wilecoyote

I've only recently been getting into -22. Just 3 or 4 attempts this season, and 2 OTFs. One onside, one off, both right at or after the 2nd wake. It's making me a bit gun shy of 22 LOL. I've never considered it to be ski settings, I'm quite sure that every time speed goes up or line gets shorter, form issues are amplified. Luckily I get great coaching (JMac) so if I can do what he tells me to do I'm sure I'll get through it. None the less, I'm with you, it's hard to commit to the pass when the last time you did, you had a scary crash.

@bigskieridaho makes the real point here. For me I would absolutely LOVE an Eboat. Charge all week by solar, ski 6 sets on Saturday (only 2 skiers at the cottage), charge on shore power overnight, ski another 6 Sunday. When we're up all week we could charge on shore power as needed. Noise, no gas, easier winterize, all wins. BUT for ski clubs and tourneys it would be a nightmare. Swapping batteries wouldn't be an answer, and you just can't charge fast enough. Now you're asking the manufacturers to build 2 boats, one for guys like me, and one for clubs and schools. I'm sure this is one of the reasons that the E Nautique was mothballed.

I took that EXACT fall yesterday, I have no idea what happened, and I can't see what happened to Marcus either. Sorry, no video.

Yes they are, JMac crushed it!

http://www.iwwfed-ea.org/competition.php?cc=T-18USA021&page=men_slalom_results

I'll throw my .02 in for a 2018 Vapor. I'm in the same boat as you, ski nearly every day, rarely get a full 6 a 34MPH 15 off. I took a 2018 Vapor for a demo ride mid season, and got further down my 34MPH pass than I had all season. That was on the 5th pass I'd ever run on the ski. The off side turn was money. I'm currently on a D3 Quest which I like and will continue to ski on, as I just can't justify the money for a new ski right now. I'm stressing the 2018 Vapor as it's not the same ski as the 2017, and it seems to work really well for the 34/15 off crowd.

I've got an 84 supra Rider at the cottage and no course. I ski every day at the McClintoks behind a Natique 200. I absolutely love both. I get the early morning glass at the cottage and it's magic. There's another skier on the lake who wants us to put on a course, but I have no desire to bother. There's nothing like making turn after turn in perfect glass

I don't think smooth can be over emphasized. This in no way is a critique of FW or any other skiers, but it's rare in any sport for the dominant champion not to perform in a manner that makes it look easy. Currently in our sport, Nate is that guy. How many times have you said to yourself, or heard someone else say that 38, 39 and 41 looked the same when Nate was out. I don't agree with the attitude that 6 buoys is 6 buoys. It does matter how you do it. Scrapping out a pass where you made a bunch of mistakes but still managed to turn 6 is a tonne of fun, but running it and feeling like you could have turned 2 more? now that feels good.

 

All that being said, JMac is my guy, he's got 5, and he's LFF so it's only a matter of time before he runs it.

Seriously though the Maherajah was a very good looking ski. I too would trade the poster for the ski, but I don't have the poster. I think my uncle has (or had) one, one of these days I'm going to ask him. All I remember (I was pretty young) was a beautiful wood ski that he kept wrapped in a blanket.

The ski or the poster?

yep

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the '72 Maherajah. I'd post a pic of the ad, but it might be in violation of the BOS site rules.

I like to ski my opener which is 49K and sometimes I'll bump up to 52 but never 55 or 22off (which is my pb 2@ 22off). I feel that when there are no buoys, I can work on my form. I really like to work on finishing the turn and getting the hip to the handle, which usually falls to pieces when I'm in the course. I free ski behind my own boat on weekends at the cottage, so there is no temptation to ski the course as there isn't one. After a couple of days free skiing my course skiing is usually a bit better.

I did. I had skied RFF from age 10 to age 50. I was always a hack though skiing just once or twice a year, and not in the course. I decided to take is seriously just a few years ago. I had run 15 off @ 46K and then had a knee problem that took me out at the end of the season. Spring the next year I went from double boot to RTP and switched feet so I could continue. I was running 49 by the end of the season. In my case though, I always thought I should be LFF so it felt pretty comfortable right off the bat.

Sadly pulled mine out last weekend and winterized, so of course it was warm and glass the next day. Boat and one course are still in at the club, so maybe one more set this weekend.

Way back in my teens, (Early '80s) when my skiing consisted of a couple of times a year at my friends place or grandparents cottage, I skied with some hot shots who skied at a ski school, and when I said "hit it" they told me that no one used that in ski schools or clubs and the correct phrase was "go please"

 

Now though, all my drivers are so good, that the rope is tight when it's supposed to be, and pretty much any utterance gets me pulled up.

Was that Spray Lake or McClintocks that you were at? We've got some great instructors at McClintocks,(Jason McClintock for one) but that's for summer of course and you're looking at Florida.

Had me fooled, but now you mention it, makes sense that it's a fake.

Yup, that takes stupid to a professional level. (ghost ride I mean not the footing)

Don't get discouraged, but... I've been in the course for basically 2 years and I ran my first 15 off pass at 28MPH mid 2014 season. Yesterday was my first full pass at 34mph, and got outside 2 ball at 22. (I'm an old guy so not even considering 36 mph) I ski pretty much 7 or 8 sets/week, so two sets/week (I'm assuming if you're driving out once a week you're skiing 2 sets) doesn't give you a lot of time to get to the higher speeds. If you run 15off at 32 by the end of the season, consider that an excellent result. Best of Luck, and please prove me wrong!

Our cottage is on a medium sized lake with not a lot of cottages, I regularly get free ski glass and absolutely love it. Just ski the whole lake until it's all stirred up. Can't complain about the rollers when you know you were the one that made them LOL

I just watched the whole thing, it was just too much fun to stop. This is from Milan in 1977. https://goo.gl/X4vvqm.

Don't you hate it when you have butter and then you fall halfway through the pass and wreck it?

2 sets so far, got so tired of falling at 2 ball, we went down to the other end so I could fall around 2 ball going the other way for a while.

I've been windsurfing as soon as the ice is out for 30 years, and I've never had an issue with a gasp underwater. I've gasped when I surfaced though! One thing I've noticed with skiing though is that we tend to dress much lighter in cold water than we would for surfing or windsurfing. I'll wear a shorty in the same water I'd wear a steamer to windsurf in. I think when it's cold you need to do a deep water start, which is the only start I do at our club anyways, but at least you get a bit acclimatized before you go anywhere. Although I pretty much wait until the rope is tight before I slide off the dock and I'm already saying "go please"

Custom bent how?