gregy

@DooSPX, I was thinking the 197 might be DBW. My buddy's 9-08 MC TT 197 has both but we never use the PP, only ZO.

@tfriess or anyone else. Hows the sizing of Camaro impact. I looked at the sizing chart for their wetsuits, it puts me in a Large-long. I'm 6'2" about 180lb. I have a Large Eagle now.

@6balls, what year is the MC197? My experience with PP SG is on a 94 MC205 (no Z-box). If have to watch the RPMs coming into the course or it will over shoot the speed. Maybe its a shorter setup?

@MS, D3 offerred to repair them for me but I didn't want to wait. I when and bought a set of small punches to line up the holes of the different layers and it went pretty quickly after that. The T-factors are working well for me and there comfortable but I'm thinking I'll buy another set and keep the old ones as spares so I'm not down again. When the front went out I put an old HO Animal on and I was really supprised at how much less control of the ski I had.

If anyone is interested I have some friends with a 2003 Malibu response LX open bow. Near Dallas Tx. Probably get it for less than 20K. Its in great shape with trailer. Perfect pass. Less than 500 hours. PM me I'll give you Number.

2nd that, Thanks to whomever. Its was very clear and didn't have much problems with the feed stopping and starting.

My front T-factor rubber cracked and split. The part that goes over the top of the foot. I contacted D3 to get a replacement piece and they sent me a new part for free even though it was past the warranty period. Took some a good hour or so to get it back together but the binding is fine now.

I was thinking the same thing. That's great, welcome to all New members. Please don't be intimidated, there are people of all levels on here. I started back skiing last summer and BOS has been great. Learned a ton, technique, equipment, even things like the best shorts for skiiing. There's so much information available here. @Horton has done a wonderful job with format of the site.

Has anyone used both an eagle and Camaro impact. I'm pretty lean and I struggle to keep my head above water with the eagle. I'm also nursing some sore ribs right now from a wake impact a little extra protection would be nice.

The 197s are much lower in the front than the 92-95 205s. Not really comparable. I ski regularly behind both. I've had water come over the Windshield on a closed bow more than once though. One the open bows the water kinda runs down in to the bilge. In the closed bow it comes over the windshield and soaks anyone in the driver or observer seats pretty good. I used to do it on purpose to in my old MC 190 just to mess with my friends. One of my ski partners has a 94 Prostar 205, it has a nice wake. They have some spray issue but not that big of deal unless you regularly ski at shorter line lengths. I ski into 28off and it doesn't bother me. The MC 197 doesn't have much of an open bow. We use it more for storage than anything when skiing.

I dry land practice everyday with a handle and rope tied to the fence. I'm sure my neighbors think I'm crazy but it helps. I try to envision myself running the course and thinking about each step then when I get to the water I don't have to think as much, its more muscle memory. During the day when I'm standing around I bend my knees and practice being in that balanced position with hips and shoulders over feet (stacked). On the water I try to run the hardest line length/speed that I have some consistency several times a set (right now 22off 34mph). At the easier speeds I get lazy and tend to make more mistakes. Last spring I went out and free skied a lot and didn't worry about turns (Just pulled out and turned in like I would at the gates). I just concentrated on body positioning in the pull and through the wakes. I think that really paid off the summer in the course.

Go to Google. Use the following. Mastercraft 205 site:Craigslist.org Substitute in what ever you what look for. Also ski-it-again, boat trader , and inboards only.

I have a 99 Malibu Response LX. I like the step over to the open bow. It gives you an observer seat for two people plus theres a lot of storage under the dash and observers seat. I wasn't sure I would like it when I bought it, but I really think its better than a walk through now. There was a Sunsetter with the diamond hull around 99 that had a walk through. I also heard good things about hydrodyne grand sports. I ski once a week behind a 94 MC prostar 205 with a tbi Chevy 5.7 and stargazer perfect pass. Very nice boat. It's held up well and skis great. I really wanted fuel inject when I bought my Response. Tired of fight carbs.

http://www.ballofspray.com/forum#/discussion/5252 This is the one I think @steven haines is talking about. I did a quick google and there is a MB Sports forum, not sure if you checked it? http://www.mbboatowners.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&view=entrypage&func=entrypage&Itemid=179

I like Terry's video's. Also like Seth Stisher's, he has really smooth turns. There are some 1/4 speed videos on youtube of different people that are good to study or you can use pause to stop the videos at different spots.

@sunvalleylaw you welcome. I'm working on the same think. Really the correct idea is to let the your hip ski into the handle. When it works right it makes skiing feel some much easier. You get more angle out of the turn, the turn to pull phase feels like one motion where you can't tell where one ends and the next begins.

Body positioning looks good. Your handle grab is too high. Be a little more patient coming out of the turn and let the handle come to your hip more. Also, you are turning your head before you turn. I like to keep my head looking more down course.

@Tfriess, I bought a masterline rope with extra loops last year. Helps me when trying to get to that next line length. I also had a 13" masterline straight handle whatever the most expensive one is. I just started about 2 weeks ago using a 13" bent handle from US Gear with the radius ends. The more I use it the more I'm liking it. Haven't missed a handle grab with it. I often did before. Also my left elbow has stopped hurting. I used 12" handle for years and wish I had went to 13" a long time ago. I'm 6'2".

I recreational skied from about age 7. I didn't try the course until age 18. I never free skied more than 32mph but was able to learn 36mph within a year to year in a half. Shortly after I first started the course, I spent a week that spring at ski school and another week that summer. Both at Bennetts, which I think really helped me at to learn 36 mph. I'd highly recommend going to a good ski school. When I was a kid I was into half pipe, vert skateboarding and one think I learned from that is sometimes I have to push myself to do things that make me feel uncomfortable. I still do that when I'm try to learn shorter line lengths. All that being said, I'm glad I'm in the 34mph age group now. Good luck, keep at it. You can get it.

I use two methods which both worked. I used some bottles partially filled with water and tied them to the arms under water, then later we put a extra set of bouys about half way between. think EZ used floatation inside the tubes.

@Live2ski This last spring I only free skiing doing nothing but practiced cutting accross the wake and concentrating on body position. I didn't even worry about turning most of the time, I was just making gate style turn-ins from both sides and thinking about being stacked, handle on the hips etc. Its really paid off in the course this summer. All this internet information and youtube videos are great!

No one's commented on this yet so I'll try to bump it up for you. Your doing very good with just some small changes you should be able to knock out some more bouys. To me it all starts right at the setup for the gates. You pull out and once you go into your glide it doesn't look like to me you are in a comfortable position. Push your hips forward and flex the knees and ankles just a bit more. As you initiate you turn to the gates you drop your rear back a little more - Arms in, handle high, Rear back leaving you in a bad body position from the start. Remember, arms straight! Fix this and see where your turn go in my opinion. I was just watch a video of @Bmiller3536 on other thread. Notice how conformable he in his glide and when he makes his turn the hips go right to the handle. Links below http://www.ballofspray.com/forum#/discussion/5749/need-coaching-help

I ski behind a 94 MC PS 205 regularly. They have a good wake at 28 to 30. They throw up a descent wakeboard / trick wake as well.

Looks like to me on your turn to the gate your pulling the handle in with your arms instead of letting your hips ski into the handle causing you to get pulled over and loose your "leveraged" position. Just reading @Than Bogan treatise. You do the same at the ball and when you free skied. If the handles up high the boats going to pull you over. Hopefully some of the more experienced people here can give you some more indepth ideas.

Anybody use plastic trailer bunks? I looked online and there are many different types. Here's a couple. The snaptraxx look cool. http://www.snaptraxx.com/ http://www.ultimatebunkboards.com/index.html