BRY

Love the Red. My 200 is red. Which engine did you get? Engine picts?

What other peoples or your favorite pro's setting may be is totally irrelevant to what your best setting is. So Poll may be interesting but of little use. Only way to know is to try them. For most skiers it's not a magic bullet, the differences are noticeable but subtle. Until you have a really good stack position I think you should stick with B2. Why? It's the most symmetrical engagement. Keeps you from developing your form to compensate for asymmetric A or C and 1 or 3. No offence but if your -15 30mph your stack is not great. If it was you would be skiing shorter and faster. A good stack takes you far.

@DaveinPa Tip 1: For LFF have rope to the right of ski Tip 2: Make sure the tip of ski is just out of the water, couple inches. Never let it sink below the surface throughout the start. More is not better though, just a couple inches out. Tip 3: Keep ski flat as possible. So as said before have ski as up under your butt as you can, with tip out of water. Tip 4: If two feet in keep back knee tucked in behind front knee, legs together. This is critical and very easy. If legs come apart drag goes way up and you don't get up. Tip 5: Have outboard trimmed in as far as possible until your up. Also have riders forward. Depending on boat 150 is not as much as you think for beginner. The less it drags you the better. Tip 6: Wait for boat to pull you up. You don't get up, it pulls you up. If you stand up too soon you just sink the ski (see Tip 2). I can get up either way. At 6-1 220 I used to get up behind a 17 ft Glasstron with a 60HP outboard. That thing drug me forever to get me up. I find two feet in technically easier but takes more effort/strength. One foot out is less drag but more skill required, particularly once up for a beginner. Tip 7, 8, 9, and 10. Don't quit! It seems impossible but then it happens and it's easy. Once you do it a couple times you will have it, like riding a bike but easier. You've got a good 10-20 years skiing in you yet!

Very impressive! Any video up yet? To me even more impressive as she is a for real tricker and jumper with a for real, non-sports related full time career.

I think most of us learned this the hard way. By keeping cool and being supportive they will drive another pass, and another, and another. Just like skiing the more passes the better they will get. And like skiing everyone has their level, not all will be a Nate or Regina, a Chad or Becky. But almost all will become competent and wives/husbands/children really do want to give you the best ride they can. Gotta appreciate that even if it's not the best ride you ever get, ski ride that is...

Never seen a course with cables lengthwise down the course. With a span that long I couldn't see how it would maintain lateral spacing. Even with crazy tension there would be some bow, nice curve down the course and all four slightly different. Cross PVC's makes sense and I can see that could hold everything pretty square. Getting the tension right on all four lines must be a bitch though but certainly doable. Still not seeing how pulling on center cable(s), as alleged, could bring turn buoys in 9" (or any inches) without pulling course out of square with this set up. The argument about bowing the PVC IN 9" still holds, same as with Ez-skier/WallyCourse/Accufloat type course. On an ~40' span of PVC of sufficient gauge to hold a course square the amount of bow required to shorten length by 9" is huge, i.e. feet. Other dimensions so far off and/or buoys would be sunk with that much bow, really obvious. The 9" would be the least of the issues. Premise does not pass basic inspection. I still assert that explanation pulled out of someones a$$ to support their belief and elevated to truth due to being repeated enough. I find it astonishing those putting forth this cable cheating allegation are not even sure what kind of course it is. @Horton states "The most reliable people I've talked to thought it was PVC arms but if you're sure that you know ". They thought? Of the sources used the course type varies? With this type of charge they should know and be able to state what it is with out ambiguity or equivocation. Seems more evidence of Wild Ass Guess. If I were to do it I'd get a dive tank on, a little 50 or something small, and slip in night before. Make a spacer, say 6", to get each one the same. Then follow course cables to where each buoy attached. Use spacer to get 6" of buoy line and clamp to spar 6" in. Enough flex in PVC up no problem. Every buoy in almost exact 6". Afterword swim out and pop the clamp off each one, course right back to survey. Lots of nifty marine hose clamps out there that would do the job. Particularly if your the official handling the course who would, or could, know? That's seems much simpler, keeps it all square, but highly unlikely and no evidence. Occam's fits, scores legit, and the Skiers, Officials and Site deserve an apology. "It's too good to be true so it isn't" doesn't cut it.

I like closed bows. My previous 3 ski boats were closed bows. I had a list of people who wanted them every time I went to sell. "Closed bows are so hard to find." I tend to order my boats the way I want them, for me. When I lived in Seattle and occasionally went out on Lake Washington we seemed to get hit with huge boat rollers. Water up on the bow and sometimes a little over the windshield, but water shed right off. With open bow would be swamped well over the bilges. The compartment under the front deck is huge, long and carpeted on most. Great place for skis, protected and out of sun. Cooler behind drivers seat, ropes, wakeboards (grimace), vests in saddle bag compartments, clean floor. CB was great there. But then 90% on private lake, now 100% on private lake skiing off a dock. And my wife likes CB better as well, she's a smart lady (and a good driver).

@Than_Bogan Thanks, appreciate it. People don't have to agree with me, I just want them to think. Something may have happened but as for now no proof. I don't care much about the tournament really, don't know the victims, but I just can't abide by reputations and achievements being impugned and sullied without some evidence of some sort.

In Europe there was consensus the world is flat and consensus that the sun revolves around the Earth. At least those were theories with some empirical evidence, just walk outside and look. Didn't work out too well for the detractors even when they could prove otherwise. What has been shown here is consensus of rumor and innuendo. Nothing more. Can they prove it beyond a reasonable doubt? No (that's a bit extreme but would be nice) Can they prove it with a preponderance of evidence? No, but I could go with that. Can they assert it with some shred of evidence? No, no evidence at all. Can they assert it with some reasonable, workable theory? Possibly, but have not. The line tension/bow PVC is total BS and does not work (see my, @6balls and @eleeski posts above) Pretty much what you have is a bunch of people, most of whom were not even there by your list above, who feel/believe It's too good to be true so it isn't. From what I see presented in your posts is that the consensus is "It's to good to be true and therefore the Organizers and/or Officials cheated (and Officials incompetent at least) and the cheating was done by additional mainline tension causing PVC spars to bow up to 9" short." Not a shred of evidence nor explanation as to how the mainline tension could bow the PVC spars up to 9" (9" the consensus's number). I feel/believe this is all whiny High School social media conjecture. That explanation pulled out of someones a$$ to support their belief and elevated to truth due to being repeated enough. I will go with Occam's here, the simplest solution tends to be the right one. What's simpler than the scores are legit? I will go one step further with some evidence. I put forth that 12 respected officials from 6 countries signed their name and reputation to this event and therefore was homologated to IWWF record tournament rules. The scores are legit and the skiers and officials deserve an apology. Don't believe so, offer up something with a shred of substance. A bunch of people, no matter how Elite and respected, saying "It's too good it can't be true" is fake news.

Well, a more specific allegation. Yet still admittedly There's no proof of anything. I believe you when you say multiple serious sources (i.e. world class Pro's and judges) are seriously making this allegation. Yet even you believe the allegation of 9" a bit absurd as you cut that almost in half, to 5". So a serious allegation against the site/organizers/TC in Spain that they did or missed the course being manipulated. One, some or all cheated, boosting scores to bolster the site or certain skiers. @Horton, you are joining in this allegation in print. Thinking this through myself I just don't see it. I am very familiar with floating courses, those with center SS mainlines and PVC arms. I skied one in salt water for years in a place where 10ft+ tide common. We bought some, built some, repaired them all. Always tried skied on incoming tide to course would stay straight, tension increasing with tide. Fixed on one end and dragging anchor on other. For those unfamiliar with these courses they look like this: I don't know if this is what is in Spain but is what @Horton is saying is there, no reason to believe otherwise. Please note this is significantly different than cross-course cable courses like at Okeeheelee and Miami. I call BS that the line was tightened to bring in the buoys to the extent indicated, 5 to 9 inches. The ~42ft PVC spar must bow IN (not just up) to shorten width 5" or more, solely by being pulled down near one end. I assert, from my experience, that the cable end would come down significantly more than 5" for the buoy end to come IN 5" or more. This essentially sinks the boat guides, think anyone would notice? In addition the line is very long, 1,209ft (55m balls to 55m balls) plus some on the end to anchors (course gate to gate 849ft). Pulling down too much on the mainline, which pulls out more than down from the ends only, will sink the 55's first (if there) then the gates then 1 and 6 on in to center. That is the line bows up in the middle, the center buoys stays up more then the end buoys. BTW, that would take crazy tension to do that. So if the buoys did move in significantly due to bowing the spars they would do unevenly. More in at 1 and 6, least at 3 and 4. Would put a nice little curve in each buoy line, think anyone would notice? Any of you guys out there with portable courses want to chime in? How far would your spars have to bow to shorten the width 5"? Not 5" of bow but 5" shorter? Would they snap before that? I wanted to step away and see what people have to say but some accepting this at face value, really guys? Think it's fake news as it gets. Perhaps all someones successful joke? @Horton, can you walk us through how you came up with the buoys moving in 5" due to bowed spars vs 9" or 0"? And that it's possible? Perhaps a BOS Labs video with some beefy enough PVC to see what it takes to bow 40ft (five 8ft pcs cheap from Home Depot, could even return if don't snap) in 5"?

@coach3 32off 34mph is some pretty good skiing. If you can run it clean most of the time 35off is definitely possible. 32 and 35 are kind of a pair, not that much different. The jump to 38 though... don't limit yourself in your mind before you even tighten the line. The friendliest ski is the one that works for you. Not a helpful answer but true. Same with settings. The setting that works for your favorite Pro/Big Dog may not work for you, actually probably won't. Only way to know for sure is try them. Its a PITA. Use your bindings and set the ski to stock settings. If your not good setting up skis have someone good (anal) set it for you, like to the thousandth. The ski should feel good and you should feel at home right away. That is the friendliest ski for you. If not, next. All the top skis now are great but different, just which is great for you. Tweaks are to fine tune, not to force a ski to be OK.

@GlassJunkie Excellent post, excellent.

As a blonde blue eye guy in FL sunscreen is crucial. As folically challenged now keeping my scalp from burning paramount. I like the blue bottle Coppertone Sport best for sunscreen. It stays on in the water longest. I test every type that comes through CVS or Publix and just go back to the Coppertone. It's not the best sunscreen, though very good, but stays on in water the longest. I sail beach cat's (F16's) and are out on the boat for hours, getting wet, no cover and no time to re-apply. Skiing I usually stay covered or under cover till I ski so not as much an issue, ski from docks. Coppertone Sport. An aside, if it's clear then sun still gets through. Only ones that really block the sun are not clear. Old school but the zinc oxide solid color cream (used to be only white) seems to be the best, stays on but also get on everything, slick. Used it a lot when I used to mountain climb in my younger days, particularly on snow. Also, nothing beats hats and sun shirts. I know, I know, but there it is. In FL you will get burnt right through a regular shirt. Need the SPF ones. These guys to some good stuff Coolibar though they no longer do my favorite shirt.

@Horton Do I have this right you are "adamantly standing your ground" that "something wasn't right" in Spain? Your admitting no evidence of any kind what so ever other than peoples feelings and beliefs? No one, not one person apparently, has been able to say why it was wrong. You, with one of the largest and loudest platforms in skiing, are proclaiming the results invalid based on feelings and beliefs. Essentially "It can't be so it isn't." Experts and athletes used to say a 4 minute mile could never be run. And then it was. Now its routine for top runners. There are countless such achievements throughout history. Just because some, even experts, feel and/or believe it can't be does not mean it is not and never can. Monday morning the banker walks into the safe and there's no sign of breaking and entering and there's nothing on the video camera. All the banks procedures, checks and balances were in place. Returns on investments were high, for some at their personal bests, but not a Record return. Some customers and some unrelated to the bank (in fact most never ever been to the bank) feel something is wrong. Was there a robbery? Just throwing out assertions and innuendo's to see what sticks is what your doing. You feel/believe somethings wrong but are clueless as to what. A journalist, a term you used in another post, (journalism is mostly dead today) would investigate. Look at boat path video, look at TC reports and so forth. Then report what was found without bias, that would be journalism. That's hard. Here's my getting banned part: Dancing around saying "just want to question" or "have a conversation" is sophistry. Specifically "something boosted scores". Great site, stars aligned, perfect conditions and the like are not illegal, part of the sport and if they boost scores that has been long accepted. In this case the only way to boost scores is through dishonesty (cheating) and/or incompetence. So say you feel/believe there was dishonesty (cheating) or incompetence. Did the skiers cheat? All 4 who ran -41? And no one caught them, no official and in particular the other competitors with a vested interest and would know. All 4? That seems less likely than they all were legit. All the rules, checks and balances in an "R" level tournament seems evidence that leans towards the skiers are innocent. Were the officials dishonest or incompetent? You are flat out saying, and doubling down, that some or all were one or the other or both. If scores were boosted then in particular the CJ and TC were at least incompetent and likely dishonest. Was the course correct? If the course was out (measured just before the tournament per R requirements) then at minimum the TC is dishonest or incompetent. Was ZO manipulated/reported/scored to skiers advantage? Lots of judges need to be complicit for that, at minimum boat judge and driver. For a couple rounds then several more judges involved. Seems highly unlikely. Was boat path manipulated? At minimum driver(s) and path judge(s) complicit, CJ too. Clear evidence trail (video) also so seems highly unlikely. Were the line(s) incorrect? Measured right before tournament, if out TC responsibility so at minimum the TC is dishonest or incompetent. Usually several people help measure. Did the -41's get the same off rope, across rounds, or multiple ropes were off? Possible but unlikely at this level. More likely BJ put wrong loop on but 4 times? Nah. Time, boat path, course and line. How else could these 4 boost their scores at this site? As @MattP stated "12 officials from 6 countries signed their name and reputation to this event." -41 skiers from different countries and sponsors. Just don't see the basis for any collusion of any kind or that it would go undetected. There is damage done by publishing these assertions and innuendo's. Publishing them give them credence. @MattP stated "To be associated with controversy is a way to not be invited back to big events in the future or for skiers to attend your events." Reputations of people who donate so much to the sport are now tarnished. Many in the sport and out will believe it's true forever. @Horton you say you would be offended, I would be much more than offended. The guys who got the -41's will forever have an asterisk beside this performance. Pigozzi in particular. Great showing at Masters, proved he deserved to be in this group. Never met the guy but from what I have seen he has worked really hard for a long time. He's been knocking on the door. Finally pop's a -41 and it's "too good to be true." What if he gets hurt and cant ski anymore or just turns out it's his best ever performance? Forever this controversy to his performance. In that scenario I for one would be bitter. How can any of these people clear their name? How to prove the negative? Gossip around the dock is one thing, publishing gossip to 10's of thousands in a community is another. Shame, Shame, Shame. Elevate the gossip with something substantial before doing so. Don't just Feel it, Think it though, Prove it.

@jercrane Delivered, installed that's about right. Side braces always need to be trimmed for width. They are over wide to fit any boat and then cut to fit the boat with a little left for later adjustment. Couple minutes with an angle grinder does it. 9'5" is 113" that's tight but not a problem for guides. I built my dock deck at 120" and a little closer would be ideal but room for a slightly wider boat than my 200 was allowed for. The boats seem to keep getting wider. The 9'5" is narrow for the feet. You only have that width all the way down? My legs extend under the deck a ways on the bottom. Takes a bit of jockeying to float it in and out past the supports, but doable.

@jercrane Is that $9K for lift and install or just install? Sounds like @Skirvind was 4500 for just the install. Not sure what the SL4 is but $9K for a comp boat hydraulic cantilever lift, Sunstream's main units, is about right. OK for 4500# lift plus install about right for 6500# lift without install. Basta Lifts make what looks like an identical unit, about that price for those lift ranges. I think the Basta is a better built unit, also think Basta has the key patents for those lifts and licenses them (or they used to). I had one when I was in WA but sold it with lot when moved to FL. Have an RGC which is good and about the same price as the Basta and Sunstream. Got it as its made East Coast so cheaper shipping but the Basta is better. Basta made in Seattle, I picked my WA one up at the factory. I installed both myself. Really pretty easy just need a couple other guys to help as parts are big. Took an afternoon and floated in place with tubes. Probably the most expensive type of lift for a ski boat but they are sweet and all underneath and out of the way.

@csutter12 My wife was on an older Lyric, she really liked it. With the change in 17 to the 16 Vapor profile I thought she should try the new one. I thought the 16 Vapor was significantly better than previous. She tried the new Lyric and then had a chance to try the new Lithium Senate. That was an expensive demo. The new Lyric was nicer but not dramatic but the smiles from the Lithium Senate couldn't be denied. She's a -15 skier. Used to be 24-28 for years now she's 28-32mph and a lot more confidence. The new ski gets her out of things that would have had her swimming on the old one plus much more confidence. Can't go wrong with the Lyric but the Senate is better for her. You seem to keep skis a while, like my wife. Don't be afraid to move up the line on these skis if you want to, the Senate won't bite.

@teammalibu Could you post what the ZO settings were with line lengths? Names probably not important, not sure how they all would feel about that. I would be very interested to see where they start and which way they moved as they shorten. See what the big guns really use.

Very cool video. However liked the standard, stable images better than the spins and fast cuts. Couldn't see the skiing very well with the drone flipping and cutting away before the trick or turn even finished. Speed of the drone while maintaining quality impressive.

I recall when ZO first came out they had booths staffed with a couple engineers to explain ZO to all of us. Big line, abysmally few legitimate questions. Almost all were just losing their freaking minds on these engineers. No questions or valid points, just ranting and abuse. The continuing animus and vitriol that still exists, with no content, I can see why they have pulled back from an active presence in this community. ZO gave me (and anyone else) the upgrade from Q to R for free. It was very easy. I asked at a local tournament about a cable and three people offered to let me borrow theirs. If I recall I had to pay for PP upgrades... ZO had no choice to change from the dual pucks. The chip in the pucks were no longer made and the replacement did not work. That's all Garmin, not ZO. So ZO comes out with a better, more reliable hardware upgrade. Its hardware, most of which ZO buys from Garmin so they charge, its a business and an absurdly small market, no scale. Works with all ZO modules, just upgrade the software (that's free). I have a 2011 ZO dual puck rev R. Will use it till Nationals then revisit it. Probably sell my dual pucks and get the single puck then. Though personally I find the different drivers feel more different than the different boats which feel more different than single/dual puck.

Wow, some of you old farts blaming this or that for ZO should know better, you were around. AWSA/USAWS/IWWF had nothing to do with the speed control issue. Perfect Pass had and have the technology patents for mechanical (servo) throttle speed control. E-controls/ZO had and have the technology patents for electronic throttle speed control. As mechanical throttles went away and electronic throttles came in (from root engine manufacturers, ~2006) these two children (PP & ZO) could not work together. Huge lawsuit/counter-suit s!*# storm ensued. Ended up PP got all the mechanical speed control market (legacy). E-controls got all the electronic speed control market (everything going forward). So no PP on electronic throttle boats, ever. No real ZO on mechanical throttle boats, ever. AWSA/USAWS/IWWF had no standing and no leverage. PP & E-controls were fighting for the complete market, water ski market too small and could fob off. Don't blame AWSA/USAWS/IWWF!

Series 2 or 3. 1 is two small. Series 2 works well if you have a removable binding, like Reflex, or one that can squish down like a std Wileys. Series 2 has height issues with fixed hard shells, like Goode, or stiff rubber, like Approach. Series 2 is not tall enough. For those a Series 3 works better as you can get it in with a little diagonal tilt as its taller. I have all three, haven't used the 1 for years though. Use the 2 the most, have actually worn out the wheels. Series 2 great for two pairs snow skis, wife's and mine, or my slalom. Don't use the 3 much any more. Mine are quite old, they last. I have a Reflex and take my boot and liner in carry on. Besides allowing ski to fit in a Series 2 (height) I have my boot/liner with me if ski lost. I can make any std (not large) Reflex plate work with 15 minutes and a Phillips. I can adapt to a different ski pretty quick but I am lost trying a different boot/liner. With skis we always fly Southwest as no charge and no hassles, they specifically allow water skis in their policy. Read the airline sports equip policy, bring a print out of it to check-in. Some airlines only cover if in hard case. FedEx/UPS seem expensive for a ski.

@"Pat M" has it right. $145 to replace the whole release unit. REFLEX RELEASE MECHANISM 750 $20 for a new spring unit every 2 years and then replace whole mechanism when wear and tear, corrosion and/or just doesn't look right is cheap and easy. In the overall cost of skiing it's just not that much. This is a Reflex sucks I broke my ankle/leg/face post waiting to happen, I see it coming... but not Reflex's fault.

@6balls My post was to @livetoski specifically, his stating becoming an AJ too hard. I get annoyed with pile-on anti AWSA threads when undeserved. I think it is bad for the sport. People on the fence as to trying a tournament or two get turned off. Lots of lurkers on this forum, big microphone. Tournaments are fun. They really are. But to your situation, don't know. If your Level 8 your Level 8, even if somehow by .01 buoy, you know that. But no classes (clinics) required for AJ. Really just have to do the 4 in 2 years, the idea to keep everyone current as there have been and are significant rule changes coming and going lately. What would I recommend for you? Send Melanie at AWSA an e-mail. Staying AJ should be straight forward as you meet the level 8 requirement.

With @lpskier, had some knee work done so not skiing now. But soon. Would be skiing now if knee let me though, 79 out today.