6balls

I don't remember where this thread has gone since 2019 and I'm not going to go back an read all of the posts--but my late bro Jim put this on his 6.2 Prostar and the thing was so quiet you would think it was electric. Minimal to no wake impact. That inboard could sneak up on a duck if it wasn't breaking water which is about all you heard. He skied weekday mornings very early in front of expensive homes that liked to complain--thus the mod to keep his course in the water and passion available. https://www.freshairexhaust.com/

Horses? Yes skiing is cheap compared to offshore sailboat racing, too(among other sports).

...and for all but the best of the best, there will always be an opportunity to tweak technique for far better gains than gains on equipment...granted one is on a high quality product. Not to say that equipment changes can't help us all to a degree--particularly if our technique is what it is--and more difficult to manipulate for a variety of reasons--tweak the equipment for the technique embedded. For most--I suspect there are some nuggets on technique that would yield larger gains. For those with excellent/reproducible/consistent technique the equipment tweaks are more important. It's cool to see the envelope pushed both on technique and equipment.

If at 36 mph shoot ski 15 off. Wake will be butter behind any of your choices there.

Very interesting, hard to see much downside other than it warps our traditional brains.

'97 is first year of a bubble butt

Lot of boat at $12.5K

Total sense.

I'll help you out a malibu VTX on the diamond hull--surfable, cruise-able, quasi ski-able.

Junk

You have a garden sprayer modified to fill turn balls partially with water.

Geez it looks so easy a caveman could do it.

My guess is a fair bit bigger than the Bayliner, which is a fair bit bigger than any true ski boat.

It will pull a skier, but if wake matters at all it's going to be really big. That is a deep v-hull that will ride nice in big waves, bank/tip in the corners in the direction of travel, and have lots of space. It's very far from what we around here would consider a ski boat.

@Shell in your pic: Fast V8, check Great looking ski site, check Buoys on glass calm water, check Chick who likes all of that stuff--super cool!

I've done a lot of stupid things, and I've done a lot of barefooting. No way I'm barefooting naked. The risk/reward balance on that one just isn't there. The nudist thing was pretty funny. More weird than that goofball from Korea that got banned after numerous warnings---name escapes me.

I love hearing an old carb MC start up cold. Nostalgia! Smell of the unburned gas while standing in the smoke on the platform putting my ski on... Pics of undisturbed buoys on glass at my favorite ski sites do the trick, too.

So fluid.

Is cost a factor here? Among the choices there is a wide differential on cost. I see 2 low hour 196's on SIA asking $24K and $28K. A low hour 2010 Nautique 200 for asking $32K--that might be a nice bang for your buck spot. Jump up to 2014-2020 or newer PS or 2019 + Nautique 200 and you pay a lot more. Everyone knows I love me a 196 and I love bang for my buck. I did drive a new 200 last fall for a long day and really liked the drive and lack of saddle bag compartments. Money no object new PS for wakes, quality, looks, features (like ski racks, super easy ZO interface etc).

Gifted a radar bar lok radius handle to a ski buddy--and a bad ass pizza cutter!

Loved that Razor A2--more successful 38s for me than all other skis combined.

Slalom theory--advanced for sure. I have learned a lot, and taught a little, over the years. Thanks @Horton

Sorry didn't mean to derail. Let's focus on the loss of what sounds like a great person and competitor. Peace.

Very sad. Hey @rawly I dislike the news, too, but I think the dislike you tagged it with ties to @DW that you are disliking his post not the situation--which is a dislike on his BOS record, so to speak.

Props to @Kimbymon for keeping a female presence around here! @Shell too. Bring your friends.