bishop8950

Ya, thanks John. Nice shots of Shaws crash. I was getting ready to ski so I missed it first time around! KB

I practiced the BigDawg site this morning, they say the water is about 100 but didn't feel like that to me. The lakes ski great and guys were knocking down 39s. A thunderstorm blew in early afternoon and as long as we don't have more of that, there should be many big scores

Thanks Than, since I got in so Mark Brandt is now on the bubble

David West has done a great job keeping the wait list skiers posted on changes. Mapple withdrew and I have no further color/context/info. Due to a few other withdrawals, Marco Bettosini, Don Ascenbrenner, and Matt Brown are in. The current wait list goes like this: 1 - Kevin Bishop 2 - Mark Brandt 3 - Mike Robinson 4 - Jeff Greathouse 5 - Joe McCreary

If you cant run the required buoy count at 34mph to earn your open rating (current rules), you probably cant really compete in Open anyway. So why do you want the rating? I am 38, and would prefer to be allowed to ski 36mph (in M3 or MM) and scored at 36mph without handicap, the good ole days. I think this is Mikes proposal and I would support this rule coming back. This was debated when the ranking system went in place years ago, and we realized only a small number of skiers would be affected, me as one of them. In the end I think the current rules put the old guy Open qualification at about the right level. It gets back to the "is it 3 or 6 handicap" but if you look at the current old guys with open ratings, I think its working out about right. Some of them can get 39 going at 36mph and I think that's what it should take to be "Open". My first Open rating came at 34mph, some average score of deep 39 at 34mph. I never ran the 1.5 at 39 it used to take at 36mph. I am thinking about doing it this summer just to do it. If I do that in MM, and get dinged 6 buoys, I don't care. Fortunately I can enter Open and get the points but that doesn't really do anything for me. I am happy there is a MM division and the BigDawg because that is where I want to compete. It would be fun to stand on the dock with the Open guys, and maybe I should even if I got my butt kicked. As an old guy skier, I can live with the current rules. Like Schroder proposed, and other countries allow, skiing down in younger divisions, this would be fun. KB

Good day = carving turns, having fun with family and friends, leaving the lake stronger and not injured Bad Day = loosing perspective, getting frustrated, its supposed to be fun As much as I can, I avoid counting buoys, prefer to focus on technique. I can have have a great day running my opener over and over if I feel improvement, figure out something new, make progress in tough conditions. I had a tournament ride last year where my second pass was awesome (35) and I ended up running deep 39 (great score for me) but it was ugly. Honestly, after the set I was just thinking about how good my 35 was and happier about that then the crappy technique 38 and 39. I know, in competition there are no style points but my hacking skills are well established, I need better technique if I want to run more buoys...but who is counting KB

Nice skiing Matt. Does this ski have custom Lapoint hyrogliphics on it? I love how there is no static edge. The moment the inside edge is loaded moving towards the first wake you move it through. Nice outbound. I should go practice. KB

So, how deep is the wait list for Cypress? I was planning to go but didn't realize it would fill up so fast. KB

I installed my ZBox and it was a piece of cake. Got it to the lake and felt no accelerometer action. Correction, I felt one gas response from the accelerometer at the gate then no further adjustment. With some investigation I found out that because my throttle had no return spring, the accelerometer would accelerate once and couldn't back off. The servo applies the gas and depends on the return spring to pull the throttle back down. My boat (2000 Response LX) has a push pull cable so no return spring required apparently. I have since installed one and look forward to my next test run and will report back next few days. Interestingly, the StarGazer bit worked well to deal with the lack of return spring and delivered pretty good segments and 95s at the end. KB

Isnt there a small battery within PP somewhere that keeps the settings? I think that is what Oldutskier is asking. Not the boat battery. KB

What bigtex said. I dont mind working behind the boat, and appreciate flexibility in the turn, so stayed with the X7. The Fusions is sweet though (actually on it in my profile pic). Best bet is to try both if you can, and if you hook with Seth there is no better way to ensure you will end up with the right ski. KB

please dont pick on typos. I meant steal. I rely on spell checker too much and had a few tonight KB

Original question - what is holding the sport back? Lots of forum content dedicated to this subject. Reluctantly...I am not sure anything is specifically, at least not more than it has for years. I think of this question differently: why has it gotten smaller over last 20 years? Seems like there are now other things to do like of course wakeboard, all the X-games stuff, etc. In the 80s waterskiing seemed "extreme" and now the masses are used to 100' double back flips on dirt bikes. I wonder if the number of people interested in intense or extreme sports has grown, but the percentage and actual number of waterskiiers is just smaller. In any case, if you want to steel people back to waterskiing, it needs to be seen as much fun, as accessible, and with the same learning curves as the other things. In the meantime, I have retreated to private sites and live in my slalom bubble. I try to get new people into it but thus far with little success. I have 2 young boys that may contribute, we will see. Boat Challenge - it may be stupid, but I end up doing it once a year with my boat. I have never hit a buoy and have installed many slalom courses. The little boy in me still thinks its fun. KB

If you watch the pros, I am picturing Terry and Jamie, on their early lines they can change edges at or even before the first wake. Its crazy. I try to let my ski change edges at the second wake. To me this means getting light in my feet/knees at the first wake or middle of the wakes so the ski can release and start to roll over and ultimately carry out through an edge change at the second wake. Its easier for me to feel when I get it wrong than it is to define what the perfect timing is. If I land on in the white water on the other side of the second wake and haven't changed edges yet, I am thinking crap, now I will have too much down course speed and will have a loose line when I finish the next turn. When I pull long its almost always because because I dropped my shoulder into the first wake. If I am level and light on the line, I can control my edge change much better. When I drop away, I loose control. Hope that helps. KB

jeresydave - Bill Cooper is still active at RWP. I saw him at Nationals this past year and he is still at it. I think there are only a few diehards keeping that site going. I have a feeling once Ron Nill (who has the personal relationship with the RWP family) stops keeping the site alive, it will close up to waterskiing. They have better/more profitable options as sad as filling it in for additional parking. Its such an interesting site being bracketed by an airport and the race tracks. On race days you can hardly talk to the skier over the big blocks with open headers. The lake was originally 5x as big and built for drag boats. That didn't stick and they have been filling it in bit by bit. Set up is short now. For those that are curious, Mapquest 267 Pension Rd Englishtown, NJ 07726 for a pic KB

Grew up in MI, but lived in NJ 2000-2006. Skied Raceway Park and a local quarry. I skied tournaments at the "South Jersey" site which sounds close to your neck of the woods. Great conditions in the summer, but hung em up Nov-April. I live in Northern Cali now. KB

With you yesterday, I think I got 2 surf turns, and blew through as much energy as all day water or snow skiing. Maybe thats why I choose to ski more than surf? This said, it was still a blast and quality can trump quantity. I always said the next sport I add into the mix will not be super dependent on conditions you can not control like weather. And then I started surfing...duh KB

Jim, Squaw trivia you probably can confirm, isnt KT 22 named for 22 kick turns? I was just guessing an average top to bottom run for a chair like KT, having never actually counted turns. Even if its only 15 turns per run, we know you make a lot more turns in a day of snow skiing than waterskiing. Brent, free skiing is usually easier, but I try to keep the intensity the same. And I go a lot more than 6 turns so it feels like that offsets the reduced intensity of not being in the course. I don't do it a lot but every time I do I am thinking "this is a great work out and its easier to work on a few things outside of the course, I should do it more" and I never do. KB

Thanks. Finals in Okee right? KB

I have skied a few 4 set days. Must have run ~140 buoys. Last year "spring training" at my parents wide open lake I skied 2 sets, each with 4 free ski "passes" of 20 turns = 160 turns. I was beat. Normally, 2 sets, 8-10 passes, 100 turns. At Squaw, if I assume I ride 15 chairs and make 30 turns (I bet its more) each run, then 450 turns. KB

Does anyone know? Qualifiers? Finals at Okee with Nationals? Thanks KB

Dave, I think the momentum stems from the fact the rules committee will convene soon and they consider proposed rule changes or exceptions, like the ones Greg has outlined. I dont know the formality of the process, but I think skier feedback (like that in this thread) is taken into consideration. I dont think we have a voting right. KB

In response to Greg Exception to gather data on 35mph for MM - yes Survey - yes 1.02 exception – I think he is saying we should be able to ski one round at 34mph to get an official score, and a second round at 35mph to gather data but with no score. If yes, I agree, please Mandatory – When this came up before, my input was its not a big problem and I appreciate the current flexibility. This said, I don’t mind having to stay MM once I ski MM (currently have no M3 scores anyway). However, personally, I like the option of skiing OM but don’t want to have that cause mandatory presence in OM. If I had to vote on all or nothing mandatory, I vote mandatory, will ski MM, and wont ski Open. 10.06c – I am not sure what Greg is saying. 35mph all buoy counts can’t equate to 34 or 36mph buoy counts? If yes, I agree Generally, should MM go 35mph to differentiate from the other divisions? Yes please. Good points raised on whether its worth it, enough people, hassle, etc. I like Greg’s idea, let’s try it and see. This said, I have no idea how much of a hassle it will be for HQ and tournament organizers and officials. Kevin Bishop

I get to watch him ski from time to time. When he is on, it looks perfect. When I see it I feel a mix of being inspired and wanting to quit at the same time. I almost prefer to watch this video to see him make adjustments. I wish I could think that fast on the water and adjust like he can. KB

did you see it made SI hot clicks of the day? One way to promote the sport http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/extramustard/hotclicks/10/19/joanna-krupa-rangers-cardinals-world-series-prop-bets/index.html?eref=sihp&sct=hp_bf1_a4 KB