VONMAN

Back when I first started course skiing I had a O'Brien TRC loved the ski but was learning/ hacking my way through the course. Two summers later I find a brand new TRC sitting in the corner of my local ski shop with a cheap price so I buy it. Well it was like born again skiing! The new ski was telling me the old one was dead. Fast forward to my first Goode 9100 one summer old and I drop it off at Goode headquarters to get the bottom repainted. The next day I get a call that they flex tested my ski and it was dead. They ended up giving me a new ski at no cost. Fast forward to 2014 I buy a one month old ski used and nine months later it's totally dead. Bottom line, we probably don't notice it happening because we are chasing the next new shiny ski for more buoys. Skis have come a long way since my TRC and I been buying the next new toy.

You got to love Florida! Ski year round, maybe a heater top but so far not yet.

When looking at a new ski I always look at the location of the rocker break is on the bottom of the ski is. I will mark with a felt tip marker on the top side where it is. If it falls between the recommended boot placement, the designer has done their job. If its a little forward, then for me it means my front boot forward. My 2 cents.

@lpskier You are right, there is no rule that would give Nate a re-ride. Only common sense could come into play for safety sake. The raw edge of the ramp could have been life threatening to any skier. I've been to tournaments at narrow ski lakes where air crash bags are strategically placed for both skiing and jumping well outside the buoy line. What if the roles were reversed (I know, I know they weren't), but what if Freddie went out before Nate with one of his go for broke crashes? And you know, the out cry after the crash. (it didn't happen, but now we know it could) So back to common sense. if the first skier avoids injury and the second one learns to not make the same mistake and be safe that's all part of skiing at the top level. It's OK no one has ever hit the back of a jump yet. Thank you Safe Sport. A Good One Ball Gives You Six

Well not to many skiers have had the opportunity to make a play at 43off so getting back to the buoy line is the rule to score 1 ball. We really didn't know a ski ramp would be in the way. Like its been said the course had been homologated. But how old is the standard. Was it standardized back in the 38, 39.5 or 41 era? So knowing what we know now, do we make a change or wait till someone gets hurt. I'm going take a guess that 70 to 80 percent of course skiers don't have a jump next to the slalom course when training. I mean no one else had any problems with the ramp being there. Not even Freddy, after he saw what happened to Nate. Nate should have got a re-ride offered and if he turned it down so be it. So what do we do in the future???.......It's OK, it's fine. I'm sure it will be fine. Until the next time, stay tune.

Agricultural tractors on a farm at 5-6mph is one thing. A boat moving at 36mph pulling a skier who is pulling against the boat, well that's a whole different kettle of fish. Going down a floating course, or not, with a cross wind will be a good trick. How much money will this puppy be? Will it be required to have a membership, take Safe Sport. Don't forget it's driving record. Sorry I'm old and there is a reason I've survived this long. Good luck with your Endeavor. A Good One Ball Gives You Six......................It's all in the Reflexes.

@ufoDziner I tried to find in my Merc shop manual where the tach signal wire would be but all it refers to is Smartcraft gauges. My tachometer is old school. Give a Merc dealer a call maybe they can point you in the right direction. Sorry.

@ufoDziner You may have to apply more spring tension. And make sure that the L-bracket pivot bolt and the C-bracket on the Throttle cable bolt line up. If they do not you may have some hi idle issues. Looks like you are ready to go.

@ufoDziner I don't remember, but the control box is mounted up front so I probably taped into the wire on the tach for the signal.

@ufoDziner All the hardware came with the PP. RPM and speed shows all the time. I use the PP for RPM and Speed read out more than the twin speedometers or tach gauges.

@ufoDziner I have a 200hp 2015 ProMax SX Direct injection 2 stroke with Perfect Pass. Servo sits on a bed of Hi-temp silicone because of the heat sink on the servo assy. Going on 8 years so far. Year round, live in Florida.

@DangerBoy Does Steady Pass allow you to map a ski course? Does it have segment times and end course times? Or is it just a speed control?

Love this topic, back when I was 57-60 years old and 198 lbs I found C-1 was my setting. Back then I was much stronger off the ball and take advantage of the stronger pull. As I got older and less stronger I needed to revise where the boat would pick me up after the turn after the ball. Started playing with the A's. A-1 at first then A-2. At age 70 and 180 lbs I once found myself working hard against the boat when using Z-off, so I tried A-3. Bingo, for me I found I wasn't fighting against the boat (Z-off) off the ball. I was staying ahead of the boat and load as much as I wanted between the wakes a Z-off would reward me with a wide early pull to the next ball. @Horton I'm surprised you waited so long to try different settings. I remember everyone would say B-2 was like PerfectPass to me it never felt like it. My 2 cents.

@water_skier1 I was talking about a newbie learning deep getup's and the basic's of slalom. But you never know till you try depending on your ability. It's free.

Wings, why did it have to be wings? I got banned from a ski boat when I suggested to remove the wing on a newbie learning to slalom. Was told the sales guy recommended it stay on. Have never been invited back to ski.

@customskiWhen I hit the Lotto!!

If you build it they will come.......I know I will.

Windshield is hinged to swing open and you step over to get to the bow seats. And it maintains top deck structure.

Like everyone said get as much weight out of the boat. Back seat, unnecessary gear out of the boat and anything else in the bow. Never over half tank of gas and if on a small lake run with a third. Ski with three people, skier spotter and driver max. Make sure the transom is level on plane. You may have to move the spotter from side to center to balance the wake. That's the boat, now the skier. At 15 and especially 22off you have to maintain a good solid load and angle to cut through the wake not pound into it and bounce over it. If you find yourself looking down at the wake try looking with your head up at the back of the boat or the pylon. After 22off things get better. Most older like yours boats keep getting better up to 38off and the new boats are good to 41off. I know all about outboard wakes, my 92 Bare Foot Warrior wake is good15-35off. At 38off a trough/dip starts to appear but with a little bit of up trim on the motor (4 seconds on the up switch) it turns 38-41off butter smooth.

If in a slump I just jump on my old C-75 to shake things up.

And in the final only Nate did it again to win. While the rest of the field watched and wondered.

@SlalomSteven That's Great! The Hook is now set. Now take a bite of 32off. A good one ball gives you six.

Wow! Way to go Cale!

And the Academy Award for the best Sport Film Documentary goes to TWBC!

All that means is 6 more months of skiing left this year. Maybe start not as early 7 or 8 am in the morning. 10 or 11am start in the winter and repeat 12 months in 2024. It's Florida Baby, gators and all!