BRY

@oldjeep Yea, it's not quick but I wouldn't say slow. My dock level is about a foot, maybe a little less, above the boat. Stand it up, take the cap off and gravity does a pretty good job. Way faster than three cans with the jiggler. And I never spill a drop. That hand pump on that Moeller must be like taking a set or two to pump 15 gallons. Seems some sort of rotary pump would be better if gravity not enough or not available.

I have a jiggler for when people bring 5-gal cans but I use a 15-gal cart from Todd. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA05F0PP4629 http://www.toddusa.com/productdetails.aspx?id=207 I can lift the 15-gal out of my truck (F350 4x4, tailgate is up there) myself without too much trouble. Couldn't wrangle the 25-gal by myself without ramps or something. Added a 1-ft length of hose on the end so its flexible to go into the fill. My dock is higher than the boat so I just open up the valves and do something else till its done.

A second tug at the second wake hurts me at 35 and kills me at 38. No matter what it gives me more speed and ZO hits back and pulls me over to my inside edge. Issue with this is I am then inside my ski rather than my ski going outside of me. Result is speed with no space AKA 4@35 or .5@38 for me. What I am working on now is "moving the ski out" so the ski moves away from me. Like what @razorskier1 described well in previous post. This gives me progressive tension on the line without massive loads/unloads and a path with way more space. Makes 35's crazy easy and 38's not so crazy quick when I do it. Haven't quite got it to 6 times in a row.

@NickD In regards to dual hardshells, most dual systems do not let the rear heel come up. Exception to this is the Goode PowerShells which have a mechanism to allow the rear heel to rise (works quite well). I tried some dual FM's that did not work for me for this reason, held heel down. Hence most top skiers now seem to be on Goode, front hard shell with RTP/rubber or dual rubber. I personally do not like RTP's as I personnally seem to have issues with the back foot coming out (rarely, but nasty when crossing wakes at shortline). I am currently on Reflex with R-rear. Works really well for me, no pre-releases but comes off amazingly easy when needed. Did have a rear Wiley's for a while but tried the R-style rear due to cramping with the Wiley. I found with the R-style rear it was much easier to get and keep my hips forward.

Yeah, slalom, hand guards give it away. Broke an arm once on bamboo, slalom was much rounder then. So here's a GS one

@ral That is a GS pic!

@JAS I'm 215, down from 230, on a 68 Vapor. I was 230 when I got it. It rocks! Plenty big, lots of tip support. Will work with wack settings (not sure if that's good or bad) and is stellar with the right ones. Shorter I go the better it gets, extremely confidence inspiring. I'm 34, -28 to -38.

Stein is a skid, the static picture doesn't really show that. Those guys had a huge un-weight between turns, and the skis were forced around. No metal edges (introduced later by Bob Lange again), no flex balance, no sidecut. Brute force on un-groomed (grooming didnt exist) But they still hauled a$$, crazy fast for the equipment they were on. What Stein and Ted are doing to the ski is very different, but how they do it is similar. Same skeleton and muscle groups putting pressure to the ski through the bottom of the foot.

Nice pic but... Stein was born in 1927 and retired in 1954. Nobody skis like that anymore, they did crazy stuff to force those "skis" to turn. Bob Lange with plastic boots (1962) and Howard Head with metal skis (1950) changed skiing. Water ski slalom is not like Alpine slalom, it's more similar to Alpine GS. Really we want to ski like Ted!

@alloutsledders Sound like your kids are little, under 100lbs, get them a lightweight kids rope if you don't have one. Masterline makes one http://www.masterlineusa.com/Masterline/Pro-Series-Slalom-Ropes/P10-75M_2.html#.U-5DRWOTtyI Will really help keep the rope out of the water and less drag on the handle. Sounds like money isn't the big issue so I would recommend the current boats. They are just better in so many ways than the older boats. The Centurion, TXI, Prostar and 200 at 15 to 22mph are so similar your kids won't notice. They are accelerating down the back of the second wake, super cute, at those speeds. The MC 197 is not in the same class. From 22 to 32 they are all great, people love what they are familiar with. IMHO the 200 is easiest to drive, then the Centurion. 200 just tracks by itself, the Centurion requires constant input but is so responsive its easy to place (some drivers favor that). Sounds like 34 and 36 isnt a concern but again they are all great. Most shortline skiers at tournaments are no longer concerned about which boat they get, driver is the deal. They may have their favorite but don't worry about which one. Anyone who says there is a huge difference is full of BS. Differences yes, but splitting hairs. BTW, only 4 so driver, two in observers seat, one behind the boat. Closed bow just fine then, if a nice CB pops up.

@alloutsledders Sound like your kids are little, under 100lbs, get them a lightweight kids rope if you don't have one. Masterline makes one http://www.masterlineusa.com/Masterline/Pro-Series-Slalom-Ropes/P10-75M_2.html#.U-5DRWOTtyI Will really help keep the rope out of the water and less drag on the handle. Sounds like money isn't the big issue so I would recommend the current boats. They are just better in so many ways than the older boats. The Centurion, TXI, Prostar and 200 at 15 to 22mph are so similar your kids won't notice. They are accelerating down the back of the second wake, super cute, at those speeds. The MC 197 is not in the same class. From 22 to 32 they are all great, people love what they are familiar with. IMHO the 200 is easiest to drive, then the Centurion. 200 just tracks by itself, the Centurion requires constant input but is so responsive its easy to place (some drivers favor that). Sounds like 34 and 36 isnt a concern but again they are all great. Most shortline skiers at tournaments are no longer concerned about which boat they get, driver is the deal. They may have their favorite but don't worry about which one. Anyone who says there is a huge difference is full of BS. Differences yes, but splitting hairs. BTW, only 4 so driver, two in observers seat, one behind the boat. Closed bow just fine then, if a nice CB pops up.

@waternut I believe we learn (consciously and unconsciously) every pass. A junk pass is a pass skied with no purpose or goal. Say you go run 50 -22's, just go run them. You just grooved everything good and everything bad in them and didn't progress. Super easy passes are fine as long as you are trying to do something. Easy ones are often the best ones to try a radical change with. Until this year I only skied weekends, so I understand for you each pass is a precious and valuable thing. Write down beforehand what you want to do and write down afterword how it went. Review your log now and again. Currently for me it is up on the boat for the gate, sliding in for the gate and moving the ski out at the white water for every buoy.

@waternut I agree with @skijay 100% on this one. For -32 and beyond you are on the level of ski you should be. Lower ski's won't help you. Sounds like you are just at a plateau you just need to work through. Everyone hits them at one point. -28 and longer is different than -32 and shorter. -28 and longer the line pulls down course off the ball. At -32 the line is starting to pull you in off the ball. It's different. -32 is one of the easiest passes because of that when skied correctly. Don't ski junk passes, make sure every pass has a purpose, work on your keys and it will come.

@horton "What I am suggesting is to forget the idea of one huge event and have a ladder of events. Distribute all the Nationals skiers into qualifying events and then let the finalists advance. Yes the final tournament might have a lot less skiers but perhaps more skiers would participate in the qualifying events." That makes sense, I understand the rationale behind that. Disagree with it though. People have a hard time with time & $ for 3 " ladders" now, even some who like yourself with 100+ averages. Current ladder is several "C" or "R" tournaments to qualify, Regionals then Nationals. I submit having Regionals not be the only qualifier is a good thing. Even if a two round Regionals, a great skier could have say equipment or a health issue (bad burrito for example) that day that keeps them out. A plus to the current system is those who've proven to be the best over the course of the season get in. The best do qualify. How many qualify can easily be adjusted by moving the COA up or down. "Is the same old event what everyone wants and I am just making trouble?" No, maybe and no. Seems the same old event does need tweeks. The sport needs people making this kind of "trouble", asking questions. Makes us look everything over so we know (not just feel) either our current course is best or that we need to change it and have some idea how. Keep making trouble

+1 for Wiley's. Been a customer for years. When I was using their bindings, before I went hard shell, they would wrap them how I wanted while I waited (front a little tighter with jump heel and trick wrap, rear a little looser). Always very nice and helpful.

Hmmm, the rationale here is a bit confounding to me. Many say they want to grow the sport but want to make the largest event significantly smaller? Huh, just don't see how that grows anything. Cutting 600+ skiers to best case 155*, likely less due to no shows, I believe will shrink the sport. Also, multiple rounds with even 100 skiers, considering 66% probably also trick, jump or both, seems tough logistically in 3 days. Currently all 600+ of those skiers in this year's Nationals skied in their Regionals. I am pretty sure if Nats went to 155 skiers or less the vast majority of the 445+ cut would not ski Regionals. Pretty much thats's the jist I got at Regionals and Nationals last two years (didn't go this year). I believe that would essentially turn Regionals into just another local tournament Change for change's sake is typically not good and does not fix the issue. Perhaps a clearly defined mission statement of what needs to be fixed. Then think creatively to solve that. @Horton says "I think if someone really looked at the numbers you would find decreasing percent of qualified skiers go to Nationals. There is always talk of growing the sport. How about we talk about keeping participation levels from getting smaller first?" I submit that decreasing total numbers of skiers to boost percent of qualified skiers participating does not grow the sport, but that specifically it shrinks it. @Horton‌ "Just give me a tournament that I want to go to. " I hear you man, I want someone to build me my ideal tournament too! :) Actually tried to build it with a buddy (he started it, I took it over one year he didn't want to) 2 rounds (with option for 3), top 8 NOPS head to head, made no money, put it all into T-shirts, beer, burgers. Was a great time, everyone seemed to love it. Moved to FL, and it's R, R, R, C's aren't real tournaments... sigh. It just rained 2", sky's parting, lakes glass, I'm gonna go find a driver and take a set. *There are 31 divisions for slalom (16 for male and 15 female). Take the top 5 from Regionals to qualify for Nationals and that's potential 155 skiers slalom. Seems most who trick and/or jump also slalom. Assuming (big assumption) those who jump and/or trick but don't slalom balance out age divisions that don't fill (Divisions 8 and higher) that gives a reasonable headcount. Feel free to work out more exact numbers...

I had been told it was more for fore/aft. Cutting the loop in the back on the black cuff (slightly higher than white cuff) is supposed to make it easier to move the ski out in front. White cuff is supposed to not need this but some cut it too. I don't think it makes much difference laterally, not much higher than the buckle at the side. Think how tight you do the top buckle makes a big difference though.

It's better to think in terms of angle rather than width. At every line length you will end up with a different width, and at even just -28 you can't get to 12'+ wide. Getting up works at every line length, nothing to relearn. You need to get up on the boat, but not as far as possible. It is possible and not that hard to get past 90, where you are farther up but starting to come back in. I have been told by a couple coaches not to go to 90 as there is 0 pull from the boat there, essentially slack line and the boat runs while trying to pick it up. Getting way up there is good though, 75-80 degrees. Now if I could just get to 80, with level shoulders, with tension on left arm all on the same gate...

@cragginshred I have a couple pair ONeil Hammer shorts I would wear with long sleeve tops. Made a huge difference keeping the boys warm. They are 1.5mm stretchy neoprene but thinner ones seemed to balloon after a while on starts, these never did. Should go well with your top. Do an "Urkel" and pull the shorts up over your top. That way when you drop at the ends the water wont go up your top (cold). Get two sets (top/bottom) so you have dry ones to put on. I speak past tense as last winter as I only needed them for three days, moved to FL from WA State. Water just doesn't want to get into the 60's here...

@ToddF It does change that much, vs 80 vs 65. I split time between WA State and FL, now FL only (currently lake is 86, was 88 last weekend, hasn't hit 90 yet this year). In WA I would ski down to 50/50 then go hit the snow. My opinion and the guys I skied with in WA think the skis work best in mid-80's and "it's a different sport" here in FL with warm water all the time. From 70 to 82ish I run 8.5 wing, from 82ish up I run 9 wing on my Vapor. Moving the bindings (forward) seemed too much of a correction for me.

@leonl With the length of cable after the gates plus the scope on the polypro line it was a bit further from the gates than where 55's would be (we didn't have 55's), guess around 200' to 220' or so. There was enough extra length on the adjust buoy line (didn't want it under water at extreme high tide) so that wind drift, minor current, boat going by, ect it was always a little to one side or the other. Easy to see, only one end, far enough from the gates, never was a problem. Not sure we even considered it when it was set up, just worked out and worked well.

@colo_skier & @than_bogan Best video ever! At my last job I did significant business with a very large software company (built specialized servers primarily) and meetings with them last few years were just like this. How many software engineers does it take to screw in a light bulb? No can do, it's a hardware problem...

@mbabiash That's not excessive. With concrete you lose a lot of weight when you put it in water. "The density of concrete varies with its exact composition, but averages around 2,400 kg per cubic meter, or 150lbs per cubic foot. So a cube of concrete 1 foot on each side weighs 150lbs on dry land. We say that this concrete block displaces 1 cubic foot of water. The same volume of sea water weighs 64 pounds, which is the upward buoyant force that is applied to this concrete block when it sits on the bottom of the ocean. The apparent weight of this block will be 86 pounds, which its actual weight of 150lbs (downward force) minus its buoyancy of 64 pounds (upward force). In fresh water, the apparent weight would be a little more, 87.6 pounds, because a cubic foot of fresh water weighs only 62.4 pounds so provides less upward force." So your 150lbs of concrete on land is only approximately 88lbs in water. Take out the pull from your sub-buoy and course buoy and it is less. On a hard bottom without re-bar its not too hard for that "150lbs" to get slid if snagged by something. Make sure to use sub buoys and bungie to the top bouys for the same reason, snaps off if hit too hard or snagged (typically not skier, but tubers, jets ski's, drivers who put the boat in gear while over the buoy, ect.). You only loose the buoy then and not your anchor position. The above is probably why your 5 lbs buckets didn't do much, no weight for an entire course. I used to be in a club with a floating course in salt water. Great on a flood tide, not so good on the ebb. We had an engine block on one end and a bunch of concrete blocks at the other, steel mainline with 10 to 1 scope polypro line for the rest. Had a line with a buoy tied to the concrete with a buoy on it. Just grab that buoy, hook it to the boat, tension, let it go when straight, all good. Was tightened every day, engine block never moved. The course had enough buoyancy to drag the blocks so with rising tide it stayed straight and didn't go under water. Worked very well and easy to tighten.

I can't believe it, but I'm with @eleeski "I worry about some of you judges". She got the ski outside the buoy, barely, is past it and arcing back in. When she lost the handle and fell (after this frame) she and the ski fell towards the wakes. Handle after the buoy, on turning edge, -38 and shorter it's 3.5, no way to hang out there.

? World Cup doesn't start for four more months. Oct 25 & 26, Soelden Austria, mens & ladies Giant Slalom.