Onside135

You'd have to be pretty vain to have a big mirror and no boat!

Initially most would argue that height is a direct advantage, but as I think @6balls is alluding to, there are also some downsides. Just being the slightest bit out of position is magnified for a person with a large frame. It may be more challenging to get perfectly stacked for a tall versus a shorter skier. Whereas a short and stocky guy can muscle his way through being a little out of position, a taller guy has more to overcome (think something about moment arms and force...maybe @Than_Bogan can validate this with an equation). Sounds reasonable in my mind anyway!

A guy who is destined to be 7' tall realizes this at an early age. Appropriately, his parents and friends encourage him to focus on basketball. Until our sport grows to where guys can get full rides to Duke for water skiing, this is not an issue! Like Ed says..."Never gonna happen" Also, who makes bindings for Size 18s?

@Phil2360...I don't think a rule like that would be a good thing. Also, I don't know of any other sport that does this that could set a precedent for this type of rule. With few exceptions within gender specific sports, most dimensions and rules are standardized. I think buoy distances and rope lengths should also be. We should not cater to shorter people, or in the same ruling challenge taller folks. The NBA doesn't lower its hoops, marathons don't care about stride length, and pro golfers all play from the same tee boxes...

@6balls....I can certainly agree that the benefits of pushing massive weight are minimal...in most aspects of life really. Far more applicable are body weight exercises and strength to weight ratio performance, but I think we had a whole thread on this recently. Personally I've always focused mostly on form, high reps, and heart rate when lifting. With reference to Wish's question, I was just explaining that I do feel it is essential to work out muscle groups that we generally don't think of as being skiing related. Seems like we agree that just like marathon runners throw up weights or cross train once in a while, the aspiring slalom skiier might benefit from a comprehensive workout. This does not necessarily even need to include weights, as you point out. Pull ups, sit-ups, push ups, and running can be enough for most.

@Wish...Which muscles are not involved while skiing? I understand that most of us are not actively trying to push the boat away with the handle, but the bench press specifically is still an important lift. When done properly, the bench press can engage core muscles and even some leg muscles. More importantly for bouy chasing it is necessary for core strength, balance, and symmetry. We would look silly and likely have future issues if all we did was lift back and biceps. You can't optimize the strength of your back and bicep muscles without equally proportioned chest and tricep muscles. On a related note...I've heard Kyle Tate (2011 Big Dawg) recommends "cleans" as one of the most relative lifts for slalom types...

Ball of Spray represents about 90% of my internet time…I’m not sure this is the best thing, since I’m supposed to be in the middle of a researching my proposed Master’s thesis. Whatever…

“Growing the sport” would be great in the long run, but it might not be possible. There are a number of barriers to entry to overcome in our sport. When you consider the cost of equipment, cost of gas (for boats and tow vehicles), lake and boat availability, time, and even the wx required (not everyone lives in FL or CA), a lot of stars must align for the average person to enjoy and see some level of success in this sport. On the other hand, the GirlsThatFly are on the right track to increasing awareness for our sport. Ventures such as this can’t hurt!