tjs1295

@MDB1056 It might. I doubt I'm the only one who wishes they could ski like Jessie Diggins. I would still rather watch the bio of a water skier (or something else besides multiple replays), than to see them sit in the water after running a line length.

 

Some of the bio/background stuff must work, or else there are a lot of shows on TV that waste time showing that stuff. Watch any singing, dancing, Olympics, or ninja warrior competition, and there is a ton of non-competition footage. Why would they do that if it didn't attract viewers, and generate advertising dollars? They could save a lot of money cutting that out and having a 30 minute show instead of a 60 minute show.

 

The bio thing might not work, but it would be easier than fundamentally changing the entire sport like the head to head shown above (which I think is a great idea). I'm not familiar with the locations of the events, but are any of them wide enough to even accommodate that format? Viewers might not become water skiers, but maybe they purchase products being advertised. Then again, I know nothing about marketing or advertising, so I could be way off base.

Maybe I'm the odd ball then. But I have watched all kinds of things before that I have no knowledge of, simply because there was a human connection to another person's story that was on TV or streaming. I enjoy the process/journey more than the end result. It was nice to see Regina skiing great with her knee brace on. But, I am way more interested in the story about how she got to that place from her injury months prior.

 

The one recent example is how my wife and I both started watching F1. I'm not a car person at all, and even less of a car racing person, but I was hooked from the first couple minutes of the Netflix series. Watched every season, and actually do watch some races now. The stories told were fascinating to us.

 

Maybe a diehard ski fan is watching, and another random person in the room happens to view the same story and has a connection. That person might go on to watch more, and learn about the athletes/sport.

Totally agree @Luv2Ski . I'd watch that stuff as well. I'm sure it seems mundane for those very involved with the sport, but for those of us not as involved it's very interesting. Possibly interesting for the general public as well.

@LoopSki I have had both labrums repaired over the years from multiple dislocations. I haven't had many problems with my shoulders since then, but I don't push it either. Two hands on the handle with my lats engaged is a pretty stable position for my shoulders. I cringe when I see the professional skiers reach during some turns. I can't do that anyway, but would never attempt either. I always have two hands on the handle. I only free ski for fun, so it's not an issue for me. I also have loose joints overall. Those with more stable joints at baseline might have an easier time recovering stability, and avoiding future dislocations. Either way, I learned from my teenage years what my shoulders can and cannot do, and have adapted my behaviors.

I always enjoy/appreciate the stories behind the athletes. We will see a lot of it pretty soon with the winter Olympics. The always do a good job using that as filler. It would be great if TWBC could integrate more of that into a broadcast. Obviously, much easier said than done.

Forget November, I haven't skied since early September. But, I've done a lot of other cool stuff.

Incredible broadcast. Loved that between line lengths there was so much more footage of what goes on at these events. For someone who has never been to an event, it was great to see what goes on off the water. I learned a lot.

@2Valve that’s exactly what I do.

Update. My sister bought the boat. They appreciated all the comments/help.

@PeterAK Will do. They read the feedback, and so far has been enough to convince them to check it out this weekend. Will let you know if they pass on it. I know it's not listed yet.

@S1Pitts It has the wedge.

@davemac @buechsr Yes, the arrows right above the key. Thanks for the answers. The small round gauge on the left was the depth gauge. At least that's what it was displaying. Not sure if it displays other things. Not totally sure what the right one was showing. Also noticed that blue cable. Unfortunately the boat was so new for to the

 

Appreciate all the comments. Probably have enough general info to help my sister make a decision. I'll check the Malibu Crew for specifics.

I forgot I did have a picture of the dash. It’s not the greatest but here it is. I was wondering what those left/right and up/down buttons were on the right hand side? Anyway, there didn’t seem to be any gauge really indicating a speed control. But I’m used to seeing perfect pass or zero off.

 

@foxriverat Appreciate the links. Will check them out. I think it had some sort of cruise control, but I din't notice until we were back on the trailer.

Thanks for the info guys!! I thought these were nice boats, just didn't know for sure. The engine didn't seem to be lacking anything either.

 

Pictures

 

Hello everyone. I went and looked at one of these boats today for my sister who lives out of town. I'm least familiar with Malibu, and their options. My sister has a young family of 5, and they are looking for a recreational boat. They originally wanted an inboard/outboard, but the dealer is a close friend of hers, and they just got this Sunsetter on trade. We took it out for a drive, and it seemed fine. Probably needs a new steering cable, and has some cosmetic issues, but nothing major for a 20 year old boat. They would use it for all kinds of things (except surfing), but serious slalom skiing is probably a few years down the road, if ever. Based on some things I've read, it sounds like it's a great slalom boat for it's size.

 

Anyway, is anyone aware of common issues with this boat? The key for my sister and her family is getting something reliable. It has just over 400 hours on it. The previous owner didn't use it much one his kids got older. I guess he'd only put about one tank of gas in it per summer for the past 10 years, and cruise around. If anyone can tell me which engine this has in it, that would be great as well. Dealer wasn't sure since it just came in, and they don't normally sell Malibu. I searched around a bit, and realize the Malibu Crew might be a good route as well, but wanted to start here. Thanks!

@klindy Gotcha. We're definitely on the same page. More action. I don't need constant, just a bit more than now. That's what I was getting at earlier when I mentioned two skiers at the same time like the head to head at Hilltop. My beer swilling, non-skiing friends would be way more into being spectators for something like that.

 

And the extra time in soccer is hilarious. Ok, not really.

@klindy Yes, I have watched a lot of those sporting events live, and on TV. I was going to elaborate in my previous post, but didn't want to be too long winded. I get your comparison, and agree on some level. I have almost quit watching American football entirely because the pace of the game is painfully slow. I disagree about soccer. Started watching about 10 years ago in my mid 30's, and was hooked. I know nothing about the game, but it didn't take long to realize the professionals are incredibly talented, there is almost always something going on (ok, ok, the fake injuries slow things down), and the game will be over in almost exactly two hours every time. Either way, most of those events will be over in 2-4 hours. I just checked the TWBC broadcast of the Swiss Pro Slalom event, and it was almost 12 hours long. Those sports also have the benefit of being held in stadiums, so even between the action there is a lot that can be put on by the host venue during a live event. That's tough to do for water skiing. The webcasts are fantastic, and with sponsorships should be able to fill some of the down time.

 

I'm really not trying to put down anything here. TWBC does an amazing job!!! And I think things are heading in the right direction. I voted in a different poll that I would gladly pay $10-$20 to watch. If there's a way to do that, please send me that direction. I can't offer much to this website, but I can offer the perspective of a complete outsider who slalom skis simply for the fun of it. If I went to one of these events, it would be as a spectator. That's the perspective I'm trying to put out there. I think for a lot of people on this website, seeing the competitors would be like getting together with your friends for the day. Which would be a ton of fun, but that's not what my beer drinking, MMA watching, unathletic, fat, out of shape buddies will experience. They can't drive home from a baseball game after drinking for four hours. They'd never make it until the end of a water ski tournament. They'd all be passed out on the property somewhere.

 

 

Agree. The webcasts kick a$$! Been watching a lot this year.

@Broussard I agree about that for the TV audience, but I'm thinking mostly about being at the event in person. I think I would be bored out of my mind after a couple hours. Unless there is something else to do right at the grounds like in Milwaukee on the Summerfest grounds. Especially if skiers start running the same pass twice. :D I wonder if more people would attend if the water ski tournament was not the main attraction? I picture a lot of my non-skiing friends stopping to watch some skiing as they walk and drink at Summerfest. Obviously that would be really hard to organize something like that.

I hate to say it, but there needs to be more action to get the general public (or probably plenty of water skiers) watching. I understand it's the nature of the sport, but 17 seconds of action followed by 1-2 minutes of nothing, makes for a long day. Two boats, with two skiers at opposite ends, at the same time. Something like the head to head at Hilltop. That was much easier to watch.

Thanks for the insight. Covid pricing, and loan to value ratio makes sense. Crazy times indeed.

@WIRiverRat Really, how does that happen? Someone walks in to buy a boat, finds one, both parties agree on a price, THEN the buyer goes to get money for it, only to find out no one will give them any? I'm pretty ignorant of things like this, but that sounds insane. Especially to see it happen 8 times!!! I actually feel sorry for the dealer.