Nando

I found nylon machine screws to fit at my local hardware store. The head can be cut off and the end slotted easily, but I just used them as-is. Work perfectly.

I have a 66" one, used about 10 sets, that I will sell at the same terms- $550 shipped in the US. PM me if interested

Shortly after Okeeheelee was completed, I was working for a county that was building a park (the parks department was part of my department and I was working on the overall design) and since I was the state association president, I was asked to pursue a ski site in it (small conflict of interest, but, if you're up front about those things...). My recollection, in very approximate numbers, is that at Okeeheelee they got over a million cubic yards of good road building material from the excavation. In our case, our soils were not usable and the space simply didn't work out. There was a synergy at Okeeheelee that combined a nearby road project (maybe several, I don't recall) with the park's location where the material for those projects was available nearby. One key to it working was that the distance to haul the material was short and, therefore, cost effective. If our numbers were what they were in the '80s, we'd have more clout in potential public projects, but it's a tough sell and most public officials have no understanding of the sport and government attorneys see the liability first.

One thought from someone who is NOT an expert: if the cost isn't prohibitive, and the space allows it, go longer, maybe 2400 feet. This allows a bit more setup time for both skier and driver and is a bit more friendly to recreational skiing and (am I really saying this?) wakeboarding.

Brilliant!

@swbca, while Wiley’s bindings are very high quality, and while their customer service is top-notch, the bindings are still basically a 1970s design. Most everyone I ski with uses Radar and loves them. I made the switch to Reflex after a long layoff (not totally from skiing, but I had really limited skiing for a few years) and as has been pointed out here, it was a significant change. Because of your knowledge of ski technique and design, you will not have difficulty adapting, so, for what it’s worth, I’d recommend going with a newer design. Just my two cents...

Way back when, Bonnie attended a couple of MWSA tournaments- one we had at Steve's lake and one at Island Lake. Sad that Steve is no longer with us- he was a good guy. In my early years of skiing, he'd be coming out to ski when we finished our early morning sets.

As @Horton says, Wiley’s would replicate ‘80s bindings, but while that’s true and would eliminate another variable, a hard shell system is much more comfortable and will give better control (a little, anyway). Switching to a hard shell system IS a big change, but it is 2021...

Out of curiosity, @swbca, what ski will you be making your comeback on?

@swbca, back in the early '80s, when Roger Teeter was living in MN (and for a short time afterward) he was trying all kinds of weird fin shapes. He provided PC and me with a box of fins, some with fixed wings, some without, and we cut and ground them into all kinds of shapes. What we found back then was that most of our experiments didn't work very well, but we did get some understanding of the effects of changing things. The Fin Whispering book is very comprehensive and really goes way beyond fin adjustments and covers a lot of ski behavior theory.

@swbca, didn’t you also create some semi-Frankenstein’s? I seem to recall a Taperflex Apex with an aluminum top from a Vector (?) ski to stiffen it and a couple of other things I can’t recall. I know KLP has widened skis recently and he’s certainly an example of a guy who’s not shy about pulling out a file. As my icon implies, I was the beneficiary of Dave Saucier tuning both my Saucier ski and before that, an EP. Tuning in the old sense of filing bevels is pretty rare, but there a few doing it.

Thanks, @swbca, that’s pretty good. The simplicity of this system is pretty appealing, especially when hearing about the amount of maintenance on Accusink courses or even Wallyskier ones, though Wally seems to have simplified things.

@SWBCA, your original submersible course was a great design- why mess with it? I only saw it once, after you had installed the garage door opener (if I recall correctly) to power submerge it. Was there significant wear to the lines from going up and down? Either you or Lance F. once explained how relatively low the force was on all the components and the simplicity of the setup is pretty appealing. (We'd consider it for our course, except we're in about 5'-8' of water.)

@jjackkrash said it pretty much perfectly- the driver should strive to be perfectly straight; the goal is to give the skier the best possible pull without giving them an unfair advantage.

I've been using the Radar Drifter (pretty similar to the Tidal) for about a year and a half and while it's very comfortable, I'm not thrilled that it often folds up from the bottom in a fall. Not a big deal, but a little irritating. I went back to an O'Neill Slasher- my favorite, if you can find one- I got mine through Overton's.

Think having them on the home page is adequate. Don’t really like them; don’t hate them; don’t love them- they’re just in the way.

@mfjaegersr mentioned it but didn't elaborate much- Brooke Baldwin's #6 at 38 was one of the scariest falls I've ever seen. She was very lucky the way the rope came off without serious injury :#

IMO, the Ski Nautique is a great boat that has a few faults:

 

Too much Seadek and the associated expected replacement cost and bother- plus it looks like too much.

The Hydrogate is too complicated. Long-term functionality of it is also a concern.

It seems like the majority of the market, including me, does not care for its looks. I think in some color combinations it looks great, but it's an odd mess of angles.

It's about 30% more expensive than its competitors. It definitely drives easier, tracks better, and has a wake that's equal to the competition, but...

I've been a loyal Nautique owner for over 30 years, but if I were looking for a new boat, I'd start with MC now; used, probably a 200 or Prostar. BOS is a big enough focus group to indicate that even if it's not an epic fail (and I don't think it is), it has issues...

 

Absolutely incredible. To run 39 with three really bad turns is unbelievable. She is tougher than nails, physically AND mentally- she never quits on a pass in competition.

I have a Radar that I rotate with an InTow and a Masterline. I find the grip of the Radar equal or better than the other two, but the rope started fraying very soon- before there was any wear on the grip at all- I blame my ski, but if you ski with a Goode or Denali or other ski that tends to wear the rope, get one with tubing.

Nautiqueparts.com has full kits for a bit over $400. I believe it's the genuine article. From what I've heard, you have a bit of a removal job in front of you, but the installation is not as bad.

I have two shells, one with the tab cut out and one with it still in. For putting the one with the tab on, I agree that simply sticking a finger in works fine. As for flex, I can't tell any difference and think that adjusting the top buckle has much more effect on flex than the tab- the fact that it folds over so easily indicates how little it affects flex.

I had that idea last year- I only wish I could provide videos for your amusement- it did not go well...

@RGilmore, you have seen just the tip of the iceberg- probably a dozen antique snowmobiles in there dating back to the '60s, including at least two Arctic Cat Kitty Cats, plus at least one Yamaha two-cycle dirt bike, a few old outboards, and I have no idea what else. The Honda Transalp in photo one is one of the cooler bikes.

@RichardDoane's drawing is our system. @Aquavidapirate, I've been skiing on courses of that design for way longer than I want to admit and no one has ever hit a counterweight. My personal course has red solo cups filled with concrete for counterweights, but we've used old sash weights and all kinds of things. The red solo cups are just about perfect if you're running your buoys at minimum dimension or partially filling with water. And they're cheap!