BlueSki

Does anyone know if the foam pad/gasket that goes between the ski and the base plate for Reflex bindings is important? I am curious if it is intended to prevent the binding from slipping or the pad is just there to keep the ski pretty when the binding is removed.

I love Brenda's handles. They have always lasted longer than any others that I bought.

Historically I used Meguiars religiously with great results but switched to babes last year, it is easier to work with. One more vote for babes for wipe down. I still use Mequiars for the full once-per-year wax job.

I skied my first set on Saturday wearing them. I need rain x but even without it they were great. Thanks @Wish‌ for setting the trend.

USPS.com shows my 67" Vapor as "out for delivery" to my office today. It has become hard to concentrate on my work.

Thanks for the help. I will go that route. Nothing like offering a new ski to the kid as a reward for hard work good fun in the course.

I have a young son addicted to the course now (ran it last summer for the first time, 23 mph was his best) and he still needs some time on his O'Brien Jr. Siege. As he gets a bit better and bigger, I am thinking about letting him try my old 65.5" 9100 vs. buying a higher-end kid ski that he will likely soon outgrow. I welcome your thoughts.

One night at a fall tournament one of our women skiers left the women's team dry suit turned inside out on the roof of her car. The next morning, it was covered in frost. We had one woman that actually put it on and skied. She was tough. I think she is a Sherpa on Everest now.

@Chef23 is right about the dry land practice, it was very helpful for my kids. When you think you have done it enough, do it some more, and then some more after that. It has worked well for my friends' kids also. They oftentimes end up asking to hit the water like the my kids.

Long drive, but tempting.

We have a steep ramp where we ski, although I have seen the spray chine damage from ramps with less grade. Regardless of angle, powering up the trailer against the chines is just asking for damage. What the trailers really need is a small crane. Our process, which does not involve a crane but seemed to work fairly well last year, is as follows. It requires two people, but three is easier because the guy driving the truck can stay put:

 

1. Wet bunks - Soak the whole damn trailer, we make sure the bunk carpet is wet.

2. Position trailer - Pull the trailer out of the water a little bit, but with the fenders still well under water. The front roller at this point is higher than the bow, but the bow is so low when the boat is still floating that this is expected. Hopefully the guideposts on the trailer are high enough to come above the rub rail, but ours were not, so we put on new posts.

3. Load boat - Bring the boat onto the trailer gently to the point where you are making some contact with the bunks and do not power up. You may have to keep the boat in gear to prevent drifting backwards.

4. Hook up - Hook the tow strap on to the bow eyelet and take the slack out of the strap. The guy with the monkey-like climbing ability gets this job because he will likely climb onto the trailer over water. This is a good job for my son.

5. Pull up and Tighten up - Keep the boat running. Pull the trailer out of the water enough that bow raises, the boat and trailer are essentially parallel and the chines are above the bunks. There will be two feet or so of winch strap to crank up. If the nose of the boat has risen to the point where you can see a gap between the chines and the bunks, you can crank on the winch and get some help from the boat without worrying about the chines.

 

It is a PITA, but the wake is worth it.

@Horton (and others), the Goode size chart lists the 65.25" at up to 195 lbs with the 66" at 165-220. Similarly, the 67" Vapor is listed for 160 to 190 lbs. On the assumption that you weigh closer to 190 than 160, is your bias to be on a smaller ski when two size ranges cover your weight?

@Horton, if you or anyone else needs to unload a 67" Vapor, I am in the market for one.

I bet the perpetrators found out about the panda.

That was my plan, couldn't imagine a need for much more.

All of the hype here got it on my short list. I picked one up this off season. What is the recommended number of sets to get in on last year's ski before trying a new one?

@phillips it is ok if you bring soap, after some time at the lake, we all get a little gamey.

@phillips, I have seen you struggle with your flip flops at the dock, keep shopping.

@Iowa_Ski_Team‌, I completely agree. I think one of the biggest issues a college team faces is keeping the women's team happy with men's team's behavior. Never an easy task. We sure had fun though. Nevertheless, we did have a number of ski team marriages (no shotgun weddings) and I think all are still going strong, mine included.

I find it disappointing that so many "governing bodies" fight against Darwin. If one's mental capacities are strong enough to wear the right equipment, you not only will be fine, you are leading by example. If one's decision making results in skiing in 40 degree water wearing nothing but a speedo, perhaps you left the world in a better condition with your departure.

 

Should ice fishing be banned? What if temps are in the 30s on April 16? That being said, I, like others, advocate a polite approach. I will add, however, that directly challenging the lunacy fueled by their feelings will likely not be as helpful. It may be better to engage them in conversation and ask them leading questions that have them coming to conclusions on your side. That is much easier said than done. Perhaps examples would be:

Has there been a problem with people swimming in early April?

If there were, would a bylaw or even a sign be an effective preventative measure, or would a fence around the lake be more effective?

Does that seem crazy? Answer: It should, because there is no need to "improve" survival instinct with legislation. You improve survival instinct with education.

I would think it would be pretty easy to recruit with a combination of the boat and pictures of what the tournaments are like. Back in the long-ago '90s, the idea of 200 college kids hanging out at a lake by day and partying in a tent city by night was a pretty easy sale. It sure beat the hell out of the golf team.

I don't remember any impact to the wake at the time, but in one of my early offseasons with my '95 I went to a four blade. It made a very nice improvement in smoothing out the boat and the hole shot. A friend of mine has an 11-year-old daughter that did great behind his '94. Once she put the ski on edge, she was great.

If it is within your budget and is in great condition, I would not hesitate. I owned a '95 for a long time. I also skied behind a number of TSC1 hulls, and the occasional TSC2 hull. While, yes, they were at bit nicer wakes, I never felt the improvement was so dramatic that mine was inferior and needed to go. I would often ski better behind my '95 than off of my ski friend's '98. I would also ski behind an early '90's Mastercraft, the wake was a bit flatter, but the '22 off bump was a bit sharper. All had great wakes and more often than not, any problems were with the skier, not the wake. Later, once I skied behind a friend's 2008, that put me in the boat market.

@AB, thanks for the advice, I think I have it. Watch video, get disgusted to point where eating is not an option, leave the room running (cardio), and having convulsions (core strength). Don't drink, otherwise beer-goggles could change the usefulness of the video.

You have to love a CB 200. Nice OSU colors!