Laz

Hello. I've been thinking about his problem. We have very old analog equipment that has to be moved from site to site throughout the season. The video quality is very poor. On the other hand, I have a drone which can flawlessly broadcast 4k video up to 7km. There has to be something in between. Needed (at least for slalom) - two HD gate cameras, 1 HD boat camera, 1 HD boat path camera - 4 channels of digital wireless broadcast, less than 1 km to the judges tower - ability to record, rewind and review. What else? I'm meeting with a local DJI rep who is going to try and help me come up with something affordable easy to setup and take down.

@rico Are you saying that changing the propeller blades added 10 minutes of flight time? Any other performance changes?

a) you will have a great time b) If you've got soft winter hands, bring some duct tape c) the water has some reddish brown silt/algae. Don't ski with anything toם bright or white. d) if you take a day off, go white water rafting. e) We really like the horseback riding which you can do from the hotel. Have fun.

@jayski Lithium is a salt. That's not a lithium mine. http://www.lithiummine.com/lithium-mining-and-environmental-impact

Something I previously posted in another electric boat thread: An electric ski boat has a number of advantages and challeges. Pro - very quite, can talk (well, shout) to the skier - clean (may open up lakes with gas engine restrictions) - high torque motor means it only needs about 150 hp - instantaneous power control: no more ABC,123 for Zero Off - operating cost: way fewer moving parts, way less maintenance. Electricity is 1/10th cost of gas (in Canada) Cons -expensive. This is still the case with cars, but improving. It will take a long time for the cost to come down for ski boats. However, with the new 2019 Nautique's price, this may not be a problem. ;-) Last I heard, Tesla thinks it's close to $100 per kWh. That may changes things. -battery capacity: it takes about 10 kWH for an 8 pass slalom set. That's no more than 10 sets per full charge fora 100 kWH battery -charge time: industrial power could likely charge the battery in less than an hour, but it's no so easy to get this kind of power to the dock. 240V, 80amp could probably recharge a set's worth of power in 30 minutes. (I didn't do the math) -battery tech: Tesla has the best batteries in the business but they may not be good for a ski boat which needs to maintain high output for a 30 second pass. Cars generally accelerate for a much shorter time. Different chemistry may be needed. When an affordable electric Nautique is available, I will be first in line. Kudos for Correct Craft for getting the ball rolling.

Hello Ballers, My wife and I are looking for trip to combine skiing and cycling in the middle of March, next year. Ideally, we would like to go somewhere where we can get a couple of sets in the morning and go for a longish ride in the afternoon (or the other way round). I'm thinking maybe Arizona, California, Texas or maybe Florida. Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks!

@GregHind You win. :)

Looking to buy: a used boom, for teaching beginners. To fit a 2015 Nautique 200. I'm in Toronto. Thanks.

This is great news. I've had an electric car for the last 6 years and I could never go back to gas. An electric ski boat has a number of advantages and challeges. Pro - very quite, can talk (well, shout) to the skier - clean (may open up lakes with gas engine restrictions) - high torque motor means it only needs about 150 hp - instantaneous power control: no more ABC,123 for Zero Off - operating cost: way fewer moving parts, way less maintenance. Electricity is 1/10th cost of gas (in Canada) Cons -expensive. This is still the case with cars, but improving. It will take a long time for the cost to come down for ski boats. However, with the new 2019 Nautique's price, this may not be a problem. ;-) -battery capacity: it takes about 10 kWH for an 8 pass slalom set. That's no more than 10 sets per full charge fora 100 kWH battery -charge time: industrial power could likely charge the battery in less than an hour, but it's no so easy to get this kind of power to the dock. 240V, 80amp could probably recharge a set's worth of power in 30 minutes. (I didn't do the math) -battery tech: Tesla has the best batteries in the business but they may not be good for a ski boat which needs to maintain high output for a 30 second pass. Cars generally accelerate for a much shorter time. Different chemisty may be needed. When an affordable electric Nautique is available, I will be first in line. Kudos for Correct Craft for getting the ball rolling.

Stevie is the best ski announcer.

@BraceMaker True, or maybe just a twitter feed. I like that fact that the video was available immediately after.

I think that might have been the best webcast for any pro event I've seen. Video quality was perfect.

@cobber Great to hear from you. Speedy and full recovery to all of you and I look forward to seeing you at the lake.

Did all my towing last summer with a Tesla Model X 100D. Nothing accelerates faster onto the highway while pulling a boat than this beast. Also, it can tow my Nautique 250-300km on one charge. Where's my electric boat?

Tragically, the Pan Am site turned out to be a bust and did not become a legacy site. There is also T's Pond. It's about 90 minutes from Toronto, so if you have the weekend, it's a nice place to ski, just south of Welland. It's a man made and great for slalom.

I think Ed from EZ-Slalom can send you the complete instructions. From his site: COURSEPLANS© Booklet - "How To Build Your Own Portable Slalom Course For Under $375!". 33 pages of completely photo illustrated and highly detailed construction plans. Operating on a severely restricted budget? Build your own and save! Price includes US and Canadian shipping. Add $8 for shipping outside the US and Canada. PRICE..................Still Only $35

I spent the summer playing around with a Mavic Pro. It's very easy to fly. It can follow a boat up to about 45km. You have to fly manually to follow at 58k but it only takes two or three practices to get it right. One nice feature is the its tripod mode where you can get it to hover near buoy and take some cool slo mo video.

Hi, I emailed him about a week ago but haven't heard back. Is there a better way to make contact?

If the different slalom series are run on different days, what happens if the conditions are drastically different? Any replay video? I would love to see how the pros handle these consitons. P.S: go JMac go

No to hijack, but what is up with the webcast? French audiences only?

Yes, would also like to know.

Hello Ballers, Hello. I'm looking to try some new places to ski this summer. We have a couple of good sites, but it's fun to try adventure out. My family usually takes a week or two to trailer our boat, rent a place and course for the week. Does anyone know of any hidden gems? We are looking for a lake where we can leave the course in, without upsetting the neighbours. Ideally it will a have shore with no other cottages, and not too many rocks to bounce the wake back. And if it's your lake, please come ski with us. Thanks Laz

I really like both places but other than skiing, they are very different vacations. Acapulco, is a five star executive ski week. We have 3 kids (11, 14, 16) and Costa Rica with Jim was is an amazing holiday. Besides the skiing, my kids loved the zip lining, hot springs, hiking and especially the horse back riding. We also went to an animal rescue centre which they also enjoyed. The days were packed and we returned happy and exhausted every evening.

We just returned from another five star week at Waterski Costa Rica. As always, the skiing is fantastic. The new lake is well protected from the minimal wind and has no rollers. I think my entire family of five set PB's. My 11 year old now wants to try her first tournament this summer. The non-skiing activities were great. We got back to the hotel each night exhausted and more than satisfied. I'm looking forward to returning.

Best season ever! My 9th summer since discovering the slalom course. 4 times around 5 ball at 35 off, one good look at 6 ball. Son now on the world ranking list, yougest daughter who wants to start competing, trip to Costa Rica planned. Can't complain. And...from north of the border, glad to be only a spectator to election.