ToddL

@ski6jones - Interesting. Their own team has emailed me as per my response in the past. I wonder if they changed this measurement point text due to the 2022 no longer having laces. Then maybe someone didn't think to retain the old text specific to the older bindings. Bottom line, the boot measurement is one of the first things to personalize when dialing in a ski. So, those stock measurements are all starting points. As a personal skier, it is important to document your preferred settings for you along with your personal method of measurement. As long as you measure the same way, your personal settings will always reflect the same actual position on the ski.

Radar team has always recommended the bottom stitching as the point of measurement. I assume their recommended (and a majority of other people's) placement are based upon this standard for this type of binding.

@Mrs_MS - United Healthcare. Ugh. I have had less than optimal experience with them. My friend in medicine says they are the worst for paying out. I hope all goes well for you through all of this. Heal quickly.

@maaasimp - length is a factor often based on weight and speed. She currently skis slow speeds. Her ski is a 65". When she was younger and competing during early collegiate years, she skied on a 62" ski. You should seek a ski that will not ride tail deep in the water while gliding at your primary speed. The deeper the ski rides, especially tail deep, the more effort you will feel and use to make a pass. Some say that you want the largest ski you can still turn aggressively. These current generation skis all are quite capable of this. I don't know your situation well enough to make a personal recommendation on ski length. One thing to consider is purchasing a set of newer bindings. You will likely need current generation bindings to put only a newer ski since your old ones probably have a different hole pattern on the plate. Also as you may already be aware, most skis are sold as blank without bindings. With your own set of newer bindings, you could borrow friends and neighbor competitor's skis and swap bindings for a ride to determine what you like or dislike about various make/models and ski sizes. Again, the Radar product line has highly universal binding plate hole configurations such that they will mount onto nearly every manufacturer's skis in the past handful of years. Wiley's bindings also have very universal binding plate hole configurations.

My wife is 5'2" as well. She was a competitive skier during college but is recreational now. She was on an older Kidder Red Line, then Connelly Concept. A few years back, I got a smoking deal on a 2016 Radar Vapor for her. I was worried that it would be too much ski for her. We also had access to a mid-range Radar ski of the same size. She tried them both. Ultimately, she liked the Vapor best. This was Radar's flagship ski at the time. My point is that the top line ski should never be assumed to be "too much ski" for an established skier. Particularly with Radar products, I know of several beginner to intermediate skiers who have made huge strides after grabbing a Vapor. They all stopped working so hard, stopped being on a verge of falls, etc. Rather, they become more smooth and confident skiers within a handful of sets.

I have seen tournaments where brand new ropes are "stretched" the days before. @Sedge said, " For us ideally the rope starts in tolerance but a little short and as it's used will get as close to exact as capable and slightly long but in tolerance by the end of it's use." So, would make sense that these ropes should not be used when "new" at a tournament? Just a random thought while reading this thread.

Ideally, only 3, but might as well be consistent and do the same rig on the other side's 3.

Nice boat, @KennyG ! So, which one of your "rides" has the trailer hitch so that you can show up with a matching "rig" to boat shows? ;-)

Someone whom I trust said to a male skier: "Put your balls over the ball (of your front foot)." So, "balls over balls" is all I need to internally recite to get it right.

@Andre - I am thinking that at a trick speed (with wake-enhancing weight, etc.) the draft might be a bit deeper?

Does has anyone engineered a super efficient solution to put in / remove (sink) the mini course? The scenario is a lake where trick path is right over the mini course buoys. There are time demands/limits, so the ability to quickly transition from trick to mini slalom is a necessity. No, the practice sets cannot be scheduled such that they never alternate. Depth is roughly 6-8 ft, so somewhat over head, but not crazy deep. Idea #1: Sink them - how far under the water would be sufficient to clear a trick boat prop? Mechanics of doing this? Anchor ropes through large carabiners at anchor points and pulled to shore, attached there? Other ideas? Idea #2: Sub-buoy them - same concern as #1. Best practices for sub-buoy setups given this scenario? Idea #3: Quick release at anchor point, but how to make this easier to find, do? Guide rope from anchor to shoreline? Other ideas? Type of "quick release/attached" solutions? Large clips, magnets, other crazy brainstorm ideas? Any best practices to share?

Here is just one rough guestimate. Lots left out. Prices may not reflect most people's situation. This is just a fun exercise using the stated scope and assumptions. Assumptions: Ski season May-October, Skier starts at age 10 to 17 yo inclusive = 8 years of skiing. $300/mo lease access to private lake (6 mos/year) = $1,800/yr $20/set to use club boat, 2 sets per outing, ski 3 days a week = 156 sets = $3,120/yr $50 lesson every other week during summer = $650 $800 used ski every other year = $400/yr -------- $5,907/yr, $47,760 total Investment ramps up in the last 4 years... So, 10-13: $23,880, then... $300/mo lease access to private lake (full year required) = $3,600/yr $30/set to use club boat, 2 sets per outing, ski 4 days a week = 208 sets = $6,240/yr $75 lesson every week during summer = $1,950 $1200 ski every other year = $600/yr -------- $12,390/yr, for the last 4 years (14-17) $49,560 So, total is $73,440. Well, that was an interesting exercise...

@DW - My fam loves F1! Yep, $$$$$$$$$ (and many more) When every backyard sport organized into a NGB, they all became exclusive and elite. No child can participate fully in more than 1 sport because the expectation of the teams, coaches, etc. is 1000% commitment to their sole sport. Further, commitment means pursuit of highest echelon of competition. No room for the casually competitive. Thankfully, some mountain ski areas open their NASTAR courses to the general public. For a small fee, one can ski the course and get times. I guess a water ski equivalent of snow skiing would be if large public lakes became "privately" controlled, where by lake goers paid for "launch" passes, and lake patrol monitored activity. Then, the corporate entity owner could possibly provide a slalom course in a controlled cove where lake goers could pay to test their skills. Yeah, no thanks.

Given gear, coaching, travel, entry fees, boat, private lake access, etc. I wonder what the equivalent cost would be to raise a junior water skier...

My completely unprofessional reaction to this is simply: If there is movement (clicking) where movement should not be, then things are not ready for normal activity. I would be a bit more concerned. Hopefully, all you are hearing/feeling is soft tissue trying to slide/move over a formerly smooth but now rough bone surface.

This whole topic/issue stopped short of achieving a meaningful outcome. Did our concerns get communicated loudly? Were they heard? Did they result in changes? Yep to all three. Did we get far enough? Some say so and others do not. IMHO, we did not. Here's where we stopped too short of the goal: 1) We are forcing normal competitive members to be subjected to the same training deemed sufficient for a youth coach. 2) The official policy language on who does BGCs does not adequately specify AWSA roles (despite NSSA having specific language about directors, etc.), and does not match what we were told. What does the goal look like for me? 1) Members are provided with an awareness training option that is less than 30 minutes to complete. If USAWS insists on using SafeSport curriculum, then USAWS needs to respectfully demand that SafeSport produce and provide this content for these types of audiences for all NGBs. 2) The official USAWS policy language should state what we are told it means. Then, there is no need to "interpret" its application. Further, the slippery-slope text must be removed. If USAWS wants to expand the scope of BGCs, then it can follow the current process of involving division leadership, votes, etc. to make that change. Regarding #1, Did USAWS even ask SafeSport for improved curriculum? Will they? What's the harm in asking? Having separate content for these very distinctly different audiences is not out of the ordinary and may even improve the quality of the program's safety. It shouldn't be a very hard sell. Tell them we need this by April 2022. Let's push this fast. Surely other NGBs and USOC sport divisions would support this, too. Regarding #2, There should be no concerns from USAWS about making edits which correctly state what they told us. Right?!? Here are some edits which would align the actual text with what we were told was the intent. https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Water-Ski/Safe-Sport/Background-Screening-FAQhttps://teamusa.org/USA-Water-Ski/Safe-Sport/Background-Screening-FAQ Q: Who is required to complete the background screening? A: USA Water Ski & Wake Sports requires criminal background screening (‘background screening’ or ‘background check’) for individuals involved with its programs as part of a greater effort to promote a safe environment for members. Background screening must be completed for all certified instructors/coaches, participants and staff of national/international teams, show ski team show directors and assistant directors, USA-WSWS judges that are 18 and older who are appointed or assigned to work National Championship (specifically AWSA Appointed Judges only) and/or IWWF sanctioned World or Confederation Championship events in their respective sports discipline, junior development coaches and leadership, and any volunteer, third-party vendor or contractor who are (a) in position of authority over or (b) in regular contact with athletes. In addition, background screening must also be completed for all staff members, USA-WSWS and Sport Discipline Board Members, and other members/individuals designated by USA-WSWS in its sole discretion. That last clause is over-reaching, slippery slope. https://www.teamusa.org/-/media/USA_Waterski/SafeSport-Docs/USAWSWSSafeSportHandbook.pdf#page=20 USA Water Ski and Wake Sports judges (who are 18 and older) who are selected and approved by USA Water Ski and Wake Sports or one of its Sports Disciplines to officiate at a National Championships event (Specifically Appointed Judges for AWSA), or IWWF World Championships or Multi-Sports event, e.g. World Games, or Pan American Confederation Titled Event, shall complete the Safe Sport training and background check as required by USA-Water Ski and Wake Sports. 1/22 https://www.teamusa.org/-/media/USA_Waterski/SafeSport-Docs/SafeSportComplianceChart.pdf (found at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Water-Ski/Safe-Sport/Sanctioned-Event-Requirements) Add an Asterisk to "BB/SS*" the AWSA column and row for Officials. Then in the left margin: "Officials - Judges (selected and approved to officiate at a National Championships event*, or any IWWF World Championships or Multi Sports event (e.g. World Games), or Pan American Confederation Titled Event) * AWSA Appointed Judges only"

I suspect the rise in epic passes are skiers who typically skied 1-2 trips and the epic pass lower cost was close enough to "buy up" for a possible 3rd trip. These 1-3 trip skiers don't ski daily, weekly, monthly. Rather, they bring their families when the kids are out of school. So, the peak times are just more crowded. The random days/weeks while school is in session likely will not be over crowded. Further, the traditional season pass holders got pretty mad about how things were handled during covid and many did NOT renew. All-in-all, this transition from typical season pass holders to "new" season pass holders may have been a good strategy for Epic/Vail. More passes sold to people who will not use them as heavily or no where near their full capability. The downside is that if Epic/Vail raise their pass prices back to "normal", many of these new pass holders will not renew.

@BrennanKMN - yep. I hear ya.

#lpskier , #B_S - yes, that, too. I assume that the popup overlay is occurring, but not over the visible area of the phone screen. Yet, there is no way to scroll up/down, or zoom out enough to view it. So, that feature is not working on mobile phones, at least android ones.

Anyone else noticing that some comment posts have a lot of white space to scroll past? I mostly use Chrome browser and I am seeing this. Initially, I thought the issue appears only on the first post of each thread page. Now, I see it occasionally elsewhere.

I'll add that the wrong time to get into stack is after the boat's load/pull is strong on the skier. That's too late. In my opinion there are two times within the course when the skier can regain or fix stack. The first happens at the last part of the edge-change. At this time, the skier should have little to no load on the rope and is casting out in preparation for arrival at the buoy. At this time, the skier should be thinking about rising up taller while lifting those hips (focus on the inside one) forward to meet the buoy first. The second time to regain or fix stack is more difficult and that one is at the end of the turn when the line is tight, but the boat's force is not fully on you. Again, this is where one would "post up", get tall, and put distance between the face and front foot. The absolutely ideal place to always stand tall is everything outside the gates. Get up, get tall. Follow the boat tall. Initiate the lean out (counter cut prior to gates) tall. Glide tall. Initiate the turn in tall. After the exit gates, ride tall. Cut to set down tall. Glide to set down tall. Make tall feel normal.

With regards to collegiate skiers as a source of growth, this is the most untapped opportunity in AWSA. Several ideas: Offer a free 5-year membership upon graduation. Include an entry fee reimbursement up to $100 good in the 1st, 3rd, and 5th year. Collaborate with NCWSA to capture permanent residence (parent) address and contact info from skiers along with graduation year. Each year, query this database for skiers who graduated 10 years ago. Send them a free membership and an offer to purchase a 3-year renewal at half-price. Include last years and current year regional guide and other local contact information. Using the same graduate database, each year query for those who graduated 15 years ago. Send them an invitation for a free family membership along with regional guides, and information about junior development contacts and events in their region.

That video was posted in 2020. When reviewing a few of the top comments on YouTube for that video, there is this juxtaposition of "too expensive" and "too crowded". If it is too crowded, then the demand exceeds desired capacity. If it is too expensive, then demand would not fill available capacity. What has happened in terms of cost and demand is the disparity between lower-middle class and upper-middle class is growing. I see this in all non-essential activities, like sport events and concerts. The ticket prices keep rising because the upper-middle class has more disposable income and are enjoying that income at these past times. As long as the upper-middle class population is sufficient to fill all of the available capacity, the prices will remain "high" in the eyes of the lower-middle class and below.

Different words sometimes click for different people. Try these: Push your face as far away from your front foot as possible at the start of the load from the boat (start of the lean phase). The other thing is the ski will go where the front foot is pointed. The front foot is pointed where the front knee is pointed. Even better if your belly button is pointed where you want the ski to go, too. Some people "lead with the hips" by thinking point the belly button. It's hard to feel like you have it pointed well if your hips are back. I guess you could combine these into lead with the belly button.