TDL

An auto renewal option would be nice or at least an email notification that your membership is about to expire.

 

Also, make the emails fun to open with links to waterskiing content or inside scoop about past/future events. The discount program makes the usawaterski emails feel like junk mail.

My chiropractor finally fessed up and hit me with the truth: "You're weak." That pronouncement turned my life around. Since then I have built up my core strength with an emphasis on bird dogs, bridges, dumbbell dead lifts, and side star planks. The key was finding an effective core strength routine that didn't aggravate my back further. After a couple of years, it has made a world of difference. Now my chiropractor has my eternal gratitude but much less business.

After getting my girls all Stoked up last fall, now it's my turn!

Do you think a 5'4" driver could see over the dash and bow without any problem?

My girls grew up in double Wiley boots. For me, it seemed the best combination of safety, performance, and price. They did fit somewhat awkwardly for a while for sure. Like @Rednucleus said, a phone call may really help.

 

Another option to consider is the Radar Pulse boot. It goes down to size 5. My oldest is in them now and she likes the added comfort. They strike me as a little bulky though so it's possible they would stick out wider than the ski on a 63" stick - not sure though.

I am in a state with a stay-at-home order and I made the decision to only ski with members of my household. Just an effort to keep my risk of spreading it to as close to zero as possible until we get a better grip of how this thing is going to play out.

Just skied a set with a focus on trying to incorporate these concepts. It worked. Smoother through the wakes. My spray was bigger. I'm on board. Thank you @adamhcaldwell and @AdamCord.

 

The overhead photo of Chris Parrish is a great visual. I had no idea skiing like that was even possible.

 

I am wondering how this all interacts with cross-course angle out of the turn. Last year I had some success purposefully taking less angle. That focus probably helped me stay more connected off the second wake. There were downsides to taking less angle though: often later and narrower at the buoy.

 

Question: Do you think the Connection and Swing method described in this thread allows skiers to bite off more angle out of the turn and still stay connected off the second wake? I'm hoping to scrap the "take less angle" approach.

So, if a skier earned a score in a September 2019 Class C tournament above the currently posted cut-off average and gets a score greater than zero at their 2020 Regionals, then they will qualify for the 2020 Nationals, right?

 

Relevant quotes from the online rule book:

 

"For those qualified by placement in an event without a Level 8 ranking, scores from the current Regionals or immediate past Nationals must be above zero in the event."

 

"... or by attaining a score equal to or greater than the Level 8 Cut Off Average for his respective event and

division at the Regional Tournament or at any class C or above event between the Cut Off Date and the first day of Nationals."

 

"...the Cutoff Date, which is 3:00a.m. Eastern Time on the first Thursday after the preceding National Tournament."

I taught my four kids to ski the course behind a '98 Malibu Response. Probably the best slow speed wake in our neighborhood other than the recent Mastercrafts.

The craziest thing about Arvin/Bakersfield is that we get glass all year long, not just in the summer. The hardest part about living here is when you have to stare at the glass when your ski buddies' schedules don't match yours. Plenty of culture if you know where to look; e.g., right now Little Women is on at The Empty Space for $15. When you're ready to ski - live here. When you're ready to retire - well, maybe consider Asheville or Sedona. Did I mention we don't have bugs or humidity?

The level 8 cutoff score for G2 Slalom is listed as 54 bouys, 6@30.4mph/LL. Can a G2 skier qualify for Nationals with a score of 6@28.6mph/15 off?

To cure the long and lazy turns: focus on leaning towards the next ball when making a turn. Having this mindset during a turn is surprisingly effective at eliminating unproductive movement.

 

This method is so simple and effective that it was for decades a well guarded Arvin secret until somebody let it slip out to the masses on The Flowpoint Podcast, Episode #7.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While using a RTP my neighbor blew out in a turn and broke his rear ankle when the ski bit after the blowout. In that particular situation perhaps a Wiley rear would help provide some lateral support.

I thought I saw an @Colebrah at 1:20.

My neighbor suffered a pretty bad ankle/foot break in his rear leg while using a RTP. I think the ski blew out or hit the buoy. The injury occurred when his ski reentered the water with both feet still in the binders.

While you're scoping out Gurnett Lakes, make sure to hit the adventurous restaurant scene in Arvin. Mountain biking up the Sheep's Trail is nearby, or you could hit Kernville for world class trails. I disagree with some of the previous comments about Bakersfield. There's actually quite a bit to do there. I miss out on countless events because of lack of time and money. The Kern River Bike Trail is a real gem also.

From Skiing on Water by Jack Andresen 1950

 

Another variation on the duct tape plan:

http://www.waterskimag.com/features/2009/10/01/water-ski-blister-prevention/

I tried it a couple of times and found it very effective. It works even if your blisters have already broken because the sticky side of the duct tape doesn't touch the blister.

My takeaway from watching Terry (with the help of a neighbor's coaching today) is to keep working off the second wake with my back arm even as I let off the gas. The image posted by @Wish shows how hard Terry is working even though he is no longer in a tug of war with the boat. My outbound trajectory seems to benefit more from a straight back arm off the second wake than Terry's technique would suggest.

Squeezing the but cheeks during the glide and through the gates helps set up a nice one ball.

Chest up during the turn helps keep more ski in the water.

On a related note, I think posting tournament results in metric units turns off interest.