walleye

@ all you shortliners I have told my kids what LDan said. But I am not confident with that and have not drove that at them. Reason is I see the pros hammer the gates with alot of speed. Saying that they are at faster speeds and shorter line lengths. Myself as example I do what LDan says and it works for me but I am always second guessing myself thinking it was my inability to pre turn, so I keep my mouth shut. My kids are at -15 to -28 30 mph and 32 mph. When they reach -22 I see slack at one and they hammer the gates. They both have excellent stack, angle there gate shot appears good. You hear alot comments of keeping speed thru the buoy for me as example that results in going to the tail at one. Once in the coarse no problem only at one do I have to slow down. Question is should I have them slow the gate at 30/32mph to what @texas6 said to match the boat speed. The few times I had them slow the gate the ski was ready to turn to quick and they insided the buoy. I got the evil eye and I shut up. My coaching ability is limited stacked position. They will be going to junior ski next week, hopefully Dane can move them to the next level. Any suggestions would be appriciated.

@MS still waiting for you to grace our lake. We are warm no bump at -28 and PP soft as a babies bottom pull. Lake use looks light for this 3 day weekend. I will cook and supply the beer provided you bring the Mrs, Sunperch and her can watch us ski and be rope B's hee hee.

@casey I would not be concerned with any of the wakes of the big 3, all have eleminated concerning wakes. These boats are friendly to kids and slower speed skiers. My concerns & questions with 200's are gas consumption, RPM and trailers to fit the boat. 1. To flatten the wake on a big boat takes alot of channeling water which requires larger motors = to much gas consumption. 2. To push these boats RPM's are to hi. It will be interesting how many of these motors make it to 1500 hours 3. I see Ramlin trailers under these 200's, this MFG. trailer does not fit a 200. My small world where lake levels change, pitch of ramp change makes it difficult to load. Distribution of weight has the bow riding on the front roller. There is an adjustment on this roller but how does a guy not void any warranty if he starts tweaking. Anyone else done any adjusting on this roller, if so please comment what you have done. We have been kicking around buying a zo boat. I truly love my 98 bubble butt GT-40 but I want zo. Repower is not an option for me. IMO the bubble butt red with silver, bar none is the most classy boat ever put on the water. The power whine and look when I see that boat make a turn into the slalom course is a thing of beauty, makes chills up my spine. No boat to date has that classy look. Please Nautique bring it back with zo and I will buy one. Otherwise 1500 hours and counting I will drive it till it drops.

Emma

@KcSwerver they raped the place radios, batteries, skis, jackets, generators...etc No distruction other than dash boards, ripping radios out. They also hit the neighbors shed. Go karts are still there. @sunperch sounds like vacation time next week for ole wally. You need to schedule visits near the lake. I will need at least 1 hour rest between sets, plenty of time for you to get some work done before I need you to drive. My XL boot is to large for perchy toes:( or them hound pups. @MS come ski with us, family needs some coaching. We don't have ZO but the lake is skiing well.

Nano XT will get tested from a real hack. Coming off 9 straight missed openers @22 I hope it is the magic carpet for me. Boat shed was broken into last night, they stole my ski along with a bunch of other stuff. I will recieve XT next week. I will have 2 weeks to practice before memorial weekend tourney. In practice been running a few 32's, 28 is good on the old Goode. I practice behind PP 98 SN and I just cannot figure ZO out I feel like I am on a rubber band. My poor skiing, push tail,closed shoulder/hip offside, stare @ one ball, pull to long causes me to load hard out of the ball. When I am behind my boat it is solid out of the ball so I can fall back into my lean another bad habit. Behind Zo it gives then takes back with a more horse power than I have then I am on the rubber band. I have tried B1 B2 nothing works in l ast 4 years. I should learn how to ski but that is to logical I am going with the XT. If I run 32 memorial day we can all say this is a magic carpet. I will keep ya posted how I do. If I drop 2 grand on this ski and blow my opener. Spend your 2 grand on ski school.

@kcswerver What? Good job Kenna, bring the family down and ski when it gets to cold. We are doing one more tourney @ shulls. Maybe you & Cole can motivate Emma and Luke. I need a few pointers also after 9 straight missed openers:(. I need a magic carpet like th Nano one XT. I think the old horse is wore out, she will not respond to the whip. I did catch a few walleye last night...I see temps are going back to 90 next week.

@Bruce Butterfield I would like to hear answers to your questions with solutions. Can you fill in the blanks with your experience, or KTM 300's maybe a Dr Phil format. I will shoot My daughters answers to your questions. We feel she is getting frustrated, the self drive has dropped by 50%. We are of mindset it is teenage growing pain & our lake is so boring nobody uses it. Family talk last nite she confirmed really driven to do tournies but tired of going to lake and nobody to play with. Anyone with kids and want a place to ski let me know. 1. She wants to ski, we do not have to push her. 2. Some she does some not, based what she likes. 3. just slalom 4. Yes, No, Not sure of what healthy means but they are all nice and friends. 5. No 6. No 7. Focus on fun 8. She is 11 been skiing Tournies since 5. 9. Fuzzy head little brother, hate each other with a passion. Says mam-mma miss every time he starts his ups....feeling a mutual. @Than_Bogan I know you want to talk about me but I think the subject is about kids.

@KcSwerver Drive thru the wakes not let the knees come up thru the wakes. This causes you to drop your ass, chest to lead.......thus losing angle and gaining to the ball speed. You do not want to absorb the wake but slice thru it. This can be achieved many different ways as long as you keep your hips leading.

Thanks for the input, I used merguires flagstaff marine wax. Think I will use a merguires detailer for now. Next time gonna try that Nu finish polish and go with the vinger and distilled water. Here is a little cool down photo for those hot summer days. @KcSwerver I will give your mom those inserts Wednsday. Gonna bounce some sick time tomorrow before mucky mucks go to the PTO plan....2 years and counting backwards now.

Just waxed the old 98 CC with some good marine wax. What works best for wipe down to preseve wax. Anyone have any skins for 98 CC purple/teal. I need motor box & the back that covers the fuel tank. @KcSwerver I have 4 Goode inserts you can have. It takes a 5/16 drill bit, direction say reverse drill. I have done this to 4 Goode's that are still in operation 6 years later. It is a nail bite-er because the outer shell is rock hard and once you go thru hold on or you will go right thru your ski:(. I taped the drill bit for depth, but a drill press is ideal. I would have your dad do it at the shop. I can bring them into your mom tomorrow if you want them. I used regular screws the first time, when they stripped out then I used the factory plastic inserts. Use stainless screws.

@KcSwerver......Just talked to Joel your in. ...don't know why if your not on my team. The cheez balls will be all mine. If your on the same team as that sand bagger Luke I am calling foul. The horses are rested and ready to run. I hope it's a 20 mph north wind I have been practicing behind a 30 foot bayliner:) Oh but your used big wakes behind that MC:) you are the only one at the Kan with a MC...just saying your either with me or again me this is a head to head toruney let the games begin:)

@KcSwerver.......Done

@KcSwerver, Brian.......Joel sent out a e-mail today needing confirmation of who is coming so they can get teams lined up. This is a fun tourney with some head to head. Listen to the Gower boys where to start, or you will have a fin full of mud. Just ride that Goode don't force it. Are you at factory specs....I would be that is a nice ski.

This is the kid I posted about last summer. The title was a true sport story. He had everyone buying VHS Kris Lapoint video....as he said how he learned to ski. Brian first time thru the course in practice @ the tourney was just figuring gates and what balls were what first set. Second set starting getting into 28. Day of the tourney final round 2 @ 36 mph. I will never forget it. @Brian the sun looks like you were there after 5....I am gonna confir with Luke and Emma about that:) just kidding nobody is ever there. Wally buoys looked good and your skiing. The jump was @ it's normal spot.....in the way waiting for more money. Some hippi going to the widespread concert ran into it with his 71 dodge van this weekend. He said he couldn't see it from the smoke so he let his dog out to take shit on our beach. Welcome to the club the Kan will make you a better skier......If you can run it at the Kan you can run it anywhere.

@ToddL So you are saying that these skiers would still be active in the sport if there was a course on public water? Yes Thus, you are saying the most significant barrier to staying engaged in our sport is the cost of access to a course? No If not cost, then why does access to a course on a public lake work better than access to a course on a private lake with regards to retaining collegiate skiers? 1.Because there spouses do not want to hang out @ small ponds with slalom heads talking about skiing. 2. Public lakes is where lots of people can go. To visit a private site it usually requires AWSA membership or Housing development with greater restrictions. Grandma & Grandpa can set in the pontoon and watch sonny boy ski by, then they can go to the lake house for a cold one. Stud can take his heirom of chicks, show off skiing the course thru the many boats watching....just like the wake boarders do. 3. Public courses will attrack all kinds of people Good/Bad.....but numbers if that is what everyone is wanting. Out of the masses some will become slalom head....hence a AWSA member, ski equipment, boat etc.etc.

@ToddL I assume that those same skiers only joined a college ski team for the lake parties, then, too? Some did but there were more that did it for various reasons, including being a better skier. Were they in the top 3 slots on the A team scoring for team scores, or were they B team skiers? A & B top slots to bottom. Did they learn how to trick or jump and really invest effort in improving their skill and ability in those events? Yes they pretty much all 3 evented, I felt like they all tried to improve, some more than others. Probably not. I'm just making an assumption, but I have seen many of those social-only-types of skiers on NCWSA ski team. I resemble that social type and 6ball was our worst:) Just saying coarses on public water gives access to showing off to the chicks:) Also it is more spouse & kid friendly.

@Toddl Many of these kids I have remained friends and contact. Money is not the issue I hear. They choose going to the party lakes, vacations & spouse not interested.

uite a few skiers for that reason.

Bottom line Usawaterski & Mfg.'s has got to get slalom courses out there on public water. The state wildlife and parks are tough to deal with. But they are really feeling budget crunches right now. In Kansas we have a new director that has a more open mind to generating money. USAwaterski needs to start contacting park directors. In my area ED from EZ slalom has one lake he can put his course in and it is a city lake. In this small community they have q

@jcamp I ski at collegiate site and those kids once they leave college quit skiing. A couple have rejoined the club but never come out. It would be interesting to hear from these young adults why they stop. In the last 10 years out of 300 to 500 college skiers at our site I can count on 2 hands how many still ski.

I am smoking what Jody Seal is smoking. That guy comparing ice skating to slalom skiing has got to go.

@ToddL Good marketing points, maybe USAWaterski & Mfg.'s should get more involved in the marketing end and doing end. Like advertisement fliers & doing clinics at marina's , sport shops, Schools and boat dealerships. Not just the big events but every tourney registered in the USAwaterski listing. Bottom line is minimum access to slalom courses. The burden is all on the volunteers & clubs with no benefits for long hours hosting big tournaments. The liability & Ins. clubs are faced with on the heels of the new changes USAwaterski put on our Ins. The sport needs more Okaheelee's where any person can get a ride. How do you get involvement if people have no place to do it????? I see Ohio has done some marketing like this. Were Mfg.'s our governing body heavily involved in this or was it typical nice guys of the sport do the majority of the work for free. The INT tried to do this, not sure how they are doing. I have pondered a day care for kids @ the lake learning to ski and all the good things of hanging at the lake. To do something like this I would have to market, provide a good product and protect my assets. Why can't are governing body and Mfg's figure this out. Do we have bad leaders or is it just lack of interest and no money. I think there is money if we market it and do something about it.

Hacker Rules for more enjoyment 1. You are always competing against yourself or previous PB 2. Showing your kids how to lose.......IE don't make excuses, lay blame or attitudes. 3. Everyone is a loser...just shorten the rope. 4. Make preparing for a tourney Imaginarly importance....IE skiing more (exercise) that is fun. 5. Know one really cares what you run because when your on the water your just in everyones way and that goes for everyone except family. 6. Be a judge or driver. If it really bothers you to be in a no win situation there is the INT. But really how would it feel about winning with a stacked deck. There are the green lighting tournies that make every team member score important. If your team wins the whole team gets the spoils (cheese balls or tootsie pops) Then you have to run a couple sets to burn them calories. Or you could go to sites knowone knows you and start at 38 off and act like it's a fluke you missed it. Being around good skiers will improve your skiing by all the perks. Also good deals on boats and ski equipment. Some are like ******* ski one set on a ski and sell it cheap. Just have fun, bring plenty of Beer, enjoy skiing at a variety of sites you might not get the privilage to ski if you wasn't entered in thier tourney.

Hey Randy if your rained out and Chad is not getting ski time he is welcome in Kansas @ my house for a week or two. He has to coach my kids all else is free. :)