25 41s!!!

[Garn]

I was just watching the video of the last Miami tournament. After Nate won it with a score of 1 @ 43, Wade was interviewing him and Nate said that he has ran, this year alone, 25 41s. That is just insane! What is he doing that is so different from everyone else that allows him to run it with ease! Nobody can even come close to that! Most of the dozen or so people who have ran 41 in a tournament, have only done it once or twice in their lives! As much as I dislike the guy, how can you say he isn't the goat?!

[The_MS]

After he wins 14 masters titles we can call him the goat. Where Nate’s athletic talent stands out is his vision and reaction. They can all ski but he just reacts to what he sees in front of him better then the rest.

[morfoot]

Agreed.... To win the masters 15 times and surpass Andy's overall tournament podium wins by one is Nate's goal in his skiing career as stated by himself when asked in interviews. Then and only then, can you call him The GOAT. I wish him all the luck in his quest to meet and beat Andy's record. I think if anyone can do it then it's Nate. He has many other talented skiers in the way so it's gonna be a tough journey. Amazing feet for sure but Ski Technology and advancement of boat/boat wake technology has definitely added more thrill and excitement to all disciplines.

[Cnewbert]

Not to mention he said he ran 100%… 51 out of 51… of his 39s this season. Who’s ever done anything like that before? Of course that means that with running 25 41s, he completed just a hair shy of 50% of every 41 pass he attempted. That’s other worldly. Yes, skis and boats have improved, but all his contemporaries have these same advantages yet no one is coming remotely close to what he is doing.

[ALPJr]

Could be argued that it was the top scoring pro slalom season ever. Not sure though how the number of pro events this season compares to prior years.

[swc5150]

I struggle with my own definition of GOAT. Andy is no doubt the greatest when it comes to podiums, but Nate is the best ever at skiing a course. 25 -41's this year is unbelievable.

[sgregg]

Octane surely has something to do with it ?

[scuppers]

@Garn - Why do you dislike him?

[Wish]

Hang on. Is this a GOAT thread, a dislike/like Nate thread or a thread that might actually get us talking about ski technique??

 

Asking for a friend.

 

My spin on the actual thread topic would be he’s the most efficient skier do to his forward stance on the ski from hookup to centerline more so then others. It places his COM over the fattest part of the ski and he generates more speed to centerline because of it. Hence, gets to the ball sooner then most. And it all looks the same-ish from 35 to 39 because it is. He’s also one to take almost no crashes if u have not noticed.

 

But if you all like to gab about GOAT and liking him or not...carry on .

[lpskier]

In the last five years, including practice, I’ll bet he has run more 41’s than 38’s.

[jayski]

@Wish your analysis of stance is SPOT ON

[Wish]

There are others that are close. Brian D, Dane M and Charlie R to name a few. If I had to role the dice, I’d wager Charlie R as the next Nate.

[6balls]

@wish close to what? No one runs 41 like Nate. We all like to think the "next"--but his performance is more than generational--like it shouldn't be possible but it is.

I'll bet none you list run more 41's lifetime than Nate runs in a calendar year--shoot combine 'em to give it a chance--unless I don't know about the secret practice life of some pro's and how many 41's they run--I'm happy to be wrong. 51 of 51 39's this season??? Just nuts.

[Wish]

@6balls “close” to Nate’s body positions on the ski. Not running 41 50% of the time.

 

Charlie R has a shot given time. IMHO

[Garn]

@scuppers With all the previous threads about Nate, if you're not familiar with it, I'm not going to go back into it.

 

I would really like to understand what he does, why he is so dominant, and why don't the other pros pick up on what he is doing and replicate it.

[ScottScott]

Time after time the rest of the skiers are packed in at 2-4 at 41, while Nate runs it or almost does. He is consistently 3-5 buoys beyond everyone else with a 1/2 dozen packed in fighting it out for 2nd. Occasionally, he'll have a bad set (by his standards) and ski back with the pack. IF that bad set is the final, he MIGHT not win. (or he'll get into a tie and blow by the others in the runoff.) He is head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd right now, and there are some pretty good skiers in that crowd.

[rockdog]

@Garn fair questions the first two, but why don't others replicate? Seriously? What do you think they've all being attempting to do the last decade? Clearly it's not that easy, some people like he and Usain Bolt just find a vocation that they have an insane amount of god given ablility in and coupled with the the undoubted amount of hard work in training they prove to be almost unstoppable.

 

You can't just be the best at something by 'replicating' what the best do.

[ozski]

I had a discussion with a very good skier and friend out of Germany about Nate and he summed it up better than most when he said don't try to work it out "some dudes can just ski" ...

[slow]

Nate’s weight for his height have to significantly assist his great technique

[The_MS]

Not that long ago, @CParrish43 was making 41 look pretty easy. At that time no body was even close to doing it except Mapple in his late 40s. Others like Jamie and Rogers were running it but not like CP

[6balls]

@The_MS a smooth @CParrish43 smoking 41 is a thing of beauty. When he ran it right--he may have made it "look" easier than anyone else ever has...

[whitem71]

He’s just so light on the line he doesn’t spike the ZO and after his early edge change just uses it to ride a tight line out to buoy line. Maintains lots of speed in the turn so no digs for the boat and driver to adjust to. I reckon his height, light body weight helps and the flexible rubber Binding lets him shift his weight forward and back more easily (and prevent tip rise at the back of the ball) as @Wish suggests.

[NikolG]

If not the GOAT now then the most consistent and highest scoring skier of all time. Scorebooks will be hard-pressed to be matched, if ever. He has had the advantage of skiing year round in all conditions. Most FL skiers have never seen a winter or take a day off when it comes. He can pull out amazing rides, in all conditions and under intense stress and heavy scrutiny. With his mental toughness, background, athleticism and talent it will be difficult to be beat his streak or records.

[ScottScott]

@NikolG he stays in Indiana, and skies there, in bad weather almost as much as he is in florida. There is video of him running 41 in a dry suit, and video of him skiing with snow on the banks, maybe in a shorty wetsuit if any thing..?

[NikolG]

Yes that was my point, he can ski in anything and does. Maybe I worded it wrong, he’s not just a Florida skier picking the perfect days to practice. IMO he will always be head and shoulders above the rest because of his background skiing in these conditions.

[rogerw]

Hello Whitem71 - how you doing?

[ScottScott]

This years Pro Tour final standings: Nate Smith 1st place with 8 wins out of the 12 tournaments (won 8 of 10 tournaments entered (and 1 2nd place finish.)) 2nd place skier just won 3 out of 11 tournaments entered, 3rd place skier had 0 wins. There was 1 other skier that won a single pro tour tournament.

[Mastercrafter]

Nate has one of the most consistent haircuts and lack of facial hair. Perhaps that's a key component of running 41's.

[Wish]

@Mastercrafter I heard he took .05 length out of his bangs. Could explain the success this year.

[75Tique]

No doubt Nate is phenomenal and the conversation about assessing how he does it is warranted and interesting, but the comparisons to Andy Mapple kind of reminds me (for those of you old enough to remember) of the LLoyd Bentson-Dan Quayle vice presidential debate where Dan Quayle compared himself to John Kennedy and Lloyd Bentson replied "I knew John Kennedy, John Kennedy was a friend of mine, you are no John Kennedy"

[slow]

I alway felt Lloyd Bentsen paid Dan Quayle a complement.

[Cooper_Trelawney]

A lot of praise for this guy. Are the previous situations, accusations and his suspension forgiven and forgotten? Just curious. Where does moral character come into play? Should it be part of declaring someone 'the greatest' or does that not factor in? Maybe he did, maybe he didn't.

 

Similar things have been said about great athletes in other sports too. For me, it tarnishes the athlete's image and no matter how good they are; I can't call that person a GOAT. Of course David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Roger Stauback were my favorite pro athletes in mainstream sports...I hope those guys were actually as good in real life as their reputations.

 

Considering that waterskiing is such a family sport, I would be happier knowing one of our best athletes didn't get served a Safe Sport suspension. Just sayin'.

[Mastercrafter]

^^this.

[rockdog]

@Cooper_Trelawney 25 41’s, not is he a good bloke or not…

[Wish]

GOAT..

don’t like..

like..

 

Bla bla bla.

 

BACK ON TOPIC.

 

He’s the best skier right now by almost 3 buoys consistently. How is that possible? What is he doing so different..?

 

Discuss.

.

 

 

 

 

[slow]

They still call Lawrence Taylor the GOAT for defensive NFL players. Not a great person outside of football.

 

[LeonL]

Everyone speaks of his 41s ran, but someone above mentioned his 39s. The very first time I saw him ski (at Sawmill in Indiana) a friend of mine, who lives there, and I were watching. I had just arrived and saw Nate miss a pass. I asked if that was 39. My friend said "no that was 41, he never misses 39." This was 12 years ago.

[Cooper_Trelawney]

@rockdog the original post says "how can you not call him the goat" at the end of the post; implying that he runs a lot of 41s and because of that he should be the GOAT. My reply was based on that.

 

To me, the GOAT is the guy with the most victories, not the best score. Everyone knows who has won the most majors in golf but does everyone know who has shot the lowest score?

 

The point that @slow makes about LT is a good point. Our society tends to overlook what makes us uncomfortable and at the same time give forgiveness to make ourselves feel better; which really isn't true forgiveness. It's really an age old story and part of the human condition.

 

To sum it up, yeah, the guy sure knows how to ski but he doesn't have my high esteem like Andy Mapple does.

[Jordan]

Nate won 8 of 10 Tournaments that he entered this year. That is significant dominance.