sunvalleylaw

@MISkier , do you know if anyone has a pad for the passenger seat? I understand it would be challenging since the seat parts lift up and can be removed. If the water in the local lake holds, I am thinking about going out into late October, until the first snow hits. Will have to stick the boat in the garage though and keep it warm.

If you like the D3 feel, maybe give D3 a call and talk to them about recommendations for you. They have a great demo program, and since the X7 has treated you well, wouldn't hurt to check it out. I personally love my D3 ARC. But I don't think I am qualified to recommend a specific ski for you to try. Paul and/or Kari over at D3 would be glad to help though.

Bump.

Due to seeing the black and dark colors fade on prior skis, my current skis are bagged and stowed except when being used at this point.

I think one issue would be whether there has been something fundamental in ski design between the old ski vs. the new ski (either due to incremental design changes that add up as @SkiJay says better and with more knowledge), or a big leap of some kind)that makes things easier and more efficient. I know that my old ski felt like old straight snow skis vs. newer shaped skis that allow a more efficient position more easily.

It is seeming to me that some of the discussion in the advanced thread is different in some ways from how I understood Horton's original post. I understood it to mean that he moved his ski left and shazam, early edge change. Then there started to be talk of a flat ski (related also to handle path). So this seems a bit different from what Horton was saying. Separately, it seems to me that rather than flat ski the edge still changed but maybe the difference might be low edge angle vs. a lot of edge angle at first, as opposed to truly flat? But maybe I misunderstand, which is why I don't post in the advanced threads.

Looking forward to seeing what @Horton thinks. Considering one for playing around when the open water is not so awesome, for guests, and for beginning course practice at slower speeds.

Was bumping this thread in connection with @Joeprunc 's question of is a new ski going to get him further. After re-reading this, I think I will go plus or minus with @6balls 's rule of 5 seasons. I just got my new ARC this year. My season is probably around as long as his, though I may get fewer sets. Hoping to change that. So, unless something comes along that is really going to help me in my progression, I don't think I need to change out for a few years, up to 5 or so. The size is good for me, the set up seems to work for me really well, and like all D3's, it is built beautifully. So should last a while. Thoughts anyone? (Although I do want to get something wide to keep in the boat, like a Katana or something, to play around on when the open water is not perfect, and maybe even for beginning course skiing practice. My son could use it, and I bet it wouldn't hurt me to practice with it at really slow speeds in the course to learn lines, etc.)

@BRY That era always reminds me of the old Mastercraft ad that would always get stuck in my head. "This is the look . . . Mastercraft . . ." I think I must have heard that ad a million times watching the old ESPN Hot Summer Nights broadcasts. Featuring Lucky Lowe. I ended up with a Malibu. @ErikBerghiller Malibu seems by far the biggest out here in the PNW. Then Nautigue. Just what you see around anyway. Also, here in the Wood River Valley, near Sun Valley, there seems to be a huge number of DD's used for family boating, though now the younger generation is starting to push that number toward surf boats. As compared to where I grew up in Puget Sound where most family boating was behind a Bayliner or Maxxum (Ours was a Glastron, then a Seaswirl) or something similar. I think it is the elevation, and need for power up mountain high.

@bigskieridaho LOL! did you ever hear of finding out what you don't know?? ;) Not sure your boats over there would drive slow enough for me. Still hoping to get over there for it, but may have a family schedule conflict arising. We'll see. If the family conflict issue is handled, then yeah, I will do it anyway, just to do one. Who cares how I do. But I might not be able to pull it off.

Snow on the banks, and runoff from the snow fields coming directly into the lake. That was the coldest trip in a while. Brave girl, my daughter! Makes me proud. @jimski , that looks plain crazy right there!

I love love love my 67" Yellow ARC! Congrats!

@Conor , yeah, it would be great to get a multi-day camp in. Makes me think about a road trip to Liquid Zone next year if nothing else. On another note, I loved the look on your face after you climbed back out of the boat after observing that 41.

@DonT , I think it is so awesome your wife wants to get into it. My wife skis once or twice a year with the rest of us in the fam, and likes to drive for us, and camp up at the lakes, which is really what she gets out of it. I got her a good wetsuit this year, which helps. I would get her any ski she wanted, but she uses my son's 66" D3 X7 and enjoys it fine. So, I will get her whatever she wants to continue with us, and if she wants to get her own, will gladly get her whatever she wants there as well. I guess mostly, I am saying congratulations on your wife getting to that point of wanting to get into it. I am sure a lot of us married schmos would love for the same to happen for our wives. In the meantime, I am grateful for my wife's graciousness in allowing mine, and my kids' passions.

For a kid who has been east of the rockies just a couple times, I am guessing Okeeheelee is in Florida??

Call @Horton 's niece the Crimson Tide, Call him Deacon Blues. @Horton fixed.

Great news! Keep at it!

Try a D3 ARC. With the D3 T-factors. Ski-it-again has a new ARC-S in a 68" that the seller says has two demo rides on it. Mine (67", I weigh 185-ish) is a yellow ARC, but a lot of people really like the ARC-S.

Great to hear!

I just had a great day with Terry Winter, and if you were going to be on the west coast, I would really suggest coaching with him at Liquid Zone. So, another vote for Terry. I don't know anything about the other places you have on your list so can't help there.

Sunrise on the lake. A little too excited to sleep. Terry in the boat, Kristin under the bimini in the driver's seat, Willis checking it all out, and next skier up! It was a pretty amazing weekend, seeing over 2 minutes of eclipse totality today, and watching Terry run 41 off in person yesterday, then watching him ski from the boat. Have never had the opportunity to watch truly high end skiing from the boat before. Both were incredible. Pretty nice weekend!

That was totally awesome. Truly. May have a pic to post later from our location.

Not a good pic but it is on!

@Rpc29 , yeah, I feel very fortunate to be invited their as my friend's guest. Great place to ski, and fun people to hang with. Good mellow vibe.

Totality is not too far away.