I Feel Old School or Just Old.

[Jug1489]

Re: I Feel Old School or Just Old.

I just started my account and couldn't quickly figure out how to get my pictures up. I'm a step or two behind you older guys on the slalom, but just finally started taking it seriously the past two years. I now prefer slalom skiing and most of my buddies do too(Brain washed though because I'm the one with the boat). I'm decent at both wakeboarding and slaloming. Really good... if you don't know what you're looking at. After I broke the back flip threshold on the wakeboard it started to get old.. there's nothing like throwing your weight around and ripping through the wakes on the slalom in my opinion. It's old school, but it's awesome

 

[marlboro180]

Re: I Feel Old School or Just Old.

. there's nothing like throwing your weight around and ripping through the wakes on the slalom in my opinion. It's old school, but it's awesome

Yup, gotta agree there!

 

[vegasphotoman]

Re: I Feel Old School or Just Old.

Wakeboarding is not that cool ......mebbe its a fad....

so far from what I can tell ....wakeboarders don't wakeboard very often...I see loads of these expensive new wakeboard boats...usually they are sitting in a cove drinking it up and listening to club music...not my crowd! and 3 to 4k for a "rollacage" and a few speakers (oh thats an extr $2k for those forgot to mention...) but who cares...put it on CREDIT.... lol 1/2 the time that boat will be repoed by the next season anyways..... Im sure theres some serious wakers out there but I havent seen em.......

We like tubing....

used to slalom and kneeboard...but this year my left knee is killing me 1/2 the time or keeping me awake at night...so Im pretty sure I'm all done with watersports.....

Sold my snowboard this past winter as well.....havent ridden it since I spaceplanted my shoulder into the snow at speed...tore the should muscle off the clavicle...FUN! lol I like (snow and water) skiing better!

Wakeboarding won't go as far as waterskiing ever has....thats my 2 cents

 

[snowdays]

Re: I Feel Old School or Just Old.

Love the photos skibrain! Makes me want to get out there and make a splash. I say age is just a number. You are as young as you feel.

 

[Slide]

Re: I Feel Old School or Just Old.

I'm 21 and I don't like to wakeboard. Maybe I'm old school, but I really think I'm just a speed freak. There is no board trick that is more fun than reeling in the rope, knocking the boat up to 27 or 28 and tearing off a nasty 60mph cut!

Slalom is an extremely niche sport around my age though. Everyone wants to board, and when I actually get a turn to ski, they are flabbergasted. "You're only using ONE?!" Makes my day.

 

[skibrain]

Re: I Feel Old School or Just Old.

Welcome. We old guys won't discriminate against young blood. 60 mph a bit of an exaggeration but the need for speed is a big rush and and what keeps me coming back.

 

[75TowerOfPower]

Re: I Feel Old School or Just Old.

I started skiing when i was about 7 or so and then dropped one around 12 and have been out everyonce and awhile since. I am 24 now and I love crossing the wake on a single and of course all of my friends are in to wake boarding. it is funny to see their reaction to me ripping a set versus them jumping 2' and eating their face. I have converted a few to atleast try. I guess i am old school since I learned on the boat I currently own. And I know we have taught over 30 ppl to ski behind it, its going to be tough to let her go.

 

[whitjohn]

Re: I Feel Old School or Just Old.

Started skiing in 1964 at 8 years old behind my dad's 18' fishing boat with an 18 horse Johnson! My older brother and I started slalom on an old Voit with a tunnel fin and a Cypress Gardens "Lil Monster". We bought one of the first O'brien's that came out....a wooden 72". Loved that ski......super stable....easy to ride......but I found out how sluggish it was on turns when I got on my cousins 64" O'brien composite ski....that thing was fun.....easy to drag the elbows every turn!

I'm 54 now and just back into boating now with a 22' pontoon. Not exactly a ski boat but we got a jet ski too....so I'm tempted to BORROW a ski and give it a try again before I BUY one

 

[skibrain]

Re: I Feel Old School or Just Old.

Go for it. A jet ski is actually pretty fun to ski behind. Probably more of a challenge for the driver if the skier decides to get too aggressive.

The low, foamy wake is sweet. The low mass of the jet ski (plus the ease with which you can pull it down, and how quickly it accelerates back up to speed) makes for a tow like on a big soft bungee cord. Pretty easy on the body. Hole shot is very quick if you've got one with any kind of HP.

 

[whitjohn]

Re: I Feel Old School or Just Old.

Go for it. A jet ski is actually pretty fun to ski behind. Probably more of a challenge for the driver if the skier decides to get too aggressive.

The low, foamy wake is sweet. The low mass of the jet ski (plus the ease with which you can pull it down, and how quickly it accelerates back up to speed) makes for a tow like on a big soft bungee cord. Pretty easy on the body. Hole shot is very quick if you've got one with any kind of HP.

Agreed! I have both skied and towed with an older JetSki this one we just got is a used Kawasaki Ultra 150. I don't know much about them but it has 150 HP 2 stroke.
We pulled a tube last weekend with it to some scary speeds! I'm not sure how it will pull with a deep water start but I am in decent shape so we'll see!
I'll wait for the outcome before posting any pics!

 

[SeanT]

Re: I Feel Old School or Just Old.

I LOVE pulling tubers on a sea doo. Much more manouverable and I can build up a choppy (fun filled ) maelstrom much more easily than in my boat.

I would agree that skiing behind a PWC is fine, but I can tell you that it is definitely harder on the driver. We had a 255HP Seadoo RXT but I couldn't keep speed constant enough. We started talking about programming the second key for a maximum speed so you just have to hold it WOT, but ended up selling the sea doo for other reasons before we had a serious chance to try it.

 

[lrcustom]

Re: I Feel Old School or Just Old.

Skibrain,
Look at that cut, that form, those square shoulders, perfect hand position, ski tip pointed at the tow rig. Did you just start doin this???
Man you rock (for a kinda old guy)
Keep doin what your doin.
I need some water.

LR

 

[skibrain]

Re: I Feel Old School or Just Old.

LR, Thanks for the kind words. Stop by MN some morning and we'll drop you into the rotation! It will all come back like you never missed a beat.

 

[ScotWithOne_t]

Re: I Feel Old School or Just Old.

I just bought a boat and the first thing I'll be trying is skiing (by virtue of the fact that my boat came with skis )

I want to try wakeboarding too to see which one I like more. If anything from snow-skiing translates, I'll probably like skiing more. My favorite part of alpine skiing is going fast and carving big wide turns, and really digging the edge in to feel the g-forces in the turn. Favorite part of snowboarding was... not catching an edge and faceplanting. Never got into doing jumps, but maybe I'll be less intimidated by landing on water when it's not frozen.

 

[jkust]

Re: I Feel Old School or Just Old.

It's funny that I see wake boarders all the time behind dedicated ski boats but have yet to see any talent what so ever. Haven't seen anything but a basic jump all season. It is actually disappointing to see the lack of skill but so many wake boarders. Now how is that cooler than the guy slaloming above? I grew up before wake boards and I can tell you knee boarding, not just jumping but all the tricks, is hard. Wake boarders have the benefit of their leg muscles. A good knee boarder can do a flip with zero wake actually outside the wake.

 

[kailec00]

Re: I Feel Old School or Just Old.

I don't have a wakeboard boat, but it does have a tower on it. I have a wakeboard, but have not tried it yet. Bought it at Academy on summer end sale, 60% off. Why not pick one up and try it at that price. I use the tower for wakeboarding. I would try to ski, but between the 2 tubes the kids want to take, the kneeboard and the wakeboard, we are pretty full up for the day.
When I do get the chance to try the wakeboard I would do it because it was fun not because it is "cool". I may try it and hate it who knows.

 

[2ndtry]

Re: I Feel Old School or Just Old.

I do both (I'm old), my son does both (he's young).

It kinda bugs me when a slalom vs board war breaks out. They are different sports, neither is inherently "better". Just because you have a strong preference of one, doesn't mean you should bash the other.

Yes, boarding is easier than slalom for beginners. It also takes less energy and is easier on old knees. At the high end, tho, I gotta say boarder have equal the talent as the slalomers. I get as big a kick watching some carve it up as I do watching boarders jump and flip. Around here, the best boarders are also some of the best skiers.

 

[BigBoatinOkie]

Re: I Feel Old School or Just Old.

Well, I can't post any pics that are as impressive as Skibrain's, but here's are some of my wife and I this past weekend. Keep in mind, we just started slaloming this summer, so go easy on us.

The wife

Me

Oh, and my 55 year old mom's very first slalom run. I was just towing her on two skis, then she just kicked of a ski. We had no idea she was even interested in slalom. Guess she's got a few tricks up her sleeve.

 

[SeanT]

Re: I Feel Old School or Just Old.

Great pics!

 

[skibrain]

Re: I Feel Old School or Just Old.

Alright! Looks great.
Are those deep water starts a bit easier with the new ski?