It is time for a new "Who Are You Guys" thread

[Razorskier1]

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=3725+South+Cedar+Drive,+Excelsior,+MN+55331&hl=en&ll=44.871625,-93.617077&spn=0.041484,0.076733&sll=37.6,-95.665&sspn=46.894367,78.574219&t=h&hnear=3725+S+Cedar+Rd,+Excelsior,+Carver,+Minnesota+55331&z=14

[Razorskier1]

Link above shows where I ski most often. Good old Lake Minnewashta. I've been there 16 years, but the course permit has been there probably close to 30 years. The course is actually all the way up on the north shoreline in the big bay of the lake, not in my bay. If the wind is "north something" it is usable. Otherwise we ski open water on a protected shore.

[Brady]

@Razorskier1. That is so beautiful man! Why can't you put a course on Lake Saint Joe. That seems to be the perfect size for the course.

[Razorskier1]

Oh, and to the rest of the story. My oldest son turns 20 next February and is razorross3 on BOS. His practice and tournament PB is into 35 off at 36mph. He started skiing around age 14. He is also a powerhouse! He leg presses 1000lbs for sets of 10, and after a summer off of weight lifting he just benched 385lbs this weekend and he only weighs 185 (he's home from college for T-giving). My daughter turns 18 on Dec 31 and just started trick skiing this summer. In just 3 months she went from never tricking to having about a 600pt trick run. She plans to start slalom this next summer. She is also a figure skater, and has done incredible jewelry design and manufacturing on a small scale. My youngest son is 15 and isn't really much of a skier (so far!). He has suddenly realized that he has testosterone raging through his body, however, and is working out with me. While he is tall and lean, his power is coming quick. He benched 225 lbs this weekend (and he weights 150). Last but not least, my wife of 24 years has become an awesome driver and quite a good skier. She mostly enjoys open water, but when she tries the course during the year will run 28mph and 30mph at 15 off without much trouble. Most importantly, she not only puts up with my obsession, but she is always ready to drive!

[Razorskier1]

@Brady -- you don't know how bad I wanted to do that when we moved out there. Unfortunately, it is one of those "no motor" lakes. I am also a member at this site 25 minutes to the west of my house, which is where we ski on the weekends, and sometimes in the evening.

 

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=new+germany,+mn&hl=en&ll=44.894157,-93.976278&spn=0.010367,0.019183&sll=37.6,-95.665&sspn=46.894367,78.574219&t=h&hnear=New+Germany,+Carver,+Minnesota&z=16

[Wish]

@Razorskier1. Not a single home on those lakes. What's up with that??

[klindy]

@Wish they took them out for the winter...

[Razorskier1]

@Wish -- short version. Tournament properties are overbuilt in MN. There are four separate properties (2 with 2 lakes, 2 with 1) with who knows how many total lots. Way more inventory than skiers who can afford to live on them. This one went into bankruptcy. There are only about 7 lots sold. Not a great location -- doubt it ever gets developed beyond what is there today.

[Hersh]

Todd Hershberger, I'm a master carpenter/fabricator/cabinet maker living in the New York City area. I've been skiing for as long as I can remember, but i never ran any buoys and ive been dying to get in the course lately.

I never had access to a course. The jump and course got taken out due to insurance reasons when i was six. I geuss I would consider my skiing as marathon skiing. As hard as you can, as fast as you can, for as long as you can. The best workout on the planet in my opinion. My family members were pretty good instructors, but i've set some personal goals to receive quality coaching next spring. Hit the course i just found relatively close to me a couple days a week and enter my first tournament by mid to late summer of '13.

I love to water ski and I come from an old school water skiing family. My parents met skiing in a show team in the 60's and both sides of the family still have cottages on the same private man made lake. My brother now takes care of the place in Shanksville, Pennsyvania. My favorite place in the world. My uncle has a long standing state record in Men's jump, but the only time I ever went over the jump is on a beach raft as a kid when my dad and uncles had a couple to many. Ive been trying to learn as much as possible about course skiing from this forum and I believe it has helped me aquire valuable information. Thank-you @horton and all you "ballers" out there.

[Brady]

@Razorskier1. Oh how I wish we had that problem in Utah!!!!!!!

[RichardDoane]

@Hersh - it's never too late to learn to hit that ramp ! Jumpers are the kind of people that will loan you their gear to see it happen, it's as addictive as the buoys.

[MattP]

@richarddoane is right I learned this past season. @Horton used to be an open ranked jumper back in the day.

[Horton]

Way way back

[cobber]

Geordie Kurtz, personal best is 3 at 32'. 38 years old, not married and no kids. Operations manager at our family owned trucking Company. Live and ski in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Started skiing when I was about 8, skiing about 5 times a summer. Family bought a cottage when I was 16 and started skiing most weekends from then on. Finally joined McClintocks Ski school when I turned 30 and saw the course for the first time. I got hooked and currently I am a driver for the club and ski every night after work and on weekends. I am on BOL spray every day, great site with great people and very helpful information.

[Brady]

@cobber, if you are ever in the mood to get married, make sure you talk to @dbski first. He has it down, and he will show you how if you can cause your wife to have back pain, your life will be wonderful!

[SkiJay]

I’m a career road racer with 12 championship wins in formula cars and superbikes. I’ve also raced snow skis, luge, mountain bikes and sailplanes. I took up slalom skiing late at age 50, but threw myself at it in my typical obsessive-compulsive fashion and went from clueless wanker to making 28 off at 34mph regularly within 12 months (2@-35 if you count a swerving coach—which I don’t); then I suffered a bad water skiing injury that took me out of skiing and racing for a year.

 

Coming back, I decided to get serious about cleaning up my ugly aggressive technique by committing to massive amounts of coached skiing with as many of the top coaches as possible. With all the time I was spending in Florida for racing (Daytona & Sebring) and coached skiing (six trips per winter), I decided to buy a lake home in Florida a couple of years ago so I could ski regularly all year long. Between Predator Bay in Calgary and the Isles of Lake Hancock, Florida, I’ve logged over 300 sets so far this year and have developed a seriously frustrating mental block at 4 @ -35. But my current focus remains building solid technique over ball-count. Shortline is alluring, but staying injury-free into my 60’s is the goal.

 

With central Florida friends and neighbors like Drew Ross, Matt Rini, Thomas Degasperi, et al. and a semi-retired lifestyle, I often get to hang around industry insiders, which keeps my hunger to learn and improve well nourished. My extensive background in race car engineering made learning everything I can about ski design and tuning irresistible; and when I share what I learn from pros, coaches, industry insiders, and testing, I’m generally writing to the silent majority on BOS, those who like me, are still grinding their way up the ranks and eager to learn, which is why I tend to explain in detail.

 

I’m a big fan of the BOS forum. Some of the lifetime skiers could be a little more graceful with their bedside manner but their knowledge and experience is invaluable, and Horton does a great job of keeping everyone playing well with others. With physical recovery limiting the amount anyone can ski, the next avenue for progress is to spend lots of time thinking about skiing, and where else but BOS can we get steady exposure to such a wide scope of quality information to think about—making all the time we spend on Ball of Spray, time WELL wasted.

[jipster43]

@SkiJay I'm available for adoption.

[SkiJay]

I'll keep you in mind should I ever grow up @jipster43.

 

Actually, I have three beautiful daughters (lucky for them they got their mom's looks) who refuse to come to races anymore because every time they do, I total something and freak them out. The last straw was a few years ago at the Montreal Grand Prix ...

 

Before:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1530989/Waterskiing/BOS/Star%20Mazda/Montreal%201.jpg

 

During (in-car camera at 120 mph sideways):

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1530989/Waterskiing/BOS/Star%20Mazda/Montreal%202.jpg

 

After:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1530989/Waterskiing/BOS/Star%20Mazda/Montreal%203.jpg

 

My girls were in the hot pit at the time, and made such a scene, they got more Jumbotron time than the wreck! (Apparently, they got the "drama queen" gene from their mom too.)

[6balls]

@skijay, now I want to be adopted more than ever. It could be a trade...I want to be a better driver, you want to be a better skier (I'd be getting the far better deal :)

[Wish]

120mph sideways?!!!!!...... Man, skiing must be boring in comparison.

[Horton]

If I win the lottery I plan to die in a race car

[bigtex2011]

chris springs present. 3 kids, 2 dogs a cat and 2 goldfish. i ski with my wife and kids at least 4 days a week during the warm months. i love to overturn and rip it. :)

[GOODESkier]

Music Teacher from Orondo, WA. Ski on the Columbia River and jumped into INT last summer. So much fun. Plan on skiing some other tournamnets in the state next summer. PB is 2 @ 38' OFF at 34.2 MPH ZO. Looking to run my 38's next season. Finally got myself on a good boat with good gps speed control and on a goode ski. All the wierd variable of the past are gone, just me and the course now!

[Brady]

@Horton, if you win the lottery and get in a race car, I assure you you will die.

[SkiJay]

Race cars are relatively safe. Water skis ... not so much. In many ways and on many levels, water skiing = racing superbikes. You ballers are tough, sharp, brave people.

[Morg]

John Morgan, 44 Live in Reno Nv. My dad & uncle raced drag boats since before I was born. My first ski was behind a 76 sanger drag hydro. Skiing bug really got me in my early 20's. Got away from it while I was racing dirt bikes, street bikes & back to boats. I have a great wife & two amazing boys 3 & 7.

 

Fast boats kept getting more & more. I found myself in a blown injected flat going over 140 mph. Lost a couple of friends to boats & had to get out of the sport. Now I am heavily into Karting & am hoping to get more into skiing this springr. I ski behind an 83' centurion. Really am trying to stay in shape for karting & skiing this winter. Looking for local guys for a weekly ski runs next spring. Also hoping to get solid through the course.

 

Stoked to find BOS, so much help already. Thank you to all the experienced ballers for opening up & helping out.

[Wish]

@SkiJay

"you Ballers are tough, sharp brave people"

 

Have to say ive never seen a wreck like that in waterskiing. So to me your picture is worth a thousand words or in this case of tough, sharp, and brave...3 words....... no, maybe and no.

[rdgrantham]

Reggie Grantham. Live in Seattle, age 52, happily married 18 years, 2 kids ages 11 and 13. I will ski a tournament once or twice a year, but much prefer the water time in practice. PB is something @ 'wild blue', and tourney best is a few @ 'mean green'. Currently ski at the locally world famous BROHO site. This is a privately owned site that hosts 20+ renters. There are no home sites, and it is very secluded and wind protected. We are lucky to have some great skiers that provide occasional coaching (thanks @richarddoane!). Some of us will keep going year round, and have been known to crunch a little of the hard stuff on top in the winter before we get going. It is a great environment with skiers of all abilities. The group is very a social, and I have the luxury of skiing with some lifelong friends.

 

In the summer months I will head out to Lake Washington once a week or so before work for some free skiing or wakeboarding. This is also a great way to get some of the more hardy co-workers out for some team building. We have had some epic sunrises and city views out there. Some have used the work 'unforgettable'.

 

Last summer my family had a 'road trip' vacation, took our boat and headed east towards Montana with the idea to 'lake-hop' and 'Motel 6' it along the way. This was a 9 day adventure where we splashed into Billy Clapp, Coeur D'alene, Priest and Pend Oreille Lakes. Fun for the whole family.

 

I learned to ski when I was 6 years old on Lake Mirror in Winter Haven Florida during a serious thunder & lightning storm. My pops had moved us down to Cocoa Beach FL from Seattle, and took me over to Winter Haven where he grew up. He fired up the 35HP Evinrude and instructed me to get out there and slay it. I was petrified by the huge lightning bolts that seemed to be hitting right next to us. I had alligator tears, so he let me off the hook. I didn't actually get up until my second attempt the next day. The weather cleared and it turned into the typical central FL skiers paradise.

 

From that moment on I have not been able to get enough. Since then I have kept the Florida connection and have been very lucky to ski with some of the guys we read about. I appreciate the friends I have made though the sport, the lifestyle and all the info here at BOS.

[gump]

is there french ballers? i love you americans waterskier,i improve my english every days learning your post and i adjust my technique wiht yours awesome video.so frenchies don't be affraid and post!!

 

[The_MS]

@Bigtex Counting the goldfish is awesome.

[RichardDoane]

@GOODESkier - we'll see you at the tournaments at Baseline Lake in George, WA and the Sun Basin Bki Ranch in Moses Lake I hope ?

[DanE]

My name is Dan Englund and I live in Sweden together with my girlfriend and a 12 year old son and a cat.

I´m part owner of an autorepair shop (specialized but not limited to heavy trucks and machines). I´m 45 years old and started waterskiing when I was 21 after I totalled my right knee in an Alpine ski competition. Eventually I had to quit alpine racing due to cartilage damage in my knee but waterski slalom has worked fine since then.

Can´t really put down enough sets anymore so progressing in the slalom course is kinda rare these days. Tpb is 3 @ 38 (34 mph) with a practice pb of 4@38 and 4 @ 35 at 36 mph as a tpb with 3@38 36 mph as practice pb.

Also cob of the local public waterskiclub where due to my proffesion also responsible for boat repair and maintenance.

My son has really gotten into waterski slalom lately and hes developed some serious good foundation skills (skiing really stacked, something we constantly working on) wich he is going to need given he is going to be tall (6´1 now and growing).

[Jody_Seal]

Jody Seal, Owner Florida Inboards Inc. in Panama city, Florida. Also a Contract field tech and tournament Representative for Nautiques. Boat: 2012 Ski Nautique 200 CB 6 liter/HO.

Senior Driver/Judge. consider my self a three event skier yet have not jumped in over 15 years. tournament slalom best 3@35@34mph / 1@35@36.

currently skiing on a 2012 67" Radar Strada, 2012 67" HO/A2

Ski club: Shortline lakes/Picko's and Emerald Coast water ski club.

Commonly ski on Deer point lake in Bay County Florida and Cory Picko's Shortline lakes in SRB.

Favorite tournament ski sites! Picko's/SRB, Jacks middle lake,Lago Los Morros/Chile, Lymanland and west palm beach.

[PatM]

Patrick Morrill, Brimfield, MA. I am a Funeral Director- own and operate my family business D.T. Morrill Funeral Home, Southbridge, MA- 100 years in business this year!

Ski behind a 2009 SN196 (love my boat).

Live on a public lake about 75 acres in size. I have my problems with the other "users" of the lake and sometimes rollery conditions, but in general it is great.

Skiing is a great escape-when work is busy or slow it takes my mind off it.

Ski on a Goode 9900 65.75". Been on Goodes for a number of years, broke a few, but keep coming back to it (Dave Goode is my crack dealer).

When I get the chance I go down to see my buddy and former ski partner (from way back) Mike Dumala at Okeeheelee- always a good time.

Go to see a coach about once every other year.

PB is 3 at 39off (couple years back now). Have run 38 nearly 10 times in my life.

PB in a tournament is 4 @38 (3 times). Love going to tournaments, love the people there, just don't do it enough.

Married with a daughter and when I'm not skiing with my ski partner and best friend Kevin, my wife drives and my daughter is watching- Life is good.

[PatM]

Oh ya - I am also a Ball of Sprayaholic

[Alberto Soares]

Alberto Soares, 47, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, civil engineer, married, 2 daughters (12 and 4). CB Nautique 2010, 6.0 lt (Thank you Jody Seal for the numerous tech help) Skiing since 7, in the course since 20 at www.clubeserradamoeda.com.br , have skied every other day for the last 15 years (+/- 350 sets/year), but only had the opportunity of being coached last 2 years. Currently on a 65 Nano One (best ski ever - 6.799/2.51/0.758 needle/8.5 and 28") with Reflex/R-Style. 38´s are coming often with new ski, looking forward next year results, might be the best of my life...

[thager]

Old, alive, a hack, and wanna be everything I'm not!

[swardco]

Steve Ward. Live near Boulder, CO, age 48 (dangerously close to 50!). Started skiing when I was probably 8 yrs old. Never really liked it until I was in my late teens. Started skiing the course some time in college. Took roughly 20 years off and started skiing again in the last couple years.

[MattP]

Its funny I don't think I have ever posted in one of these..and I work here.

 

Matt Page 21. I live in Kennesaw (Atlanta), Georgia. I ski out of WaterSki Atlanta mostly with OB. I started skiing with the family on a public lake on weekends when I was 7? A friend found a course and told me about it near the end of the season when I was 17, I skied it a few times and got hooked. For me open waterskiing was fun, but not really making me happy anymore. I went to Jodi Fisher's Ski School that spring break the skied another season on public water. Went to college, found WaterSki Atlanta and started to ski 36 for the first time, went to work for Jodi Fisher at his ski school and learned a ton and went from barley running 15 36 geting into 22 a little to running 32 and getting into 35. Skiing became my main sport after leaving high school where I was rowing 6 days a week in a Nationally competitive boat, which left little time to pursue skiing like I wanted to. I have been coaching at my old rowing club 6 days a week going on 3 years now.

 

Some time in 2008 I found BOS and some how got involved with this ski nut Horton and I started helping do some some stuff with the site and started doing more and more. I then designed, developed and still maintain BallOfScores. Now I have version 3.0 out and 4.0 will be released with Android to start the coming season. I always have other waterski related projects I'm working on. Right now I think there is at least 4 I have on the burner. I love this sport and the people in it. I am about inovation and keeping skiers engaged in the waterski community. I also moderate this forum.

 

I have started a ski team at my college and I am now working on getting it off the ground.

[PT Mike]

Mike Cantamessa 48 yrs old, Long Island,NY Boro Supervisor for NYC Dept. of Transportation I ski on a tidal flat behind Jones Beach and @ Twin Lakes in Monroe, NY Took down the green loop twice last year @ the same tournament!! Goal for next year is to get more consistent @ 32

[estrom]

My name is Erik and I live in the wine country of northern California. Beautiful place to live, but expensive, and worse yet, no buoys around here. Have loved skiing since I was in high school, but got away from it due to small kids, illness to my Dad, etc... Getting back into it now that my kids are enjoying the water. Back in the early '90's, there was a short-lived group here called the Dry Creek Ski Club. That's been my only real exposure to course skiing. We have good friends that relocated to Redding, so we visit there frequently and I've touched base with a group up there that has a ski facility. Hopefully I can ski there a few times a year when we're up there.

 

Married with 3 great daughters, 2 female dogs, a female cat...way too much estrogen around my house. Controller by trade, but also a licensed insurance agent/financial advisor.

[jimbrake]

Hi. I'm Jim. I ski. In California. Dang it, I've said too much.

[Marco]

Mark Carlson here. Been living in Telluride for the past 33 years. On a whim, went to Gordon's in the late 90's, but had never even seen a course before. Long story short, got addicted to buoys, skied on a portable course on a public lake for a few years. When that set up was fading, me and a few friends mortgaged ourselves to the hilt, bought some land an hour away and built a lake. 10 years later I have a house on the lake. I figure that that first trip to Gordons cost me well over a half million bucks when its all said and done!!!

[Brady]

@Marco, guarantee you would have paid more than a half a million on your health issues had you not found that wonderful addiction

 

[Danielmckenna]

What's up everyone I was just introduced to this site this last weekend by my ski buddy Brady (thank you by the way). I am 32 recently remarried with twin daughters and two step boys all under 7. We started to try and teach them how to ski this last year and that was rough hopefully this next year will be a bit better. I started skiing at 14 with my friends and fell in love. I live close to Salt Lake City and my lake of choice is Utah lake. I am not sure what my PB is because it has been so long since I actually skied a course with a decent driver, and I don't get to ski a course hardly ever. Hopefully you guys can give some pointers to take my skiing to the next level.

[robscholl-OF]

Rob Scholl, Police Sergeant at a mid sized agency in the suburban Seattle area. Live in the Tacoma area and ski/train with Richard Doane down at the BroHo lake. I also do all the grounds maintenance at the lake so spend a lot of time on a mower and behind a line trimmer. Attached is a clip of some recent winter skiing on my new Strada. Not the greatest skiing, but getting reps when your cold and in a drysuit not always condusive to great skiing. I posted the clip as I think it would be cool for people to do so we can put faces with places and names. OF

 

[kurt]

Kurt Rotman, Burnips ,Michigan.I work in the construction buisness. Married to my wife of 24 yrs & 3 children. I started skiing when I was 9 or so .my family always had a boat just never a ski boat. I got hooked on course skiing when I was 20 .The first time thru the course was behind my Dad's 23 ' sea ray ......I landed somewhere by 1 ball after I flew out the front. Who's ever course it was sorry about the PVC pipes I had no idea the damage I am sure we did. Two years ago I finished digging our own lake Billy's Puddle (my ID photo) which was a long time dream .My ski buddy is my 17 yr old son ,my goal this year is to run 35 so I can go to nationals with him

 

[Cam]

Cam Cavana, Scotland UK, I work as a mechanical technician on an oil rig in the North Sea work for 2 weeks and get 3 weeks off missed Scotland's 2 weeks of summer this year.

Started skiing aged 33 on Loch Lomond and joined the local club, moved to Orlando FL for 3 years in 91 and worked as a ski instructor with Vince's and Dave's ski schools teaching beginners to ski mainly tourists.

Moved back to Scotland in 94 and have been skiing at Waterski Scotland ever since, the past couple of years have been good as my son has got back into skiing and works as an instructor at Waterski Scotland and my wife ran her first pass of the slalom course this year aged 58, happy days.

[jimbrake]

@Cam. That must be scary as hell skiing on a .... dark, Scottish loch (name that tune).

 

Seriously, what must be scary is working on an oil rig in the North Sea during a storm.

 

I've always wanted to go to Scotland. You've got some good (but cold) surf there.

[Cam]

@jimbrake nothing is more scary than the OTFs I took when learning to ski the course, forgot to add that John McElyea was my attorney, never got to see him ski though.