Why ski tournaments?

[Than_Bogan]

I hope that's a bit out of context, because it seems to make no sense.  (EDITED:  Was confirmed below to be taken out of context.)

[scoke]

Hold up now as that quote is completely out of context written by OB.

 

The original author of the thread has not posted his name where he skis but is making points VERY loudly while offering NO SOLUTIONS as well as disagreeing with any rational points actually being made.

 

To jump in this thread and bash OB for a out of context quite is flat out wrong and borderline ignorant. I've known oB for 8+ years and watched him

Grow the sport among the most peoples I've seen. I'll go to bat for him nearly every time. Unless he keeps showing the "wombat" of course ;)

 

Ob's post was directed AT the complainer and no one else. Read the thread yourselves.

[ForrestGump]

Yeah, that was taken out of context.  OB has spent the last few years doing great things for the waterski community in and around Atlanta. His site is probably the most accessible of any site in a major metropolitan area, bar none. 

[HO 410]

There is nothing that can happen inside that thread that will help to dissolve the frustration that spawned it. Personally I belive a trip to see Drew, Andy, Seth, Trent, Chris, Wade, etc, etc... would go a long way to reducing such struggles, but that thread has nothing to do with overcoming the particular challange.

 

People decide to take their ball and go home all the time, and things keep plugging forward. You have to see where OB started, and where he was taken, too see where that particular quote came from.

[kpickett]

Skoke - I'm definitely not bashing OB. I certainly apologize if it seems like that's what my purpose was. I've read a lot of OB's comments over the years, and I have huge respect for what he's done in Atlanta. I also understand why "skidudeski" pushes his buttons.

I posted the quote because I think it's an interesting, and valid, point of view on the "Why ski tournaments?" question. I think it also goes to my gut feeling that at their hearts, tournaments are about competition with other people, not with your personal best. I think that really does make it hard to swallow the idea of "competing" when you know that you're just not competitive with the other guys in your class.

That said, I had fun this year in the INT - did post some personal bests - and I'm going to help try to get a lot more of our local skiers involved next year. It will probably be a more fun "competition" if we have a bunch more skiers in the middle.

[Than_Bogan]

At the risk of being overly pedantic (as I usually am), I would say it is incorrect to classify tournaments as being "at their hearts" about ... well anything.  A tournament is a vehicle that you can then use however you want.  I began skiing tournaments when the best I could do was a full pass at 34 mph (sometimes).  I enjoyed it tremendously (maybe even more than I do now that I routinely qualify for Nationals) for all the reasons that have been put forth on this thread.

But what *I* enjoyed is of little significance.  In making a decision about skiing tournaments, you have to decide what YOU get out of them.  If the payoff isn't there for you, in some form, then obviously save your money and your time!

That said, make sure you don't overlook the fact (or I claim it's a fact anyhow) that tournament partipication is quite likely to help you GET to a level where you're competitive with the better skiers in your area.  So if that's a goal (no clue if it is), going to tournaments now could be considered an "investment" toward that future.

[jdarwin]

Jay Bennett told me 25 years ago:  There is only one thing that prepares you for skiing in tournaments:  Skiing tournaments.

[Jody_Seal]

"Why Ski Tournaments?"

This is a good question and until about 4-5 years ago I did not see any reason why not to ski tournaments. After predomitly skiing on Private lakes and working within the industry I had never thought about the masses of skiers out their that did not ski tournaments. After starting my own business and started skiing back on public water I met a lot of new non tournament skiers. Many of these skiers are good skiers, some have had some tournament experience and some could challenge the best in the country. At this time I realized that most all of us tournament participators live in a fish bowl looking out at the world. We have created an elitist mentality with in the sport. We have allowed ourselves to not look at the sport as whole but rather as a sport dedicated towards elite and closed minded participation. We have ruled ourselves to the point that we now have to have current boats a speed control that can only be used in current boats, we only have tournaments on private sites with very limited accessibility to outsiders. The bottom line here is that as a whole we do not want the membership to grow, we do not want more participation among new blood, we just want to do what we have done for the last 20 years or so. Our sanctioning body still does run like a "volunteer Organization" and not a business. We do not have true competition in most all of our tournaments, We have become performance oriented and not truly competitive in nature. We allow for skiers to jump back and forth from elite divisions to age group divisions from tournament to tournament. The elitists that basically run our organization have turned a blind eye to the ZO-PP debacle.

I have kept a role in tournament skiing because I have a son and a daughter that are National level competitors. I have not skied a round in 2 years because of ZO, Keep in mind I am on my 5th ZO equipped boat and have beat my brains out trying to ski with this overly harsh system. I keep hoping that in the near future the sanctioning body will flex some muscle and demand from the manufacturers an option D for slalom that is a rpm based program similar to PP classic or even Star Gazer.

Skiing tournaments can only be justified by each person wanting to participate. Each participant has their own reasons but the bottom line is if something does not change with in the sport soon their will only be a bunch of old stick in the mud elitist thinking Geezers participating.

 I am off to beat my brains out some more with ZO!

[Horton]

Dude,

Send me your address. That post deserves a T-Shirt or coffee cup.

[Than_Bogan]

a bunch of old stick in the mud elitist thinking Geezers

I resemble that remark! /vanillaforum/js/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-smile.gif

But in all seriousness, that's actually not at all what I am seeing in New England.  I am seeing a lot of the Old Gaurd starting to reduce or end tournament participation, and their places are being taken by kids, who suddenly make up a decent portion of the skiers at most tournaments around here.

[RichardDoane]

Jody - you need to come ski with us in Washington State, where we are not closed minded, we appreciate the new skiers that come out to see an event, we encourage the "average Joe" to get involved on whatever level he/she chooses, and want the skiing community to grow and prosper whether it's on open water, an INT event, or USAWaterski membership.  I'm glad your kids have kept you involved because one of these days you'll learn to get early, and ZO will instantly become your best buddy !

[Chef23]

My son and I were new to skiing tournaments last year and have found everyone to be very open and welcoming. I probably wouldn't be going to tournaments if my son wasn't going but since we have been going I do set goals for myself. This year my goal was to qualify for regionals and run 28 off in a tournament and I have done both. I now have goals to run 32 off in a tournament and qualify for Nationals. The Nationals qualification is likely going to be a multi year goal as I am a pass and a half away.

[Jody_Seal]

Horton! That one Warranted me a T-shirt? 1121-b Hwy 390 Panama City, Florida 32405. Will put it with my special shirts that I wear at tournaments!

I did not mean to sound negative because their are pockets of advancement within a few areas in our sport. The mid West  is one of them with Jeff Surdej at the helm as EVP he brings a younger mind set as regional leader. The southern region has a new EVP with Bob Archambeau as EVP, Bob will bring about some changes in the south. But our Sport is still over regulated with technology and rules that is truly not needed. Our sanctioning body is run for the most part by elderly men and women that are not at ground level with regular tournament skiers. They tend to be like a flock of Sheep with Mr. Grew as their leader. Does anyone get the bi-monthly news letter from the Ex director? Keep in mind in the last 5 years we have had 3-4 persons in that slot and we still are running the organization like a NON for Profit enity, It is the 21 century!

Thanks for the invite to the Great Pacific North West. Keep in mind I grewup in North West Montana and was a founding member of the Echo lake waterski club and Moose Country Ski Ranch. John Goodman Gave me my first driving assignments at the Mud hole in Tri Cities Wash. The North West truly has some great people in the sport but they too are rappidly thinnig out fast. As fAr as adapting to Zero Off this has been very difficult but am taking a differnt approach, at age 53 went back to skiing at 36 mph!!! Less time to think about it that Way!

Cheers!

[Horton]

finally getting off butt to send t-shirt. What size?

[Jody_Seal]

XL And thank you will call this afternoon.

[RichardDoane]

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_I-Kt0bXum5I/TLR-0Jwd1uI/AAAAAAAAAqk/fhXjF2jpxpI/s800/Krista.Posse.PNGFrom Ski Buddies

[RichardDoane]

This past weekend's event at the Imperial Lakes in El Centro, CA was a lot of fun; wonderful site, great conditions, terrific people, and an excellent Saturday night banquet/party.  Oh, and a few bikinis....  Photo compliments of The_Krista and her Posse.

[Jean B]

Where is the picture of the guys in speedo's? 

[RichardDoane]

not my department

[eleeski]

I hope there are no photos of us looking for the jump switch plug under the dash, Richard. Jean, I might have been wearing my spandex jammers but that would not have been a pretty picture. If Gail took a photo, I'm sure she will try to blackmail us.

Eric

[kpickett]

Yes, Richard. Five good reasons.