RT1

First of all, thanks to all who responded. I should have mentioned that she needs a small size binding, so the ebay ski bindings won't work, but thanks Patrick for the idea. I have quite a few bindings of my own that we have tried but all of them are too large and even though they are too big for her, she says that when she goes to slip her foot into the bindings, it hurts her ankle. It doesn't hurt once she gets her foot in the binding or removing from the binding, it's just the position of her ankle going in that hurts. The Connelly Stoker/Comp may be a good option to look into.. She does not want a new ski or the idea of hardshells. I tried hardshells years ago and hated them. I found this on Ski-it-Again and messaged the person selling it, no response yet. I think they are asking too much for it, but the "easy entry" part of their description is a plus and it's a size small. Anyone use one of these on a trick ski? https://www.ski-it-again.com/php/skiitagain.php?endless=summer&topic=Search&postid=60833

Well, I'm back and still looking for a binding for my wife's trick ski as shown above. Some guy on here has one and said he would sell it to me, but after a few emails back and forth, he decided to keep it for sentimental reasons. I'd really like to find her another Connelly Contour like the one she has been using for years. I've looked on Ski-it-Again and a while back I did check with Wiley's and they could not rebuild this old Connelly binding.

I did look on Ski-It-Again, Craigslist and FB Marketplace before making my post. Thanks for all of the responses, a member messaged me and may actually have exactly what I need.

Does anyone have a Connelly Contour binding like this one laying around that you would sell? My wife has used this one for a long time and the rear heal rubber tore. I've super glued it and Frankenstein fixed it to work temporarily, however, it's not going to last. Thank you.

@keithh2oskier so the one in the link you provided is not the same one that you used?

@keithh2oskier my right shoulder has a fully torn rotator cuff and I waited too long to have it looked at so the ortho doc told me he could not fix it at all. I recently really screwed up my left shoulder and am having an MRI on October 11th. It's the same shoulder that the late Dr. Cook in West Palm Beach fixed for me in the mid 1980's because I used to dislocate it all of the time, if I did it once, I did it 100 times, I'd do it in my sleep sometimes it was so loose. Recently I was trying to show off for my grandson's doing a flip off of the side of the pool when I screwed it up this time and then that same week skiing I took what I considered just a slight hit coming off of 3 ball @35 on a pass that I ran with no problem and my arm got a "tug". I kept skiing and took another hit and had to stop right then and there. Does that shoulder support work well when it gets wet? I'm seriously considering one of those AND a Goode Powervest.

I am skiing behind our 87 MC Pro Star 190 PS that we bought new. I installed Perfect Pass on the boat when it first came out so that is the speed control that we are using. I don't ski tournaments anymore, but if I did I would be in Men's 7. I set the Perfect Pass to 33 mph just because I just don't want to set it to 32 yet. I usually run right up the line and get a few at 35, on a good day deep 35, every now and then I'll run 35. Haven't run 35 yet this year. The R3 Series rope is probably more like any of the ropes I've used in the past so that's why I bought it, but I think I'm going to give the most stretch S Series a try to see what happens.

I've been using the R3 Series (least stretch) so far this year and it's been great, when you hook up, you go. Just for grins and giggles I'm toying with the idea of trying either or both, the S Series (most stretch) or the Competition Series (medium stretch). Has anyone done a comparison between the three and can tell me if you feel a difference and what is is. Pros / Cons? The S Series sounds intriguing. More curious about the differences between the least and most stretch, but I welcome all opinions and personal reviews. Would one be more "forgiving"?

@BobF Those are my thoughts exactly. My steering wheel turns pretty easy, but it has been on there for a long time. It's usually just my wife and I at the lake, but occasionally our daughter and grandson's go for a ride while my wife or I ski and they always have their vest on.

This is probably old news to some, however, on April 1, 2021 a new federal law was passed that requires an operator of a boat less than 26' in length with an installed engine cut-off switch (ECOS) to use the switch. My old 87 Pro Star has one installed from the factory and I have never used it. I ski private water, so there won't be a water cop pulling us over to read me the riot act. I don't like the government dictating laws, but I do see the importance of using the switch. Do you use yours? Here's a link with just some info: https://uscgboating.org/recreational-boaters/engine-cut-off-switch-faq.php

I am well known among my friends as being a "waxaholic". I not only wax all of my cars, boat, motorcycle, and bicycle, but I wax friend's cars too....for free, I just like doing it. One year my daughter gave me some Chemical Guys Butter Wet Wax for Christmas and I was less than impressed. That's the only product of theirs that I have ever used.

@Wish anchored. @6balls That sounds like a really good idea. I used to be the one to install the new buoys every year, but last year some others did that and I think they used some bungee cords to attach from the anchor to the buoy . I'll check for sure the next time out. The lake at full pool at the island end is a little over 6 feet deep, but gets progressively deeper and is somewhere between 10 and 12 feed at the starting gate on the other end, It's somewhat more shallow at the far end pre gates. When I used to hang the buoys we did the rope with a brick on it that ran through a loop off of the bottom of the buoy, so I always every year attached the magnets to the rope without any issues. It's just somewhat time consuming to install them and then remove them at the end of the year, so I am looking for another option. The older I get the less I like diving to the bottom no matter how deep it is. Thanks a bunch for the replies.

Anyone ever had a steering cable break while running through the slalom course or just cruising down a lake at speed? If so, what happened. I've never had it happen to me, however, I remember years ago a boat was over in the turnpike lake at Okeeheelee for a long time. We suspected that something was not right and cruised over there to see their boat up against the shoreline, their cable had broken. Everone was fine and I honestly don't remember what they said except that their cable broke. I replaced my steering cable a loooong time ago and it seems fine now, but it's always in the back of my mind. I had a throttle cable break on me during a slalom set last year with absolutely no warning. Try loading an 87 MasterCraft on the original trailer that has that stupid bar on it without being able to use the throttle handle. I took the cable off of the carb and hand throttled it onto the trailer as my wife steered and we actually got the boat exactly where it needed to be to reach over the bow and pull that stupid bar into place. What a piss poor design.

OK, first off, I have a 1987 MasterCraft Pro Star 190 PS that I bought new and I installed Perfect Pass when it first came out. Looking for creative ideas for attaching the magnets to an existing slalom course without taking it apart. Ever year I usually run a couple of long tywraps through the center of the magnet and then use a couple of other short tywraps to attach it just under the buoy. The attached picture should give you an idea of what I have been doing. Any better ideas?

Absolutely, without a doubt, no turn island. If you've ever skied Okeeheelee, you understand what I mean. The ONLY reason for a turn island is if your lake isn't long enough.

Defend? Here's just a few that I liked more than other's and one I didn't like. EP FX-200 (attached pic is a fin that I bought at a boat show with a fin and a fixed wing, it was made just for the FX-200) Hated the Kidder Redline, one day it would work, the next day it would try to kill you. O'Brien Synergy "C" Goode 9100, the ski that changed everything. Ran a personal best my very first set on it. Goode Flextail, from the first set it felt as good as a 9100 to me.

My wife and I ski at a private lake. We both are USA waterski members and she has her driver's rating. Usually, when we ski, it is just the two of us at the lake. The ski club at the lake is an affiliated USA Waterski club. In the case of an injury that happens while skiing, has anyone ever used the insurance included in the membership. I realize that it is secondary coverage, but if it was attempted to be used, what kind of hoops did you have to jump through and were there any exclusions? Is it really a benefit?

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@lundberg, awesome pics, very cool you were able to do that. From what you are saying, it's looks like it could be a while for me to get to full recovery. Patience is not usually one of my good traits. Thanks.

@ForrestGump, I thought I was going to have to cut my Wiley's to get them off the other day because of the pain, used enough Dawn dish soap to eventually slide them out. Like a lot of people, I'm very active and this is definitely putting a cramp in my style.

@MarkSAU, wow. I'm sure my skiing is over for me now, mostly because of my injury, but also because the weather is going to cool down to where I won't want to even take a chance on skiing. It's very difficult for me to not try and run but not worth it if I reinjure it worse. I have been able to somewhat walk OK, cut the grass, and ride a bike, just not pushing it. At my age recovery and the time it takes is a big issue. I will try PT and hope that by next season my calf is better. If it is no better by then, I honestly cannot ski or run anymore and the thought of that depresses me to no end.....

@Stevie Boy , and @Rw3 , thank you both.

67 year old skier, skied tournaments when I was younger, not any more, but I have never stopped skiing the course. Started skiing in my early 20's. I'm in great shape, run and "work out" almost ever day since I was a kid, however, a couple of weeks ago 1/2 mile into my run, it felt like my left calf muscle exploded, immediate pain. I could hardly walk. I limped home and thought, "don't be a puss, just walk it off." That actually helped and I was able to walk with little or no pain as long as I didn't push it. Even though I don't ski tournaments, I reluctantly have been skiing at Men's 7 boat speed which is 32 mph and have picked up a few buoys. So, fast forward to yesterday. I ran straight up the rope, ran 22, 28, 32, 35, and had a bad gate at 38 and only got one ball. I put the rope back to 32 and coming around 3 ball in great shape about to cross the wake, my left calf muscle hurt badly again so I immediately let go of the rope and stopped. Pain was so bad I couldn't get my feet out of my Wiley's. My wife is 100 lbs soaking wet and was unable to offer much help but somehow I struggled to get on the platform with my ski still on and finally stand up, not fun. I drenched the inside of my binding with Dawn dish soap and slowly worked my feet out one at a time. My question is, has anyone experienced this kind of calf muscle pain and if so, what should I expect for recovery time? Today I can walk OK and ride a bike, however, not gonna try to push it to avoid anything that may cause a worse injury. I do feel something in my calf similar to that "good workout" muscle pain but I know it's not that.