bojans

Green vapor?

I know the title alone probably deserves a panda, but hear me out... I am a used to be tournament skier who has been out of the sport for many years. I started skiing again 2 years ago and with that have introduced my kids to the sport. My 8 year old son is doing great and asking to go to a tournament or 2 this year. Here is my issue, after having a few back surgeries deep water starts are the bane of my waterskiing existence, using a drop ski allows me to ski and not be crippled the next day. I only need the drop ski to get my out of the water, between me kicking the ski backwards and the wash of the prop, the skis ends up in about the same place as I started after each up. If it were not for my son, I would not even be considering skiing tournaments again, between the need for a drop skis and a realistic performance for me would be to run 32, 34 and mabye a few at -22, I am not qualifying for nationals. Our lake is a very relaxed club, when we used to host tournaments we would have had no problem dealing with drop skis, but i know we are not a "normal" private site and our members are not interested in doing tournaments anymore. Am I out of line to ask a club to let me use drop skis? I know this creates issues with having to retreive the skis, is this too much to ask? The answer will not keep my son out of tournaments, we will still go with me as a spectator, but it would be nice to ski with him. Thanks Scott

is it just me or does it look like there are no fins in any of the skis?

X2 on getting used to the bindings before demoing skis. For many, a binding change is harder to adapt to than a ski change.

We use a Kubota RTV all the time. It works great and the short wheelbase makes maneuvering int the barn very easy.

I would love to get some footage of my kids skiing with something like this. The look on their faces is the best part.

x2 Radar taking care of you, they went way above and beyond for me last year.

No, this one actually attached to the ski and once up you pulled it off.

I have been searching for the post with the handle that connected to the ski and helped pull the skier up onto plane. Does anyone know the name of this product?

How old are your kids? I am going through this with my kids now. My son is 8 now, we started him skiing next to the boat at 2 yrs old on trainers with the skis tied together. When he was 4 he started going behind the boat on trainers, skis tied together. he wasn't overly enthusiastic about skiing so we let him do it on his own terms and only when he asked to. Last year was the breakthrough year for him - 7 years old. He started skiing on the trainers without them tied together, was asking to ski about every day and started running the course on 2 skis. The love of skiing is strong with him now, he skied in 51 degree water last weekend and we will be moving onto 1 ski this year. My daughter is 5 now and has been very hesitant to ski. We have had her on an http://www.amazon.com/Airhead-AHEZ-100-Trainer-Inflatable-Tube/dp/B00AJVLB9Y and she enjoys that a few times a summer. Now she says she is ready to go (as soon as the water is warmer). We will just go straight to trainers with the rope tied to the skis. My best advise is not to push it. Make it fun. Go on a tube ride with the kids, let them play with the skis at home, have a root beer ready for them when they get done skiing. They will learnt to love it and love the time with you.

I have had a few in the lumbar region, no issues and they provided relief for varying amounts of time (one was over 6 months). Make sure you find an experienced DOCTOR to do this, not some tech who learned to give injections. Good luck.

The discussion on a fair price for a 1999 SN and some of the comments around "anyone who knows theses boats and engines would have no concerns" has me thinking. With good maintenance and use on a private lake 99% of the time, what is the typical useable life of a boat (and driveline) like this?

My son is 8 years old and has been staring longingly at his new Total Radar Awesomeness. He has been running the course on combos with typical adjustable bindings and this year will be making the leap to one ski. In looking at bindings I am a bit confused on sizing. He wears a boys 4 shoe. The Radar Prime binding says a small is good for mens 4-8. Has anyone tried this or a Vector binding on a kid this age/size?

@Horton can you elaborate on the deep water starts? Getting out of the water is the hardest part on my low back (3 back surgeries in now). When I am hurting I use drop skis at each end, thinking a powervest may be less embarrassing.

Jody, can you elaborate on allowable surface deviation? What is the issue?

Apologies for being off topic, but @horton, what is your water temp this time of year?

right now our lake is very cold and I would assume very fast. I just don't know that the ice is think enough to test that theory.

@Texas6 my injuries have been the culmination of not being very careful. When I was 19 I had a snowmobile accident that caused a minor L4-L5 herniation. 10 years later as the herniation got worse and conservative treatments stopped working I had to have my first microdiscectomy, likely a result of slalom, being a bad jumper, life in general and carrying around some extra weight while doing it all. After the first surgery I changed nothing of my behavior. 9 years later I had a spontaneous herniation of L3-L4 during ski season, that one was really bad and required another micro. They removed so much material the doctor really gave me a wake up call and I stopped jumping, began using a drop ski for deep water starts anytime my back felt anything less the 100% and started spending a lot of time in the gym. My most recent one (surgery last week, ~10 years since the first) was a reherniation of L4-L5 requiring another micro with no known event to cause it. Call it bad luck, youthful exuberance, maybe some genetics or just a ticking time bomb it all comes out the same. I am just glad to not be in pain but concerned for what the future holds.

I am in a similar situation. I am currently 1 week out from my 3rd back surgery and really wondering what the doc will say about me ever skiing again. I accepted long ago I may never have another PB (my last PB was probably 15 years and more pounds than I wish to admit ago) but I do it because I love skiing. I love the lifestyle, I love teaching my kids and seeing them progress. I live on a private ski lake and even if the doctor says I shouldn't ski anymore I won't leave the lake, my involvement will just change. Assuming I can continue to ski I will be much more focused on technique than bouy count (at least that's what I say now). Life is short, enjoy the ride.

I'm 230 on a 69 Litium Vapor. No complaints.

My most challenging conditions didn't have so much to do with the weather or water. We were at Arilyt lake for a colligate tournament my freshman year at MSU. Certain members of the team, one being the now wife of @bishop8950, decided to "initiate" me through the consumption of large quantities of fermented beverages. I vauguely remember holding a post on the pavilion saying no more beer. After a terrible nights sleep I woke up to temps in the 40's or low 50's and light drizzle. After skiing a respectable score for me (a couple at 28' off) I sat in my shorty around a fire feeling like death for several hours.

Unfortunately I can't make it but here is a sweet shot of KC getting some practice in at our site Weds. I take. O credit for the photo, it was taken by a friend.

Sunshine Waterski rents a site in McHenry. I don't have her number but it is run by Laurie Remke

The first year KD7000, black and purple. I bought the ski the spring after a really bad tib fib fracture not knowing if I could ski that year. I ended up with a full pass increase in my PB.