3/4 Buoy?

[Edbrazil]

Any thoughts about having this as a possible score? If you can get 1/4 or 1/2, then why not 3/4?

Thinking this would be the score for getting back to the wakes (line of gate buoys) with slack, and then

not taking up the slack and ski away to get a full buoy.

Back a few years ago, it was common for high-level skiers to get back with a pile of slack, and throw the

handle to get a full buoy. Now, that just counts as 1/2. You can get 1/2 with a bit of a turn back

after the buoy, or getting all the way to the wake but not hanging on to the slack line.

Thinking that 3/4 would be a benefit vs. chancing of wrecking your arm muscles, shoulders, and/or back

trying to hold on. Probably would tend to apply mainly to the higher level/deep shortline skiing.

[ALPJr]

Makes sense to me.

[LeonL]

On the other hand, As far as I'm concerned we should do away with 1/4 buoys. Either break the plane turning back in or you get nothing.

[BRY]

3/4 buoy idea makes sense but not sure it's needed. Also would change averages, boost them.

 

Definitely keep 1/4 ball. There should be a difference between just getting back to the wakes vs getting outside the buoy.

[Edbrazil]

I'm probably not in favor of an immediate Rule change, just the 3/4 buoy scoring to be

tested out. Maybe the Big Dawg series would be a good place, with a lot of close scores,

and plenty of deep short line.

 

For scorebook purposes, the 3/4 scores would have to be 1/2, until there is a rule change.

 

Back several years ago, you could get 1/4 buoy when you just broke the line of the buoys

going outbound, even if you lost the handle before the buoy. More of a case for medium

short line skiers, as at deep short line, the ski barely crosses the line outbound until right

before the buoy. Now, you need to get to the level of the buoy to get 1/4. Between 1/4

and 1/2, it is a short distance and a tough call that can need video to verify.

 

The Pro Tour was an early innovator to use boat-based video for call reviews. I remember

one close call where the slalomer's ski boot hit and sank/displaced the buoy. Question

of whether it was 1/4 and 1/2. Think it turned out as 1/4 and maybe influenced the changed

Rule definition of 1/4.

[Chef23]

It seems like things are pretty complicated already. I am not sure I am in favor of adding 3/4 although I understand your logic.

[ozski]

Did Nate just get 2 3/4 :)

[Edbrazil]

More like 2 5/8, ho-ho. To get a 3/4 score, the skier would have to return to within the bounds

of the gate buoys (formerly that was the wake, but there is no wake crest at deep shortline to

deal with). And, return with slack, as a tight line would be a score of a full buoy.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

No, I think 3/4 buoy is the wrong way to go. At short line, the S turn is much more consistent and safe. It also shows the skier has a higher level of control (both mental and physical) than coasting back to the wakes.

 

Personally I think the rule change (under the power of the boat) sucks and can lead to more injuries. It hurts skiers in the 22-35 off range who don't have as much control or experience and will try to hang on for the full buoy. I would like to see that particular rule go back to getting to the boat guide in skiing position with handle in hand.

[ForrestGump]

Its hard enough judging 1/4 or a half. I honestly don't want to then have to try and judge where 3/4 starts.

[Stevie Boy]

With all the controversy in the past, I think we need to clean it up and do away with the 1/4, as far as I am concerned the 1/2 should be scored when the tail of the ski clearly passes the bouy on it's way back to the wake, I think this will help judges out a lot and prevent some of the upsets that there have been in the past.

[bkreis]

@Edbrazil It's already hard enough to get the existing judges to keep up with very simple rules. adding another element to scoring would add more confusion especially with tower judges being so far apart.

[MattP]

I think it would be easier to score a 3/4 than a 1/4 if the 3/4 follows the old rule for 1/2. Possibly only having 3/4 scores for record tournaments?

[BRY]

NNNNoooooooooooo! Leave the 1/4 buoy alone!

[Horton]

http://www.ballofspray.com/images/stories/Buoy-Chart.jpg

 

[Mateo_Vargas]

So would this change the definition of a Rico to a score of 5 1/8?

[Horton]

@"Mateo Vargas" we would have to ask Richelle

[Edbrazil]

This is more like what I was thinking of. Modifying Horton's diagram, just not as neatly done.

 

[Horton]

FYI my diagram comes from a April Fools post a few years ago. I am in no way advocating a change to the scoring chart

[MISkier]

Here is one for @Than_Bogan

 

 

 

 

[ToddL]

< sarcasm font for @MattP > Just released, the MikroJustJudge tool. Now, you can judge buoys in 1/8th, 1/16ths, and even 1/32nds! Throughout the years of competitive waterskiing, judges have been fighting with the issues of buoy scoring placement. The smallest scoring increments of a waterski buoys can greatly improve how todays skiers are scored.... < /font >

[Broussard]

< insert panda >

[Horton]

@ToddL

http://media.tumblr.com/fe497dd337d9af8479bb6398b9565d16/tumblr_inline_mg6n5ltl6X1rxe4lt.gif

 

[Edbrazil]

1/4 buoy calls are tough to make. Even with boat-based video, there may be just 2 or 3 video

frames to review to determine the score. Need to not just look at buoy vs. ski, but hand vs.

handle. From what I remember back On The Tour, we would have frequent slack line letgos

within the bounds of the wakes/gate line for a score of a full buoy. Tended to be easy to

judge; you can even review the centerline video if needed. Which would be the suggested new

3/4 score if adopted. Again, best as I remember, this only happens at deep shortline, and

typically in Open divisions and top-level age divisions, such as Masters.

[teammalibu]

Horton in your diagram I would go directly from 1/8 to 3/4 and skip going around the bouy!

[Skiwoodgate]

The last thing Slalom needs is something else to add a little more confusion and controversy in there...