Driving for the World's best skiers

[swbca]

In the history of competitive water skiing, the standards for boats, drivers and equipment have evolved from no standards to extremely high standards.  A few BOS members have been top level drivers and skiers in their their lifetime.  Some had this experience a long time ago and some are currently tournament driver's. 

Maybe someone was desperate for a practice driver and you were the only choice.  Maybe it was last year or decades ago.

This a poll to share your experience driving the World's best skiers at any time or under any circumstance. 

Edited January 24 by swbca

[MISkier]

Only a Senior Worlds Slalom Champion (65+) - and only tournaments before and after, not during.

I've driven a couple ranked Open Men skiers (practice and tournaments) who subsequently made it into the 2018 America's Cup Finals.  Have pulled both into -41 and one with a tournament 3@-41.

[Jody_Seal]

found this today as I get started on my post (going on 5 years) hurricane annual spring cleaning. 

this from when we were developing the 196 / 206 

Andy was one of my our test athletes. his notes on testing.

the manager of our department was adamant about documentation.

 

Edited January 24 by Jody_Seal

[aupatking]

I pulled Freddie through -39 right after he won worlds

@MISkier you still pulling Cale? I enjoyed skiing behind you when I was in your neighborhood. I’m hoping to get back there. I love that lake (Tivoli)

[swbca]

I drove for two World Champs when they had no choice and it's ancient history.  I had no tournament qualifications as a driver.

I was attending the Roberge ski School in Florida.  Tom King the water ski photographer of that era showed up to shoot photos of Karen Roberge for a wet suit manufacturer.  At the time I was the only person on site who could drive.  No big deal but it was fun the meet Tom and Karen.

After Mickey Amsbry won the world trick title he took a real job with General Mills in Minneapolis.  He needed a place to ski.  He came to our place every weekday morning at 7:30am before work for two summers.  I pulled him on Tricks and Slalom each day for two summers.  I learned a lot about skiing and skiing "attitude from this Hall of Famer.  Regarding "standards", we were skiing behind my parents Glastron IO.  We both were practicing into 1@36off at 36mph back before Metric.  We timed every pass, but its now hard to imaging skiing behind a Glastron IO.  

[MISkier]

@aupatking, I haven't driven for Cale in a while.  He moved on from Tivoli to another location with a couple of our former club members.  I drive for @Triplettquite a bit, though.

[oldmanskier]

I pulled Jamie Beauchesne a couple of times years ago when he would stay at our lake to get ready for the Masters. 

I pulled Nate at Sawmill several years ago due to no one else was at the dock and he asked me to pull him. To my surprise he ran 41 with me driving. 

I pull a lot of people at No Wake but pulling people at Jamie and Nate's level is a whole different feel than pulling your average 35/38 off skier. I knew that I was not the caliper of driver these guys were used too. But both were very nice and thanked me for pulling them.

Tom Smothers (oldmanskier)

[markn]

In tournaments, Karina Nolan, Kristy Overton, Will Asher, T-gas and practice, Andy Mapple and Chris Parrish. What a privilege it was to drive for them.

[markn]

Opps!  Forgot Joel Howley and Jon Travers (when he was a junior).

Edited Wednesday at 01:48 PM by markn

[BKistler]

I drove Cory Pickos a couple of times for the AWSA trick series photo shoot. I drove Ricky McCormick a few times for trick practice. 

[kc]

Two. Bob LaPoint in the mid-70s, and Nate, a few years ago. Both were practice sets at my, at the time, home sites, here in Indiana.

[Horton]

I voted none but I bet I drove Corey once or twice the summer I was there but trick driving does not really count.

I may have also driven for Jimmy Siemers on a tube. 

[503Kento]

I’ve driven none but my old 1985 Ski Centurion pulled Glen Thurlow a few months after he went 205’.  He put on a little slalom exhibition at a novice tournament we were putting on. I could have drove but wanted to watch the skiing so let my buddy Warren do the driving. 
 

His comments after his opening -22 was (in a thick Aussie accent) “those wakes are enormous”.  

[Alvin_Neff]

Helena Kjellander in practice.  Adam Sedlmajer at Collegiate Regionals, Mandy Nightengale in practice and Record tournaments, Adam Pickos in a Record tournament, and Sir Andy Mapple several times in practice❤️

[ETskier]

I would never pretend to claim I'm a great driven. I'm ok at best. However I get very few opportunities to drive really good skiers. I did have the honor of pulling collegiate champion Cale, thru 39 in practice right before he won again. Pulled Brad Brascho thru 39 in men's 3 in a pretty hard rain in a class C. Both were in the perfect pass days.  The point is, for, me, it seemed easier to get in rythem and feel with  really good skiers. Hats off to those who have successfully pulled guys like Freddie and Mike Kjelander. 

[Kelvin]

I voted 3, but went back to count and its more like 6.  Andy at one of his clinics, Freddie, Manon, Dorien, Jaimee and Aliaksandra Danisheuskaya at collegiate tournaments in the SCR.  

If you include U17, U21 and Senior World champions, the list gets long pretty fast with all of the collegiate talent in the SCR.