greghayes

@eleeski and @Chuck Dickey - I agree that Doug has always done me right. Great guy and great work!

I had to recuse myself from this thread, but once you ski behind the 97 SNOB, all I can say is SOLD... Coincidentally, I took delivery of a promo '12 Malibu Response TXI on the same day, but that is the subject of another post.

@eleeski - I agree that the release is reliable and appropriate; this after suffering from an ankle break on double (rubber) high wraps in the past. I have both rs1 and strata bindings that work great for me - they combine great edge control with a safe release (once I got used to not tightening the top strap too tight).

That's one sweet looking ride - I'd be hard pressed to find a better maintained boat.

@than_bogan - great idea around use of kickstarter! @horton - I think the answer is both, just consider it 4 levels of skiing...both serious and a goof all at once. I am on board to fund the "labor" on kickstarter and to try to influence sites in bako, as needed.

My 10-year-old (approx 70lbs) just ran the full course at 19mph on the HO Grifter 62" - I think I picked it up for about $250 last year. It seems to be a great training ski. I hope you find something that works out well for your kids!

I too dumped the wing for my 34mph -22 skiing. I'd recommend making the change first thing in the season. That way you won't notice as much of a difference as you are getting used to your ski again.

Me and my 10-year-old finishing a "set" on the Wailua river in Kauai. No balls, dodging kayaks, but amazing skiing in paradise... Talk to Kenny at http://www.kauaiwaterskiandsurf.com/

Actions speak louder than words... Horton sat in a boat all day today (obviously taking time off of work and from filming unboxing videos of high-end skis) driving and teaching the beginner class at a regional AWSA Junior development event. Get the kids excited - this will create the next group of fans and evangelists for the sport. Well done Ball of Hair!

I second what @Than is saying... Whenever I get an itch to buy a new ski, I let it pass and pay for coaching instead. It is a much better investment in my experience.

Yes - my Strada55 has the RS1 graphic and I am still very happily skiing on it.

This was a great find @bhs - thank you for posting. It really got me thinking that even in the "golden age" of waterskiing, it was only through hard work, ingenuity and being scrappy that you could eek out a living and practice this sport full-time. The LaPoints are an inspiration - original west coast style with athlete/entrepreneurs!

+1 for Oneill Assault - my first and only drysuit - but very satisfied after 3 seasons. Remember to use conditioner on the seals to keep a more watertight fit.

When I was in a similar frame of mind and situation, I couldn't find a better slalom/family friendly combo better than the SNOB. For your consideration... http://www.ski-it-again.com/php/skiitagain.php?topic=Search&category=Comp_Boat&postid=18221

DanE - Since I just set up the Z-box, I happen to have all my baselines handy on my phone. Note that these are the "true" baselines, just as Stargazer dials in. As seen elsewhere in this forum, many have had good success lowering their baselines to tune in Stargazer performance. I have not yet taken this step. Here you go...for my 280hp, EFI 1997 SN, running an Acme 668 mph - rpm 36 - 3445 34 - 3225 32 - 3050 30 - 2815 28 - 2680 26 - 2485 24 - 2320

DanE - I can't say I noticed any real difference, but I don't track fuel consumption closely. Totally non-scientific anecdote: when we were using my boat for a clinic, it used much, much less gas than the more modern Nautiques we were running (seemed like 33% less for a day's use). I guess that, theoretically, the lower rpms should help with fuel economy and your cost of fuel might make the payback time pretty quick for your use.

6Balls and DanE - I have had very good success on my '97 Nautique (TS1 hull) with the Acme 668 (same as the 422 with a little more cup to bring down the RPM by a few hundred). I think it largely depends on your motor and where in the RPM range it develops the right power curve to give you a smooth pull. I recently installed Z-Box and used the same baselines with the 668 prop with great results. I am loving my boat right now - long live the vintage pull!

Marco - Most people I have talked to have the SG issue described with short course set ups. I have the opposite problem, with a longer than average set up. In my experience if the system engages either too early or late, the outcome is a very inconsistent pull for the skier. I also notice that the problem is much worse at slower boat speeds. For me 34 and 36 mph are much more consistent, regardless of when the system engages. I plan to try Ed O's technique too - I have just been manually hacking it for a while and haven't bothered to really dial it in.

usaski1 - here's my weekend report. I upgraded my 97 Nautique (already Stargazer-equipped) with no issues. It was an easy installation, course mapping worked out of the box and based on the beeps and times worked the first time. We started and stayed with the B2 setting and to me and my ski partner, consensus was that the pull felt very similar in feel to the ZO boats we have skied. From a driver's standpoint, we noticed additional engine revving during the pulls (just like ZO boats and consistent with the videos on this thread). As previously noted, this upgrade does not fix any of the set up issues that are well known for Stargazer. If the system engages too soon, SG hunts around for speed and you can be way off on speed through the gates. The net, net is that I am glad to have upgraded and believe it is a tremendous value (compared to the cost of upgrading to a ZO boat). I am sure this will better prepare me for skiing behind ZO boats, and it still drives just like a SG boat.

One more of the 50 on the way to Bako... I am interested to see how it works for me and for the community.

I've been off the water for a few weeks - but I worked today on pulling through the wake, which was very successful for me. I have been overloading before the wakes and this discussion has helped me ski very wide, with less load and improving my course timing. My driver/spouse/non-course skier even commented on how I looked smoother today than the last time I skied.

Thanks skibug - I've been off the water 'til this weekend. Pulling to the second wake really helped. The knees ahead of the ankles harkens me back to some Mike Suyderhoud training from the early 90's - so I get what you are driving at, I think I just need more water time to work it all out. West coast rules...

Thanks Skibug - great comments/observations and simple stuff to think about next time. I am overcoming a prior habit of pulling too long - so I have been consciously trying to develop maximum pull between the whitewater and first wake. I see what you mean and will keep my lean going just a little longer. When you say "driving" with the front leg - do you mean keeping leg pressure or more about "steering?" If I am interpreting your comment correctly - I am going to combine the technique of skiing into the handle with rear arm pressure combined with an emphasis on front leg pressure in the lean.

Skibug's statement describes exactly what I feel that I am struggling with right now - "If you are used to pulling yourself across course with your upper body and hips dragging behind you; it will feel different for a while. It might even feel a little out of control, off balance, and like you are sitting back on the ski." Yes - that's how I feel more often than not - either dragging across with my upper body or out of control with the ski popping out in front of me after the second wake. Maybe this video will help illustrate the point of this thread - any suggestions are welcomed.

+1 on Radar Strada gloves. Great fit, high quality and they seem to be very durable (after one and a half seasons on them).