darinmontgomery

55K WEST #6 will held Saturday and Sunday, October 21st and 22nd, at Swiss Waterski Resort in Clermont, FL The two preliminary qualifying rounds to determine the Final Head to Head brackets will be held on Saturday. The highest scores out of the two rounds are used to seed Sunday's Final Head to Head pairings. Everyone is welcome to attend in person and the event will be Webcast Live. Live Webcast links below Saturday Sunday

Regarding the PB Invitational….. The final Running Order Head-to-Head brackets

Thank you to the Ski Club of the Palm Beaches for hosting the 81st US Nationals, as well as, all the volunteers, officials, sponsors, families, and skiers who attended. Completing an event of this size in four days is unprecedented. Obviously, the weather presented a few challenges that caused some shuffling and late nights for some. Again, EVERYONE, who attended… THANK YOU!!!

@Horton we are working through all of the details and will publish in the next couple months.

Auto-steer will definitely be in the not too distant future. I believe it will be implemented more quickly than we think. The technology has been used for years in other industries with precision beyond what is required for waterskiing. I know a laser based system was developed 20 yrs ago that didn’t receive funding for implementation. Sure-Path is collecting hundreds of thousands of slalom pulls currently. It has data on all of the top drives pulling all of the top skiers on the planet. It will it be easy to create the algorithm from this data to match the best driving and specific skiing style. I’ll go so far as to say we will pick our ZO and Auto-steer settings. Synchronizing the speed control with boat path is the ultimate combination that will take performances to the next level. I’m fortunate to have been one of the early adopters of Sure-Path. I know what the majority of slalom skiers think they want the boat path to be versus what they ski better with are not the same. I’d also bet most top level skiers would prefer a straight boat path than a random or weave. Slalom is simply a rhythm of speed and path for every line length. Once we are successful at mastering the rhythm of a line length it becomes easy regardless if it is 15-off or 41-off. Auto-steer together with ZO creates a repeatable constant for the skier to match the rhythm. For us slalom skiers the question is, can 43 be run? I believe auto-steer will make it much more likely and shorten by a decade or more.

I highly recommend the c85. Caldwell and Cord created a very special ski. The c85 is effortless, the most forgiving ski on the market. You will be skiing more passes with less impact on your body and as a result, adding buoys to your scores.

@Horton First, congratulations to Brian for a phenomenal weekend of skiing! He’s been skiing great and close to knocking down 41 for years. Hugh accomplishment. Second, great driving from Greg and Will. It was cool to see the SurePath data so everyone could celebrate Brian’s performances. Unfortunately, prior to SurePath there was always some skepticism regarding boat path when skiers would put up huge scores. Like it or not, perfect or not, SurePath removes any boat path gossip. I’m fortunate to be using SurePath on every practice and tournament set for over a year now and it is an incredible tool. I’ve become a much better driver as a result. It has also been very beneficial to the drivers I am blessed to have drive for me which happen to be among the best in the World. (Jeff Kepchia, Becky Lathrop, David James, Paul Santangelo, Roger Clark, Chet Raley, Noah Vieke and Jaret Llewellyn) While it’s great to have the data, the breadcrumbs are the key to understand how the boat and skier dance down the course. As we all know, slalom in its most simple form is nothing more than establishing the correct rhythm and path for each line length. The breadcrumbs illustrate this perfectly and should be used by the driver and skier to determine what is working and what can be improved. From my experience, it’s making a big impact with my shortest line length. I can’t speak for @Xpropman, however, I assume the breadcrumb request is to better understand how the driver and skier were dancing for all of us to learn what is required to drive and ski a full pass at 41 and not to criticize. Sorry for the long rant…. Congratulations again the BRIAN DETRICK!!!

@6balls Yes and Yes

I do believe the window is closing for a full 43 pass. The boats continue to get stronger and SurePath will be developed into auto steering. Unless the SurePath Auto Steer has boat path settings similar to Zero Off letters and numbers, running 43 with no boat path deviation is highly unlikely, IMHO.

Regina will run 41. She’s had a couple opportunities and Chad was not driving. Unfortunately, they were not behind a Malibu….

I received this from a close friend of Marc. “Marc is intubated and non-responsive. He has C2 fracture and fractures in his sacrum region as well as ankles and legs. Obviously the head trauma is the worst of it and it’s a wait and see thing as they deal with the swelling. All we can do now is hope and pray for the best.” I spent Thanksgiving with Marc and his family 30 years ago yesterday along with a few other guys from NLU/ULM. Unbelievably tragic, I always enjoyed seeing his father at tournaments throughout the years, RIP. Praying for Marc and his Mom

I’d like to have Caldwell, TFin, Rossi and any others at this event or future Big Dawg. I believe TFin and Rossi are eligible and we’re invited, hopefully, they will be able to make some events next year. The rules are the rules so the guys skiing at Malibu or other Open tournaments won’t be eligible for WEST or Big Dawg under the current formats. Perhaps a new Open to all over 35 format is worth exploring or even just an Open to all 55k tournament. It’s great to see there is a high level of interest in this style of tournament format that will hopefully lead to more and more events in the years to come.

I’m a Nautique guy, skied behind one for 40 yrs and have owned 196, several 200’s and fortunate to own the new Ski Nautique. I’m also lucky enough to get to ski behind Malibu and MasterCraft, all are great boats on the skier end. Both Malibu and MC did a great job addressing wake issues for slalom so I have no issue skiing behind any of them. IMHO, the best slalom boat to ski behind with a driver that could drive it was the Centurion Carbon Pro. No boat will ever please everyone and people will always have a preference for their own reasons, that’s what keeps everyone in busn and pushing the limits. That said, Nautique is the only 3 event boat that is made for all 3 events and should be recognized as such. The other two can pull slalom and jump but are not designed for tricks. As has been stated here already, the Ski Nautique is far from an epic fail. Nautique designed the only true 3 event boat, created the best slalom wake, and power to pull the current jump record. They incorporated carbon fiber in the haul design to save weight and went in a completely new direction with the overall shape and design. They innovate and forever changed the 3 event ski boat while keep the highest quality in the busn. I’m not knocking the other manufacturers but they are not made anywhere near as well as a Nautique, that’s a fact. I agree the cost of 3 event boats is crazy high and doesn’t help our sport. That said, all of the Ski Nautiques made are sold so they obviously know what they are doing. I’ll continue buying Nautiques and those of you who own MC or Malibu will most likely continue buying them as well, that’s great for everyone and vital for our sport.

Huge Thank you to Anne and Jay Bennett, Bennett’s staff, volunteers, sponsors, and all officials for making the 2020 Nationals possible. TWBC did an outstanding job with the webcast and set the bar high for all future US Nationals. I agree with the all suggestions for bios, roving interviews, leaderboard, skier data, etc to continuing improving the viewer experience. As SurePath becomes adopted, even more data can be easily linked making the announcers job easier. I happen to agree that Freddy is one of the best announcers and ambassadors of our sport. Unfortunately, it’s not realistic that he can do more than what he did on Saturday given his family and sponsor commitments. However, if the TWBC and LOC can get Freddy, April, TFin, Rossi, Wade, MB, and others to cover some of the events we all will be in for a real treat - next level stuff! Regarding costs, it is awesome if USAWS & USOC can cover the majority of the costs. Crowdfunding can certainly be a bonus. I’d like to see an option for all AWSA members to donate set amounts with the annual renewal. I would also like to see a $10 broadcast fee added to the National entry fees. There are always advertising fee options as well. Combining all sources will ensure we can adequately support TWBC at the US Nationals for the enjoyment of all members, families, and friends while expanding our audience to help grow our sport. Looking forward to building on this years TWBC success and 2021 season with US Nationals in Chicago, IL

@Chad_Scott well said

@drew very well said and often taken for granted. Thank you for shutting down the lake, providing world class experiences for the skiers, judges, and drivers, as well as, being the LOC of the tournament.

@dave2ball thank you for mentioning the conditions. I believe it was raining during most if not all of the Open Men’s skiing. @jimski appreciate you sharing your ratings

So, how many of you are Senior rated drivers or Judges for the matter? I have the privilege of skiing with not only this driver, 90% of my practice sets, but also several other top rated drivers in the World here in WPB. I can tell you they are all very similar, each having subtle differences that may suit particular styles better. I’ve run 39 behind all them in practice and L tournaments with zero difference in the pull. We had the opportunity to ski with SurePath last fall at my lake. This same driver performed perfectly thru 41 as did the several other drivers I mentioned above. The most revolutionary addition to our sport is about to be required that will eliminate any question of boat path. In the not too distant future this same advancement will replace the need for a driver completely in the course. The pylon is all the matters, the front and rear of the boat can mow down the boat guides as long as the pylon is centered. The new Ski Nautique has more movement than the SN 200 or 196, more like MC & Malibu. This is a good thing for the skier but not necessarily for end course video opinion. I can also tell you that most Open and Master rated skiers would prefer to be short with a tight line at the backside of the buoy than 2 feet wide and no rope. Posting a video and asking members to vote when a large percentage have zero expertise is not productive and serves no purpose. We have an entire governing body that is responsible and accountable for enforcing the rules. If there are concerns over anything, they need to be handled appropriately and not by an opinion poll on a forum. @Horton if you ski with anyone that runs 39, please post some video of your SurePath driving the first few sets, you may be surprised of your actual boat path, not how it appears in video...

@JeffSurdej thank you the update. I agree with @MrJones & @markn with regards to COVID-19 as do the majority of people and skiers I know. Those of us that are comfortable will travel, live our lives and enjoy skiing. The guidelines that are established will not be a determining factor in each persons or families decision to enter tournaments this season. People are comfortable or they are not, all for different reasons we should respect. It is unfortunate that the Ski Club of the Palm Beaches made the decision to withdraw as LOC for the 2020 Nationals. I believe come Aug, things will much closer to normal for our Country than they look today and certainly from a month ago. Regardless, we will be having tournaments in S FL now that the sanctions will be lifted May 18th and I hope the rest of the Country will be hosting tournaments as well. I and all of my ski buddies are looking forward to the 2020 ski season and supporting the new Nationals host site.

Palm Beach County is opening all parks, golf courses and boat ramps on Wednesday.... As more of the Country continues to open in the next few weeks, let’s hope USAWS allows sanctions after May 17th

@Horton curious how many in the waterski community know anyone that has tested positive for COVID-19. I’d like to see a poll. I’ve personally only heard of 3 people and all third hand. I am not doubting how contagious the virus is or how dangerous it is to those who have underlying health issues. I am highly skeptical of the media and our government as the numbers don’t support the response. It’s very similar to how the media treats hurricanes now versus 10-15 yrs ago. Most of us here in FL have learned not to buy into the mass hysteria created by the media. We should take precautions, we should take it seriously, and we should be allowed live in a manner that we are comfortable. USAW will establish guidelines, those of us that are comfortable can participate those of who are not comfortable won’t.

Dave definitely set the bar even higher with the Carbon Core. I’ve been on the 9970cc since Oct, hands down best Goode ski I’ve been on in years, my scores are proof. It’s so much less work at short line and doesn’t put stress on your body. I’ve yet to have anyone that has tried a 9970cc get off the ski. They are skiing more consistently into shorter line lengths with less effort. @Chad_Scott is absolutely correct, no matter what version XTRcc, RevCc, or 9970cc - all are the next evolution for waterskiing.

I’ve had the opportunity to ski four sets behind the SN 2019, one tournament and three practice. Half of my sets were with version “R” software and last 2 were version “S”. My first set was in a tournament were I skied my best score of the year, at that time, using the same setting as my 200. My last two sets have been behind a Big Dawg driver, not Becky, and local coach/driver who works in Boca Raton, FL, not Chet. Ironically, both had never driven the SN 2019 and I was ridng a new ski for the first and second time. I skied within 1 and 2 buoys of my practice best this year using C3+, C2+, & A2+. So, in my experience, the concern and chatter about the boat is greatly exaggerated. I haven’t tried my normal C3 and C2 settings yet, hopefully tomorrow as a comparison. IMO the boat is better than SN 200, both driving and skiing. The SN 200 certainly drives like its on rails, super solid. Roger is correct that the 2019 has a bit of a rock which is unsettling to the driver at first. However, once you drive the boat a few times, the rock helps to signal when it’s time to really counter the skier. If the driver waits too long they will then overdrive the boat probably resulting in a dead line at the buoy for the skier. I believe this movement also helps the skier, with a good driver. Many skier like the MasterCraft for the same reason, it moves. The wakes on the 2019 are the absolute best of any boat on the market. I’ll qualify this by saying I’ve only skied 32-41, so perhaps 15-28 are different. I was going to wait until 2020 to consider buying the new Ski Nautique, after getting to ski and drive one this past week has convinced me it’s time to buy 2019. I encourage everyone to ski and drive the new Ski Nautique before making any comments or judgements.

Thanks Horton for the post. Doesn't seem that long ago we were that age skiing on Bayou Desiard

I know we've gotten off topic MM/MW, however, I agree with Mr Jones about the Juniors skiing in their age division. We are at a unique time with so many Open rated junior skiers. We should be celebrating their accomplishments rather posting about how they are keeping others from the podium. For an athlete, this should provide the fuel to train harder so next year they can be on that podium. For parents, this is teaching opportunity for your kids. Nothing in life is given to them, they must work hard to achieve their goals and someone will always be working harder to take their place.