Gern Blanston

QBit - I can offer myself as a ski partner, but not a slalom course. I'm on Little Muskego and have an 05 MC PS197. I have a buddy that has a portable course that we put on Gages Lake (in Northern Illinois) occassionally. My kids are older than yours, but I can definitely say that my wife does not like driving the boat. I therefore don't get out as much as I would otherwise like.

County Clare - http://www.countyclare-inn.com/

I've been lurking for a while and had very little to offer, but this post is EXACTLY what I've been working on this season. I know from other sports that I can really only maintain 1 thought while in the midst of the chaos, so I try to keep the one thing that seems to trigger everything else. With that, I'm RFF (but not a lefty) and have noted that the 1 to 2 transition is the one that I struggle with. What works for me is to think about relaxing my right shoulder - let it trail behind me. This has the effect of opening up my shoulders and hips to the boat getting me nice and stacked for the hook up. Curiously, I've also noted a tendency to be a lot less smooth when I wait for my hips to come all the way around to the handle. I need to reach just a little bit to give me more time to get set. Great thread and I do appreciate the insights you all have given me into other ways to think about this.

Thanks to you all. The site that I've found cast iron manifolds the least expensive is SKIDIM.com yet it's still a good chunk of change that I'd rather put to something like a new ski. I believe i can find a place to weld in the new caps and feel that this would ultimately be a lot less expensive. My follow up question is this: does it make sense to have the newly welded manifolds to be painted or powder coated? That should then prevent any kind of corrosion. Or would this be a bad thing for some reason?

I have an Indmar MCX in my boat. I noted the other day that my exhaust manifold has some corrosion on it. It is occurring in these small little "caps" that have been welded into it. I think they are referred to as a sacrificial anode, but am unsure. In talking to Indmar, I'm told that this occurs because of electrolysis - the water interacting with the aluminum. He more or less implied that i should be draining the block after every time I ski. No one I know does this except at the end of the year to winterize their boat so the comment struck me as....odd. One of the caps corroded through the other day. I temporarily repaired it by slopping some JB Weld onto it. The guy from Indmar further states that I should remove the manifolds, have them drilled out, and then have new caps welded in. Or, I can spend approximately $1,100 and get a new cast iron exhaust manifold set. I have no idea what kind of costs I'm going to run into having the manifolds, drilled, welded, and repainted only to have this happen again in approximately 6 or 7 years (my boat is an 05). Has anyone else experienced this? What did you do to correct the problem? With all the aluminum blocks out there now, will this be an issue for them as well? Additionally, I'm concerned that because Indmar changed the exhaust in 06, that I'm going to have ECM issues with the cast iron exhaust (should I go that route). Is this concern unfounded? thanks in advance for any insight or direction you can provide!

that's my setup - except I have the slot fin with the built in wing. My settings are exactly what Schnitz recommended (can't recall off the top of my head). I had a hard time getting the fin angle right with all the other settings, but did manage to get there. to me, it feels smoother than with a standard fin/wing. It also feels like the ski has more grab when on edge. I have a lot more confidence with the slot fin than the standard. I don't generally ski on a course, so I can't make comments about making up time, or casting out after the second wake, etc. Suffice it to say that I like it and don't want to go back.

this one smells like a jury trial. Juries are usually prone to the follow the sympathy factor - the poor girl lost an eye and the company has insurance. So, let's award her a lot of cash. Boating is a dangerous activity and it's taken hundreds of hours behind the wheel to become competent. That's why I can't ski well when my wife drives - unless there are no other boats on the lake, I'm too busy noticing her mistakes to just relax and focus on my skiing. Last year, a boat came "out of nowhere" on her, she turned sharply into my turn and almost ran me over. I fail to understand how people riding on the gunnels equates to a "design flaw."

For some reason, I always thought it was "titan"

Syndrome's Slalom Stick Shop (people that lisp might have a problem with it)

Eddie - more succinctly put, we don't know anything about the carbon that goes into pretty much everyone's ski but (apparently) the new Goode. I mean if Andy can put 1000 pounds of force on the rope, the forces acting with the ski should be (significantly?) greater. And thus the materials making up that ski could be a decided difference/edge of the performance or durability of the ski. I'm not asking for trade secrets here, just curious as to why no one seems to feel that the carbon used seems to be important enough to sort of market around it? e.g. Pinarello has an exclusive arrangment with Torayca so that they're the only manufacturer to get their 60hm1k fiber. Does that mean anything? Maybe not, but it's at least a "differentiator".

MS - I don't think there's any question that the materials are superior (don't have an hour to watch that video). Pinarellos now use a 60kg fiber in a 1K weave on their top end bikes http://www.torayca.com/index2.html. We know this because it's a selling point for them. 60,000 KG per sq mm is unreal. A new nucler sub has steel/titanium/whatever that is something like 100 tons per sq in. And while we actually do want some flex in the bike otherwise it's too stiff, most people seem to neglect that fact and think "stronger is better" and it is - but it needs to be done "right" and thus we talk about the layup of the carbon. Carbon is unusually strong - but only in one dimension. So in bikes, they vary the angle, size and position. I would think that the stresses on a ski are pretty intense and this type of conversation would be relevant. My question was more along the lines of why aren't they more of a differentiator in the marketing of new skis? We seem to focus on the design of the ski rather than it's makeup. It seems that both are important enough to bring to the discussion. Bicycling is just about the opposite - it's assumed the frame will do everything you want it to do, and won't do the things you don't want it to. I mean at this stage, lots of skiing comes down to marrying preferences and style with the technology. The Elite may work well for some, but not others, the Strada and Zst the same thing, etc. Goode seems to have acknowledged this and is marketing accordingly.

As long as Eddie and Adam are viewing this thread, I have a question as it relates to ski construction. In the world of bicycles, much ado is made about the brand of carbon being used, the strength of the carbon, and the layup used in the manufacturing process. In contrast, very little marketing goes towards suggesting why the frame design of one manufacturer is superior. Trek talks about OCLV - their open compaction, low void exclusive process to remove the gaps in the fiber strands and thus improve consistency and strength. Pinarello talks about their asymetric layup due to the fact that the cranks and hub are on the right side of the frame. I could go on, but I think you get the point. in skiing, we seem to be focused on the rocker, bevels, etc. We seem to regard all carbon as more less the same. Goode is now talking about Nano carbon, and whether that's the beginning of what I'm referring to as a means of differentiation, or whether there's some truth to it is really the basis of my long winded question. Thanks, guys!

Bud -  I'm not in any way offended. The views in West Coast Slalom are not necessarily my own. As Marcus said, there's some good stuff in there and there's some stuff that he doesn't necessarily agree with any longer. The premise I take from it is the idea of counter rotation and skiing efficiently - dropping the hips, getting good knee bend, and being square to the boat as opposed to pulling from the leading shoulder. Those are the things that work for me. (and darn it if I could work on more than one at a time, life would be much easier) They didn't show the skier from overhead in the video. Rather it was more of a graphical representation of the path the skiers take at the various line lengths.  I believe I understand what you're saying, but I don't think the physics makes it possible for your line to stay the same path at 22 and 41 off (at the extreme ends). I certainly wish you luck in your quest, however. I will also be interested in the results. Didn't someone display a picture of (and excuse me if I get the words wrong) an accelerometer or a shadowbox a while back? It was a way to map your travels through the course with gps. Am I remembering that incorrectly? That might help Budman in his pursuit of slalom truth.

Bud -  it's been a while since I dusted off my "west coast slalom" DVD, but I'm pretty sure they cover the different paths that the skier takes from an overhead perspective at different line lengths. Namely, since the boat is going a consistent speed for all passes, regardless of the speed control device used, the time that the skier will arrive at each bouoy is the same. The path is completely different, however. I think that's the point you're trying to make with this post. The path at the shorter line lengths is is more rounded. You're able to develop more angle and therefore more speed (yes, I said that they way Suyderhoud did in the video) by working harder/more efficiently to get that angle. You start your transition sooner. Whereas at the longer line lengths, these efficiencies are not required so you can ski a straighter path to the bouy. So, even at the shorter line lengths, you're actually travelling a greater distance and with more speed. I think the pendulum analogy is only appropriate in that the width on either side of the boat is the same. Otherwise, I agree that it's completely false.  so, before you go to all the trouble, it might be worth your while to pick up a copy and check it out. Hope that helps!

This topic is of particular interest to me because skiing is usually my therapy when I'm in a bad mood. It's like the saying - a bad day skiing is still better than a good day at work. Just this last weekend I got some bad news and wanted to ski it behind me. This particular time, I was not able to do so much to my wife's dismay. Generally speaking, I define happiness as wanting what you have. I'm grateful that my wife and kids are happy and healthy. We have jobs. We're lucky enough to ski whenever we want (for the most part). Yet just every so often, I'm determined to be in a pissy mood and it's much tougher than normal to put behind me. So, it's "that @$$hole jet skier just ruined my water" or something similar. I *know* what's important but just can't let go of the crap. I can TOTALLY relate to swimming back to the dock.  When I'm golfing like crap, I'll distract myself with looking for lost balls. Sometimes with skiing, I'd rather drive or JAFO (just another....observer) to critique someone else's technique. After sufficient time outside myself, I can take a few deep breaths and let it go. Put on some good music and listen to that. I have found that I can change my mood by initially picking something that matches my mood (i love Rancid when I'm PO'd) and slowly change the music to something more upbeat and positive make me in a better mood. Hope that helps!

Thanimal, I agree....I think moving this thread (somewhat) to rowing/sweeping is entirely appropriate for a post with ADD in the title. ooohhhh shiny....Bill. it was there a minute ago. What time is it? Did I eat lunch yet? I only row about 3 to 5 days a week for about 45 minutes at a shot. I usually go early when the lake is glass. Rowing is nothing like running. I used to run a LOT (2 marathons back in the day). Running is what I call a mind screw sport. Some days 10 miles is easy. Some days 5 is hard. If you gut it out, you physically feel like crap. If you quit, you mentally feel like crap. I find with rowing that I have to relax or its too hard to do well. Not that I'm very good at it, either. I have no base of comparison as I have the only shell on the lake. Matt, where are you? I'm in SE Wisconsin. I watch the Marquette teams row on the river downtown. Sweeps appear to be very different from sculling. To show how naive I am, I don't even know what setting the boat means!  Matt, I thank you for the offer. I'll whisper you my email.  Other things that I've worked on this season (slalom wise) are keeping front foot pressure especially on the off side. I've worked on setting the initial edge harder. I've worked on getting more knee bend. And I've worked on getting more width. Video really helps. I don't like to do it every set because I then over analyze. We do it maybe once a week so we can see progress (or not).

MattP -  good to have another sculler on the post! I just picked up the sport this year because we can't ski before 8 on the lake. It kills me sometimes to not be out there when it's pure glass. I got a Maas Aero this spring and have been surprised at how relaxing and intense it is at the same time - just like skiing. Horton, i have to agree with you. I learned that trick with golf. I am simply not smart enough to concentrate on more than one thing at a time. Sure my mind wanders from time to time like with the type of stuff that goes into making up that shirt from LakeOneSkier. but the best passes are those that I'm simply thinking about that one thing.  for me currently, that one thing is the counter rotation during the turn. If I can relax the outside shoulder, everything just stacks up really nicely when I come around and set that new edge.  It gives me more time. After a fall, I just float in the water and tell myself to relax, enjoy, and have fun otherwise I over think it and mess myself up. My body knows what to do. I have to get my stupid brain out of the way and let it do it's thing.

Ditto what DW said. I'd also add that they are sharp little buggers. It's very easy to cut your hand/feet on them. I can't believe a bleach solution would be very good for your gel coat or the hoses on the intake system, the impeller, etc.Â

thought about it....seemed too creepy.

Marco - while the picture was enough to solicit a jealousy streak in many of us, myself included, I feel obliged to ask - dude, what's up with that toe???? Looks like a serious bunion.

I'm not necessarily recommending this as a solution, but.....I bent the heck out of a 6 foot pry bar taking out a tree stump. The way I straightned it was to run it over with a car/tire. With something as exacting as a prop shaft, I don't think you'd get it straight enough, so I'd just get a new one. I'd hate to see you wreck your transmission.

Todd  I take my 9 year old at 26 or 28 depending upon how he's feeling (I don't tell him) because the wakes are smaller and he's less intimidated. He doesn't seem to have an issue with the speed (but then again we're not really allowed a course, so it's just free skiing). He still does the double turn: pull once out of the cut, ride it flat across the wake, pull again once he's crossed. It would be worse if the wake were bigger. Not sure where yours falls in the spectrum, but perhaps that might help him.... Jon

thanks for the offer, but it wasn't that kind of trip. I was with the big dawgs and the trip didn't allow for any personal time. If I can swing it next time, that would be awesome. Thanks much! Jon

Dawg -  I did the software upgrade earlier this spring. It's on 7.0 something. You raise an interesting point that I hadn't considered. I don't know how it would be filtered through the paddle wheel. How can I tell? I simply plugged it into the engine harness. Another lead is plugged into the magnet sensor, another to the GPS receiver, then the other side is plugged into the display. It wasn't bad to install (once I found the engine harness - which was buried). thanks!

MS - I was in Minneapolis/St Paul this week for work. I've never been before. It's a pretty cool town. I was impressed (well, except for the metrodome and the vikings) Lots to see and do.