SLALOM IS DYING and this is why.

[Taynton]

I dont have a real answer but my main thought is the sport has been stagnant for too many years. We need to change course dimensions, bump the speeds up, defiantly change the judging criteria for trick. Bigger jump ramps, maybe some shooting flames, cheerleaders, beer sponsorships. What do you guys think how do we save this sport?

[MISkier]

Decline in accessibility and affordability is what is shrinking participation in slalom.  It's too hard to get a course permit.  Not allowing older boats with other speed control systems also increased the expense to participate in tournaments.  Equipment has become more expensive, too, although I would say that is less of barrier to participation and more of a barrier to accessing the latest technological advances in that area.

There are some other governance issues that make it more complicated to participate and officiate, but I think many would overcome those should they develop the passion/obsession for the sport on their own public lakes with ready access to courses, jumps, and reasonable conditions.  The advent of jet skis and surfboats is not helping, either.

I don't think we necessarily need new rules, just less barriers.

Edited May 12, 2023 by MISkier

[Taynton]

I agree with some of this @MISkier but as a snowmobiler and skydiver I have watched 2 sports that are incredibly expensive and logistically challenging grow massively over the last 10 years, I think exposure is the biggest downfall and some new rules/competition revamp might be the catalyst to more exposure. When wingsuiting made it onto youtube dropzones increased business 25% 

[The_MS]

This is what happens when the government gets their hands in the cookie jar 

[Taynton]

maybe one of our male pros should "identify" as a woman for a comp and set some new records that might get skiing in the mainstream headlines again...

[skibrain]

@Taynton  this conversation comes up with some frequency on BOS.  What is the root of your concern?  
 

Is it slalom specifically or three-event?  Recreational slalom skiing, not rounding buoys?  You lack ski site/access?  Buddies or boat driver to ski with?  You wish there was greater awareness by the general public for the sport you love?  Not enough R&D being put into boats and equipment?  You wish you could turn on the TV and see waterskiing tournament coverage on a Sunday afternoon?  You have figured out what works for you, but concerned that waterskiing isn’t becoming a passion for your kids? 

[swc5150]

3 event was big back when you had companies like Coors, MC, etc tossing large sums of money at it to create a spectacle (Pro Tour) to sell their products.  With wake sports now being their bread and butter, there's no point in investing marketing dollars in events like that.  I'd venture a bet that BOS is MC's most productive ad spend for selling Prostars now.  Look on the bright side, the hay day may be gone but the waterski gear has never been better.

[Horton]

The biggest problem is not exposure. The problem is multi-faceted.

In my mind the biggest issue is how difficult it is for someone to get started. Getting enough rides to become addicted. 

The second biggest issue is access. Private lakes are private. Public access is nearly impossible in most of the country.

Cost is also a problem. A decent used boat is $40K+/-. A used ski is $800.

The thing we don't talk about is how long it takes to get good enough to just run the course at any speed.   

[Horton]

@Taynton how much do you have invested in snowmobiling or skydiving? Unless you own part of a hill or plane I do not see how it can compare to skiing. 

[Horton]

FYI - ski companies are selling skis and boat companies are selling boats. It is not like the sport is dead. 

[Mastercrafter]

Obesity is at an all-time high and this sport doesn’t do well with a lot of extra weight to pull around. 
 

When we are out on public water, I always get comments such as “man I used to love skiing when I was 100 pounds lighter”

… well stop being so fat and start skiing again.

You can get a hell of a recreational slalom setup for under $7500 including boat, ski, and a few bucks for gas. most of these former skiers don’t think twice about spending $80,000 on a floating beer barge.  
 

.. and it’s monkey see, monkey do. Kids aren’t going to magically want to start skiing when they’ve never seen their parents do it. 
 

 

 

 

[ral]

I do not see nor believe the sport is dying. 

Edited May 12, 2023 by ral

[skibrain]

“n my mind the biggest issue is how difficult it is for someone to get started. Getting enough rides to become addicted. ”

Unless you were born into a course-skiing family most skiers I know started with a sub-optimal situation.  But they knew someone - uncle, neighbor whatever - that could throw up a wall of water and that seemed pretty cool.  I’d say for most people some element of  skimming over the water, or showing off, or hanging with friends was the hook. Awareness of six turn buoys came later. 
 

Getting started does not require a direct drive inboard on a private lake. In fact if we define it as such, it’s absolutely exclusive.  I live in MN, so skiable water is a non-issue.  Winter is an issue, but that provides other opportunities. 

[Stevie Boy]

Such a wide range of different things to get into, some, activities cost of equipment only, no Lake/Boat/Driver required.

Typical examples kite surfing, cycling, mountain biking,etc

Water Skiing has become very expensive, I have recently been told that there is a place in california, for a walk in six pass set they want $140.  🙄

[dbaconaz]

I do not think the sport is dying, however it will not grow unless we can make it more accessible to those of us who cannot afford to buy property on private ski lakes.  portable ski courses work on public lakes ( if you get the appropriate temporary permit) but you do not have the water/ski conditions to really get into it. Some places might have different regulations when it comes to that.  Where I live there is no Pay per Pass option  at any private lake so that is out! And I do understand that as those lucky people have spent a ton of money to have great ski conditions and don't want there lake tied up with pay per pass people. There is no easy answer! But I do feel accessibility is the biggest!

[2Valve]

Do your part to promote the sport.

When my friend's 14 year old boy came down to the dock to ask about skiing and Inboards, I invited him and his dad to go out with us the next morning. Now he's hooked. 🙂

 

Edited May 19, 2023 by 2Valve

[randy meny]

COST...

[lpskier]

In the 1960’s and 70’s, there wasn’t much that was ballsier than water ski jumping (or snow ski jumping). Now there are people doing double backflips on snowmobiles., or they are squirrel-suiting, or doing mind blowing downhill runs on a mountain bike. We don’t have the corner on the cool factor anymore. And let’s face it, those dudes are nuts! 
 

And kids want to do what they see their peer group doing on YouTube, like skateboarding. 

[6balls]

Recycle of old threads, same stuff.  Cost and therefore alternative costs.  If one dedicates a lot of time/effort/energy to this game it is possible that they divert funds from all kinds of other stuff--possibly necessary expenses, possibly other fun experiences.  The only way that is going to happen is love/addiction--and that probably needs to be from the entire family b/c if one person's passion diverts funds necessary to do other alternative fun family stuff--that's not going to fly.  It's also not that easy to get good--at one time a natural could jump in and start winning on sheer talent--technical knowledge and need for coaching has come a long way.

Early in my tourney life--you could win state on the cheap and place top 3 regionals with enough talent and exposure to a course.  Ski an old inboard on the river in the a.m. working pretty hard, then spend the rest of the day on other pursuits.  Hit a few local tourneys with low entry fees.  Be on a hot ski at a reasonable cost.

Even later in my tourney life ski an older inboard on a scuzzy shallow lake having a great time in the a.m., ski a few tourneys--score well enough to be relevant.  Keep enough money elsewhere to satisfy all kinds of other family interests/pursuits.

Tough to be competitive today without singular personal and family focus(starting young)--or having enough funds to pull off what it takes and still have time/money left for other pursuits.   Overall this stuff limits participation--so why?  Cost overall and cost-effective access--you have to make significant financial/personal decisions to play this game if resources are limited.

[BraceMaker]

Hey looming to get some sets this weekend in "insert your city"

 

Is the answer yes just show up here Saturday?  Or is it maybe text me and I'll give you someone's email.  Going on a trip do you pack a ski and get sets or do you leave it behind.

[Taynton]

I only have time for 1 response ill get to the rest later. To answer @Horton

(Canadian dollars)

My Snowmobile equipment investment is around $35 000  operating costs around $200 per day 

My Skydiving equipment Investment is about $25 000 operating costs 250 to 350 per day 

My skiing investment is about  $11 000 (granted I have an old boat 92 Brendella shortline) and about $60 per day operating costs

* i did not include the property on the ski lake because it is not necessary to participate in the sport and it is also my home but full disclosure it was about $60 000 

Thanks for the responses Ill try to address the rest next week on my way to my first professional level man made ski lake!! soo pumped!!

[rogerw]

A lot of valid points are being raised here. I actually don't think is as bad as what it seems though. Sure, it is never going to get back to the heady days of the Coors/and what we had in the UK - Kirtons Jump Classic etc in the 80s, where you had hundreds lining the banks watching, but with the advent of TWBC putting such fantastic coverage of tournaments - online- in slalom and now tricks and a bit of jump - I think that is changing a bit. In the UK we have quite a few sites where beginners can learn for really a minimal cost, pay as you ski - all equipment provided, with good enthusiastic coaches. My old site did that, we must have taught hundreds in the noughties - Wakeboard and skiing (mainly wakeboarding then). There are still plenty of busy sites in UK still doing this, My old ski club at Ringwood and Chris Mullins (CJM)  near Heathrow. There are still these sites where it is easy to get access.  What these sites are up against, amongst other things, is the cost of insurance, this is the thing that will make it harder to make it pay. It is not easy to run a site, I doubt if it would make you a millionaire, probably better to start off as one. 

I tell you what I found interesting though. I have skied pretty much all my life and 3 of my daughters also have done a bit, being a partner in a watersports centre helped that I'm sure. I don't ski as much these days - done a few (slalom) competitions locally fairly recently (in the UK) and my youngest daughter, the 4th one, has been along and not seemed that interested in having a go. She is now 15, not particularly sporty but when I was watching the TWBC trick competition the other week, she came across to where I was watching the event, watched for a while and after remarked that she'd like to have a go/learn when it got warmer. Before she saw the trick event, she couldn't have cared less about waterskiing.  

There are lots of different things that can get people in. Once you are in it is all about the personal challenge at every level. Slalom is a very easy discipline to measure your achievements, especially in the early stages.

[Jody_Seal]

Getting people in?

20 entry's! that's all we have for a class C&E  three round ,3 day slalom/trick  tournament in Florida on a pristine man made lake, cost ? $30 ............?

20 entries that's all!!!

No! slalom skiing is flourishing, USAWS/AWSA On life support..

 

 

Edited May 13, 2023 by Jody_Seal

[NameUnavailable]

Random thoughts:

• Look at the next tournament you go to....if it wasn't for long time skiers kids would there be any kids divisions?  I guess it is our fault for not reproducing at a higher rate...lol
• The cash events are on private secluded lake and they worry about performance. So, most people do not see them vs putting in the river in Wichita KS and having 10,000 people show up and see it. The Coors tour was a show for the people not for the skiers that is what gets sponsors.
• Cost as many have mentioned. I heard the sticker on a new Nautique is $179k now.
• And as mentioned it is not easy.....
• Private lakes...Access, and most tournaments they are running 2 lakes or more so you don't even get to see your friends ski. All in an effort to finish in one day....so, we are saying we don't even really like it...lol

[DW]

Limited access, maybe? - on our little lake (a paradise of smooth water:-) in Michigan, access is not an issue.  The kids of the parents that have ski boats sitting on a lift simply don't.  It's all the 'mature' dads that ski.  The kids are off doing something else.  The region of Michigan I refer to is unique, lots of small lakes perfect for water sports.  Heck, we even have a course that only a couple of boats use, and of course a few bass boats.  Most boats are pontoons, that segment growth has been amazing.  Access here is not the issue, interest in a challenging & physically demanding activity is.  PS: there is not a single 100k boat on this lake.

Tournament skiing? -  seems like a very different argument than simply recreational skiing, different requirements for success.  

[Shell]

.. and it’s monkey see, monkey do. Kids aren’t going to magically want to start skiing when they’ve never seen their parents do it. OR Grandparents! (Did I just say I was a grandparent?) OK ……or they’re GIGI! (That’s better) @RAWSki and I have had our grandson in the boat since I can remember, last year at age 6, he went from two skies tied together to deep water slalom and running the course in 7 weeks! He is stoked and addicted. First one in the water on our lake in MI this year @58 degrees. It’s going to be a great year with him! 

[6balls]

@shell one of Jim's kids(Mitch) picked up buoys, starting in early teens really nothing prior--great skier now.  His two other kids nada--those kids were out in the boat early and often--and lived on a lake.  They did all follow him to the gym tho and became monsters.   

 

My kids--lived on a lake with a course (public) easy access to 5 others including Jim's private and our private farm puddle 10 minutes away with 2 courses.  I had a seat belt from a Caddie mounted in my boat so as to hold the car-seat when we skied.  Both my kids learned to ski early--Alyssa at 4 and Jacob at 5.  First try up on a slalom Jacob made his deep and starts slashing around I'm like dude, how do you know how to do that????  He says by watching you dad.  Took him thru mini course slow speed long line and he runs it.  Never really picked it up.  Did learn to wakeboard, knee board, went tubing with friends and footed off the boom but no buoys.  Two of my nephews had their chances to chase when young, and have finally found the course bug in their 30's--they did not grow up on a lake.  They sure followed us to SCUBA diving, though.  Beyond that carved their own path in music, hockey, tennis, arts.

 

Alternatively my dad never saw a course but was a great teacher/motivator.  Joe/Jim/Dave all fell into buoys once we had a chance to see them.  My sister Amy easily could have been hot but never got the chance--great open water skier and athlete.  The other 6 kids--nope.  We were all in the boat and on lake vacations in diapers. 

 

Cool with your little guy!  

[Cnewbert]

I would disagree with cost being a significant factor or "the" factor in the lack of growth in water skiing.  Yes, it is an expensive sport in general, and there is no doubt that cost is a barrier for many individuals.  But I don't believe it is a factor in the big picture.  There are many sports that are infinitely more expensive than water skiing that enjoy a much larger participant base than water skiing.  Take for example horses and their various disciplines.  Close to where we live is the World Equestrian Center, a project still not fully complete.  The owners have invested some one BILLION dollars in this venue that features 2,500 stalls, 5 huge indoor air conditioned arenas, two luxury hotels, a 5-star restaurant, pubs, many boutique eateries, an 18 pump gas station, an RV park, a chapel, a laundromat, retail stores, a 40,000 SF veterinary clinic... and on and on... all to serve the show horse world. The cost of participating in show jumping alone dwarfs what it costs to ski. A competitive show jumping horse will set you back more than a new Prostar, and the Grand Prix level horses can go for $500,000  to over $1,000,000... enough to buy an entire quiver of Prostars and Nautiques.  But that's only the tip of the iceberg.  Monthly horse boarding and training packages can easily be $2,500 or more... much more.  The entry fees and costs of showing in jumping competitions run into thousands per event.  Living quarters horse trailers to get there go for $80,000 plus.  These mind boggling expenses haven't stopped the sport from growing to the extent that the investment in this facility would even be contemplated.  And while the WEC may be the biggest such venue in the world, there are equestrian show facilities all over the country in order to meet demand.  There is simply no shortage of people with a lot of money to spend on the sport of their choice.  Getting a meaningful chunk of such people to make water skiing their sport of choice is the problem as I see it.  

 

[S1Pitts]

One point we don't seem to touch on is skier retention. This week alone I met enough people who "used to " ski to start a small ski club.

 " I haven't skied for 20 years"...."I got too old to ski anymore".......who here has not heard these words from someone? I have heard these words uttered from those who are still in their 30's!

I always ask them why did you quit? Most common answer is "It was too hard on my body"

At age 64 I have 3 ski partners left today that started from a group of about 12 when we were in our teens. Of those that quit the most common comment from them is " I cannot believe you are still skiing."

My mission is to get those who quit back on the water so they can get their grandkids involved and maybe rekindle the flame for their children at the same time.

[ImperfectPass]

For what it’s worth, I think that money is a huge barrier as stated above but in my personal experience access to a course and other resources are also significant. For instance, I live in Oklahoma and have my own 3 event boat ski and all the equipment but from my research there’s currently no operable ski course on any public lake in the state. Open water skiing is even difficult with all the surfing and partying. My barrier isn’t monetary but finding teaching and place to even ski. I’ve even tried to find a private course but there’s only 4 in the state I know of. One simply denied accepting new members, one is under repair, and the other two are multiple hours away.  I personally think something that would help the sport would be for “public slalom groups” to form and to lobby for more courses on public lakes with dedicated limited use zones or times. Or we just accept that it’s an extremely exclusive sport with a huge barrier to entry and will remain that way. I mean if you really want exposure you can’t complain about not having it while sitting on your private dock at a private lake in a gated community.

[HMan66]

Are you talking private lake course skiing, or waterskiing in general? 
 

There are 2 courses on public water within an hour from where I live near Knoxville. One of them even has a Facebook page, Big Creek Slalom. The other is at Melton Hill Lake. Theres no club fees or cost to ski at either one. Donations for course maintenance are always welcome. 
 

When I was in my 20’s skiing the California Delta (back in the late 80’s), slalom courses were like Bigfoot and Unicorns. You heard about them, but never saw one. And the stories of the people that guarded them from Joe Schmoe running the course in his Tahiti with the Merc 150 were stuff of legend. I didn’t even know there were clubs you could join to be able to use the course. Even though I knew people that knew people, the invite, or info about the club never came. It was like some secret society. So we free skied, made hard cuts and big balls of spray. I tried to teach my daughter to ski a few years ago. She was up for a few seconds and face planted. That was that. She likes wakeboarding and jet skis though, so she does like being out on the water. 
 

Fast forward 30 years and you can connect with people and clubs all over the world with a few clicks. Rarely do you see anyone out free skiing on the public lakes anymore. As skiers, we always had to be up early for the glass and you only wanted 4 people in the boat max. You don’t need perfect water for wakeboarding or wakesurfing. I don’t even see that many wakeboarders anymore…mostly wakesurfing now. A lot of parents these days are all about “whatever the kids want” so they buy wake barges and “surf” behind the boat because it’s easy, and they can bring 12+ people with them. I was wakesurfing behind my buddies Super Air Nautique on a Cole 6’-7” thruster 20 years ago just for something to do on the water when the wind came up. I’d much rather surf in the ocean on real waves. 
 

Through this site, I met some great people and started course skiing a couple years ago. I was able to join a club and ski on perfect water a few times a week. There were only a handful of members so at one point I asked if we wanted to grow the club. The response I got was, “Well, do you want to show up and ski, or show up and wait an hour to get a set?” At some point, every club/lake/group needs new members as the “changing of the guard” is inevitable. It seems that a big issue is liability. Private lakes and clubs don’t want to get sued if a non-member/guest gets hurt learning to ski.
 

I'll probably never be tournament skiing because 1) The guys in my bracket are running 35 off and I’m definitely not…haha!, and 2) I don’t want to miss the gate on my opener and that’s that. Thanks for your $60.  My suggestion for that would be: You get 6 passes. Your best pass is your score. That might take the pressure off new tournament skiers and entice more people to partake at the grassroots level. 
 

There seems to be a very specific demographic in our sport, but you don’t have to have the newest boat model with ZO and Sure Path unless you’re a heavy duty tournament/pro skier. I ski the same behind my $20K Malibu with Stargazer as I do behind a 2021 Prostar with ZO. You can ski behind a $2K Bayliner but I don’t think that’s the point here. 
 

From my point of view, access to private ski sites has never been easier thanks to sites like BOS, and social media. You can get coaching from top pros in person or through an app. You can get a ski ride almost anywhere by simply asking. 
 

What I have noticed about skiing private lakes is that the people you meet are always friendly and happy to help you be a better skier. And once you’ve skied at their lake, you’re always welcome again. 

 

[aupatking]

On 5/12/2023 at 12:12 PM, Taynton said:

maybe one of our male pros should "identify" as a woman for a comp and set some new records that might get skiing in the mainstream headlines again...

Good luck finding one who can beat Reg

[aupatking]

Sadly, we’ve had this discussion time and time again. My bet is it would be damn near impossible to figure out how many times. Just about every thread that goes more than 10 posts devolves into “what is wrong is waterskiing”.

I will believe cost is an issue when I stop seeing people buy $150k boats, of every type (there are actually pontoon boats that far exceed that. Can you believe that S#*+?).

id say it’s accessibility but there are 4 people that ski on my public course. If I ever run across someone I don’t know skiing on it, I’ll kiss them.

people do not know competitive skiing exists, and they damn sure don’t know what it consists of. If there was ever a marketing budget, I at least hope they snorted it all up. That way I’d think that they at least had fun blowing that money.

Edited May 13, 2023 by aupatking

[jgills88]

To add another angle to this discussion, while course slaloming not necessarily dying, I could see the lack of growth as a symptom of the natural siloing that the various watersports communities seem to have.  Individually, I've never met  3-eventer, wakeboarder, show skier or any other person involved in a towed watersport who wasn't absolutely excited to teach someone about their niche, but what I always see is friction from those same people about doing another type of sport.

Of course everyone is free to pursue their passions, but it might be a good exercise to take a look at what your own attitudes are towards trying something new, and maybe try and dissect the reasons you might hesitate to hop into something like a show pyramid, or try your hand at doing a barefoot trick run. These conversations occur at every level in every variation of watersports, it might be helpful to speak to other parts of the whole to try and figure out deeper, long lasting solutions to grow out all variations of waterskiing, rather than just your favorite

Edited May 13, 2023 by jgills88
Typo

[aupatking]

I’ve edited my first post 6 times. I’m just gonna finish my thought here. 
competitive (3-event) skiing has never been mainstream. Even in the late 80’s and early 90’s no one in my school had ANY clue what I was talking about. And damn near everyone in this area knew how to ski. At least in some capacity. 
Rather than focus on/spotlight, 3-event, AWSA USAWWWWS (whoever) never stopped chasing the next fad. STILL HAVENT. “OOOH, let’s include kneeboarding or our sport will die”, “oh now we have to include wakeboarding or our sport will die”. And on. And on. And on. 

If they had focused, maybe we would have at least a little bit of a presence. 

Edited May 14, 2023 by aupatking

[aupatking]

And @jgills88 I’m not discounting what you are saying but I do think competitive 3 event skiing should have been the SOLE focus of SOME governing entity. 
And Barefooting should have it’s own. 

Edited May 14, 2023 by aupatking

[ETskier]

Compared  to the rest of the world, water skiing here is still a recreational sport (though not as large as it used to be), where middle class folks can go enjoy a great day out on the water. The rest of the world has mostly elite ski clubs owned  by the 1 percenters who own 90% of the wealth. Their water skiing has gravitated toward the Olympic model of developing high end skiers. They have no middle class or poor class skiers  ripping it up on vast public lakes like we have. Unfortunately our own sport organization (USAWS) are following the same path, and not doing a very good job of it at at that. Just from all the folks who post here on BOS, skiing is alive and improving again. Example: I recently had a conversation with a top foreign skier who had never experienced ripping up glass smooth water on an early morning sunrise run. Sad, she was brought in at a young age just to become her country's team skier. Sad, she never has appreciated what we see in skiing.

 

[ETskier]

IMHO, slalom is not dying. 

[aupatking]

34 minutes ago, ETskier said:

IMHO, slalom is not dying. 

@ETskier you could be right about that, but I don’t think trick and jump are in the same arena. Also, “competitive slalom” numbers probably don’t agree with you. I know men’s 3 used to have crazy high numbers. There were 3 of us at the AL state championship last year. 

[ral]

The competitive sport would  grow if every skier  introduces, throughout his competitive career, more than one kid (or grown-up…) to the sport that became and stayed competitive.
 

It would help as well if more skiers became involved in tournament organization and judging. 

It will not grow if skiers just whine about boat manufacturers and sport leadership. 
 

[MISkier]

A few data points from the Michigan Ranking List:

In 2011 (my first year in M4), there were 31 skiers on the list and the level 8 cutoff score was 94.17.  The Midwest Region had 130 M4 skiers.

In 2020 (my last year in M4), there were 16 skiers on the list and the level 8 cutoff score was 92.00.  The Midwest Region had 78 skiers.  In case one may be thinking that the pandemic influenced these numbers, the 2019 numbers were very similar.

Today, there are 10 skiers on the list in M4 and the level 8 cutoff score is 91.89.  The Midwest Region has 57 skiers.

This age group (and M5) is the bread and butter of participation - with enough money and some time to participate.

I'm sure USA Water Ski has the analysis of these and all divisions already available.  I would think it would show similar trends.

[ScottScott]

This conversation comes up often......and I guess my questions is " who cares?"   

1st, I don't think its dying, maybe not on TV as it was in the 80s, but there are many other things that have more global appeal (like cornhole.) Long-short. ESPN and advertisers will pay to broadcast what they  feel people will watch.

How does an increase in popularity of the sport benefit the majority of us that enjoy it? 

The biggest benefit would be the pro skiers that are athletes equal to many of the other sports that get paid big money. But, be careful what you ask for. It is often considered how lucky we are to pay a small fee to go get a lesson from some of the top skiers in the world, or to approach and have a conversation with the top skiers at tournaments. Can you get a golf lesson from someone even like Jordan Spieth or go chat with him while hes on the driving range or putting green before a tournament. It is bad for the top skiers that they aren't compensated for being a top level athelete like golfers, baseball, basketball, football players etc....but good for us.

I was at my neighborhood lowes a couple years ago. I heard a voice say "nice shirt." I had to look down to see what shirt I was wearing (I had no ideal what shirt I threw on that morning.) It was a D3 shirt, I looked up and theres Nate Smith. We talked for 5-10 minutes, while people walked by, no-one knowing theres the best water skier currently in the world. 

Funny....as I wrote this I then turned to Facebook.....my memory from 6 years ago is video of Nate Smith breaking his world record at swiss, that was later not certified due to boat path issues. One of the things we talked about at that lowes was that I just had a 3 year memory notification of that video I posted. Goes to show that Slalom is hard. In 6 years he hasn't gotten there again.

[Taynton]

19 hours ago, aupatking said:

Good luck finding one who can beat Reg

um how about EVERY male that qualified...?? Not taking ANYTHING away from her, INCREDIBLE skiier, graceful, powerful, an absolute treat to watch and 100x better than I will probably ever be. That being said, still behind the worst qualifying male at 36 MPH

[Taynton]

Great points everyone, What do you guys think about adding a 38 MPH class or possibly moving the balls closer to center lets say 2" ?? and for trick, ditch the point system and judge like other board sports which would promote new, bigger, harder tricks and maybe some style?   

[Taynton]

On 5/12/2023 at 10:54 AM, skibrain said:

@Taynton  this conversation comes up with some frequency on BOS.  What is the root of your concern?  
 

Is it slalom specifically or three-event?  Recreational slalom skiing, not rounding buoys?  You lack ski site/access?  Buddies or boat driver to ski with?  You wish there was greater awareness by the general public for the sport you love?  Not enough R&D being put into boats and equipment?  You wish you could turn on the TV and see waterskiing tournament coverage on a Sunday afternoon?  You have figured out what works for you, but concerned that waterskiing isn’t becoming a passion for your kids? 

Well since I don't trick or jump (mostly due to lack of opportunity to learn) It was slalom I was referring to, either freeskiing or bouys. I would love to have more friends to ski with, I have a boat on a lift ready to go and I can rarely get non skiiers to come try or even watch. I dont have a problem with it i just think its too bad for the majority of people who have never even considered trying it. I dont have a TV but some more exposure and just credibility in the sports world would be appreciated. No kids of my own (that I'm aware of) but I would love to help a little grom get thru the course, teaching kids is a blast and so rewarding. I would love to see more boats line up for sets maybe even meet some girls that ski. I just love the sport and wish more people did as well.

[Taynton]

On 5/12/2023 at 11:29 AM, Horton said:

The biggest problem is not exposure. The problem is multi-faceted.

In my mind the biggest issue is how difficult it is for someone to get started. Getting enough rides to become addicted. 

The second biggest issue is access. Private lakes are private. Public access is nearly impossible in most of the country.

Cost is also a problem. A decent used boat is $40K+/-. A used ski is $800.

The thing we don't talk about is how long it takes to get good enough to just run the course at any speed.   

I completely agree with you on getting started is the biggest hurdle, maybe the Governing bodies and the manufacturers should focus on this, I used to go to elementary schools with carpet boards (snowboards for indoors) and show the kids videos and drag them around a bit, it was trivial but it sparked the interest and was fully funded by a major manufacturer. This type of thing MAY help.. The local Ski club here is impossible to get out with but I can only hope and imagine this isn't the normal. 

How about novice competitions or category's?

Make the course easier (narrower)?

I live in Canada (the greatest country in the WORLD *per capita)  we are fortunate to have more than enough public water to ski on which is probably why we have so many top level skiers. but a country of 35 million isn't enough to float the industry or even make a dent in it. 

The purpose of the post was to start brainstorming ideas that might help to grow the sport, any grand or small ideas are welcome!!!

 

[Taynton]

23 hours ago, HMan66 said:

 

Through this site, I met some great people and started course skiing a couple years ago. I was able to join a club and ski on perfect water a few times a week. There were only a handful of members so at one point I asked if we wanted to grow the club. The response I got was, “Well, do you want to show up and ski, or show up and wait an hour to get a set?” At some point, every club/lake/group needs new members as the “changing of the guard” is inevitable. It seems that a big issue is liability. Private lakes and clubs don’t want to get sued if a non-member/guest gets hurt learning to ski.
 

I'll probably never be tournament skiing because 1) The guys in my bracket are running 35 off and I’m definitely not…haha!, and 2) I don’t want to miss the gate on my opener and that’s that. Thanks for your $60.  My suggestion for that would be: You get 6 passes. Your best pass is your score. That might take the pressure off new tournament skiers and entice more people to partake at the grassroots level. 
 

There seems to be a very specific demographic in our sport, but you don’t have to have the newest boat model with ZO and Sure Path unless you’re a heavy duty tournament/pro skier. I ski the same behind my $20K Malibu with Stargazer as I do behind a 2021 Prostar with ZO. You can ski behind a $2K Bayliner but I don’t think that’s the point here. 
 

From my point of view, access to private ski sites has never been easier thanks to sites like BOS, and social media. You can get coaching from top pros in person or through an app. You can get a ski ride almost anywhere by simply asking. 

 

This right here! 2 Huge ideas drop the gate requirement and/or change to best run of 6!! I bet you would double entries and spectators to tournaments.

 

Nice @HMan66

[Horton]

There was a thing like that called INT.... it was all ability based, everyone got a trophy and the rules were flexibly. It did for sure bring some skiers into the sport but where is it now?

[ral]

We call INT “Amateur” in Chile, and it is a good source of new people getting into the sport. Good for spotting young talent as well. 

[mlange]

Sure it's dying.

40 years ago jet skis, wakeboards and wakesurf boards didn't exist.  The only real water sport option was skiing.  When those others came around they didn't bring in new people to water sports.  They stole from the existing water ski base.  So you took a niche sport and made it even nichier.  

And while access and cost is clearly a problem it sure hasn't slowed down the growth of wakeboarding or wakesurfing where the boat costs are even worse.  So while cost is a good reason for why skiing hasn't grown it is not the reason that it has shrunk.

And as Horton said... it's real damn tough to get any good at it.  If I suck at golfing I can still go out, play a round, and hit a few good shots.  How long does it take a new skier to do even the mini course for the first time?  

 

Edited May 14, 2023 by mlange