I have reached middle age, and want to slalom ski again...

[firstx1017]

Cant wait for Saturday to arrive... have my driver and spotter arranged, boat is ready, mental prep complete. Im stoked... its gonna happen. Hoping to have some video or at least pictures too...

YES!!! Please take SOME SORT OF VIDEO FOR US!!! We wanna see!!!!

 

[gt2003]

Up 3 out of 4 times today. The rope kept getting ripped out of my hands last trip so I had my gf accelerate a little slower today. It was amazing the difference it made. With the new prop, the torque was just too much many times. Today I got up 1st time, 3rd time and 4th time. PLUS, my gf got up on two and stayed up for quite a while. VERY PROUD of her! Back after it again tomorrow! Talk to us milehigh. Hoping to hear good things sir!

 

[firstx1017]

Congrats gt2003 on your success - hoping it goes as well for milehighjc!

 

[gt2003]

Come on Milehigh. Hoping it was good. I was sore this morning and went 1 out of 4 today but ran until I thought my body was done. Hope you are rockin it out on one. Keep us updated!

 

[gt2003]

GF was able to take a few pics as she drove, watched and photographed!

 

[milehighjc]

:-(

It was a GREAT day, water was reasonably smooth, plenty warm, and sunny with little very little wind. As soon as we were outside the no wake buoys, I was in the water. My driver had not been at a helm for probably 15 years, and I dont think he had ever pulled a slalom skier before, and CERTAINLY not a big guy like me.

The first pull yanked the handle out of my hands before I could plane the ski.

The second pull was awesome... tried many of the things listed here, including not having the ski so vertical, having the boat pull me at idle for a few feet, weight back, then a slightly faster drag which stabilized the ski, then had the driver hit it. I popped right up! But then I tried to stand too soon, got my weight too far forward, and over the front I went.

I thought I had it... but the last three pulls I kept losing the handle, and was gassed after 5 pulls, so I took the second ski, and had a great time with them. I have it, I know it. The boat has plenty of power, I think its a matter of technique for me, and the driver. By the time I was recovered from the two ski session, the water was so rough that I choose not to even ski 2 again. Horsetooth is beautiful, but it does get unpleasantly rough.

Im sore as all get out today (and smiling ear to ear about it). I may get ONE more chance this weekend, will depend on the weather, but then I'm going to winterize the boat. I have some video from my iPhone, but its so distant that you really cant tell anything, all you see is the spray and hear my daughter calling me down.

At this point, I don't doubt I will find a way to get up, even if it takes a longer ski, but whether it is this fall or next spring is the question.

 

[milehighjc]

Up 3 out of 4 times today. The rope kept getting ripped out of my hands last trip so I had my gf accelerate a little slower today. It was amazing the difference it made. With the new prop, the torque was just too much many times. Today I got up 1st time, 3rd time and 4th time. PLUS, my gf got up on two and stayed up for quite a while. VERY PROUD of her! Back after it again tomorrow! Talk to us milehigh. Hoping to hear good things sir!

Congrats, awesome! Still havent joined you per the above, but will eventually. Even though I could not stay up, I still wound up grinning an awful lot Saturday!

 

[milehighjc]

Well, its not very good video, fortunately my daughter was more concerned about her observing duties than video duties. Will have to take my real video cam out sometime, should be a lot better quality than the iPhone. In any case, this is the first couple of minutes of what time I did have Saturday. Too bad you cant see the smile. Its a little less aggressive than what I would normally try to ski, but I was pretty gassed after 5 pulls with the slalom. Getting old sucks... but does beat the alternative!

 

[firstx1017]

Sorry to read you did not get up - but sounds like you are almost there. Your video sure looks like me waterskiing! And yes, it sucks to get old. Just thinking I'll be another year older next summer and still trying to do this makes me crazy! I hope to get outside the wakes next summer on my WIDE single ski! Enjoy hearing your trials too!

 

[firstx1017]

I know what you mean about rough waters - I was sore for 5 days after this run!

 

[milehighjc]

Sorry to read you did not get up - but sounds like you are almost there. Your video sure looks like me waterskiing! And yes, it sucks to get old. Just thinking I'll be another year older next summer and still trying to do this makes me crazy! I hope to get outside the wakes next summer on my WIDE single ski! Enjoy hearing your trials too!

Im pretty sure I've got this - with a little improvement in technique by me, and just a little driver education, Im pretty sure I will be up. Given how sore I was yesterday, I cant imagine how sore I will be after a good slalom run.

Outside the wake is where all the fun is! With a good ski, and a strong upper body, its AMAZING how close your outside shoulder will be to the water, and how big of a rooster tail you can put up (yup, Im talking about you skibrain). In my day, I did a lot of that, will be interesting to see how much this middle age body will take when I do get back up on one. The winter workouts/conditioning is going to be interesting - its nice to have something like this to motivate me to do what I should have already done (lose another 25-30 pounds).

 

[gt2003]

I've found so far that I have a little less "testicular fortitude" than I did 20 plus years ago. I got to throw a little water but dang, it's always scary making that 1st hard, hard cut and having the faith to know the boat will catch up with you and take up the slack. I also remember tumbling across the top of the water back in the day. Not sure I'm quite ready for that either!

You'll get there Milehigh. My driver has responded extremely well to all that I've asked her to do. Just by easing into the throttle a little slower it helps to NOT pull my shoulders forward and rip the handle out of my hand. Very, very little water if any in the nose and before I know it, I'm up. Keep working with them. You'll be back in the drivers seat before you know it!

 

[79Merc80]

No Title

Have you thought about the Wide skis? I have an wide and extra wide ski. It's at least 1/2 the pull to get up and you only have to go 25 - 28.

 

[firstx1017]

The one on the left is the one that I got up on in the above videos. I love it and it at least gets me use to getting up and being on a single ski. Next summer when I progress outside the wake I may try a ski like the one on the right.

Have you thought about the Wide skis? I have an wide and extra wide ski. It's at least 1/2 the pull to get up and you only have to go 25 - 28.

 

[firstx1017]

Milehighjc - here's my beginner video of the first time I got up. You can see how I struggled in the water trying to keep the ski upright. I had my husband put it in great so it would slower pull me and then the ski would straighten out some. The first time the handle flew out of my hand - the second time I really struggled in the water but I actually got up - you can hear me screaming cause I was so happy to get up! At 1:47 seconds you can see me start to fishtail but I recovered and stayed upright.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFYU...ature=youtu.be

 

[roffey]

OK you people are talking me into it, when I was a teen I was ski crazy on snow and water. Life got in the way and at 56 I purchased a boat with plenty of power for water skiing. I was unsure if I should try it as I thought I might pull something and my wife, kids ... and grand kids tell me don't try it.

This summer I'm going to give it a go.

 

[gt2003]

Age is ONLY a number! Get in the best shape you can and give it a go. Hamstrings were what was hardest on me early on. But, after a couple of weekends I was good to go! Best of luck next year!

 

[milehighjc]

OK you people are talking me into it, when I was a teen I was ski crazy on snow and water. Life got in the way and at 56 I purchased a boat with plenty of power for water skiing. I was unsure if I should try it as I thought I might pull something and my wife, kids ... and grand kids tell me don't try it.

This summer I'm going to give it a go.

Its been a while since I checked this thread... but best of luck to you Roffey... sounds like you and I are in exactly the same boat so to say. Im 55, and bought my first boat last September. Working on my physical condition this winter, hope to be significantly lighter by the time I try again. It will probably be May until the water is warm enough here, but the winter is passing... more gone than there is to go.

I am concerned about an injury, so Im sure I will not be as crazy as I was at 22, but I cant wait to make it happen. It WILL happen.

Jeff

 

[milehighjc]

Going to go check out a Connelly Mid SX ski tonight. Its taken me a while to get here, but Im finally beginning to accept that fat and 55 is a lot different than trim and 22. Last year was an exercise in fatigue and a little frustration trying to get up on a standard ski. Assuming this ski is not beat to death, I think it is a ticket to getting on top of the water again instead of trying to drink the lake. At least it should give me a fighting chance to get my ski legs back, and then if I want to move back towards a competition ski I can.

So... some additional weight loss, a lot of time in the gym, and a fat ski, and maybe I will win



Jeff

 

[firstx1017]

Milehighjc - hope the ski looks good and you get it. This coming weekend is our last weekend snowboarding and then we will slowly get ready to skiing. For these 2 months we will be paddleboarding and bike riding to get ready for skiing. I can't wait to read your first and I want to see video proof when you do get up! I hope I will remember how I got up last summer!

Vicki