and docks pretty quick.

For those of us who live up north we spend almost half our season in a drysuit or a full wetsuit. I have a Ski Warm Sahara which works very well. I also have cold water gloves. I ski in Pennsylvania. The earliest I have been out is on March 28, and the latest is November 3rd. If I did not have my boat to worry about I would keep it ready to go until Thanksgiving. It takes me a couple of sets to get used to the extra gear. It feels much better when you stay warm, and it reduces the chances of getting hurt. I think it is well worth it. In the spring it is a great training tool. The extra restriction really makes you work on endurance and technique. Once I am able to switch to my warm weather gear I feel that much further ahead. In the warm weather I wear a Neo slalom vest, barefoot shorts, and a spray leg. I use a regular nylon 4 buckle vest with my drysuit which is lighter and less restrictive, regular ski gloves in the fall and cold water gloves in the spring. I know it bugs alot of skiers to wear one, but I am converting my crew one by one. It is nice to jump in the cold water and not scream.... The coldest water I have skied in was 46 degrees. 32 miles per hour feels like 36 miles per hour does on a warm day. I wear the drysuit in the spring until the water hits 70 degrees. It makes a good early season training tool, and keeping warm reduces chances of injury. October is some of the best skiing in PA. Don't want to miss it!

I tried out a 68'' A-1, after being on a 2000 O'Brien Mapple for 8 years. I could not get used to it. It was by far the fastest ski I had ever ridden. My first couple of passes in the course at 34 MPH(I am 39 years old) it slipped out from under me like a banana peel around ball 1. I was able to get into 28 off by my sixth ride, but never felt fully comfortable on it. I don't always get good conditions to ski in. On a couple of passes in semi rough water it was very hard to correct after getting out of position. On one occasion I almost hyperextended my knee. The Animal Bindings worked well for control, but my feet hurt after three passes. I found the ski very difficult to control. I ended up on a D3 Nomad RCX. It is not as fast as the A-1, but worked better for me in rough water, and the bindings were more comfortable. Stay off the ski(A1) if you have less than perfect conditions, if you make any mistakes in the course it will bite you. The D3 Nomad RCX blew me away. I get into 32 off every time, in calm or rough water. It only took two open water rides, and 1 ride in the course to get used to it. Getting through 28 off is almost effortless on it. I am now working on fin adjustments to correct some minor problems at 32 off.

I just got Perfect Pass Stargazer on my 1994 Ski Nautique this spring. It works just like they say it does. In good conditions I get actual times, or within a few hundreths of a second. The times are off a little bit when the conditions start to deteriorate, but still within tolerance. The only issue I've had with it is pulling my brother at 30 and 32 miles per hour. He is 250 lbs and gets into 32 off at 32 miles per hour. It would run fine in the first segment, then surge at the end. I noticed it more when the conditions were less than perfect. I turn the KX to + which helped. I occasionally pull him at 34 miles per hour, and no problems. I have a mechanical version on a carbureted engine. The key is giving yourself plenty of runway into the course to let it get locked in especially at 30 or 32 MPH.  I got to ski behind a Freddy Krueger Nightmare edition Master Craft with Zero Off. With the exception of my first pass behind Zero Off felt the same to me. On my first pass behind zero off I felt it surge when I pulled. Either system works for me.