oneski

What is the size and dimensions of the concrete/rebar that is used for anchoring sub buoys?

Thought I'd get this thread bumped back up. I'm Richard R., 51 year old skier in the Atlanta area. After taking 7 years off from skiing I came back to the sport 2 years ago. I fell in love with it all over again and went from being completely out of shape and barely able to get up on a ski to competiting in tournaments and setting a PB of 2.5@38'. It was truly a cathartic experience for me to go from an out of shape couch potatoe to being in the best condition of my life in under a year. Unfortunately, as I was just getting back into prime shape for this year's ski season I suffered a rather severe herniated cervical disc that has taken me out of skiing for the rest of the year. My passion for skiing has not dampened my attitude. I have been damned and determined to bounce back from the injury and get back to skiing. And I owe a HUGE debt of gratitude to jdk99 (Jeff) for his advice and guidance. He has been incredibly helpful in explaining the nature of my injury and available treatment options. I can't thank you enough for your help and time. While I've lost this season, I'm hoping for a full recovery by next year. And I can promise I'll be working harder in the gym, running faster on the trails, and swimming more laps in the pool to get back in shape for next year. Here's looking forward to chasing 3@38' next year!

6balls: Which vertebrae did you get fused? I'm a little concerned on mine because I herniated the disc between C7-T1, which is just on top of the shoulder, and that particular area takes a big load when I'm at maximum lean just off the ball. It's also impacted my hand strength, which is improving very, very slowly. Oddly enough, skiing never once bothered my neck. In fact I had skied several days in a row before I herniated the disc and had no discomfort whatsoever. I suspect that I had developed a tear in the annulus some time earlier and the nucleus pulposus seeped out one morning when I turned my neck the wrong way. I also have moderate to severe neuroformainal stenosis at C6-C7, which has slowed my recovery, but I hope will not permanently keep me off the water. Do you know if the stenosis is usually related to the herniated disc and resolves once the disc heals?

DaveD, 6balls is correct in his post. There are many variables. No two cases are alike. Many people can heal within several weeks while others can takes months or longer. It's also not necessarily how big the herniation is, but other factors such as whether it is impinging on a root nerve, or if you have compounding factors such as spinal stenosis or neuroformaminal stenosis, bone spurs, etc... If you had an MRI done it should help the Doctor assess your particular situation. Also, if you're going to P.T. (something I'd highly recommend) your physical therapist should be able to tell you if it's safe to ski. I have also heard from several people with herniated discs that it's very important to NOT overdo activity when you start feeling better. The message is it takes longer to completely heal than you think. I had so much pain for such a long time that I don't want to risk a reinjury, which is why I'm waiting longer. I also still have a strength deficit it my left hand (which would make holding on on my 1,3,5 pull pretty difficult).

I suffered a cervical herniated disc at C7-T1 exactly 11 weeks ago today. I've gone from severe/debilitating pain, to moderate pain, and now have almost no pain. Even though I'm almost pain free I'm still rehabbing my neck/shoulder/arm and still a long way from getting back on the water. The good news is that over 90% of herniated discs will heal without need for surgery. The bad news is it can takes months, and possibly a year to fully heal. Most of the time the pain resolves in 6-12 weeks, but it can take months to build back strength. The key is patience and rest, which is very difficult in the middle of ski season! If you start back to early you can reherniate the disc. I've become an expert in the subject. Feel free to PM me if you have questions.

Lyman, did you have a herniated disc? How long did it take before surgery was suggested? I suffered a severe herniation between C7-T1 almost 4 weeks ago. I've seen slight improvement.....or more accurately I should say the pain is slightly reduced in the last 3 and a half weeks. I've been told that surgery won't usually be considered for 3-6 months. I hate the thought of suffering in pain for another 2-5 months, but certainly would prefer not to have surgery if it isn't absolutley necessary.

6balls, I've come to accept that it's going to take a lengthy time for recovery. From what I've heard and read it could be anywhere from 2-12 months. I also hear that most herniated discs heal on their own and don't require surgery. I try to keep a positive attitude and accept what I can't change and focus on just making progress. I keep bugging my Doc saying I want to begin rehab as soon as possible. The problem is I'm not at a point where I can even start rehab. So far all conservative treatments haven't worked. It's only been 3.5 weeks, but the Doc said the MRI showed a fairly severe rupture and he was uncertain as to whether the inner nucleus would would reabsorb back into the disc. Of course he is an Ortho Surgeon and makes his money on the operating table. Right now I just take it day by day and hope for improvement, no matter how slight. Curious to know if any other Ballers have had similar experiences.

Very interesting topic for me.....I just herniated my cervical disc between C-7 and T-1. No prior issues with my neck. Never had it bother me in years of skiing. Then 4 weeks ago I woke up in the morning with what felt like a crick in my neck or pinched nerve. I took a hot shower and then as I was shaving looked up to shave under my chin and next thing I knew I was on the floor in agonizing pain. Went to the Ortho Surgeon and had an MRI done which showed a severely herniated disc. I've been very aggressive in my treatment with two medrol steroid packs back to back, several chiropractor trips, and an epidural steroid injection a week and a half ago. Unfortunately I've only felt very limited relief and have lost significant strength in my left arm and a slight loss of feeling in my little fingers on left hand. I'll probably get a second epidural steroid injection next week, but am concerned if it doesn't offer much relief I may suffer long term or permant nerve damage. Surgery may be in my future, but if so I'm glad to hear it may not keep me from skiing.

For those interested I thought I'd post a few pictures of the boat.

Awesome boat. In great shape. very well maintained and run only in fresh water and stored in private full enclosed garage when not in use. Boat comes with Zero Off, Stereo, bimini, full mooring cover, Mastercraft trailer, and spare prop. 320 hours on a well maintained Ilmore 5.6L engine. This was used as a promo boat in 2011. See pics and further details on ski it again. $38,250. http://www.ski-it-again.com/php/skiitagain.php?endless=summer&topic=Search&category=Comp_Boat&postid=31739 Boat located near Atlanta. Contact Richard Rones at 678-296-4684 or at rrones@americomfg.com with questions or comments.

Thanks for the suggestions. Planning on skiing Saturday, March 28th at McGinnis. Would love to ski at Okee on Sunday, the 29th. Planning on skiing Nationals there in August and would love to get a feel for the water.

I'll be in the West Palm Beach area next month and was looking for a place to ski a set Saturday or Sunday, March 28-29. I was hoping to get a lesson from Chet but his on-line calendar shows he's booked. Okaheelee would be awesome but I don't know anyone that skis there. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Andre, I turned 50 this year and just started running 35'......I worked out 5-6 days a week over the winter to make sure I had the strength and conditioning to run the line. Then during ski season I really started working on technique through the course. I'm running 35' about 35-45 percent of the time, but most of my practice sets are at 28' and 32'. I've seen 38' more times in tournaments this year than in practice......Don't give up your goal. Age is not a limiting factor.

I agree 100% with Dave. First and foremost it's a show for the spectators. I think it's a great showcase for our sport by having the best Masters Men skiers in the world go head to head at night under the lights. It's one of the most exciting formats the sport of waterskiing has seen in a long, long time. I think we all also understand that skiing at night, while very entertaining, presents challenges in both skiing and officiating that doesn't exist during the day. Stadium lights surrounded by darkness, water, and lighted buoys looks great from the spectators point of view, but we know the lighting has to have a negative effect on the spatial awareness and vision of the skier, and also certainly has to affect the judges ability to clearly see if a skier misses a ball. (I sat directly underneath the judges stand by the announcers booth and commented that there was no way the judges could clearly see the skier going around the balls in the far side of the course). Given the skiers and judges limitations during nighttime events, I don't think it's reasonable to consider trying to run it as a R Class. So, if we recognize that there are limitations in running this type of event and focus more on the entertainment value of great head to head matchups at a world class venue at night with stadium lights rules can be written (or even unwritten but still understood) that address potential problems and issues that typically don't exist during tournaments run in the day. Personally, I think there will be a high likelihood of distractions when running a tournament at night. Cars with headlights on or cameras that flash as skiers are in their run will typically happen. It's will also have a negative impact for the skier, but I don't think it's realistic to mandate no external light sources. Light flashes from external sources are very likely to happen. It should be written or unwritten that skier should deal with it the best they can, because they won't be granted a re-ride for getting distracted by light.

I believe the skiers get to pick their own drivers. If this is true then the driver for Jeff couldn't be considered impartial.

A little duct tape and super glue and it will be as good as new.

Juvenile snake bites are more dangerous because the young snakes tend to release all their venom when they bite, whereas an adult snake knows it can take several days to replenish their venom, so they tend to release a small amount when they bite.

Yes Matt. COA's and Nationals Qualification are published. Go to USAWaterski website and under ranking list set 2014 Nationals as event qualifications filter.

Thanks Mike. This boat was a promo boat in 2011 and pulled several tournaments at Whitestone.

If anyone on BOS (or your friends) are looking for a late model tournament ski boat I'm selling my 2011 Prostar 197 WTT. Details are listed on ski-it-again. http://www.ski-it-again.com/php/skiitagain.php?topic=Search&category=Comp_Boat&postid=28755 The boat is in excellent condition and runs great. Comes with Z-Off, Bimini, Full Cover, Stereo, Trailer. Ilmore 5.7L engine. Just reduced price to $39,750. Boat is located near Atlanta. Feel free to send me a PM with any questions or if interested.

IF I were MM rated I'd gladly ski in that division. Even if that meant first off the dock and not a snowballs chance in hell of winning. MM rating is a difficult feat and an amazing accomplishment that spans several age groups. I'd wear that recognition like a gold medal around my neck.......Just my two cents.

Maybe it's just me, but my second pass is my easiest and most comfortable. 22' off is usually my opener......I get through it and use it to help loosen up. 28' off is where I feel confident and start to find a good rythm.

Here are a few pics from the ProAm.

Yes Kris LaPoint is a beast! Here's a good pic of him getting vertical. He's one of the reasons I'm in this sport.....I remember watching him about 30 years ago! What a great day at the ProAm! Big thanks to OB, Webbdawg, MattP, and Mike Mosely for all their hard work in putting on a world class event. MattP, I was boat judge both times when you skied.....My two cents is you need to be on a longer ski. You looked good but your ski is extremely squirrelly and not very stable. (IMHO). John Cox, nice to meet you. I hope the arm injury isn't too serious.

Very cool video. What a great angle to watch from.