VONMAN

Back when I lived in Michigan I had workout cage with a upper and lower pulley system with stack weights. This would simulate my max load behind the boat. I would put a shorter ski handle and made a 45 degree angle platform (10"wide) for my feet and 140/150 lbs of weight to feel the stack load in my legs arms and back. Switching from onside I would get in a good stack position and flex my knees and straight arms slightly about 8 to 10 times and then reverse to my offside stack position and do the same. Doing 3 reps a day would keep the muscle memory and strength ready for spring skiing. Picture shows Cage, Cable Crossover and Leg sled in background that was in my Michigan lake house.

Goode 9100, Goode 9800, Denali C-75 and the Denali C-85. "A good one ball, gives you six"

A good one ball, gives you six.

Well I was wondering when this would happen. But knowing the Denali history it will be a better design. The C-85 has been the smoothest, fastest, best turning and easiest ski I've ever owned. I let four skiers demo ride my C-85, 2 were beginners and 2 were 32 off skiers. They all came away very impressed how user friendly it was. One my students was so impressed with it he showed up one day with his own used C-85 he bought off Ski-it-again. His skiing has improved dramatically in part because of its neutral/user friendly feel. So as long as the Two Adams keep designing and building them, I will be buying and skiing on them. My student Will, with his small and my large C-85.

Spiking ZO!? When does it happen? For a great number of skier's it's at the finish of the turn. Caused by overturning, or stopping/slowing the ski just before the turn in and have the ski sink (because the ski is to short). Now look at Nate and Charlie, they keep the ski moving up to and around the ball. (no ski sink/stop. Longer ski) They don't connect with a major hit, they are patient to set the angle/stack/load and once it's achieved the work begins. The angle/load happens at a progressive rate and peaks behind the boat. Just watch the tip of the ski from stack/connect to behind the boat. (progressive load) They are in their angle/load at the best position to take on all that ZO can throw at them. The skier doesn't care because ZO can't hurt them. When I was much younger I would try to follow crowd that you had to be on a shorter ski. Never felt comfortable on a short ski so I was pretty much on 67" or 68" skis. But now in my 70's I'm skiing at 32.3mph on a 65" and loving it. The C-85 large design is working out just great. And because I practice what I preach I'm still able to ski. @HortonProgressive Load, not max angle off the ball but behind the boat where ZO doesn't feel or hurt you.

@Horton...Thanks for the Bump. Great topic, very informative glance at the past.

@Horton I've been talking about when you exceed 45 degrees to the boat that the load off the ball wants to rip you 90 degrees to the boat, not in the direction the boat is moving. The way to understand it is if your a good 35 off skier is to free ski at 38,39.5 and 41 to understand the dynamics. Its a whole different world and yes you won't be going a wide as you would need to run the coarse. But you will get better with practice.

OK, so reading all the posts so far I agree that that the line load and stack begins at the finish of the turn. But if you back off your edge going to center line two things can happen. First you lose angle and second you lose speed. My take is keep increasing progressively load to center line and stay on the handle with no load to keep building speed to the second wake.15, 22, and 28 off skiers will have to stay loaded longer. 32, 35 and 38 off skiers will be loaded a little shorter but stronger at center line. We all know how to make angle and load but it's the speed part of the equation that's so hard to control. It changes with every line length. You all know what I mean, like when you make a pass and it feels easy and in slow motion. And the next pass is a study in survival. My take be nice. @Bruce_Butterfield love your First law of slalom, have to make a T-shirt for that one.

Just bought 2 R3's yesterday. Great price and great product.

@Jmoski The Trailer is a 1992 Eagle and from what I found they are out of business. So my next step is to find a builder that has a trailer with adjustable bunks.

@paul About a month ago I had contacted Boatmate about getting a trailer built for my 1992 Ski Centurion BareFoot Warrior outboard. The reply was "I don't think we can help you". I was floored by the response. It would be a easy build single axle, no rear cage for the prop, shaft,or rudder. So now the search continues.

@Mastercrafter I know what you mean. When I was in the club I would put about 1/4 of the hours on a boat every season.

Dam straight Skippy! @Broussard have you ever tried one?

Four decades ago I started with a front boot and a kicker. The boats when first started were not that powerful so dragging a foot was the way to go. Seven years down the road and everyone was running double boots. Ten years pass and now I'm back on a front boot and a kicker, but the difference is I'm still doing two foot deep up starts. Never went back to double boots, still using a kicker and two foot starts to this day.I think by starting out with a kicker and dragging a foot I got the understanding that the front foot was the control foot. I seen so many skier's who started on double boots try to make the transition to a kicker struggle or just give up and go back to double boots. My question is, we all know we can ski on our front foot. But have you ever seen anyone try to control a ski with just their rear foot? Or do a deep up using just the back foot? No to both. But I have seen many double boot skier's over using the back booted foot. That's why I'll hear when they try a kicker, "My foot won't stay in", "This feels so weird". And it should because they are using the rear foot to much. It's not their fault, the rear boot gives them a false sense of security and as long as you can understand the bad things that come with it. I'm not saying double boots are bad, there are a lot of Great double boot skier's. Just don't let the rear foot be the dominant one.And if you are having problems with your deep water starts (like I use to) just put your hands touching in the center of your ski handle baseball grip style and you pop right up. No going to one side our another, haven't missed a start since.

@Sedge I have had both a spectra and a poly strung U S Gear and by far the spectra outlast the poly. More money but much longer life.

Sandy

@Sedge the offer still stands if need a handle to check out.

Or how about a double bent radius handle like U.S. Gear? I have a old warn out handle if needed to reverse engineer.

@MISkier Back where I skied at Dixboro ski club one of skier's was a 32off/1 or 2 balls at 35 off in the warm summer. But come late September and October the water temp would drop and the dry suits would be required, he would step his game up and would be running 35off and get 1 or 2 balls at 38off. I offered to help tune his ski for warmers water but he always declined. Why! Don't know! But it would happen every Fall.

@Vernon Reeve I never unhook the winch strap until the boat and trailer are in half way in the water. Seen to many U-Tube videos of boats sliding off trailers backing down a ramp. I will say that the public boat ramp can be very entertaining at times.

I gave up on carpet 19 years ago, treated wood with plastic slider strips. No wet carpet or sand and dirt on and in the carpet. Easy on and off the trailer.

Great Boat! And what @MDB1056 said is so true. 41 years since I got hooked and still going. Enjoy.

Being a bored automotive design engineer back around 94 designed this on CATIA. Center driver position with seating on each side and water ballast under each seat to level the boat. Driver's seat would slide back to gain access. Gas tank was in the bow. Engine covers were smaller back then and my design was wider like today's boats. This was my ski tugboat design. Enjoy, be nice.

@sagilbert Buy a new or used Denali C-85 medium, you will love it. It's very user friendly and tracks like it's on a rail. They come with the fin set up that's spot on to start with, set the front boot to stock setting and rip it up. You may latter play with the fin and wing setting but it won't be far from stock.

@sagilbert Buy a new or used Denali C-85 medium, you will love it. It's very user friendly and tracks like it's on a rail. They come with the fin set up that's spot on to start with, set the front boot to stock setting and rip it up. You may latter play with the fin and wing setting but it won't be far from stock.