Too old for water sking???

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Too old for water sking???

i'm 60 and still get around on skis. i do use a pair to get up these days, and then drop one. kids today have not idea what fun it really is. when i started, we did not have all these fancy ski's, i still use my old cypress gardens, combo pair. today's tube are ridiculously priced. what happened to tying a tractor tube to a rope and dragging it? or just a 4' diameter, piece of plywood, called disc? skiing behind a 14' dinghy w/ a 15hp tiller motor.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Too old for water sking???

Hey, Tash. I had one of the Cypress Gardens slalom. I forget what they called it. Laminated wood--real work of art. Up until last year I was using a modified Voit laminated white ash ski with a "Shark Fin". Real beauty, wide rounded tip and narrow rear so it needed high speed to float me.

Problem was it would spray right about midshin on my back leg and bruise me on long runs. I just traded up to an O'Brien. Although I no longer do 36-36 I do ski at 30 or more MPH (I'm more comfortable at higher speeds), cut hard, and get air off the wake so I modified it with a bigger keel.

I not only still water ski hard, I speed skate and snow ski b-lls to the wall. Ahh! That's how I broke my collar bone a few years back.

Sometimes on a whip with an illegal 90 foot rope, (yes, rules are made to be broken- max allowed here in PA is 75) I get up to approximately 50-60. Wind whistles in my ears and the keel even whistles in the water but it hurts when you trip and go in. Tears apart the standard vest too.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Too old for water sking???

40 years ago i took one of those spills, when the skeg broke on one of these. boat was running 42, i had gone all the way out, and was coming back across, just as i hit the high point of the 2 outside swing the skeg broke. i walked on water for a while, then went head first, damaged some disc in my neck.

Cypress Gardens Ski Skat, 28 inches.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Too old for water sking???

You folks realize that "Banana George" barefoots everyday, and he is in his eighties! He is a good role model for all who age...

I have been away from skiing for about 8 years or so. I have put on 20 pounds and am just afraid of the pain afterward. Maybe I will chance it this summer.

 

[skibrain]

Re: Too old for water sking???

I've seen the Ski Skat. What do you do with it? I mean other than the obvious, try to get up on it and ride it?

Unlike shoe skis, which as barefoot trainers allow you to slow the boat down for learning tricks, that one always struck me as an oddity...

 

[bassboy1]

Re: Too old for water sking???

Have y'all seen the V8 with the 83 year old woman slaloming?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Too old for water sking???

the ski skat, you use a another ski as a drop ski, along with the ski skat, to deep water start, then you drop the large ski. i'm sure someone with huge arm and leg mussles, and a great boat out of the hole, could get up on one. but i don't and did not have that body.

 

[skibrain]

Re: Too old for water sking???

So like skiing on a canoe paddle or a trash can lid, it handles miserably and is slightly treacherous? An evolutionary dead end. I'm guessing they didn't sell a lot of them.

 

[John Bussom]

Re: Too old for water sking???

Two years ago a friend donated 2 sets of old water skis, the grandkids were chicken to give them a try so in the water I go!

Just break water and the OLD ski rope breaks, tied back together and up I came, well I was not as good as I was back then but at least encouraged them to give it a try, now they love it!

End of day we stopped on the way home to get a new rope and I ended up with a new set of skis also,

The kids really never include me in whose turn it is and I never mention that I would like to either, I enjoy watching them have fun???? makes them nice and mellow later on when they are tired!

Dunno about being too old cause when it comes to things I have done in the past it seems natural to me, I think it depends on what kind of condition your body is in, I am only 68, work 12 hours a day 4 days a week 5pm to 5am and have at least one shot of brandy for breakfast!

Winter kills me, I do little of anything, summer time I like gardening, fishing, swimming, boating, camping and metal detecting and little sleep!

 

[skibrain]

Re: Too old for water sking???

Good thread. Needs more photos though. Post 'em up!

 

[electricjohn]

Re: Too old for water sking???

This scanned picture was from a show in Vermont in 1984. I went up to go to a funeral and ended up in a ski show. I'm on the left. The close up picture of me that was taken was to large to upload. Still doing the barefootin to this day at 52 years old. I think they will bury me with my skis.

 

[kcdeHO]

Re: Too old for water sking???

Never, never too old, until you think you are!

44 and still coming up and skiing on one. Hurt myself (my neck) tubing a few years back and have to say, tubing puts more fear in me than skiing. At least skiing, I can usually predict when I'm going to crash and then even feel like I have some control over that.

Keep in shape and ski like there's no tomorrow~!

 

[dinghy berry]

Re: Too old for water sking???

Well the last time i water sking was in 1989 which was 20yrs ago. I just got back into boating this past summer and i was real tempted. But now i am over 200lbs and i am not sure if i could get back up. But knowing what a determined person i am i would stay at it till i do. Maybe this coming summer i will try it while i am on vacation so when the day is over i will have the rest of the week to recouperate..lol

 

[travelship]

Re: Too old for water sking???

You folks realize that "Banana George" barefoots everyday, and he is in his eighties! He is a good role model for all who age...

George Blair didn't even learn to ski until he was 40, and learned to barefoot at 46. At age 70, he learned to wake board. At age 75, he went snowboarding. At age 81, he drove a race car. At age 82, he went sky diving. At age 83, he went surfing. At age 85, he rode a bull. He's 94 now, and has suffered some poor health recently, he will probably never ski again. So I would say that maybe 90+ years is too old for water skiing.
http://www.bananageorge.com/photo_barefooting.html
http://www.theledger.com/article/20080123/NEWS/801230390

 

[OldMercsRule]

Re: Too old for water sking???

I'm a year senior ta Bubba n' can still make the ol' girl get down.

Not quite as much of a bad boy as the skiier dude from MN, (ski brain), but I do get down, n' drop one arm to extend each side.

One of the main reasons I like inline six Mercs: (no wake nasty hole shots).


Don't do it as much due to lack of spotters et al (as others have said), but deep water or flyin' dock starts no problemo.


Hope I can do it fer another twenty years or sooooo we shall see!!! JR

 

[skibrain]

Re: Too old for water sking???

More Photos??? Just trying to think spring here.

Showin' the kids how to ride the aquaplane:

 

[ridesapaint]

Re: Too old for water sking???

OK, I am going to be 48 in March, and I ski great, just not all day long anymore. At 205 I am also 60 pounds heavier than when in my 20's, so I have to start on two skis. Then I found that a high-quality, big-*** wakeboard is a lot of fun, it carves a nice turn at about 40mph, and I pop right out of the water. I have used the Sea-doo for pulling and with 215 hp it will rip your arms off, but just a few weeks ago picked up a nice ski boat and am looking forward to skiing and wakeboarding this summer. I don't mind crashing at any speed but I was a bit od a daredevil when younger and know how to fall and protect myself when bouncing across the water.
Age is relative, personal, and it is not chronology. "Get off the couch and go outside and play" is what mom always said. She is 81 tomorrow, and she loves driving the sea-doo with me on a tube! I need to get pics of that this summer somehow.

 

[Sondar]

Re: Too old for water sking???

Got to say there are a lot of inspiring peple out there!

I only just learnt to ski last year at 43 & I love it. Don't get out enough unfortunately (only once or twice a month), but I'm up on one ski (with a hell of a lot to learn!).

Reckon I'll have to go until I'm 75 at least...

 

[baiwan]

Re: Too old for water sking???

I am 55 learned to ski at 48 and intend to try wakeboarding this summer. I love it and am glad to find other people who can understand how I feel when my younger girlfriend is pulling me and when I quit skiing she bends overboard to collect the rope I take my time watching her.
I thing I never grew old, I grow younger - become childish.
Can't wait for the summer to come,though I am busy now adding power to my boat.

 

[roadrunnr]

Re: Too old for water sking???

I didn't start water skiing until I was 30, pushing 55 now and still love doing it, and hope to continue for years. Keeping in shape is probably the key. As you probably can tell from my name I'm a runner and do that to keep fit, although I have to admit to tappering off during poor road conditions and cold Wisconsin winters. Can't wait for warmer weather!!!