Wish

Spenc…Yep true. Those rules are in the books already. Especially in FL. I’ve been involved with the EPA, State, County, City, Florida Lake Watch and the University of FL for 20 some odd years. Why..?..to best serve protect and preserve our lakes echo system and what surrounds it. We have had great success eradicating invasive aquatic plants, holding municipalities accountable to any construction around the lake, educating lake front owners in does and don’ts with shorelines and more. I know more about wetlands than I ever wanted to know. You’ve seen my place. 169 foot dock over wetlands that I pay big taxes on. Land I cannot touch. But I’m very much ok with that because it’s part of the lakes Echo system and it’s literally what keeps our lake crystal clear 12-15 feet down depending on the season. What’s not part of my lakes echo system is a ditch 25 miles away. But if the Feds get their wish, that ditch won’t belong to that land owner via regulations for something that is in no way wetlands. Feds wanted more …much more power. They want that ditch deemed wetlands or a perverse version of it. Overreach.

It was a federal government over reach by a looooong shot. If you are a land owner with a swell (low land) that could at some point fill with water but maybe not, the EPA owned it for the most part. Even if u lived 50 or more miles from the nearest lake, river or stream. Their argument for controlling it was that at some point waaaaaaay down deep in the earth, that swell with the occasional water in it could in fact reach those bodies of water in some mythical labyrinth of underground connections. This was never about protecting the environment. This was a a land grab of epic proportions through regulations. Now imagine if you did own a ski lake or lived on a lake or river. The EPA has plenty of power to keep the environment clean. But that’s just one guys opinion and understanding. There is a longer more detailed thread on this from yrs back. I applaud this decision and hope this type of federal over reach never surfaced again

This is huge.! Thanks for posting.!

When it hits the hights of comedic satire you know just how bad Nautique and the Masters look to the general public because most of us laughed. 😂😂😂😂 well done Bob ..well done!!

Would be interesting if someone would straight up ask a Nautique rep at the Masters (prob plenty of them there and higher-ups) why Nautique chose to stay silent and let everyone speculate…

I feel like those that are actually in the know first hand were made to keep quiet in some way. Overtly felt threatened? Too nervous to lose their position with the Masters? Just speculation. But it is odd.

@6balls I will be showing your statement to my wife 👍

Dirt, I don’t think anyone would argue with you. I don’t even think we have to agree or disagree with it. But should those consequences come from a title sponsor.? Players get ejected all the time from many sports. Just not by Coke or Nike or Mercedes-Benz. A football player knows what targeting is and what the consequence’s are. They get ejected by rules and consequences already established in writing by the league and have nothing to do with or any influence from sponsors.

Cut the correct length PVC pipe (width of gates and tad more). Pipe clamp it perpendicular to cable in the correct location. Run 2 fat rope lines from ends of PVC back to cable in a V form about 5-7’ up the cable. Use a tiny pipe clamp to secure ropes to cable. Ropes must be the exact same lengths at attachment points. Run some SS eye bolts though PVC at the ends and us whatever up lines u use on then rest of the course. Done. Under $30. We did this over 15yrs ago. Never had a problem.

Dave, welcome to the wide world of sports. There will ALWAYS be controversy in all sports and it will always be talked about. If you don’t like the opinions here or in the other thread(that’s all they are is opinions) then don’t open the thread again. I think it’s fare to say it’s a bad reflection on Nautique as evidenced here and certainly a bad reflection on the sport. That’s my opinion (and plenty of others) based on what it looks like. There are more harsh opinions to be sure but Nautique has chosen to let it lie in ambiguity. Their choice and fact..not an opinion. To say we should not express an opinion is literally expressing your opinion. But wether you like it or not, it WILL be talked about and that’s actually a good thing in a day and age where speech is shut down right and left. And the idea that Nautique wont change anything is an opinion as they may come out with something seeing all of this…just my opinion.

In that case, all pro skiers “inmates” should be very nervous that not only could this happen to them at a Nautique event but now Nautique has set the standard for other title sponsors to do the same at any event. Nautique got away with it. Why not us? Especially when there is no public explanation as to why the punishment fit the crime.

The “inmates” buy the boats, parts, swag and anything else Nautique sells like the Masters. Again they don’t have to say boo. But the “inmates” seem unsettled with the no comment position Nautique has adopted. As mentioned..no other sport would get away with this at this level of that sport as they would have reporters banging down their doors. And ESPN would be rendering opinions, assertions, assumptions, and educated guesses right and left. The narrative would get drawn up with or without a statement. That’s now happening here. Right now it looks like Freddy is the victim and Nautique is at fault. Is that what Nautique wants the ski community to think? Maybe I guess.

They are a public company selling their products to the public. You are correct in saying they do not owe an explanation. But they are coming off as looking like jerks based on posts here (a decent enough cross section of skiers). Defend the brand all you want but I would think it would be a smart business practice to not allow speculation especially when it hovers around the negative. It’s a bad look and a poor reflection on a company that has been seen as having high standards and moral high ground.

Costs are up for sure. Was able to purchase a lake home in FL (fixeruper) on the cheap but it’s now worth more then I could afford if I wanted to buy it now. My boat is old but in great shape and I could probably sell it for almost what I bought it for in 2004. Hurricane destroyed the dock my father and I built 25yrs ago. Factor in materials and labor if hired done and cost to rebuild is over 10 times more. Currently DYIing it. I could buy a vest rope and handle for what it cost for one rope not that long ago. Not something I want to buy used. I look at my daughter and think …no way can she afford this sport. Makes me sad to think that. But she will always have a lake home to come to since I can’t afford to move anywhere else on a lake. I’ve always said this sport can be done with some creative thinking and hard work as I consider myself a skier on a budget and had to do just that to stay in it. I’d like to think that still holds true but I’m not so sure anymore. 🫤

I watched Andy from the boat do this. Wow..just wow. Also same day watched him touch his eye in efforts to maneuver his contact going into 4 ball at 38. GOAT.

I don’t think DeWalt power is needed for his back boot. It’s even more interesting than his front boot. 🤔 Thinkn speed skate boot and the heal can rise up off the ski.

@6balls I did say Maybe 😉

@Naterfolks that think speculation or educated guesses are beneath talking about must not be married or have children or coworkers or had siblings growing up. 😂 It happens daily. It’s part the the human makeup. Maybe some of this banter will flush out an official response(s).

Australian open 1990. McEnroe gets not 1 but 3 specific code of conduct violations before finally being disqualified for telling the umpire to go do something to his mother. Mac thought the line to cross was 4 code of conduct violation as it had been in the past to get disqualified. But he had not heard of the rule change to only 3. But at least he mostly knew the lines he was crossing as he crossed them. And he knew the outcomes if he did. Was Freddy warned? Given any smaller consequences before the final disqualification? Mac is well known for his tantrums at the expense of the court officials over many many years and has only been disqualified the one time do to a rule change he was unaware of at the time. I’m gonna bet Freddy never came close to telling an official anything like that. One of the code violations was “racket abuse” yep, that was a written line of conduct code. So was “intimidating a line judge”. Did Freddy slam his ski into the ground breaking it? Did he hover over and glare at an isolated seated judge that had no way out of that moment? Heated moments at the highest levels of tennis were expected and rules were written. Specific ones.

@TomH thanks for the correction.

Mostly overlooked but it shouldn’t be. Hydrodyne Grand Sport Elite. Great wakes, deep walk through open bow and sidewalls throughout with a bullet proof fuel injected PCM GT-40. All glass no wood.

Nate said he would have to take time off work to ski the tour overseas. What does he do? Pilot?

Anyone know why all or part of the tournament was class C? That’s what we heard.

@Taynton I’ve posted the same question..twice. Let’s see the written line he crossed. If there is no such code of conduct written out or specified verbally to all the athletes, then event rules are made up on the fly and are ripe for abuse of power.

Did not pan quick enough. Got behind him and missed when the ski and the ball were at their closest