h2odawg79

@OB, I've got the EZ Cam, haven't used it yet, but it looks awesome and Darren is certainly a Great guy and ready to back his product all the way. I will be getting some Great Vid. this yr. and I will send some of them to you or Darren....

@easttxskier, Nice Platform! -bet you get that a lot! Also, how do you format your Pix to get them that Freaking Big on the post!?!? -I know, EVERYTHING IS BIG in TX.!!!

This pic is after an entire Season. There is no "Oil" residue from Teak oil if you don't glub it on and then just leave it. It soaks in and disappears, leaving a Platform that gets an awful lot of compliments! I don't sand mine nor would I need to. It always looks great and about once a Season (never twice a Season) I just wipe some more Teak Oil from Lowes on and it looks perfect again. Teak is very tough though and is probably fine w/o the effort...

@Shane, That is Reasonable and Sound! Qualified instructors are not always easily found, sounds like you have found an excellent Instructor/Coach. @jayski, I was not picking apart CF or you personally. In fact, we are very much on the same page and more importantly, we are on the same Team. (Team Slalom!) CrossFit incorporates some of the very Best Agility, Stability and Athleticism conditioning available. It was really only your statement that I challenged. Quote: “without a doubt CrossFit is the answer for skiing... if you choose a different path to be fit for skiing, your wasting your time”... Maybe I could have chosen better words to express myself… In any case, if anyone else somehow misinterpreted or took away the same things from what I said as you did, then please let me try to clarify a couple of items. I never said or infered that CF was SOLELY HIIT philosophy. However, Crossfit IS simply a variation of those very same Principles that I listed above. (meaning; there are also other viable options for Skiers that also incorporate some of the same values as CF) I never said or inferred that CF was a Core specific workout. However, It IS by default an excellent Core conditioning program. (NOT Ab’s! –I said CORE…) Yes, the WOD’s are Dynamic and Explosive! I agree, these are excellent elements for Skiing. But, there are ALSO other ways to effectively create Dynamic/Explosive Training as well... (Pro Football and basketball players have been doing it for decades) Yes, there are Guys doing too many High powered WOD’s w/o adequate rest. Mistakenly thinking “MORE is Better.” Watching all the Rock Star youtube vid’s and aimlessly trying to train all Hard Core like a real Competitive CF Athlete, while only having a few wks. under their own belts… Having many yrs personally of Fitness/Training and Nutrition exp. I must disagree with the notion that CF (quote) “does not inhibit people with physical limitations”. b/c ANY exercise "can be" limited with physical limitations. Unless a comparison of the Dynamic and Explosive CF, to a totally watered down version, (like one comparing their Wives Kick Boxing Class with the actual Sport of Boxing) then there is A LOT of people with Shoulder, Back or Knee problems who would exclude themselves with & w/o Dr’s orders. (i.e Box jumps, Burpees, Squats, Thrusters, Rope, Pull ups, Most anything to failure, etc, etc…) I never said ALL participants needed to be 100% Healthy. I said: “Unfortunately, the down side of Crossfit is; it is VERY demanding and many people (Not all, but Many) with physical limitations cannot participate.” (meaning; these folks Must find an alternative option for getting into Ski shape…) There again, and again I tried to demonstrate my orig. points; that CF is not the only effective thing available and that not everyone can do it, or needs to do it. Summation: CF is not THEE answer for Skiing. Nor is EVERYTHING else a waste of time… Also; My reference to Arnold was NOT about his Physique or his affair with his maid! =) It was to illustrate the FACT that one CAN do or employ some of the very SAME Principles of CF w/o necessarily doing Quote: CrossFit! and that these basic principles are NOT exactly New. They have however, evolved to a new level of AWARENESS that has become Hip and Mainstream. Which, has now created a very Cool new Sport and New Followers. For the record; I sure never mentioned anything about doing any variations of “bench press which holds no value to skiing among other lethargic BB movements…” Nor did I ever state that Free wgt’s and the typical Gym routines were the superior ski program. Read this and get an idea of what I believe: http://skiall6.com/forum/13-fitness-for-skiing/3284-my-off-season-training-its-like-childs-play?limit=30&start=30 Maybe we can just agree that; CROSSFIT IS AWESOME! CF, (Great as it is) is not neccessarily for everyone CF is not the Only way for Skiers to get into or stay in Ski shape and EVERYTHING ELSE is not a waste of time Peace

Cannot upload image. It appears to be in rev. my PC is asking if I want to Upload Open/Save file from Vanilla Forum when I am trying to upload a file to the Site....

I 2nd the StarBrite system. But, I do not use it personally b/c use of a Good Deck cleaner, light brushing, possibly some sanding and a Can of Teak Oil from Lowes or Depo will do the trick. From my understanding, the Grey/White color that appears on the Teak is actually caused by a specific Fungi and oxidation from the Sun. My Boat was from FL. and the Teak was OH, SO BAD! when I got it. I actually had to Belt sand it (after 1st killing the Fungus w/cleaner) I then put a Hvy coat of Teal Oil on and let it soak in for about 60 min's then wiped off the excess. Waited til the next day and applied the Oil again the same way... (too many coats will only sit on the surface and never soak in) Now I just touch it up once a Season (no sanding or fugi killing) and it looks like Brand new all Season long. (try to minimize Sun exposure when not out on the water) P.S. Do Not use any Poly Urethane or shellac Clear coats! These products "Seal" the surface (for surface application) and do not perform in continuous water. They will discolor and flake/peel... (not to mention they can be Very Slippery!)

@AB, Man, that stuff sure makes the 80's look Gay! -Click, Click Delete! I like to remember it being much more Mike Tyson'ish! ha! ;-)

@Onside135, The following is a very brief outline for my reasoning. I like my R/O System B/C it is handy and provides clean water 24/7/365 to a sink Tap and Frig. for Drinking, Ice or Cooking. It is convenient, economical and saves a lot of plastic trash! To me, the only downsides are: there are Filters and a Membrane to change out every 6-18 months and the fact that the R/O removes literally everything good and bad from the water! (including the Minerals) But, at least you can trust that most things like Arsenics, Chlorine, Lead, Mercury and Fluoride are removed… Bottled Water has very little Gov. regulation. In fact, you could actually fill a plastic jug from your Garden Hose and sell it as “Drinking Water.” As long as you do not claim that it is “Spring Water” or “From a Natural Source” etc… So, in the U.S. you really have No idea what is actually in the “Water” from Bottles. Heck, Big Co.’s like Coca Cola Bottling Co. have struck it rich by simple filling plastic bottles with the same “Filtered Water” that they had always used for creating their Soft Drinks! Back in the 90’s most people mistakenly Assumed that all Bottled water was somehow “Healthy” and bottled in some exotic, far away place like the French Alps! (Filtering does not eliminate much of the really bad stuff) Do a little study on Fluoride and see how Hitler used to give it to the POW’s to Poison them & “Dumb them down” or the fact that it is a “Hazardest Waste” Bi-product from producing and refining Aluminum! (The U.S. had about a Gillion tons of the stuff post WWll from the Aero Space industry and sadly it ended up in our Municipal water and sold to the Citizens as a way to fight Tooth decay!) Arsenics, various drugs and Hazardest Waste are all found in public Water sources. This is one reason for all the Chlorine used by the Municipalities. But, short of an R/O or a very expensive purification system, this stuff is also in your tap water, at your work and at your favorite restaurants in small amounts! (small if your not counting all the Chlorine! and a slice of Lemon sure isn't going to help!) Mineral Water is water that contains a high level of dissolved minerals (electrolytes). Mineral water balances the electrolytes in the body and replenishes the necessary balance of minerals and water that the body loses naturally. Mineral water has antibacterial and antifungal properties. Mineral water also helps to cleanse the body of toxins and breakdown waste material. Many mineral waters have therapeutic effects, which ease and even cure many chronic conditions and diseases. Mineral water is beneficial in relieving the aches and pains of arthritis and rheumatism, by reducing the swelling and inflammation of muscles and joints.

@FrankS, With 30+ yrs in Fitness, Training and Nutrition I can honestly say that EVERYTHING Nutritional is absolutely Relative to the Individual and their Present Diet, Training and objective(s). Obviously Generally "Eating Right" is a priority. (Easier said then done in todays World) Age and Body chemistry will play a huge role in the need for supplementation. If you look around at all the Hyped up Supplements, you'll quickly find that many, many of the Descriptions and benefits will magically describe EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED! -lol! ya, so $$$ how deep are your pockets?!?! However, w/o getting proper blood work done and working with a Lic'd Nutritionalist, many people will absolutely benefit from a Multi Vit., Fish oil, B Complex, B-12 (sub-lingual Methylcobalimin) and Magnesium Citrate. I was into competitive B/Building in the 80's. For Building, Protein is Good and Supplementation o.k. but, there is No need to kill yourself or your Bank acct. for it to maintain a high level of Fitness. (just learn to eat Clean with minimal Protein supplementation) Glutamine is a Good (and economical) post w/o Supplement. Some forms of Creatine work well for many. Some people either do not respond and/or have Side effects. (Drink 2-3 times MORE Water EVERYDAY when using Ceatine) Speaking of Water, (your Muscles are approx:2/3 WATER) So, start drinking at least twice as much as you do now just for better Health and Performance... Drink til you are wizzin' every couple hrs. AND if your Wizz is not CLEAR, you are not been drinking enough WATER! (except after B Vit's, your wizz needs to be Clear.) Seriously, WATER, WATER, WATER! (Rev. Osmosis and Mineral water is your friend, City water and many Bottled waters are your enemy...) I know, TOO MUCH INFO! Good Luck!

They are so light, for most of us and our use, I don't think it is worth this much discussion. If I were primarily going to the Course. I "might" (but, I doubt it) remove it and leave it @ home until "Family day". But I guess, "IF" this kind of thing can get into ones head, then I'd surely hate to see how they react when the wind blows a little or the water is too cold or too warm, the Sun is too Hot or too Low in the Sky, there's a High pressure system in the forecast or a "Sale @ Penny's"! =-D I don't trip over the Fuel level, don't even remove the Back seat most of the time anymore. Seriously, it's just Not that big of Deal or worth all the "Head Trippin"... Keeping the Boat balanced and having a nicely tuned Rudder is far more useful.

@SkiJay, @Rich, You both Rock! I have been a Proponent of the Shadowing (and shadow related drills) for yrs. and have caught so much un-due, un-founded Critique from the Forum Crowd. -never slowed me down! You can only change the Truth with a Lie! ;-) Glad to See others Steppin' out of the shadows and puttin' it out there too. P.S. I do like to get completely out of the Course and Free Ski on Open Water as well! I think I might also Love to get an H.O. FreeRide for a little Stressless FreeStylin'...

@BraceMaker, @Wayne Yes, I am Clear to Ski. Although I can do virtually anything that I may "Want to do," some things are certainly Not really in my Best interest! (Slalom is one of those things.) But, a Life void of Passion is a Life void of Living... Yes, the Brace will be for Skiing only. The molded Plastic will mainly cover the Low to Mid Back (Higher then the orig.) but, not completely surrounding my Torso. In cunjunction (attached) with the molded plastic, I will use a store bought elastic/Velcro brace (Mueller) to allow flexion and create compression and a Velcro Lifting Belt (Nike) for Low back support. I may incorporate a "Shoulders Back" type support from the upper part of the molded Plastic as well. My injury forces my Coronal posture to break fwd. with a Propensity for slumped/rolled fwd shoulders. I have to really fight for every second of good posture everyday. -Skiing Exploits this and Kills me posturally! I need to better support the entire Rib area and stabilize the Thoracic region. My Ribs get displaced now very easily Falling (in the Course) and that becomes a very painful 4-6 wks EVERYTIME! =( LIFE IS GOOD, it just ain't Easy! Thx Guys for your help

I will Start @ -28 and just shadow until I am very smooth and graceful from Pull out to drop. Then I will cut to -32 and -35 doing the same drill until I feel ready Mentally and Physically to start the whole Buoy Chasing/Counting Rat Race!

@BraceMaker, How/where can I get something affordably that would perform similarly to the materials in my Brace? (Plastic and liner) Maybe something that would heat mold at a temp of 200 or less? -or the lowest temp possible. Thx!

@Wayne, Thx for the response. Attached is the orig. brace that I wore after breaking my Back (T-10) I would like to create a Hybrid similar to this but having some very different attributes. This material is Ridgid. But, "Slightly" plyable and definetly moldable. I would like to experiment with a few ideas, for a Brace that will help me stay in one piece when I decide to have a nice Yard Sale! yet, not completely immobilize me either. I don't want to go with the PWR. vest option yet. Well, not until I've exhausted my other idea's...

What would be the Best Materials for a Moldable TLSO type (Thoracic Brace) Brace? Where to purchase? Also, “Best” for my purposes would be a Thermoplastic that was cost efficient and easily accessible for the lay person. (i.e. economic, heat moldable, non shatter type material) Is there a form of Thermo-Polypropylene or? type material available with the typical Ortho padding already attached? Thx!

The 2nd best kept secret:

@Brady; Oh ya, Feel the Burn baby! ;-)

I think Jack and his pal Coke helped me that place before! =-D I was under the impression that maybe Radar had a specific Line of "Limited Edition" Products that were deemed "Room 38"

@eleeski, I agree with @Skijay on the Strada/RS-1 release, liners come out and normally stay on feet. Somehow, I do like my RS-1's better then my Strada's though.

@chrisrossi, Can you expound on Radars "Room -38 line"?

@jayski, Not trying to debate or split hairs here, but your Statement; “if you choose a different path to be fit for skiing, your wasting your time”... Is maybe just a bit harsh and inaccurate. I would hate to tell anyone that they are wasting their time w/o 1st knowing all of their facts. Crossfit is a great way to kick a Butt into some good Athletic shape. But in reality, now that you have learned how to better push yourself physically & Mentally through Crossfit, (surely farther then you ever did in the past.) hence, your great results. Wouldn’t you agree that you could now employ many of the same Techniques and Strategizes that you have learned, to a workout within the parameters of a typical Gym setting and still get very good results? Crossfit is in fact a form of HIIT and many of the strategizes are simply variations of Interval and Periodisation Training. While intergrading forms of Super sets and Giant Sets and working to Physical or timed failure. Believe it or not, all of these tactics date back to the days of Arnold. Crossfit by nature (or default) is one of the very best Core workouts available. IMHO, this is where Crossfit really excels. As most people have very little idea what the actual Core is and how or why to Condition it for Athleticism. Unfortunately, the down side of Crossfit is; it is VERY demanding and many people with physical limitations cannot participate. Those who are rehabbing are generally out. Those who do not have a Crossfit facility locally or cannot afford a Trainer to properly learn the ropes are (or should be) out. One more thing that is becoming a real problem with Crossfit. Too many people get all hyped up and get Hurt and/or get Burned out because there is too many “NO Pain, No Gain” workouts to failure, too often to allow the Muscle joints and tendons full recuperation. Overtraining is VERY, very hard to avoid while pounding NSAIDs, shooting Red Bull and doing WOD after WOD… -That aspect of Crossfit is (WOD after WOD after WOD) the Perfect recipe for disaster. A disaster called Injury at the very least… There is someone reading this right now and they’re saying to themself; “Yep, I’ve been there” or Yep, I’m there right now”

@ral, I hear ya! I have 'em in the Boat, in my Gear bag, in the truck, in the 5th wheel and in the House... -always ready for the inevitable! Today I'm doing the Ice + the Dern NSAID's... =-[

Bindings must start @ Stock settings to establish a baseline.. (and maybe finish @ stock settings as well) I would remove the RTP and verify that your front Binding IS @ the Factory #. Rossi prefers his Front and rear to be as close as possible. I usually do this as well. So, set the front up exactly and then set the rear as close as it will go or approx: 12" from heel cup to Heel cup. A video of you skiing would be very helpful (Vital) in diagnosing a Binding issue VS. a Technique issue. If Body positioning and technique has any issues, one could literally chase their tail around in circles for yrs. trying to fix the issue with Ski adjustments... That's my unadulterated 2 cents!

TOTALLY ENVIOUS! 30's here today and rain tomorrow =[