buoyboy1

I have had mine for about a month.  I bought two so I could basically do what you modified by lining them up.  Really like them and zero regrets on the purchase. 

 @Groot I have had golfer's elbow off and on over the past 15 years.  I have tried many different rehab exercises and products to help it but two months ago I purchased https://progripz.shop/ (set of 3).  It really works your extensors and after only two weeks I was 50% better and two weeks after that I have no pain no matter how much I am lifting now its the offseason.  Issues cropped up about mid-July and was still dealing with it when I quit skiing in November.  I plan on using these also during ski season.  They take about 2 weeks to arrive and for only $15 SO well worth it!  Just don't overdo it at the beginning.  PM me if you have any questions.  Good Luck.  Dave B.

@The_MSI have a 116 in excellent shape if you don't find a 106.

O'Neill has a repair department and I think they will work on any brand.  Call Emily 619-336-6580 ext. 6975 and see what they charge for new seals.  I have been using them for years with no complaints.

I had a old X-5 and skied on it for about 3 years.  I began to struggle with it on my two hardest passes and became very inconsistent..  Would have a great feeling pass then a horrible one.  I put it on my flex machine and it was within a pound or two at every measuring location as compared to when I bought it.  One thing the standard flex test machine is unable to measure is torsional flex.  I sent to to someone that skis better than me and he had the same conclusion.  It was still a good feeling ski at 28 and 32 but 35 and shorter was nearly impossible.  I also imagine just because a ski flexes close to original numbers the speed of which an older ski rebounds slows down with age.  Any time I get a newer ski of the exact same make I am surprised how much better the newer one feels and performs.  

I just bought a new pair of the older style on ebay.  Some guy in MN seems to have the older style.  I think he still may have some available  in that size.

@Wish I have handles do that over time and have been using IC-2000 extra strength glue from Bob Smith Industries.  Works well on rubber.  It dries a bit hard but I do not notice much difference while skiing. 

I skied on the comp for a few months and switched to the X-Series.  I ski more consistent on the X-series. I ski at 34 and into 38 off.  I also weigh 180.  The X-Series picks me up faster off the ball and my 59 year old elbows have not been an issue with the stiffer rope which I was concerned about.

@jnan66I am 180 lbs ski at 34 and currently trying a friends 66" R3 and from what I feel with the ski you should get a 67.  I currently ride an R1 and the R3 to me feels just as fast and not faster since I am a bit heavy for it.  The ski also is a bit more work than my R1 but it does turn my offside a bit better.  If I were to get an R3 I would definitely be on a 67.  You will also not feel as guilty having that dessert or few extra beers since a few more pounds will not penalize you.  I have also felt it is easier to make a larger ski feel smaller verses the other way around.  

My 196 was behaving the same way and new distributor cap and rotor did the trick.  I had already replaced both 70 hrs earlier...weird.

I use Locktite LB 8060 Silver Grade Anti-Seize Part 37230 and it works well.

I thought it was very well done but would have liked them touch upon 3 event skiing just to see some Joe Poland antics.

Link to webcast?

I had a '94 205 for about 8 years and the wake was awesome.  28 and shorter basically non-existent.  

@bananaron Since you live in MN stick with the double boots.  Your rear foot will love you for it when you ski early spring and late fall.....

Looking to possibly repower my 2005 196 single puck ZO with a new 6.0L.  Would like to get some feedback on the pull I can expect.  To me the current 5.7 L 330 hp has plenty of power but do have some concerns that the new engine will make it more difficult to get free from the boat.  I have skied behind some 200's and felt like the boat was on you the entire time no matter the ZO setting and that boat has a lot more surface area than a 196.  Also, what prop should I consider?  Thanks.

Matt used the analogy with me to think about skiing the course like running the bases.  Your body is always to the inside when touching the base but on your way there you need to get out wider than the base path in order to make that happen.

@lundberg....Matlab Model Guy really needs to weigh in on this.....

@MickeyThompson

Had the same issue a few years ago and bought a rib protector shirt.  Very thin profile and fits easily below life vest or inside a dry suit.  You will not be disappointed.  

https://www.evoshield.com/en-us/football/protective-gear/rib-shirts

I ski on the R1.  I did not like the R2 when I did a demo trial.  The extra speed did not work as well and for some reason I could never seem to find the sweet spot and it felt more unstable.  I do have a 67" R1 which I skied on for about half a season if its the direction you want to go.

@Central WI Skier Sent you a PM.  Thanks.

You would think that when purchasing a boat that costs over 100K the trailer would fit like a glove... :p Just another reason to never sell my ZO 196.

Yes, spectra does not stretch nearly as much as poly. I have always used curved anti-rotational handles made from poly rope but two years ago got one make from spectra. I noticed that after a couple of weeks my 56 year old elbows started to ache more. I also feel that right off the buoy the spectra handle gets me moving faster to the wakes with less of a delay which I liked. I could not believe that just 5 feet of rope would make that much of a difference as my poly rope handle was from Brenda and she basically doubles the line so its already quite stiff. As an experiment I hung 90 lbs from the end of each handle and left them for 30 mins. The 2 month old spectra handle stretched 1/4" and the 2 year old poly rope handle stretched 5/8". I would expect a 2 month old poly handle to stretch even more. To help "soften" the spectra handle to make it more elbow friendly, I fid a 2" long piece of round bungee tie cord into the rope. This gives the spectra rope something to "collapse" against when coming tight which was way easier than figuring out how to ski with ZERO slack!

The only move I make is to reduce wing angle as the water cools down. Even though the ski is riding higher due to increased viscosity I feel more drag than anything so don't need as much wing angle. I also feel more water drag due to the neoprene on my dry suit.

@ToddL Provided the wood is fine here is what I did on my RamLin trailer (2005 SN 196) since the original bolts were so rusted I knew I would never get them out. (BTW, I would gladly pay $50 more for a trailer if they used stainless steel bolts for their bunks). I left the existing carpet on the bunks since it only had a few small tears. I then installed the new carpet over and let it hang down on the sides about 1/4" below the bottom of the bunk and attached the sides using stainless steel staples 2 or 3 inches apart. Its been over 10 years and zero issues. The double carpet layer has allowed the new carpet to hold up better due to the extra padding. My ramp is rather flat however which helps.