z_skier

My foot is on the wider side. Reflex & D3 T-factors have been my only bindings that didn't hurt.

Plenty of calf stretching - Exercises: Toe scrunches with a towel or in shoes.

Medial knee strain, Hazy IPA. Took a weird load at 2ball and felt a pull in my back knee. Strangest ski injury to date...

Intentional practice. Which means, having specific goals of what to work on in that set or day.

My former team is allowed to practice, but only in designated cohorts with less than 10 people at the lake at a time. Rules are strict (sport clubs) but skiing is happening. Competition has been completely barred however.

I made the switch from a front T-factor to a reflex. Took a while for me to get used to, but I love it. I also loved the boot, but similar to some posts above, I had several falls that I did not release which caused me more hurt. It was an easy choice for me to switch.

I've had 1 pre-release during the first set on the reflex. It was a rough crash coming just after I got through the wakes (OTF). I immediately tightened it, from the recommended 5 to just above a 6. I have not had any pre-releases since and don't plan to. *Knocks on wood

Medina Lake has a slalom course.

At many tournaments the past 3 years, I always got to talk to him. I am thankful for those special encounters with a kind friend like Gordon. RIP Gordon, a dear friend. A quick story about a kind gesture of Gordon's: It was a few minutes after 5pm, which was the end of our water time for us college kids. Although Gordon and his crew were ready to ski, he kindly let us sneak our last skier in, which happened to be me. It could be considered a forgettable gesture, but I'll always remember that. Thank you Gordon.

A little off-topic, but +1 for Austin Abel. Phenomenal guy to be around, and a privilege to ski with!

Unfortunately a fellow skier in Austin, TX had their car stolen with all their ski gear inside. Luckily the car has been recovered, but ALL of their ski gear is missing. D3 XT Rubber edge Trick ski (Red/blue/grey) Masterline trick handle & rope (Red/Black) Radar Vapor lithium Slalom ski (Pink/Black) Life Jacket Liquid Force (Blue/White) Reflex boot & Liner If you have any information or find any equipment that was stolen please contact Rachel Gawlik at 512-796-2399. Please keep an eye out for this equipment anywhere you can! Thank you ballers!

I generally use 3/8" forward of center. I also get the toe plate as close as possible/comfortable to the back of the rear boot or plate. I also prefer about 45 degrees for the toe plate, anything less or more than 45 feels odd to me.

I have a 2017 Graviton (Black/grey), and LOVE it. It is very stable, but very agile. I use it for hands and toes. I got it back when I was only tricking a few 100 points. It made a huge difference for me during the beginning phases, and now has helped to push me to bigger and better tricks.

Texas A&M Water Ski is now offering scholarships, all you have to do is submit an application. Feel free to PM or email me, and I would be glad to give you some more information, and answer any questions you might have.

Good ole slippery slalom! Always fun, my ski buddy routinely can run 41, it is incredible and hilarious to watch!

A similar situation happened during jump practice for our regional championships last year. A good friend of mine, who is a very accomplished jumper, was taking some practice single cuts, as he usually 3/4s and double cuts. He took a nasty OTF crash and was knocked out, luckily there was enough people in the boat to jump in the water and around to get the backboard, and bring him safely to shore. He turned out okay and was skiing again a week or so later. This experience gave me a lot of knowledge: To always be prepared, and a better idea of knowing what to do in a situation like this. AND to know that it can happen anytime, in practice, as it did here, or during the tournament. Safety is PRIORITY.

Unfortunately it is not zip-tied to the pylon, as it should be. We were trying to get in touch with Bryant through Nautique, but have yet to receive a specific contact number. Luckily we are very good friends with our region's Nautique promo team and they are doing what they can to help us out! I will probably post again when the solution is finally reached.

Dilemma: Our club has just gotten the new 200, however, we cannot find where to hook up the jump switch cable. We were told it is wrapped around the pylon, but it was not. We have an extra Jump switch cable (the long cable that hooks up to zero off and to the switch) but we cannot find where to hook that up either. If anyone has knowledge to help us, please share! We have already talked to Nautique, but still could not find where to plug it in.

I saw these fins first-hand as a raffle item at the NCWSA All Stars tournament this past weekend. (Thank you Denali Skis for the tournament sponsorship!) Really neat design. 2 of my friends won the classic shape fins, and another friend of mine won the original CG fin! I can't wait to hear from them on how they perform!

Correct! Thanks to the rule change, I added a 5F and 5B in addition to my O's and received 220 more points.

I'm on a 43.5" 2017 graviton and love it. I'm not doing flips yet... But one thing I notice is the stability of the ski. This size feels perfect for my weight.

1. Not trying to overanalyze, and JUST SKI. 2. I'll probably spend additional time mastering the equipment between my ears.

I vaulted for a year or so back in middle school after deciding to take it up because my grandfather was a pole vault star at ACC (now ACU), and my best friend at the time was one of the best vaulters in the state. After breaking my foot in a freak accident, I unfortunately never resumed practice. It is fun to see the sport again on this thread!

I use a Mavic Pro to film skiing, and other things. With a few camera/gimbal speed tweaks you can easily make footage look professionally cinematic. My flight time issues are solved by having multiple batteries and a portable car charger.

Offseason: (only about a month or so for me) Gym 2-3 times a week, combined with some type of cardio (running, cycling). Onseason: Gym 2 times a week, cardio, & lots of skiing. I use both seasons to keep my mental game sharp. Mental training is often overlooked and is just as important if not more than the physical part of skiing!