jsc0324

I told my Firefox to unblock for John

That is fabulous! Such fun!

What is the point about these boots? Frankly, we have seen two of exactly these wrecks between the two and three ball on Goode Powershells with two different people. In one case, we did call for an airlift. Do you think it was the boots, the ski, the skier? I am curious because I am in the process of adding the RS-1's to my lineup. My son also is skiing on RS-1's. I think my conclusion is that these things can happen, you just want to make sure that you can come out for the really bad one, which it sounds like he did. Was the release justified and predictable? The big concern about the Goode powershells in my neck the woods is the possibility of the unjustified pre-release. Call me captain obvious, but your comments about the RS-1's made me want to ask for more info. (just sayin....)

We will be comparing the Gath helmet (australian) to the Protec variety this weekend. I got the protec from Tadd at H2OPROSHOP (the link at the top of the BOS home page) and he was great in understanding the urgency of my need.  Thanks, Tadd. (From what I can tell, it looks like the Gath is less likely to scoop (bucket) because the lips are smaller.

We had a tough weekend in Newberry Springs last weekend. I ski every weekend with another family and the 14 year old son of my good friend suffered a life threatening injury when he fell requiring immediate medical treatment. Below is the letter he is planning to send to others in our community and hopefully to the AWSA to build an awareness of simple precautions we should consider to mitigate these serious risks in our sport:  Hind sight is 20/20 so believe me when I say, change must come to the world of water skiing. This exciting sport that mixes skill with speed can end in tragedy without attention given to the area of personal safety namely, helmets and goggles. Given our name dropping of watercraft, ski designs, swim wear, and accessories associated with skiing, why aren’t we promoting and wearing personal safety!  In our second year of weekend skiing at a private lake in Newberry Springs, CA., our season starts in May and runs thru October. My two sons and our friends’ two boys (ages eight to fourteen years) range from novice to advance immediate in skill and are highly committed to growing with the sport. Saturday, June 11, 2009, was like any other weekend but quickly turned into a life-saving event for my oldest son, age fourteen. He was skiing @15 off at 28.6MPH transitioning from 2 to 3 when he broke at the waist and went over the front of his ski. He was conscious and bleeding profusely from his head when rescued. Head trauma and bleeding are issues that require immediate attention and given the remote location in combination with the unknown, he was airlifted by helicopter to the nearest Level I Trauma Center more than one-hundred miles away. Notwithstanding the drama of the event, we consider ourselves very fortunate and are optimistic for my son’s full recovery. Having been struck by his ski to the left side of his head he sustained a laceration to his scalp and a depressed skull fracture that broke in multiple pieces. Surgery was performed to remove the concave appearance to his head and then titanium plates were installed to address the fractures to his skull. Needless to say, the use of a helmets and goggles would have protected him from the impact of the ski so one must ask does it always take an accident to bring change. I can categorically say that my children, my friends’ children, and any other person skiing with us will be outfitted with personal safety i.e. a helmet and goggles. To that end, I’ve located and purchased multiple helmets and goggles which my younger son and his friends will wear and evaluate beginning this weekend. While my older son is recuperating from his surgery and determining at what level he will participate in the future, I deeply encourage and highly recommend that you explore and give consideration to helmets and goggles. As with other sports (snow skiing, skate boarding, rollerblading, bicycling, etc.), helmets and goggles are considered a necessary and required part of participant’s attire. The world of water skiing is a lifetime sport that can bring years of excitement and entertainment to your family and friends. No parent should have to experience your child happy one minute and in a state of extreme peril the next. SO, join me and advocate that the water skiing community embrace the use of helmet and goggles.  Should you have questions or comments regarding the issue of personal safety, please don’t hesitate to contact me on 800/282-4396 or at garveyequipment@sbcglobal.net  John D. Fernandez