XR6Hurricane

Still got ice on the lake here in northern IL. River is thawed but water is high and swift. Don't own a dry suit and my drivers don't do good in cold weather. Probably about 6 weeks to go :(.

A bit off topic but maybe not so much, as keeping the back leg straighter and the weight centered always feels to me like it's a recipe for getting hurt. I understand the theory and concept of getting the weight centered, being stacked, having your hips forward, keep the weight 50/50, and all of those things. Yet, whenever I see a picture of Rossi, Regina, etc., what I actually SEE is a skier leaning BACK with the hips approximately over the rear foot and the shoulders and head way out over the tail of the ski, like they are trying to fall backwards off of it, yet managing to keep about half of the ski in the water. What everyone says and what I see when I watch don't seem to have much correlation. That said, when I lean away from the boat AND back (trying to emulate them) are when I can cross the biggest towboat wakes and hardly feel them. Maybe it is all of the bad habits I've picked up over the years from never having any professional instruction, but if I try to cross the wake centered instead of having at least a slight bias to the rear foot, I feel like it's going to land me in the ER on the first try. Or is the whole "don't lean on the rear foot" thing a bit of a misleading statement? ??

@slalom frog I did wind up going to Death Valley and Zion the last week of February. It was my third time at Zion and I turned back on Angel's Landing for the second time. I just can't do that one. If you go back there, try going further up that same trail past Scout Lookout and get on the West Rim Trail. You will be amazed at the scenery that awaits you :).

I wouldn't give it a second thought. Gel cracks very easily from something like that. Don't let it deter you if the rest of the deal seems like it's right.

A friend of mine uses a Farmall "A" to launch his high perf outboard tunnel and I'm pretty sure he pulls his pontoon in and out with it too. Quite a bit lighter than a tournament boat but the ramp in front of his house is really steep and the tractor doesn't even know the boat is behind it. I agree with the others, a small tractor would probably be better.

I don't see 100 hours in 6 years being all that abnormal. It would be 16 hours per year. Some people just don't use their boats much. I put about 30-40 on mine per year and use my boat more than most people I know. If it was put away properly every fall then I wouldn't see much of a problem. If it truly sat neglected, then that is the worst thing for anything mechanical. Buying something used with fuel injection would of course be more of a challenge than a carburetor if the fuel system was neglected.

Long story short, I got real sick back in October and after some screwing around, an upper GI revealed a small hiatal hernia and the beginnings of an esophageal ulcer. I have the reflux mostly under control through meds, diet, and elevating the head of my bed. I'm wondering if skiing will be a problem though. It doesn't seem like the type of exercise that would aggravate it, because I don't think it causes upward force on the diaphragm? Can't seem to find much information about it other than to avoid crunches, deadlifts, and pushups. Neither the doctors or the Web seem to have much to say. I know a ton of people have it and it doesn't seem like a life changer other than not going to bed until 3 hours after eating. Just wondering if anyone here is out there tearing it up on a slalom ski with the condition???

@gregy That is true...we are only seeing it from one angle. And things happen fast in the heat of the moment. I'm just saying that if you lay it out the way the cops would look at it IF someone had gotten hurt, they'd probably ticket both parties. Just like in a car, you're usually at some fault just for being on the road.

I hate to play the devil's advocate, but in that video I think the fault would be mixed. He passed the oncoming boat on his port side, like you normally would. The violation would be getting within so many feet of a skier - if such a law exists in that state. At the same time, the ski boat driver would have seen the fishing boat coming head on and there's nothing that says the ski boat HAS to continue in a straight line and HAS to hold the throttle on. Also, there are laws against "manipulating skis, aquaplanes, or similar devices" in such way to put yourself or others at risk. So, at the end of the day the skier didn't HAVE TO make that last cut and it was also their responsibility to look ahead and see the hazard coming the other way. Not saying the fisherman is in the right, practically speaking. That was way closer than it should have been. But I think in the eyes of the law you would find that this is a mixed bag of goods.

No wet suit with snow on the ground. I'm the size of a pencil eraser just from looking at that. And I live near Chicago.

@ShaneH is right on. When people stop buying them, the prices will come down. The local wakeboard dealer told me that when they shoot someone a $90,000 - $100,000 price for a 21' single purpose boat, the people can't get their checkbooks out fast enough. Hardly even any haggling anymore. Too much money out there yet, and it's in the hands of people who are different buyers than those who bought boats 20, 30, or 50 years ago. The guy who runs the pro shop has been in the sport for years and he can't figure it out. He and I are both still from the school where a boat was a once or twice in a lifetime investment that was a major decision.

For oxidation that has progressed deep enough that a regular cleaner wax won't work, I would recommend 3M Imperial rubbing compound and use it with a buffer. It has anti-swirl additives in it that actually work too. $40 for a quart which is more than enough to do a boat. You just burn it in with the buffer and it eventually re-liquifies and polishes off in one step. Then use spray-on wax with carnuba to keep it protected. Any normal liquid or paste wax that dries creates dust when you wipe it off and the dust can actually scratch.

Agree with many of the others...74 acres of public water is way too small for a course if you're trying to keep everyone happy. On the other hand, if you put a portable course in for the day, or a few hours, how is that any different than fishermen tossing out buoys to mark a weedline or dropoff? In either case you've got buoys floating out there that can impede other people's use of a certain area.

I've been skiing with the 2 week disposables for about 15 years and never had a problem. I've maybe had a couple of blurry moments. I just squint getting up and then wipe my eyelids off if I need to once I'm up. Everyone is different though I guess. It's best to soak them in hydrogen peroxide cleaner afterward though due to the nasty amoebas that can be present in the water.

Zion shouldn't be a problem at that time. I'm actually in the midst of planning a late February trip to Zion and possibly Death Valley. The higher elevations like Bryce Canyon get more snow but I would just plan to be flexible - which is easy with a RV! Zion is relatively low elevation - the canyon floor is 3700 feet. You are in for an extremely good time no matter where you go. IF weather allows, Utah Route 12 between Bryce Canyon and Torrey is the coolest freaking road you could ever drive on but I would NOT go on it if there is a threat of snow or ice. It goes from sheer cliffs to pine forest and mountains within a few miles, and it's 100 miles of that type of landscape. I think all kids should take a field trip to Hoover Dam, to show them what America CAN do. And the story about them not even knowing how they were going to do all of it, yet finished early and under budget, well...good stuff for kids to learn about.

@gator1 The "it turns fun into work" comment is exactly why I personally have no interest. Same reason I never had interest in organized boat racing. Sunday morning on the river there are no rules other than seeing if you can get the channel markers wet. The bald eagles and northern pike are our judges and if you fall, you get up and try again...

Three words: ZION NATIONAL PARK

@ToddL I'll throw another thing out there that a lot of people probably haven't thought of: BOOZE. Doesn't matter if it's the hockey game or a day at the lake, everything revolves around massive alcohol consumption nowadays. America has always loved a cold beer, and there's nothing wrong with that, but it's becoming more and more the sole focus for why a group of people get together and go boating, or do anything for that matter. And they don't drink a six pack, they drink a case. I see it here all the time. Pontoon boats, deck boats, and the sandbar are king, and water skiing is dead. As for restricted hours for different activities, that's an interesting thought. I don't know how it would work in terms of "slalom only" hours, but I know that the same basic idea is part of what killed the water conditions at my local lake. Let me relay the story: Back in the '70s, a group of bleeding hearts made the lake no wake from 8:00 PM to 10:00 AM. Sunset to sunrise like everyplace else just wasn't good enough. To add insult to injury, towed sports have to end at 7:30 PM. This brought about several problems. First, it eliminated that magical time at dawn or during the last 15 minutes of dusk when the water flattened out perfect and you could really ski like God intended it to be done. Secondly, with fewer hours available, everyone rushes out there right at 10:00 in hopes of getting one good run because the lake just explodes into life within minutes. You have to have the slack out of the rope at 9:58 if you want to get 5 good minutes of slalom in. Once 2 or 3 wakeboard boats take off, it's over. And lastly, it has only fueled the rivalry even more between the fishermen and skiers. The fishermen got their way and got some time set aside for themselves, and that grew into a bias on the part of the law enforcement. If you are skiing at 7:29 PM you get stopped with the lights and siren, but if a fisherman is making a wake at 9:30 AM, the cop is never around. Then that still wasn't enough, so now "for some strange reason" the fishermen hit their electric motors at about 9:50 AM and start spacing themselves equidistantly in the high traffic areas so that it's impossible to follow the traffic pattern without "annoying" them. The above is why I finally started skiing on the river 10 minutes down the road, which has 18 miles without any no wake zones and you can ski dawn to dusk. Best water conditions this side of Minnesota and the slalom crowd still hangs out there. Don't know why I waited so long.

The topic always seems to come up that the manufacturers would all be out of business if it weren't for the wakeboard boat market. I disagree. For the public, I think wakeboarding was simply a departure from the traditional towed sport of skiing and stole market share from skiing. If wakeboarding had never come about, skiing would not have become as unpopular as it is today, and the boat builders would simply be building different boats. It's just like vehicles - people wouldn't demand large SUVs if they had never been built. Corporations don't respond to market "needs" as much as the analysts would have you believe. They come out with something and tell the people they need it - and then name their price.

Going public will send them down the road of putting the accountants in charge of all decisions. I'll go out on a limb and predict that they will be building I/Os within 5 years.

Part of the problem nowadays with people pulling out in front of bikes is that the newer vehicles all have HUGE blind spots due to the windshield frame being further forward and all of the window posts being so wide. I've actually not seen CARS at intersections because of it. Add to that the fact that nearly everyone is preoccupied with smart phones, iPods, and bellowing kids, and you just plain have to pretend they don't see you. Years back I read a great safety tip in a car magazine. It was actually discussing NHRA 1/4 mile drag racing and the importance of safety gear, but it applies to all motorized sports: "Remember, it can, and probably will, happen to you at some point during your career. Think about it."

Most boats get very, very little use. I see the same new(er) inboards and all other types of boats sitting at the pier or on their lifts every single time I'm on the river. Doesn't matter what day of the week or time of day. Never see them in the water. I definitely use my boat way more than they do and I only put 30-50 hours on it per year.

Nice looking bike. You won't regret getting something with the matte paint and the mag wheels. Something to ride and not go crazy trying to keep it looking good. Be extremely careful if that really is your first ride. Anything that goes 90 in two blocks and weighs 548 lbs. dry is a lot of bike to start out on, regardless of what the dealership said. My new 2013 Honda CB500X. Got about 680 miles on it before the salt hit the pavement. Came close to buying a Moto Guzzi V7 Stone but in the end I went with this new model that Honda had come out with. Absolutely love it. It was a brand new engine for the European A2 license restriction of 48 horsepower and all I can say is Honda caught everyone else with their pants down, especially for the money. And my 2009 Yamaha 250 V-Star. 10,000 miles without a single problem and looks 99% new. Never dropped, damaged, or abused. Still haven't decided if I'm putting it on the auction block or if I'm going to keep it. The fuel system is totally drained and pickled and it's in dry heated storage, all cleaned up.

A roundhouse kick by Chuck Norris is the preferred method of execution in 34 states.