BraceMaker

@Ilivetoski I don't think the affordability of skiing is destroyed by the lack of recognized public water "ski" zones. Regardless of gear costs, boat costs, gas costs - all of which are scalable to talent level, participants, and region. Water access is, and will continue to be the singe largest cost associated with skiing. My experience has been that the accessible water is unsafe due to high traffic, and so heavily boated that progressing with waterski skills is difficult - impossible. Less accessible waters increase costs and minimize access. The public lake I ski with my family for instance has one permitted course, the owners of which I am friendly with. But it happens to reside in an area of of the lake that is close to a public ramp, and draws countless jetskis who buzz around the ball. No state protections exist for users of courses, or waterskiing in general beyond basic "right of way" type boaters safety rules. For 800$ you can set up a couple used decent slalom skis with wileys and RTP's and teach almost anyone to round some balls, on that same set up many people will learn and progress, and eventually they will buy skis. A 100$ trip to the gas station gets enough fuel for a group of people to ski several sets, and ~10K gets a usable 19' ski boat with a perfect pass in it usable for pulling people through a course. But when the course has someone anchored between 1 and 3 ball sunbathing, and they won't vacate, you have the MOST cost prohibitive portion of waterskiing - access to private water. That's where 50-100$ a pull starts to show up. At which point I am not skiing. 1200+ on a ski, sure, 400$ of bindings whatever, some 6 gallon gas cans I can handle, and I can pony up money for a boat. But buying a private lake and maintaining it is another game all together.

Warp effect? http://www.miamiskinautiques.com/2012-Reflex-Warp-12-Slalom-Ski-Blank-p/12_reflex_warp.htm

Attach the plug to your boats keys when not in. Pretty hard to hit the water with out the keys. If nothing else you'll notice right away when you go to start the boat.

http://i45.tinypic.com/359bn7p.jpg http://i45.tinypic.com/2mebhq1.jpg And with load on the ski to show more detail. Top layer did not crack open. This was under the front boot. http://i48.tinypic.com/35laf13.jpg

And the skiers didn't buy the skis because they liked how they rode? If the light Carbon skis were terrible to ride peoplle would still be buying wood... Oh wait. http://www.mahaskis.com/hpslalom.php "67" 69" 74" Retro High Performance Slalom $2050 - 50% or more Exotic Hardwood All complete skis come with High Wrap front binding and back kicker. Back kicker mounted Special High Heel add $130. Your name engraved on fin & ski case. 2 High Wrap bindings for all skis add $190. " 2000 gets you a laminated carbon fiber ski, or a Maharaja.

MC's went wood free around '86, good for longevity, although many will tell you they prefer the wood stringer boats because it took mfg's awhile to get some "play" into the composite stringers. If the floor doesn't have soft spots, and the hardware holding the engine in is tight, you probably have a pretty rot free boat. But you can always play around with an awl in wood floor boats and look for rot.

I am frankly shocked that companies can sell new hand laminated and finished carbon fiber laminations over machined cores, for 1500$, and do marketing, sales, service etc. on that same payment. AND make relatively few total products in a production line on a mold/core. Imagine just how many HO A3 66" skis are really made/sold in a year, same for the Strada. Would be interesting numbers, I'm sure we're not talking multiple thousands of skis per mold/design. We're talking prepreg carbon lay ups shipped and stored refrigerated, then hand laid over pvc foams, with machined insert bushings, fin boxes and fins, cosmetic layers, and then of course assembly, final finishing, and shipping, with some profits. However, I do think in reality there are quite a few people who would be more than content on some of the modern shapes, with less exotic laminations, at a price point in the 700-1K range. But I do think skis are surprisingly inexpensive when you really factor in I laminate some stuff at work, and charge well more than 1500$/unit to make it worth the effort.

I've got one in the closet I can photo when I get home. Different style failure.

Garn, I tuned mine by grinding, but if you want a piece of 1/4 co-polymer plastic cut to a size, with two drilled and countersunk holes, I will mail it to you for 0$.

I'm the crowd that went to FM's after a broken leg (Spiral Fx Femur) in standard rubber waterski binders. I have been using the FM's since the summer of 06 and while I don't get near the number of sets in a season as many of you probably do in a month, they worked well for that period of time with basic upkeep such as cleaning and lubing the release pin, and checking screws for loosening. It isn't the most simplistic of systems, I suspect weight is higher than other offerings, I think that depending on foot size the rear binder might be further rearwards than optimal (but many boot systems are) I measured this out between my Wiley double boot and FM boots, and ankle to ankle is the same on both skis, but I am towards the top measurement that the shells will accommodate, and if you are smaller in the boots, your toes will not be near the heel of the front binder. The double plates was really why I went with the FM though, rear heel can come up as you go forwards even if your front binding is still being pressed to the ski by your front leg, but both come free of ski when rear releases as front only has a small patch of velcro. Also, you can boot up while seated and step into ski. And you can swim/climb onto boat, and release from ski in water at end of run. No fiddling with buckles while in the water to for the swim.

"What exactly is a plastic shop?" more like a plastic supplier, If you need scrap plastic I have tons. But I believe "starboard" is more of an engineered marine plastic that is supposed to machine like wood/using woodworking tools. Not that other products wouldn't work for the same purpose. You would of course still be drilling into your rudder, so not for those who do not drill and tap straight holes.

Frank S, there is a guy on S-I-A with a Goodman Trick, and a LFF LG shell Revo. I don't know if it is sold yet, but perhaps check it out?

My pops still uses his world team, and one of my earlier skis was a siege, which has the partial tunnel till behind the foot. Demo could be worth the cost.

Any brand probably OK. FM Revo, Reflex etc. If certain components are missing or broken that is fine - priced accordingly of course. Liner condition does not matter.