Nando

@swbca- saw Tom a few years ago and apparently the vandalism was pretty crazy, but it was a long time ago and whoever it was is undoubtably long gone. He and his brothers (and Phil “Mudcat” Richmond) skied there for a couple of years but the locals really trashed anything left at the lake. There are now some houses pretty close but the lake still looks like it did. Do you know if he ever skis there?

@swbca- saw Tom a few years ago and apparently the vandalism was pretty crazy, but it was a long time ago and whoever it was is undoubtably long gone. He and his brothers (and Phil “Mudcat” Richmond) skied there for a couple of years but the locals really trashed anything left at the lake. There are now some houses pretty close but the lake still looks like it did. Do you know if he ever skis there?

Yes, it's worth it. But, expect to lose a few buoys. IMO, it's important to have "fusable link" so that if someone snags a buoy they don't snap an important part of your course (ours is anchored). Inevitably, you'll get one or two people who simply can't figure it out- we have one guy who takes out at least one buoy every time he skis. We've tried to explain how they're attached, given him a drawing, everything, but he simply can't replace them properly. We finally just told him not to try- just leave the torn off balls at the closest dock with a ski boat. The worst was when he pulled one off, couldn't find the subfloat, and dropped in an anchored ball with a big loop of rope hanging out on the surface- that one seemed really dangerous...

My wife had it on both thumbs- she's not a skier but a golfer and it helped her immeasurably. A guy I snow ski with also had it on both thumbs (he's a rock climber and cyclist) and he's 100%.

PUoldmaid, that is indeed PC.

Okay, there's been a bit of discussion of Howley's bindings already, but does he actually tighten them with a drill every set?!?

Vernon Reeve- yikes! We were denied a permit last year because of one complaint (two actually, husband and wife), so the city wouldn't sign off. After they found numerous things to complain about without the course, the sheriff's office stopped taking their calls and the city figured out that they are against everything. We met with the sheriff's water patrol commander and showed him our setup (anchored course with breakaway provisions so our anchors won't get pulled out. He agreed that it's not a navigation hazard, but since the lake could be used at night, asked us to find a way to reflectorize the balls. After much delay, he called yesterday to say we've got our permit and to go ahead. Our course was in permanently for six years without a complaint from homeowners or fishermen (or anyone else) so getting denied last year was a pain. At least the sheriff, city manager and mayor supported us in the end.

To more or less retract my previous post, the Scotchcal didn't work at all- it just fell off, so we tried the reflective clear spray paint, which does not seem abrasive at all, seems to stay on (so far), and actually does reflect. Since our lake hasn't seen a boat after dark pretty much forever, it's a total waste of time, but we complied with the permit requirement...

We got this requirement added this year. We got a bunch of scrap Scotchcal reflective sign sheeting and are going to just add about a 2" circular piece on the top of the balls and a ring around out boat guides. Sheriff said that's fine. We'll see how long before they fall off, but we're making the effort... Curious to hear how reflective paint works.

Anything that makes jumping more accessible is a good thing!

Yes, really a great lady. She was also the alpine ski coach at my old high school (boys and girls) for years. My office was across the road from her home for years and I was occasionally able to do a lunchtime ski ride. Her husband Jack passed away a couple of years ago- he was an incredible guy who ski raced several years after having a stroke that partially disabled him, but he kept going. MN has lost a lot of incredible skiers recently- Tom Chapin, Jim Peterson, Don Rott, Roya and Fran Hagen- the people who got this sport going and kept it going for a lot of years are leaving us...

Lake X was Dave Saucier’s alias for what has finally been renamed Burns Lake (it’s in Burns Township)- he wasn’t going to publish the real name of the lake. It then became known as Lake Saucier. There’s an ex-skier that still owns some of the property Dave owned. They skied there for a few years but had vandalism problems with locals. We ended up with the fantastic jump Dave had there. The River Rats ski club bought it and somehow let it float over Lock and Dam 1 on the Mississippi. Sadly, I don’t think anyone has skied at Lake Saucier for years. It was a great site.

Had chronic elbow issues for years (had a partially torn biceps tendon this summer and when the ortho went over the MRI with me, I got "you've done a lot of damage to your elbow over the years"- like I didn't know that) and found that a bent handle helped, as well as a slightly larger diameter. Also have a bit of a problem wrist from a break years ago. Best piece of advice I ever got was from a Big Dawg who told me to make sure I hold the handle in my fingers and not in the palm. No serious wrist or elbow issues as long as I don't go back to old habits- also helps reducing callouses.

@pinelakerider- your install looks great. Where did you source the SeaDek? Direct from them?

Very rarely. I also run Reflexes that release easily but I think I've only released once this year. My 18-25 year old self would have answered this poll very differently...

Nothing! After dealing with a partially torn biceps tendon all season, the PT I was given has finally gotten me to a point where I'm pain-free. Of course, where I live, there are only a few weeks left in the season... Also, maybe I'm just so used to the pain in my knees I no longer notice them...

I wouldn't do it. We used to use a release like eleeski referenced (on a pylon) until my brother tore everything in his rope leg knee (except the patellar tendon) when it didn't release. Mzimmer75 does a good job of pointing out the issues with the other type, which seems like it would be a slightly better option. For what it's worth, my advice would be to not do toe tricks without a tow pylon and frankly it's worth replacing a pulley system if you're going to spend any significant time on any type of skiing.

Very sad news about n incredibly great guy- as well as a great skier.

You could use a rope release (or other) on the ski tow mounted over the outboard. Why not use that instead of the pulley system (for pulling anything)? IMO, there is not a safe option on a pulley system.

I had several years of pretty severe elbow issues and tried lots of handle changes- larger and smaller diameter, bent, whatever, and nothing helped until one of the Big Dawgs told me to concentrate on holding the handle in my fingers instead of the palm. The difference was huge and I have not had elbow problems since. The amount of strain this removed from my forearms and elbows was unbelievable. This is certainly not an answer to your question and you may be doing this already, but the amount of tension it relieves is amazing.

What I liked about Polywater, which I used before switching to Reflex bindings, is that it rinses out almost immediately once you hit the water- as DangerBoy says. The CEO was a high school classmate of mine (he retired a couple of years ago) and they once filled a bunch of small bottles for me for free so I had a several year supply. I've tried other wire-pulling lubricants and they didn't work very well.

One thing that hasn’t been mentioned is whether it’s a partial or full tear. Recovery from a partial tear is much different. At least mine wasn’t bad compared to my ski partner at the time who had a full tear at the same tournament where I partially tore mine.

Though I ski in Reflex, I recently tried a Goode (tried it on; didn’t ski in it) and found it super-comfortable- both in fit and flex. As Horton said, they need to fit your foot correctly, but you both are good systems.

Another vote for the HO Syndicate neo sleeve. Got mine for $49.95. Fits my 68" Goode just fine and if I travel, I just put it inside my SportTube with my vest and neo top (plus some extra foam tip and tail) and it's good to go.

Driving a jump event years ago in a brand new Malibu promo- the owner had only driven it from the launch to the starting dock (no, I'm sure it was NOT properly broken in)- and on about the third skier I hit a submerged railroad tie going out the last set of gates. Pretty much destroyed the prop, bent the shaft and strut. Took us a while to find what I'd hit because it was floating just below the surface- I never saw it before I hit it. The owner was almost too nice about it but I felt terrible...