BobF

All of the above.

 

Earlier this year, I met a great group of guys that took me and my son in for a daybreak set at their site on public water. Never met them before, sight unseen, they gladly offered up personal equipment (lesson learned: we didn't bring our ski stuff on our trip), pulls on multiple boats, and the familiar companionship and support that I've seen in skiers everywhere.

 

I was in one of the boats between sets with one of our new friends (68 years old and still running passes in the course) and I said "I don't really know exactly what it is that makes this so commonly addictive". He swept his arms out and said "It's all this!"

 

Well worth getting up at 5 am.

 

While I don't ski to the level of some on here, I will agree wholeheartedly with @skiep. I run a relatively short fin setup and can say that when I break on my offside it is 90% certain that It's due to not controlling my vision and letting my head drop.

Have done the glow sticks and duct tape routine and it is a blast! For extra safety and entertainment in the boat, don't forget to attach a few to a vest and the handle.

Rope wrapped around rudder and prop?

Good luck to all that are recovering from injuries. I'm relatively intact so far this season (knocking on wood).

 

My training partner not so lucky. Going for it around six ball, he took a weird, forward, face-down fall while still holding on a few weeks ago. When the rope came tight, his right arm was behind his back with hand still through the handle. Pulled the arm up behind the back and tweaked both shoulder and elbow. Could've been waay worse...

Interesting thoughts. When we started skiing on a relatively new borrow pit in NC, the water was very clear (25+ feet visibility clear) and felt very fast and hard. 6 years later, after stocking fish and allowing a farmer to use land above the lake, there is much more organic particulate in the water. It seems to ski much better now! Seems slower and softer, and ball counts are up. Not sure how much of this is due to adapting to the site, but it just feels so much better...

Alternate between Maryland and Eastern NC.

>Microsoft OneNote for all settings

I've started using a Google doc for documenting setting info. Nice to be able to get to this from any device, even out on the lake!

Love that place! Haven't been in a couple of years but will be going back soon.

I sold an X7 on sia to a similar account that paid quickly via PayPal - no problems. Shipped to LA, destined for South Korea. I did contact Larry at sia first to see if the account had a history of problems.

National Marine Underwriters

Oops, it appears that I got my lh and rh's backwards in the above post. Thanks for clearing that up, @Jody_Seal‌! Will edit the post to have correct info, if possible.

MC and Malibu have LH rotation props, and the starboard trailing edge (right when looking at the back) should be ground. Nautique is RH rotation and the port trailing edge should be ground. MC and 'bu will pull the wheel to the right and Nautique will pull to the left when underway.

 

(editted to correct the lh vs rh prop info)

Slackline. Balance training and a surprisingly good overall core strength workout.

When we first acquired our site, it was very clear (visibility 6-8 feet). At that time, it seemed to ski very fast - hard to slow down and very challenging. Over time, we have stocked several species of fish and gone through a series of steps to control weeds, including grass carp.

 

The visibility is now about +/- 1 foot. In my opinion, the lake skis much easier with the suspended organics. The feeling is slower, with the ability for the ski to sink in and hold better angle. No science to back it up, but the difference is obvious.

+1 on grass carp. Last year our weeds had gotten to the point of reaching the surface in the shallow end of our course (6 ft). Stocked some carp very early this year and have seen dramatic improvement this season. They are expensive initially, but far less expensive than chemical treatments in the long run. We had to buy the 12+ size to help prevent theft by eagles.

I learned that switching back and forth between skis all season will not make you a better skier.

Surprised you didn't put one of the sticky mounts on the ski. You can use them along with the back door float in case (when) the camera becomes detached.

Heads up on the "How it's made" episode: Looks like the Radar skis one will be on the Science Channel at 10:30 tonight out here on the east coast!

I recommend any good core strength and flexibility program.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Core-Performance-Revolutionary-Workout-Transform/dp/1594861684

 

Started using this program in the off season a few years ago and it de-olded me a bit. Also solved some nagging lower back issues that I'd had for a long time.

I've used this many times to help minimize the chances of damage (or at least help me sleep a little better). I always placed a work light in a safe position directly below the block to allow the heat to radiate upward into the engine. If there is a heater, make sure to blow out the core to protect that as well.

Currently in Baltimore MD, waiting for Sandy to make landfall not too far away. Got the ski boats and truck parked away from trees, gas for the generator, and some beers in the fridge. Waiting for the power to go out.

yes. yes, it was.

The led flashlight rig looks like a great idea! That's alotta lights to do a full course, though.

 

Ed, most of the cheap lightsticks are good for 4-6 hours. We duct tape them on every ball standing upright on top, go in for a bit and then come out later to ski. Not my proudest skiing moment, but lots of fun.

We've done the lightstick thing several times and it works well. Safety (and entertainment) first, though: don't forget to put some on the skier and the handle!