MISkier

I completely agree with @SkiJay. I also started at C3, which worked great for me when I was skiing strong and well. But, I got punished for not skiing well or skiing tired. Tried B2, but felt the boat picked me up too late. I use C2 now on my Malibu and the Nautique 200. I use C1 on the 197 to deal with the wake at 22 and give me some slight correction time. Stick with C and reduce the number if you want the boat to be there, but not punish you.

I have not skied enough this season. Weather has been part of it and I had a minor ankle injury at the end of June. I had great hopes for this year and started very strong after some great 28 off coaching (and fin tuning) by @AB last September. But, lack of water time is causing problems. I am working on a solution for that for next season. This year: 34 mph 2 at 32 off practice .5 at 32 off tournament 36 mph 3 at 28 off All time PBs (set in 2011): 34 mph 4 at 32 off practice 1.5 at 32 off tournament 36 mph 5 at 28 off I have a long way to go.

Well, actually, I don't know what the cutoff was on 7/15. If it was 92.50 (or less) on 7/15, then his 92.50 score is it. He got that score on 8/10 - just in time.

Nope. The cutoff was 93, so that 92.50 didn't do it.

2 of those 3 guys are overall skiers. Don't know what their ranking was overall, but that could be it. The 3rd guy has his average right on the bubble with a score of 2.5 at 35. It might be that 2.5 at 35 score that did it. I think I have a lot more rules reading to do.

@alex38, I think it has to do with qualifying in overall, not slalom in particular. That was pointed out to me in detail, if you read a few posts back.

Ah, yes. It is all coming back to me now. The reason I remember the M4 categorization surprise was there were no M3 skiers at my first tournament. I thought I would win my division. Not so.

@ShaneH, did they change that? I am positive I was categorized as M4 immediately after Nationals and before I turned 45.

Correction: My first tournament was after Nationals in 2010 and I was 44 and would turn 45 a month later. I was categorized as M4 at age 44 after Nationals with my 45th birthday a month later. @Alex38, I think you will be M4 after this week and for the 2014 ski year (in which you will turn 45). My memory is about as good as my skiing.

I think you will be in M4 immediately following Nationals right now, if you are 44. It seems that my first tournament was after Nationals in 2009 and I turned 44 about a month later. I thought I was in M3 at the time, because I was 43. But, since Nationals was over, it was considered another ski year - one in which I would be 44 before the next Nationals. So, I was M4 for that first tournament. I think that is right. Someone else may know better.

And before anyone gets defensive about motorcycles, I think they are fine. I even had one in high school and college. They just aren't well received around here - something about "dying and having a family to raise alone".

Possibly. I don't think I'd try jump. One of the guys in our club broke his hip/femur about 2 years ago (and he landed the jump). He's about 10 years younger than me. I think attempting the jump would receive the same reception from my wife as a new motorcycle. Those who do it regularly and successfully are a rare breed. That is probably why there is more slalom than trick and jump in general.

@ntx, I'm probably too old to begin those now. If I had some exposure to it as a kid/teen, I might have been a part of it. We were lucky to have a 40HP outboard and I didn't ski anything over 85HP until I was 25. My first slalom experience was on a 1950s-era Cypress Gardens jump ski (don't know why we had those with no jump). No toe piece, just put your foot flat on the ski -which was also completely flat. I endured lack of good equipment and access to a course for a long, long time and only started tournament skiing 3 years ago - already in my mid-40s. I didn't see anyone trick ski live and in person until I pulled one of my ski partners about 4-5 years ago. I think slalom is about all I'm capable of now - it's too late. My question was not to detract from their qualifying for Nationals, just to question what rule was making that happen. I also have a lack of awareness and exposure to the rules.

Looks to be about a 4" wide wedge increasing to about 3/16 inch depth at the transom, correct?

@ShaneH, do you have any specs, description, other demonstration as to creating the hook? Would be nice to know. Also, would the same change work on a pre-2004 197/X7 hull? My understanding is that MC did modify the hull slightly after 2003. I'm good with the boat I have, but know of others looking for boats. If the 197 were to become cheaper and modifiable into a good slalom wake for longer line and slower speed, that information might actually help support the 197 pricing to buyers willing to break out their tools.

How are those guys with averages of 92.17, 84.67 and 79.33 qualifying? The only way those scores would make it is if they won their division in Regionals, correct?

Ground?

I taped it a couple of times with athletic tape, but it actually made the binding harder to remove when the tape rolled and became sticky in contact with the binding. I also discovered that the binding (Wiley's) provided enough support that the tape wasn't required. My ankle (medial sprain) was not as bad as yours. I only required 10 days off before skiing again and I walked on it the entire time with only an Ace wrap. I am at week 8 and almost pain free. I have been able to run a couple of miles on it in the last 2 weeks, though it hurts the entire time.

Holy moley. That Sunsetter is practically new. Skiers Pier is a great dealership as well. The owners are skiers and Mary is a top National competitor and Regional champion.

O'Neill Hyperfreak heater top. It's great. However, I'll probably have to break out the drysuit soon. I get cold easily. 140 pounds + 48 pulse + no hair = cold.

I am liking a lot of what I am seeing. I would like to see the boat with the wraparound windshield option (if it exists) and what that might mean for the bimini, which is an excellent design. The only thing that remains an issue for me is the pickle fork nose. It doesn't look too dramatic and I am warming up to it. I think I'd need to see it in person. I am totally digging the wake photos/video/feedback. Ski racks = awesome. Bow cover = awesome. Fold flat center seat = double awesome. The dash redesign and gauge location is great as well. I think they have really put a lot of thought into it and it shows. I can't wait to ski it. I am not in the market for a boat right now, but I know people who are. It is definitely challenging the other boats and may retake the lead. It's no secret that I didn't like the 197 from a skiability perspective, but this new boat seems like redemption and then some. I wish MC lots of success with it.

Some vinyl manufacturers do not want you to use Armor All, so check first. I have found that 303 is commonly recommended by them, though.

@crashman, I like the Wim DeCree video of him running 28 off through 39 off. He has a nice slide sort of move about in the middle of the wake. I'm not sure how to describe it, but the result is the ski is out in front of him for the edge change and turn. I suspect of lot of it is achieved by some of the techniques described in the handle control article. But, there seems to be something more as well. I wish I could do it about 25% of how he does it. Looks effortless. You can see that video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMeWeoIVNOI

First tip I would give is from @AB. Pretend you are starting a chainsaw going into your preturn to get some counter rotation and open your shoulders up. Second tip I would give is to make sure you are getting that ski out in front of you off the second wake. Soft knees, flexed ankles. No straight legs. Third tip is don't rush getting that free hand back on the handle. Push your hips around, drive the ski under the rope and ski naturally back to the handle to grab it. Too bad I can't do any of this either.

@crashman, I've only driven the Zbox a little bit. It's lock in is probably similar to StarGazer, which is tougher to lock in than PP Classic. However, Zbox eliminates actual weight adjustment, except for maybe a few broad categories on the skier such as normal, light, feather, and heavy (not their actual names). So, there may be less fiddling with that stuff and more consistent lock in with Zbox. Zbox needs a smooth throttle up. I don't think you can get away with ramming the throttle down and pulling back, which can be problematic in all speed controls. You can't floor it either. The best way is to push the throttle to a certain amount beyond what is required to get the boat to the desired speed, but not overshoot too much, and leave it there. It's all in the throttle up. Once you get practiced at throttling up, the pull is good.