aupatking

So @BraceMaker, you saying Malibu is at fault? If not, I don’t get your argument. YOU “slog across doing 12mph” just proving my point, seamanship matters. My dad has driven an Inboard ski boat, my Nautique 196, a total of 1 time. Know how he took on a wake? Slowly quartering as it should be done by anyone who has any business driving a boat. 

Let’s say OK, open bow runabouts are not a good comparison. OK, say grandpa stuffed the nose on a bass boat. You think the outcome would be different? 

Malibu got screwed by an accident caused by a person who had no business driving a boat. I think I’d end myself if something like that happened to my child so understand, I’m not being callous about what happened. I’m just saying the fault was not Malibu’s 

47 minutes ago, Horton said:

@aupatking

if you measure where the back of the plate meets the plate that is stock. If you really want to compare boot to boot you need to use your front inside ankle bone

I was thinking maybe some marking on front plates along the ankle bone…. But, now we have Radar’s carbon plate that has the ability to accommodate more different boot sizes than ever before. That looks like it will likely move the heel/ankle from size to size. 
I think we’re just stuck figuring it out

I’m still trying to find the right place on the 23 Vapor boot when going from ski to ski. Stock is a starting point. That’s all. As Horton said in the original 2015 post, something needs to be “standard”. A mark on the plate, on the boot itself, something. That, though, is MUCH easier said than done. I definitely don’t have the answer

This is not a “ski boat” specific issue. Almost every manufacturer of “runabout” type boats has an open bow. It’s more rare to find closed bow boats, at all, these days. Malibu was not liable for this, as much as any other manufacturer would be. Poor driving was the biggest factor. Someone who does not know how to handle a boat, of any design, should not be allowed to drive one. Sadly, that little nugget of common sense does not fly in this world. 

Watch “haulover inlet” on Instagram. I don’t think they could put a big enough billboard on that pass saying “get your dumbass out of the bow!”. 

I loved the bow seating in my old Prostar. Used it safely with no issue. The biggest problem I had was the same problem with my 196, every boat on the water is now 24+ feet long and the wakes on small bodies of water have gotten enormous. Difference is, I know how to safely operate a vessel. Even on my 26 foot Regulator I don’t let anyone ride in the bow in extremely rough seas or dangerous passes. Seamanship is still a thing

@jcampthey absolutely do. With all that money it sure would be nice to do R&D and maybe sponsor a water skier. It’s kinda where they came from

At this point, I think we can add O’Brien to the list. Anyone seen the video of their top ski being advertised using a wakeboarder skiing the course? It’s terrible and couldn’t be more than 26 mph.  I applaud the wakeboarder but this is their best ski! It should be ridden by a real skier. 

Not to mention it’s most likely still the Elite. That’s what, a 15 year old ski? It’s embarrassing. I hate this has happened to that company

Thank you @scoke I’m not skiing enough these days to have high expectations. I’m trying to get my company that provides a total solution for network services for hospitals off the ground. Long hours without proper ski breaks.

i was on a D3 NRG R2 at the beginning of the summer but have been skiing the last month on a Goode XTRCC. I skied 1 set with @Swini this week (one is all I get when the wife and kids are with me, I guess). Matt is a great coach because he’s a great listener and teacher.  I kept repeating back to him what I heard, which was not what he said. He could see it in my skiing as well. He found the way to say it, that I finally understood and I really believe that is where his gift really lies. He does that better than anyone in the business! I apologize, Matt, for not getting back Friday. I’m pretty sure you knew that was going to happen. 

 I’m going to spend the rest of the summer ingraining that correct feeling into my muscle. “Knowledge is nothing until it is IN THE BODY” (or something close to that quoted from a weird Netflix show, OA)

7 hours ago, Jsh809 said:

I’m lower than reflex’s recommended setting. About a 3.5 instead of 5. I think it’s the “hybrid” nature of this boot that causes this. When I started at the recommended 5, the binding didn’t release at all and it felt like the liner portion was “releasing” like it does when attached straight to the ski.

Did you replace the bungee with a static line (no stretch)? You’ll need to do that to transfer the release energy to the release mechanism. If not, you’ll likely release from the boot and the boot release from the ski

I’m saving up for whatever is about to come out of Radar Lake

As much as I hate that this thread has come back, I have had 3 guys who used to ski tournaments with me say they just didn’t feel like dealing with the hassle. 

Really miss the white ski with the pink squares

Good question. I’ve lost 2 consistent passes. Video doesn’t show anything ugly enough to do that much damage. I’m almost out of rope to add back. Going to see Rini next week

On 4/13/2023 at 7:41 PM, ToddK said:

Any ballers find a solution to having vertical play in the toe when using the Reflex release other than wrapping the front loop with tape or getting a machinist to grind the base of it down a few millimeters? I have extra parts so to make sure it's not operator error, I’ve tried moving the heal release forward, 2 different front loops, 2 different plates and 2 different 840 releases and have the same vertical play in every setup.

If you have the toe bar from a Supershell you need to remove the spacers. I don’t remember the original Reflex boot toe bar having the spacers, so that one may be fine. If you have no spacers and still have the problem, try moving the wishbone to the forward holes. If that does not solve it, as mentioned above, maybe you could move the release mounting blocks one hole forward and the wishbone to the rear hole.

Hours can be pulled from the ECM. Just an FYI. 
that’s a damn nice boat. I need a third ski boat 😎

@Dragoyes he did. It was pretty cool to see him test everything under the sun. I love my D3. I bought it from Freddie, actually

On 6/10/2023 at 11:26 AM, Jordan said:

Nate won every event that he enterred last year and this season so far. I don't think a ski change is either required or is likely.

@Jordan I don’t think he’ll ever leave D3. It really wasn’t what I was saying at all. My point was more of a question I’ve had forever: if the best in the world was in no way tied to any ski company, and could try any ski they wanted, would that push that number higher? Maybe on a XXXX ski, could he get further down the course? (Insert any ski company you like, or all ski companies). Andy was the anomaly. He knew why the ski did what it did and could fully design and redesign his skis. It doesn’t “appear” that Nate does that. Maybe he has more input than I give him credit for. And like @adamhcaldwellsaid, Andy even had the boat designers following his lead

It was said that 39 and then 41 would never be run. We are reaching a mechanical limit though. We don’t have the freak athleticism, at least not in high numbers, that something like basketball does. And height, by itself, is pretty useless. If the Adams could get Nate on the 95, it would be fun to watch

@bjoerip12 where’d you get that one just above the window, second from left? 

Does seem like the skier is being punished for a driver error. I’m good with the protected score while in tolerance but the case could be made, pretty easily, that the driver error caused the missed pass.

But, I’m not a -38 and shorter skier, so maybe I’m wrong. I was just thinking exactly what @Dragosaid

11,960 for a U17?  178 feet? This kid is good! Side question: What height ramp?

Still have mine. Collecting dust. Great idea but only good for your own measurements. Axiom to calipers DFT is different and length is close but still different. Only thing real close is depth. When the whole world is using calipers with reliable accuracy all you can do is use calipers, then Axiom for difference. It was very nice for quick changes though. The angle gauges were super nice. I still use those.
@Mateo_Vargas & @Luzz it checked all 3 measurements at the same time without having to remove the wing. You can adjust the fin with it on so you can verify 1 change at a time. 

Haven’t been able to get back onto the home lake much at all. I had a thoroughly embarrassing tournament performance this past weekend though. 2 out of 3 rounds I missed my opener. So far this year I’m down 2 full passes from my average 3 years ago.

on a productive quest note though, watching Louisa Jaramillo on Instagram gave me what seemed like an insight. Her handle connection was good, of course, but I noticed something more, I think the “turn” started way earlier than I was first thinking. The ski swung out from under her with the handle still in. Is that what is meant by “turn with your hips, not shoulders”? I think it is and I think that may be what I need to focus on feeling. Does that sound right? 

Im planning to ski tomorrow afternoon, but my new company  has been making other plans for me lately 

If you are on public water and cannot leave the course in overnight, a golf or hunting style rangefinder will get you close enough, especially if your mainline segment is not long enough. 
Doesn't sound like that’s a problem for you though, but thought I’d throw that out for anyone with that issue. It’s super fast and accurate enough for a single day use porta-course

According to their own site, IWWF has 3 “Sponsors/Partners”: Correct Craft, Nautique, and Centurion”. I think we all know that’s 1 company. They are not about to burn that bridge. Is that undue influence? Excluding him from non-masters events (LCQs) sure looks like it. The sad fact that is apparently evident there is, CC does more for the sport than the others seem to. 
It’s been said before, the masters and nautique can do what they want at their own event, but the 3 others? I don’t get that. 
I wonder if that “partnership” may keep any pro from saying anything negative about nautique due to a real fear of retribution by IWWF

34 minutes ago, ETskier said:

IMHO, slalom is not dying. 

@ETskier you could be right about that, but I don’t think trick and jump are in the same arena. Also, “competitive slalom” numbers probably don’t agree with you. I know men’s 3 used to have crazy high numbers. There were 3 of us at the AL state championship last year.