dbutcher

So do you have a Regional Class L champion and a Regional Class C champion even though some skiers fall in the same age group? Or would the best score in the age group be the Regional champion whether L or C? They might have skied in much different conditions. I don't really care, haven't given it much thought, but generally believe in keeping it simple. Nationals should never be watered down IMHO.

Show her this video (if you haven't already) and ask her what she thinks without criticizing. -32 shouldn't be a problem as is, but it will get a little harder for her and the skier at shorter lines. Let her drive a few more sets and let her look at the later video.

Does anybody know how these new Goode skis work for 30mph max (M9) skiers at 195lbs, 28 off and shorter?

@dave2ball Thanks for the post. I don't need or want special treatment. I'm just thinking that there may be enough demand from others that ML would do it on their own initiative. If I'm wrong, no harm no foul.

Any chance Masterline will make the optimized rope with the traditional shortening sections? Not everyone likes the slide loop system - it is more difficult to use and slower. I realize that may be a personal dislike that not everyone shares.

The 1985 American Skier Advance that I had chine locked. The 1986 Advance I had did not. I was never enamored with the TBX model which I think started in 1987, but the 1986 I had was a sweet boat in every way. Put ZO in a 1986 Advance, and it would compete nicely with the new ski boats.

It doesn't have to be mesh. It just has to be tough. I've cut pieces from a flexible plastic tub (or lid) that worked just fine. Round or sand the edges though so they won't cut you or things. It's best if there is plastic tubing on the V ropes of the handle to prevent wear from the grommets or zip ties.

You can also make one yourself with some strong plastic mesh (or similar material), a grommet tool, and zip ties.

Tried twice to send you a private message. Hope you received at least one of them.

I would Iike to have one. Is this system easily and quickly transferable from boat to boat? Is there any chance that the price may come down significantly any time soon? Or ever?

The Mastercraft trailer that I had under my 2014 Prostar was excellent.

It depends upon what you (actually our organization) want out of tournaments. If you want to determine who is the best skier this day, the current format (one chance and done per round) is ideal. Performing under pressure is part of determining who the best skier is this day. If you want to increase your standings list score, alternative formats could be better. If you just want more skiing, alternative formats are the only choice. Each of us is entitled to our preference, but the format must be national (and therefore selected by the majority). If you want to compare scores for skiers who were at different tournaments, the current one and done format is as good as it gets. Nothing is perfect. There is also something to be said for "keeping it simple". Maybe alternative formats should be for fun tournaments only. The one and done format was designed years ago. There was a period of time when the tournaments that I went to had so many entries that "one and done" was a necessity. I am old enough to have experienced those days. It is likely that Regionals and Nationals will always have to be "one and done". So, if you want change, talk to your region's board members and be prepared to have solid reasons for the change you desire.

I had a 2014 that had a useless gas guage. I just filled it everytime I used it. It doesn't cost any more.

Very, very sad. Almost everyone in the south central region knew, liked, and respected Gordon Hall. Many others across the United States did too. The loss his family feels has to be overwhelming.

There is another point of having record tournaments that I didn't see mentioned above. In my ASWA region, a tournament must be class E or higher to accommodate the setting of or the breaking of a regional slalom record. A U.S. national record requires a record tournament too.

@thager I'm sorry to read that. Membership doesn't cost much more than one night of dinner and drinks for two.

@lhoover I fill my 2015 200 at the gas station. It works best for me to insert the nozzle as deep as possible into the fill opening and use only the first click (slowest fill rate) on the nozzle. It shuts off automatically and does not splash back or erupt. Failing that, an option for you might be simply to stuff a rag or paper towels around the nozzle to control the eruption as much as possible. Does this happen to you at every gas station or could it be something at one particular station? I know how irritating and messy it is for you. If it happens to you a few seconds after the nozzle flow stops, that I don't understand or know what to suggest. I guess it could be a restriction in the fill pipe/hose down near the tank.

Read page 17 of the 2019-2020 USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Towboat Policy Manual. It's on the USA Water Ski & Wakesports website. Better yet, read all of it.

The following is simply my opinion. Remember what you paid for it - nothing. This is a really difficult problem to solve, and it is completely caused by the decline in 3E skiing. I believe that current 3E promo boat programs cost the manufacturers money - significant money. These losses used to be offset by increased sales of 3E boats to the masses of skiers (theoretically due to promo boat programs). Well, the masses have been lost to wake sports which need and use tow boats that make large wakes (obviously not 3E boats) and probably have larger profit margins. My belief is that all manufacturers have lost big numbers in 3E boat sales. It has become or is becoming financially difficult for manufacturers to provide tournament 3E boats. The best solution I can think of is for 3E manufacturers to go back to selling 3E tournament boats to promo boat operators at or near the price they sell those boats to their dealers. They could reduce or eliminate paying promo boat operators for each tournament he/she pulls. Typical promo boat operators go to tournaments anyway. Thus, the manufacturer would not lose money on the 3E promo program, but they would still have to deal with some dealer complaints about promo boats stealing sales. That is a problem the manufacturers could probably handle/resolve with those dealers. Not all dealers will complain. If a promo boat operator (understandably) doesn't want to take a boat to the Regionals or Nationals without being paid (because of distance and/or cost), that promo operator can probably be replaced. Who among us doesn't want to buy a new boat at dealer cost. Nautique's 3E promo program in 2019 (a short term lease for X $) was a good deal for the promo boat operator, or so it appears to me. It may not have been quite as great for Nautique. I don't know if Nautique is continuing the same program for 2020 or changing it. I don't know anything about the other manufacturers' programs. We cannot expect 3E boat manufacturers to lose money just so that we can have tournaments. Exceptions already exist for use of older boats in Class C and below AWSA tournaments. I've heard that IWWF has allowed the use of older boats (outside the United States) for years, perhaps even in record tournaments. Tournament boats have always been in short supply outside the United States. What have other countries done to get tournament boats?

I have a cardboard box full of them that have been in a shed. They were in pretty good shape the last time I looked at them. You are welcome to them for the cost of shipping.

If I'm reading the segment times correctly, Jillian gets smoked the first half of the course using + and gets a bit slower ride the last half. Is that an advantage?? It may be if she got in trouble the first half and needs a little slower second half to run the pass. Of course, perhaps she got in trouble in the first half because she was getting smoked. All segment times are in tolerance using + and not using +. End course times are identical - both a little hot. I wonder if Jillian is 100 lbs. or lighter. Based purely on segment times, it would appear to me that Jillian is better off not using +. Or is my thinking incorrect? Which does Jillian prefer? Obviously, both pulls are legal.

If other skiers are waiting, a set is 6 or fewer passes. If no one is waiting and everyone has plenty of time, a set is however many passes your body can stand.

If all else fails, drop the rudder to see what the rudder shaft looks like and see what happens when you pump the grease gun with the rudder out.

What is one older than a boomer called? This thread gives me a headache.

The owner's manual for my 2015 Ski Nautique 200 closed bow says its dry weight is approximately 2,800 lbs. No way would I put it on a 3,000 lb. capacity lift - a full tank of gas would push the limit not to mention the other stuff we all have in our boats. The 2019 Nautique 200 is about 500 lbs. heavier than the older 200. Maybe the lift capacity can be increased; but absent that, it's too light in my uneducated opinion.