jjackkrash

Start a club and get club insurance through AWSA.  I suspect that's the most viable path.  

I am pretty far removed from the upper echelons of elite skiing and the inner workings of the organization.  But from my perspective, the most important thing the organization provides is objective safety standards, training and oversight on these standards, in conjunction with a path to semi-affordable event/club insurance.  Without these basic things, the sport would be nearly impossible to underwrite without paying through the nose through something like Loydds of London.  In this modern world, there would be no such thing as organized 3-event waterskiing without semi-affordable insurance.   I think when proposals on how to "fix the sport" so to speak are thrown out you can't lose site if this core function.  

So, can affordable club insurance be obtained without participating in safe sport?  I don't know the answer, but if the answer is no, there's no point in complaining about it.  It's not realistic to think you can organize large sporting events without affordable liability insurance.  

7 minutes ago, JeffSurdej said:

 I busted my balls 40 volunteer hours a week trying to make the sport better and grow.  

Jesus.  I wish I could get 40 hours a week out of paid employees.  Thank you for those hours.  

I think you are well within the range where you could use the 65" Senate, but bigger is generally better for ease of starts and longevity as long as you can get the bigger ski to turn.  In your case, given that your weight is well within the 65" Senate range, if you have the ability to demo a 65" I think it would be worth seeing how you like it.  

You can unclip the tuners from the actuators and see if they slide up and down freely.  They can get bent if you hit a boat guide or whatever.  If they feel sticky at least one is bent and that puts a lot of strain on the actuator.  That's when they throw codes or even burn out.  You can bend the tuners with a pliers very easily to correct a bent tuner or you can replace the tuners so they are flat.  I have never had to replace as the tuners are very easy to bend to straight.  If they slide freely unclipped you are good to go.  

My crew of junior's opinion is the wake is a bit better with them down/engaged even when they are supposed to be up.  But you don't want them engaged when you put it on a trailer or lift.  

It's been a while since I carried a handicap, but I was under the impression that the USGA/AGA were integrated.  But, sorry for potentially erroneous side comment, carry on.  

I suspect the USGA has a lot of members because you usually need a USGA GHIN handicap to reliably gamble with other recreational golfers.  

Hilltop is heavily dyed.  Last time the pro-am was there Freddie got around 5 ball at -41, twice, but Asher ran -41, twice, but  then lost to Nate, who ran -41 in the finals.  The dye didn't seem to slow them down.  

I just took my boy to Chico on a recruiting trip/tour and the Chico team has access to an awesome site and a fantastic boat with great team officers running the show.  But it sounds like getting more members has been difficult.  If you have any soon-to-be-college kids looking to ski in college in NorCal you should really give Chico a look.    

67, IMO, depending on the ski you are looking at.   Bigger generally means easier starts, less effort skiing, more stable platform to stand on.  And a little extra width won't hurt either if you are looking at a ski like the Senate (which does not come in a 66).   

13 hours ago, samstenzel said:

That name sounds familiar, I think my teammate might ski with him. I'll definitely look him up.

SPRAYMAKERS PODCAST with Rossi and Trent.  Listen to every episode and repeat.

Left foot best foot.  

Gold

Anyone got the full skinny on this situation?  If true this really sucks balls.  

We skiied this weekend barely in between showers and heavy wind gusts, water air 50/50.  Gotta get ready for ski school with TW next week!  

Spraymakers JUNE 21, 2021 "SKI SET UP" .   Lots of talk about boot setup.  

I am just trying to picture what it's doing and why.   Ok so maybe overthinking.  But it's raining and I got nothing else to think about until this thundercap passes and we can head to the lake.  I will probably give this setting a rip when our water hits 60.   

So it looks like fin really long, fin moderately deep, but bindings farther forward to compensate.  

1 hour ago, aupatking said:

@Hortonthoee L/D numbers are sick, straight off the dock first set

Care to elaborate?   "Sick" sounds like a ringing endorsement.

On 4/4/2024 at 7:37 AM, ColeGiacopuzzi said:

@C5Quest

for 66" Id try:

29 11/16 vapor boot

2.480

6.945

.745

And for 68" if you have them?  Thanks!

I agree with liquid d.  I suggest listening to Spraymakers Season 4, Episode 12, Gates, then rewatching your video, then repeat listening to episode 12, like 30 times, until what they are saying really sinks in.  Bottom line, you need to get higher on the boat in the glide and then turn in with more speed in better position before the boat grabs you to set up the rest of the pass.  

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spraymakers/episodes/Gates-e25suv8

That sucks on sizing.  You might be able to find some XL Radar Vector boots discounted somewhere on closeout, which supposedly fit up to size 14, if you can't find something cheaper.  Maybe somebody will chime in with some better/cheaper options.    

I think the Pandas were for repeating the debunked false hope of some hot-selling cheap ski boat to save the sport made by some fantasy-land manufacturer who builds ski boats for purely altruistic reasons and has shareholders who are pleased when management builds boats in the hopes of selling lots of them for a loss.   Not the tool comment.  

I tried out a '22 67" Senate Pro this weekend.  It's a very nice ski, very stable.  Free skiing at 34 MPH / -28.  The '24 68" Vapor seems faster cross course but a little less forgiving of mistakes.  I am sub-194 pounds right now hopefully heading into the high 180s in the next week or two.   I am looking forward to running both skis through the paces this year especially when the water warms up.  50-degree water can be a little deceiving as to ski characteristics as the water warms up.  I am pretty sure the 69"ers are too big for me at least at 34 mph and sub 200 lbs.  

40 minutes ago, DaveD said:

Someone told me the other day that prices are being advertised "1/3 off".

"1/4 to 1/3 off" was the pre-covid standard forever.  The RV MSRP prices are more fake than even boats.  Then Covid hit and they started charging MSRP or even over.  Good for them but it was a windfall.  I see "1/3 off" as a return to normalcy.  (Although I don't know the actual state of the industry as a whole).