dbski

@BraceMaker, I agree its tough to get a permit for a course, it's also tough to keep one! The first course on our lake was a sinker. One guy on the shore where the course was located complained we were skiing in the morning and the DNR pulled the permit. 1 GUY! I was the president of our lake association at the time and I got all the prior presidents to sign a letter of protest to no avail. Thats when I bailed and searched out our present situation. Since then another group of skiers went though the process and did get a new permit. Lots of hoops to jump through and the course is in the middle of the lake wide open to the wind. I too enjoy the seasons. I get acclimated to the cold and its no big deal. Enjoy snow skiing, ice boating and winter hikes. Come March though I'm ready for the warmth and to get back on the water. Just wondering if you southerners acclimate to the heat. When I was in Charleston for the Malibu this year it was F____g HOT! Kicked my ass.

I ship all my skis USPS, no problems.

Shhhh!!!! We don't want people to know where we are at! Just kidding, yes just north of Tecumseh.

While everyone thinks it snows and is cold 10 months a year in Michigan, we actually ski April through early November. What , I think, we do better is access to water. There are over 11,000 inland lakes in the state. I live on a 550 acre lake and you can still find a home on the lake for under 250K. Even though our lake has a slalom course and reasonable conditions most of the time, I rarely ski on it. The reason, 9 miles from my house myself and 3 ski buds lease a 2100" long private lake. It sits behind a locked gate totally hidden from the road and the only boat on it is ours. You get pretty spoiled really quick! The best part, total expenses (boat included) averages around $2500 per year per member.

sounds great!

@baha, thanks. I actually built the platform out of cedar, cool that it passed as a real platform.

Here is how you keep your wife happy on her 50th birthday, build her an outdoor kitchen!

Living in the midwest, options are limited. Have gone to Snowmass the past three years but my main contact there wiped out his shoulder in a fall. I've been looking at Mt. Bohemia in the UP on line, looks pretty gnarly in the videos. Wondering if anyone has been there and can give a report. Getting a little older and just more into cruising these days so concerned it might be a bit above my comfort zone.

@booze no DBski? You have everything else!

One thing you have to take in consideration is that lift cables break. If the lift is next to a swim area kids being kids they are going to hang on and play around it. Odds of it happening are pretty slim, but if cable breaks and your boat flattens a kid, not good!

There isn't a course anymore in Kauai.

That's actually a Michigan winter, sitting on my deck. Much less colder! (sarcasm font)

There has been a lot of talk recently of enhancing the nationals awards. If you're looking to distinguish your or your kids nationals effort may I suggest one of my skis. I've done several "placement" skis over the years and they are a great way to remember your nationals experience . Here are a few to look at.

That is so funny, I just posted using the same "lemons to lemonade"phrase.

ATTENTION NORTHERN MICHIGAN BALLERS After the recent cancellation/postponement of the Malibu Open my wife and I took a quick trip to Traverse City we termed the " lemons to lemonade" tour. While there we stopped by the Workshop Brewery Co in the warehouse district for the first time, good beer, good food and good music. For the first baller to get there , there is a free beer awaiting you courtesy of DBski.net. Hint: Go to back wall with the beer list and look up high. Good luck!

I feel like my guts have been ripped out! I've been going 24/7 for over a month getting ready for the Open. Took one afternoon off to go to a birthday party. Not to mention the financial hit I'm going to take. Hopefully it will get re-scheduled and this will be nothing but a bad dream.

I'll be there thurs-sat

Hope to see all you ballers at the Malibu! If you're anywhere close to Milwaukee get your butts there and support the sport. New this year is a friday night jump and an overall competition for both men and women. Chad and the gang have really stepped it up a notch! The webcast starts friday at 8:30. If your going make it, be sure to stop by my booth and say hey! Here is what everyone will be gunning for.

Wait until Monday, I'll be posting pics of this years Malibu open skis!

@iceboating, I'm a DN sailor myself. There are a lot of parallels with skiing. The great thing is you get to use your lake year around. I'm in southern MI so some years we get quite a few days of good sailing.

Sorry to change the subject, but @iceboating are you a iceboater?

@Tdub, you might need to explain what Put-in -Bay is.

Everyone needs to see Nate ski in person. As easy as his passes look on a screen it's even more impressive live! Get to the Malibu Open this year! You can not only marvel over Nate and all the other incredible pros but stroll over to my booth and check out DBski.

Happens every year on the back carpet, outside the rails on my pontoon boat. Pressure washer takes it off in a jiff and the carpet looks brand new.

Being a hat guy and an old guy I second that trucker hats suck! I have a couple that were given to me and nothing looks dorkier than an old guy with one on. Finding a hat that A, fits right and B, has something on it that you like is a major score! Just went to the NHRA nationals at Norwalk and got a great hat with the NHRA logo on. Simple, clean and it fits right.