ral

@Scot, I believe you are right in the USA, but not in other places. Usually, in IWSF tournaments, there is just one boat brand. Also, my understanding is that pros do not get a huge amount of money from the boat sponsors (nor from any sponsor unfortunately...) that would justify only attempting a world record behind their boat...

I do not think any skier would "opt out" from a world record because of the boat, Jamie Beauchesne did not in France behind a Malibu (although it did not stand later). I am not sure if CP was behind his sponsoring boat in both the 1 1/4 and 1 1/2 @ 43 a while ago.

I used to tweak my fin in different water temps, but the Z7 and Z7 ST seem to be less sensitive to it. Will tell for sure next week, after switching from a cozy 13C water in Santiago to a brisk 27C in Atlanta...

IWSF specifies 30 cm +- 6cm, which is roughly a 9.5" to 14" range.

I will be in Atlanta from mid next week and over the weekend (have to work the weekend, trying to get at least some hours away from it...). Who else will be around?

@eleeski, the good thing about turning islands is that it is impossible even for a bad driver to put waves into the course while turning... A suggestion, make every skier in the lake to bring 10 lbs of stones/rock when they go for a set. In 2 to 50 years, depending on the number of skiers, you will have enough...

In our lake, we luckily have a professional driver. He will know by looking at you when you are ready... With the rest, and regardless if it is Spanish or English, for starting more than one word and with a softer voice (e.g. "ready whenever you are", "OK, let's go" or similar), one LOUD word only for NOT going (e.g. "STOP", or "NO")

@Scot Jones, thanks for your always good and expert knowledge on these topics. What stretches and exercises would you recommend? At this stage, being off the water for now 7 days has not yielded a strong recovery...

Nope. Biceps. Like having pain when doing biceps-curl-like movements (and maintaining pressure on left arm from 1 to 2...). In the upper and lower biceps tendon insertions (shoulder, but minor, and forearm, where the pain really is.)

Anyone has/had it? What is the best recovery strategy? Thanks!

Any time you are in the water is like a mini holiday, enjoy it!

@davemac, pulling almost all the way up to the buoy and then casting out the ski might give you a yard sale, 1/4, 1/2 or 1 extra buoy where a traditional edge change will give you zero if you are extremely late.

Freyrie. My first performance ski. VERY difficult to get out of the water on it at that time, and loved to bite the edges when flat...

@travnews, leaving the binding secured to the ski is not a good idea. Some skiers would do that and then put the foot in the boot while engaged in the ski. Not good,as a key element for safety with the Reflex system is to engage the binding before skiing, and make sure it is engaged properly.

@Roger, for me the Z7 was like that. For the ST, I was using 6.895" and the tip was upper than what I wanted in my offside. Went to 6.915", and the ski was sucked to the water. I could not turn my onside unless really concentrated in putting my weight back... Went to 6.904" and worked like a charm.

Daryn, did you get Gerardo's email?

2.506", 6,904", 0.756" (F), wing 7° is working well for me.

@KM, both times I saw handle against a Warp, no structural damage but opened a waterway. No way to tell They have been repaired after they came back from Mathias.

The Warp has a very different construction. No skier on it has complained about it breaking down, and all skiers that I know are in one ski 300+ sets every year. Do not hit it with the handle, though...

Hopefully he got the proper arrangements in place, not like with Fischer...

Got mine earlier this year, but it should qualify as well as it is a 2011. Best boat ever for slalom and driving. Period. And lucky me, that is what I do with it. And, by the bay, best looking boat ever. Period again. /vanilla2/uploads/FileUpload/0/760.jpg

No piranhas in Buenos Aires. Send me an e-mail, rodrigo dot andai at mincom dot com and I can get you in touch with the hardcore skiers in Buenos Aires.

The Warp is very soft but rebounds very quickly. It is amazing to see how it flexes on the turn and instantly after it is straight to go to the other side.

Are young ladies involved in the immersion thing???

In order to really improve your skiing, you need to improve your physical conditioning, improve your technique (coaching) and have the latest-greatest. It is not one or the other. When you are over 40, usually the easiest it to get the latest and greatest material. Won't give you a lot more, but won't hurt either (unless you buy several skis per season...). One thing that I have seen hurting skiers, though, is to get really attached to a particular ski. Ski ends up in crappy condition, and the skier cannot replace it, as it is the only one that works for him and the model is not available anymore. In my view, it is better to change sticks every year than to fall into that. In my view, not patronizing here. On physical conditioning, one thing is to be in great shape and a different one is to be in great skiing shape. The latest trend on this is functional movement training and lower body weight and muscular mass. Our top Open skier is doing that, and he is doing well. He is much leaner and less bulkier than one year ago. He has not touched a weight machine in a while, and does lots of balance and agility/coordination exercises. He has been running 39 in training, and previously he struggled to run all his 38. He broke his PB in tricks with 10,180. If he manages to trick that, jump near his PB (68 m) and go beyond 5 @ 39 (his current PB), he will break the overall world record.