auskier

Admittedly, yes we had some initial difficulties getting adequate audio quality with the PA system available, but if you tune in for the open divisions tomorrow, you will note a significant improvement in both video and audio quality.

My 106 redim I had in my 2006 Monza got stolen recently after a break in at my lake 😞 I learnt a lot back in the old CBR forum days from many of the OG's. Good times.

Thanks Rob. Would be really interesting to compare the data on that. Looks like Jerry was the TC?

Can someone comment on what seemed to be dual sure path systems going - on the pylon as usual and mounted on the windshield?

The gimbal, transmission and camera unit TWBC is using this season is a DJI Ronin unit. https://store.dji.com/au/product/dji-ronin-4d?vid=107481

I am on my 2nd platinum after my first one had done its time - so I have been on it for nearly 5 years - when it first came out. Without doubt the best value high end slalom ski on the market for the price. Personally, I have improved more on the Platinum than anything else I have ever been on. It is a ski that probably requires a more precise DFT setup, so if you get that balance point right, it turns on autopilot and as quickly as you would ever want it to. I find the primary difference between the two KD's is 2nd wake to ball. They turn the same, similar 'speed' feel, but I could not find the sweet spot and carry outbound as consistently on the Titanium, as I could the Platinum.

We may need to be doing this ourselves at some stage in the next few years. Does the 6lt fit under the same engine hatch? Or is it only the 6.2 that required the bigger lid?

It comes down to what is considered an acceptable level by the organisers and AWSA. Last month I webcasted the Australian nationals each day, simply streaming the boat feeds, mostly for slalom but some trick as well, and a handy-cam at the tower for jump. It was extremely rudimentary and I just overlaid the commentary to the video. It probably cost me $100 for a video encoder and bits to do it. As I was the TC for the event I didn't have a lot of time to put into it. It just ran itself all day. Obviously what I did was a LOOONG way from TWBC, but it allowed friends and family to tune in and watch something. So it certainly can be done on the cheap, fairly easily.

@skierjp that is probably a bit of an over exaggeration. There will come a time where most lithium for batteries comes from seawater. It will significantly reduce the need for mining in the traditional sense. The transition to EV isnt happening by next week. It has taken 150 years to get to this point with gas powered transportation. EV transition will be drastically quicker and will happen whether you like it or not. The best thing is that there will be greater choice and freedom in the market for consumers. Why do we have to continue to be 'bent over the barrel'? To be anti-EV or hydrogen doesn't make sense. You will have the freedom to buy a large gas truck and spend a hundred dollars to fill it for many years to come. Alternatively you will be able to charge your battery for the cost of a coffee. The 'green' argument aside, would you rather your electric car/boat be 100% powered by domestically produced and mined coal, or, oil/gas which has a pump price strongly influenced by international players and countries whom often dislike western democracies? If you dont believe that EV's are 'greener' then that's fine, but there are numerous other benefits too. Go drive a model S plaid and tell me that isn't a bad a$$ car!

A few key points in my opinion. - Drive proactive, not reactive. Working the wheel in anticipation of pull and load will result in greater stability of the pylon, and also allow the skier to remain connected. This minimises how much wheel work is needed at the backside of the period of load when the skier is going outbound off the 2nd wake. This is probably the most sensitive time where the skier will feel the boat. Being proactive means any corrective work is already done, and allows the skier to swing out and up on the boat better, not having their pivot point move. - Aim to keep constant feel and connection about where the skier is at all times. Especially avoid movements that would disconnect them from the boat. This will mostly be moving with the skier as they go outbound off the 2nd wake. - The critical 'work zone' for the driver is the period from hook up to centerline for the skier. Unless you find yourself grossly off target (or tournament driving), you are better off correcting yourself at the next ball, than working the wheel too late as the skier goes outbound. Better off being over aggressive than under doing it while the skier is loaded up into the 1st wake - they probably wont feel it. - Dont aim for a line of 0's down the lake at the expense of keeping connection. I would rather be off-sided 5cm at every ball and know where the boat is at all times, than be +5 and struggling to get swing and connection. - As Horton said, it often equates to feeling like the back of the boat is pointing towards the skier at all times and the boat is pivoting around the pylon down the lake - especially in a mastercraft. Driving like this does not have to equate to giving the skier +5 or +10 at every ball. If being proactive with the wheel gets classed as 'pattern driving' then I think we are heading in the wrong direction when it comes to boat path monitoring. Its simply false to think that a skier is getting through 39 or 41 with a driver whos only aim to to get the accumulated deviation as low as possible.

I am a podiatrist, so I may know a thing or two about it.. In regards to skiing, it shouldnt bother you too much or limit you, especially if it is your front foot. The back foot may be a different story. The primary thing I would be trying if I was you, would be to put a lift under your heels, either beneath the liner, or under the orthotic within the liner, of about 1/3" to 1/2". This will limit more pressure and strain on your fascia than an orthotic alone.

I am a Tech controller so that job always equates to self funding a lot of extra stuff. So if that counts as camera gear, I easily spend that and more.. For example I have recently finished building a new HD video from the boat transmitter, which will probably total over 2k if I add it all up. Not to mention the DVRs, cameras and everything else that goes with it.

@freerange the area referred to as the trough - the dip between the wake and flat water, is horrendous. I have skied behind a lot of Aus made boats, and the senator is by far the worst. I have skied an older XFi which are ok. Good little boat for some family fun. But personally, I would much rather have a 15-20 year old malibu than a brand new XFi. If you insist on an aussie boat, the matrix sorrento and Camero Legend are probably the best of them. The 2nd hand market is through the roof at the moment. There is only 10 malibu response (of all generations) boats listed on boatsales at present, which is simply insane. If you would be interested in a 2009 mastercraft prostar 190 priced in the 30s, send me a message.

In my opinion a mid 2000s malibu in the high 30s to low 40s is still a much better boat than anything else made locally. If you are a skier, the skicraft senator has the worst trough I have ever skied, to the point where it is scary. The matrix sorrento is probably the best of them.

As someone who has been involved in the crunch of a number of similar incidents, I cringe when things like this happen. I have no doubt the officials involved made the best call they could with what they had in front of them. I would love to know how we 'fix' these situations but there is no simple, or single answer. As @bishop8950 said, video from this perspective is not allowed to be used to make a judging call. Now.. What I am about to say is in NO WAY advocating for a reversal in the trend in making the sport safer for skiers. I like many of you have been injured by hitting balls and anything that helps prevent people being hurt should be encouraged. However, in my opinion a contributing factor (NOT THE ONLY ONE) to questionable judging calls like this occurring, is a result of the improved safety in turn balls - partially water filled, bubble buoys, low air pressure etc. In times past centre punching a turn ball like the example above would have likely spat you out the front as the ball would be much harder to deform and displace. It was probably also larger and sat higher in the water. Hitting a ball like this would cause a much clearer displacement of the ski, disruption of the spray, cause the skier to fall etc etc. Now with most balls you can safely hit them all day without consequence. Therefore the ability for a judge to determine whether or not a buoy was correctly skied around is more difficult than it has ever been. It has significantly reduced the margin of error to just a few inches which needs to be determined in less than .01 of a second, without as many telltale signs to make the right call live from the boat. Additionally, if shore judges are in the middle of the course they may be 150-200m away from 1 ball for example. Using the recommended 20cm diameter minimum buoy there is a 10cm margin to determine the difference between a ball being rounded, and a ball being ridden over and centre hit. Not to mention a ball that will probably deform and sink under water easily. This leaves the judges having to determining a 10cm difference from quite a distance away. Another factor is the video review and video from the boat. The skier is the only constant in the moving video frame. The ball comes in and out of frame while the skier is the primary focus point. This means the buoy is part of the background and suffers from interlace issues as it rapidly moves through the frame. Someone stationary on the bank with a camera, looking at a stationary turn ball will always have greater clarity than a boat camera to determine displacement or ski position in relation to the buoy.