A couple years back I was doing some coaching in France. I was looking at the results of a competition the previous weekend and saw Sasha’s name next to a score of 2 @ 41 off. I think Sasha was 13 at the time. Now Sasha is skiing at 36 MPH and running 39 off at 16 years of age. I met Sasha face to face and believe me, stay out of this guy's way! I shot a bunch of photos of him skiing the other day and in every one, he's totally focused. I have yet to see him smile. Watch out water-ski world.
"NEWS FLASH"
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From Carl Peterson,
Eddie Limming (A fellow skier and good friend to a lot of us) lost his son Wednesday, May 14th.Details are not really known as of yet!Jason was around 25 years old.I’ve known Jason for about 10 years.He was a great young man.I can not even imagine what Eddie and Jenny are going thru right now.It has broken my heart to hear this news.I am passing this along to everyone I think has come in contact with Eddie, Jenny or Alley cat (their daughter). THEY are going to NEED our support.
Do you have water-ski related property to sell or maybe you are looking for that awesome water-ski get-away. We're building a water-sports related real estate section just for you so please stay tuned. In the meantime, please send me what you have to sell or are looking to buy.
Rent this 2 bedroom, 2 bath townhouse, 2 miles straight down the street from Okeeheelee Park, site of the 2008 US NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. Train at Okeeheelee now! Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly terms available. Bring your boat or ski with us. Please call for details; 1-800-480-0090
ORDER YOUR UPGRADE OR COMPLETE SYSTEM TODAY!
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THE NEW "GOODE 9800 SL's" ARE FLYING OUT THE DOOR. GET YOURS TODAY WITH FREE SHIPPING! $1,290.00 1-800-480-0090
"Start with technique and around it, wrap muscle!"
Thierry Malhomme
"There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other."
Douglas H. Everett
WHAT ARE YOU DOING TODAY TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE?
Here is your mission should you choose to accept it, you are to make at least two people happy today. If only half of the people on earth will follow this rule, think how much of a nicer world we would live in!
"We should take pleasure in giving pleasure" Schnitz!
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WEST COAST SLALOM DVD
BY MIKE SUYDERHOUD FEATURING TERRY WINTER AND MARCUS BROWN. OVER 115 MINUTES OF THE LATEST SLALOM TECHNIQUES THAT WORK THROUGH 41 OFF. BE THE FIRST TO GET YOURS. THERE IS $15.00 ADDITIONAL SHIPPING ON ANY SINGLE OR MULTIPLE DVD ORDER GOING OUTSIDE THE USA!
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EDGED IN WATER
More than 80 minutes of high energy water-skiing. The morning mist emerges from the morning glass. A skier rips through a perfect turn. The rising sun ignites the spray like a wildfire. This is the sensation created by edged in water.
No film has ever captured water-skiing like this. The camera is everywhere; in the sky, on the water, aboard the boats, on the skiers. These are perspectives on skiing you've never seen along with sounds you've never heard, stirring a fresh stoke like you've never felt. As Edged in water speeds into action, hang on!
STARRING; WADE COX, CHRIS PARRISH, JAMIE BEAUCHESNE, FREDDY KRUEGER, MARCUS BROWN, NATALIE HAMRICK, JARET LLEWELLYN, CHRIS ROSSI, TERRY WINTER, RON SCARPA, KEITH ST. ONGE, SCOTT ELLIS AND MORE.........
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WE JUST ADDED 400 DUAL LOCK. 400 DUAL LOCK HAS 400 INTER-CONNECTORS PER INCH. TRADITIONAL DUAL LOCK HAS 250. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR MORE HOLDING POWER YOU CAN OPT UP TO THE 400. YOU CAN ALSO MIX THE 400 WITH THE 250 FOR SOMETHING IN BETWEEN. BUY AT THE BOTTOM OF OUR BINDINGS PAGE. CLICK HERE!
BOLT ON MORE ANGLE WITH ONE OF OUR SPEED FINS
IN STOCK! ORDER TODAY! SPEED SLOTFIN - ZERO PARASITIC DRAG! $129.99 delivered in the USA! / $144.99 outside the USA.
Steve,
As you know, I have been using the Slot Fin with Mini Wing on every ski I've owned for years now. This includes the Goode 9400, D-3 X5, Monza, and my current Goode 9800. I've been so happy with the performance with the 9800 with the Slot Fin that I have been reluctant to make any changes to it. After having a SPEED Slot Fin in my closet for 3 months I finally bolted it on today. All I can say is FANTASTIC!! Ran right up the rope from 28 to deep 38 Off. Actually made up ground after being late a couple of times. I never would have thought there would be that much difference between the regular Slot Fin and the SPEED Slot Fin, but I could immediately feel the difference in the first pass. Thanks again for a great product. The craftsmanship is excellent and the performance spectacular......ED JOHNSON Dec 14, 2007
SPEED PRECISIONFIN - ZERO PARASITIC DRAG! $129.99 delivered in the USA! / $144.99 outside the USA.
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SPEEDFIN DEPTH GAUGE. $36.95 with free shipping!
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PRECISION SPEEDFIN WITH GAUGE. BUY BOTH FOR $159.99
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FIN DEPTH WITHOUT WING REMOVAL!
NOW SHIPPING THE SPEED PRECISION AND SPEED SLOTFINS
INTRODUCING OUR NEW "SPEED SLOTFIN"
Our new "SPEED SLOTFIN" is designed to provide far less drag than any other fin/wing combination on the market by eliminating the attachment plates on each side of the wing. I started with our time proven, record setting SLOTFIN and MINI WING which have been slowly evolving for well over 20 years. Since I always recommend our Mini Wing with this fin set at 9 degrees with the fin set at 7.116 - 2.5605 and 7.865 DFT, the SPEED SLOTFIN was the obvious next step. After over a year of testing, we're now putting it on the market. The "SPEED SLOTFIN" comes with the "Mini Wing" permanently attached at 9 degrees. There is no adjustability of the wing. Removing the side plates reduces parasitic drag from the wing by 100%.. More speed means less effort while skiing and the ability to recover from mistakes you normally could not. $129.99 delivered in the USA! / $144.99 outside the USA.
"SPEED PRECISION FIN"
We have begun production on the SPEED PRECISION FIN. It is the standard round shaped fin found on the GOODE as well as many other production skis. It comes with the same size wing as the GOODE, permanently mounted at 9 degrees, wing down or in the lower position. This configuration eliminates roughly 300/1000ths x 375/1000ths of pure parasitic drag and destabilizing factors. $129.99 delivered in the USA! / $144.99 outside the USA.
"PRECISION DEPTH GAUGE"
We developed this gauge to measure the fin depth on our SPEED PRECISION FINS because the wing is not removable. What we found is that we can use this on any ski with an adjustable wing. Now you can measure your fin depth without touching your wing! Talk about saving time! Talk about leaving a fin and wing alone that's working awesome. It's a totally accurate and non-invasive measuring tool that you will want in your tool box! $36.95 with free shipping!
YOU MUST HAVE ONE OF THESE GAUGES WHEN YOU PURCHASE A SPEED PRECISION FIN. BUY BOTH FOR $159.99
There is some concern about not being able to adjust the wing. Increasing wing angle has the same effect as adding tip and decreasing wing angle does the opposite. When you adjust your fin, the wing moves in the exact same direction as that which you are hoping to accomplish. Actually, you will need to raise or lower the front or rear of your fin approximately 200/1000ths to change the wing angle by 1 degree so it's really not a factor. By decreasing drag, you increase the efficiency and speed of your ski. This means less effort for the same result or the same effort equates to an earlier path. Increased speed means you can survive more mistakes. The future has arrived and it's time to hop on board!
WHY A SPEED FIN?
Speed fins have a fixed wing which eliminates the upright plates that hold the wing on. These plates can be 300/1000ths thick. Since all they do is hold the wing on, we fixed the wing at 9 degrees. Doing so eliminated all of the parasitic drag from the wings. All that's left is pure function and performance. The Speed Fin is noticeably faster. So much so that you will need to add about 12/1000ths tip leaving your depth and distance from tail the same. Doing this will put more ski in the water, more edge in the water. More edge in the water equals better edging which equals more efficiency! Thus more edge in the water while accelerating and more edge in the water whilst decelerating. A marriage made in water-ski heaven! Supply limited!
SPEEDFIN THEORY
I have been making fins since the late 1970's. I have been thinking about the Speed Fins for quite a while but technology and a reliable machine shop held me back. We started testing these fins in the winter of 2006 so we had a year under our belts by the time they were introduced. At first, we tested the Speed SlotFin because of the wing location, which is behind the deepest point on the fin, thus allowing the use of a caliper when measuring depth. I could not figure out how to measure fin depth without removing the wing on a standard fin until I met Les Bender, a tool and die maker who was in my office one day buying a ski. I showed him the Speed Fin concept and explained the problem with not being able to measure fin depth without removing the wing. He immediately said, "No problem" and went on to describe the Speed Gauge. His insight helped bring forth the standard shape, Speed Fins.
The theory behind the Speed Fin is this; I have been around the world setting up skis. I have set up thousands of skis and worked with thousands of skiers. A common denominator I find is setting up the fin and wing to exact factory specs (in the case of all Goode Skis and my SlotFins). Doing this takes all the guess work out of fin setup and allows the skier to move on to the next phase of tuning, moving the bindings to the places where the ski works best. This being said, a Goode is setup to 6.872 - 2.449 and .690 with the wing down (blades below the screws) at 9 degrees and my SlotFin at 7.116 - 2.5605 and 7.865 tip to tail with the Mini Wing down at 9 degrees. I rarely adjust the wing on a standard (Goode) fin and never on the SlotFin. I reasoned that if I never adjusted the wing, I did not need the drag that comes from the attachment plates. On a standard wing, the attachment plates can run 300/1000ths of an inch in thickness. This 300/1000ths was only needed to attach the wings but since I didn't need to adjust them, these attachment plates represented nothing but pure DRAG. I asked my machinist (and skier) Dennis Chambon if he could make some fins with non adjustable, built in wings, for testing. Dennis gladly obliged and we started testing. Dennis kept refining these fins until we introduced them in the spring of 2007.
As for adjusting wing angle, consider this; adding wing angle does the same thing as adding tip or increasing the length of the fin and decreasing wing angle does the same as decreasing tip. They both work together so if a skier is concerned about the wing angle, they can just add or decrease tip. Since the Speed Fins are faster, we have found the need to run about 10/1000ths more tip to make up for the elimination of the wedge effect. Wedge effect?What is “wedge effect” you ask?Years ago someone came out with a “wedge wing”which rather being a thin wing, it looked like mini doorstop attached to each side of the fin which was about 3/8” thick at the rear on each side, 3/4” total for both sides.The result of this was the lower wedge would push the tail of the ski up in the turns, making the tail blow out.By pushing up the tail, it was also driving in the tip.If you look at all of the manufacturers wings on the market, you’ll see a wedge about 150/1000ths thick on the front of every one.This wedge not only creates drag, it also lifts the tail and drives in the tip.By removing this wedge, we were able to allow the tip to ride higher and tail to ride deeper.The only problem was that the ski was so fast; we could not keep the rope tight in the turns.To do this we needed to add about 10/1000ths tip.This practice uses the edges of the ski, not the drag of the attachment plates on the wing to achieve turning speed.
We currently build our SlotFin - Mini Wing and an exact copy of the Goode standard fin with their size wing set at 9 degrees with the Speed Fin designation. We are working on copies of the other manufacturer’s exact fin and wing shapes and will be introducing them as they become available.Retail price for any of the Speed Fins is $129.99, the Speed Gauge is $36.95 or you can buy both for $159.99
Schnitz!
COMING SOON
THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY AXIS
TWO-THREE BALLS
THE FAKE ONE HAND GATE
The coolest thing in slalom skiing right now is the one hand gate.People are spending countless hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars learning how to look cool; I mean how to do the one hand gate.Two of the key purposes of the one hand gate are the maintenance of speed and momentum.Anytime the ski goes flat and stays flat for any amount of time during the glide immediately following the pullout, the ski and skier both lose outbound momentum.The only way to get the ski on edge and heading for the gates once this happens is to let the boat move deeper into the course.At the onset of a true one-hand gate, the ski never stops moving outbound.It goes from the accelerating to the decelerating or turning edge with no time at all being flat.To better understand this, picture a skier standing on a flat ski after the pullout and a skier on an edged ski.If the handle is in the exact same place, the ski of the skier who is on edge will start from a wider place with momentum.The ski of the skier who is flat will start from a far narrower place and from a slower speed. This means the boat is deeper into the course causing the skier to play catch up and create momentum towards the inside of the course by artificially increasing speed and load.The one hand gate is designed to maintain speed and minimize load.This flat scenario is not maintenance of speed and momentum but a loss of both but remember, you will look really cool doing all of these gymnastic movements. I have seen so many people get so messed up with this one hand gate it’s sickening.Yes, this gate works for Jamie Beauchesne, Chris Rossi and Marcus Brown but it’s not the only way to ski as some might try to lead you to believe.The World Record Holder Chris Parrish does not use the one hand gate.Kristi Overton did not use the one hand gate when she set the Women’s World Record.Big Dawg Champion Mike Morgan does not use the one hand gate.This list goes on and on.I believe you should try the one hand gate to find out if it suits your style.If it does, go on, learn, and perfect it.If it doesn’t, get back to something that works.
Schnitz!
THE QUICKEST – FASTEST- EASIEST – CHEAPEST WAY TO SKI BETTER FAST (dedicated to Grandpa)
I have the good fortune to travel the World and ski just about everywhere.The reason I ski is because it makes me feel so good mentally, physically and spiritually.I recall twenty some odd years ago, back when I was first beginning my tournament water-skiing career,Bob LaPoint showed up at my practice site.Bobby knew something way back then that still applies in today’s modernized, computerized, fuel injected, speed controlled world.Bobby realized that in order to ski well, he needed someone sitting behind the wheel that would compliment his skiing, not combat it.Bob LaPoint brought along his own driver!I can’t tell you how many times I sit in the boat and watch with horror the boat driver destroying my student’s passes and self confidence.I can’t tell you how many times I sit in the boat in disbelief as the driver thinks nothing of having a conversation with the crew or on the phone while one of my students is forced to ski to a rhythm devoid of concentration or focus.I can’t tell you how many times I sit in the boat and hear and feel it smacking buoys on the opposite side of the course from my student.I can’t tell you how many times I sit in the boat and feel it moving away from or into my skier.I can’t tell you how many times I sit in the boat as the driver drastically under or overshoots the skiers speed.I can’t tell you how many times I sit in the boat as the driver gasses the throttle and whips the skier at the end of the lake.I can’t tell you how many times I sit in the boat as the driver wrenches out my students arms and shoulders while tightening up the rope prior to taking off.I can’t tell you how many times I sit in the boat as the driver floors the boat when the skier says “hit it”.I can’t tell you how many times I sit in the boat as the driver brings one of my students into the course at an angle.I can’t tell you how many times I sit in the boat as the driver drags my students either while dropping them or preparing to take off.I can’t tell you how many times I sit in the boat as the driver stops right next to the skier at the end of a set.I can’t tell you how many times I sit in the boat as the driver turns the boat into the skier when setting them down at the end of the lake.I can’t tell you how many times I sit in the boat as the driver is totally unaware of the skier’s presence in the water with the engine running while the skier is at the platform.I am sure that many of you reading this can’t figure out what the problem is with many of the things I’ve pointed out and therein lays the problem!The driver can be more than 50% of the equation of what’s going on behind the boat.The driver can and does make or break the skier.A very well prepared skier is nothing at all behind a bad driver.And then I’ll hear the comment that “everyone has to ski behind that driver so it’s a level playing field”.It’s not!I train long and hard as do many of my students.I demand good boat driving from my drivers as it eliminates a huge variable from the performance equation. The driver leads and the skier always follows in a very precise, choreographed performance that leaves little room for error.In the case of error, it’s the skier who is judged.Good skiing like a well choreographed dance requires each partner to do what is expected of them.When the leading partner hasn’t a clue, the following partner hasn’t either regardless of their motivation or preparation.Good driving requires 100% concentration, as much concentration as the skier is putting out behind the boat.If you are looking to drastically up your buoy count, seriously consider taking a look at what’s going on behind the wheel.Only with a totally committed team can the skier accomplish their potential. Great skiing is teamwork.It's teamwork between the driver, the crew and the skier with all of the energy going towards the skiers benefit. By following these simple rules below, you will be on your way to becoming a great driver.
I wrote this article when Perfect Pass Classic was the only speed control available. The new GPS technologies will make your driving experience even better. Set-up the computer before the skier gets in the water. Before pulling any skiers, the Perfect Pass should be properly calibrated so that the weight in the boat along with the skier’s weight combined with the wind equals a perfect time.
Before the skier gets in the water, set the KX, the PX, the CREW WEIGHT, the SKIER WEIGHT, HEADWIND OR TAIL, etc., etc...
Look at your boat times at each end on your opening 2 passes to know what the wind is doing and to be able to accurately predict the settings on the next passes. When a skier is finished with their set, they get in the boat on the PLATFORM, not alongside the driver!Bring the platform to the skier and make sure to turn off the engine when doing so.
Turn off the engine when the skier is getting ready on the platform.There are warnings posted on many new boats about the hazards of Carbon Monoxide poisoning! Ask the skier how they like to be pulled out of the water.When someone floors the boat when picking me up, I immediately know they don't know how to drive!Squeeze the throttle up, don't slam it down!
When bringing the handle to a skier sitting in the water, make sure the boat's momentum is stopped by the time the handle reaches the skier. A common mistake I see worldwide is the boat driver throwing the boat in Neutral when a skier falls.When driving your car, do you put it in neutral when slowing down?When a boat is under power, it can be steered!When a skier falls, slowly bring the throttle back to an in gear idle position rather than throwing it in neutral.
Whether in the slalom course or outside of it, there should be two speeds, up on plane or at dead idle.If you are not on plane and not at idle speed, you are throwing very large rollers down the course which can cause severe injury to the skier. When the skier falls on the right side of the course, turn the boat to the right.Do the opposite on the other side.
Line up early for the pre-gates.For the skier, the course starts on the pull out.If the boat is in the wrong place before the pre-gates, so is the skier.If the boat is in the wrong place, the skier is forced to try and compensate for the driver's error.The skier is the one judged yet the driver is at fault.Typically, a skier will pull out when the boat is about 1 boat length before the pre-gates.At 35' off or a 40' tow line; add 10' from the pylon to the front of the boat and then 20 feet for 1 boat length and you have 70'.In other words, the boat needs to be straight, up to speed and on center at least 100 feet prior to the gates.
Always be in the center or a little bit left when entering the entrance gates.If you are over to the right, the skier will be over to the right going through the gates.Thus the driver being in the wrong place can and will cause the skier to miss the entrance gate! Balance the boat.A balanced boat is not only safer; it also drives and skis better.Unbalanced boats have unbalanced wakes and often times, spray. Be quiet.The most important thing when someone is skiing is to allow them to concentrate.If the driver is talking on the phone or listening to the radio, they are not concentrating on their driving.A skier who is working hard on their skills deserves the respect of the crew by being still and quiet.
Be a part of the skier's team.Sometimes in training, I expect my drivers to help me with the boat path or speed or both.As I begin to ski better, the driver tightens up the tolerances.Know what the skier expects and needs and do every thing you can to give it to them. Use end course video in practice.I once had a boat driver named Kirk Cutcliffe.Kirk wanted to be a great driver. I lost 2 passes the first time Kirk pulled me.Kirk would always ask for feedback and was totally open to input.One day, Kirk took out a video camera and set it up at the end of the lake prior to pulling a skier.He then pulled the set and immediately reviewed the video.What was revealed was the reality of where the boat was in the course, not the assumption.Kirk learned how, where and when to put the boat at every line length and consequently went on to become one of the best practice drivers I have ever had the pleasure to ski with. When dropping a skier, turn the wheel lightly away and pull gently back on the throttle.After running any hard pass, the last thing a skier wants to do is expend any unnecessary energy when setting down at the end of a pass.A common mistake is to turn the wheel hard away from the skier and apply a lot of throttle at the same time.If the skier is not ready for this unnecessary whip, problems can and do rapidly develop. When dropping a skier, parallel them.As they sink, the boat should settle in also, all the time parallel to the skier.Once the skier and boat have settled in, turn the boat.If you never point the boat at the skier, you can never hit the skier! Only go when the skier is ready.Many times inexperienced drivers take off before I am ready.This is not only an inconvenience, it's extremely dangerous.Wait for the skier to say “hit it” before going.I use a 3 step process when picking up a skier.When the skier says "hit it", I slowly idle out.Then I gradually begin picking them up and then I apply enough throttle to get up to speed.
Think about how and when you are turning the steering wheel.If you are turning the wheel away as the skier is approaching the buoy, you're whipping them, giving them excess speed and making them narrow.Conversely, if you are turning the wheel towards the buoy, you'll give them slack!
Anticipate the skier. Most drivers react to the skier's pull. Reacting causes the boat to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. You need to be able to "see in your "minds eye" where the skier is approaching the buoy and act with the skier, not after the skier. (Do not watch the skier)
I watched Jason McClintock (2 @ 41), Chris Rossi (3 @ 41), Drew Ross (2 @ 41) and Chet Raley (1 @ 41) mow dow some 39's. I'll be posting a couple of their videos real soon. Jerry Hosner skiing in the Men 8 division set a new record with 3.5 at 38 off, GO JERRY! There were lot's of personal bests and good times for everyone. Check out some of the photos here.
By Gordon Rathbun;
Our good friend Brett Yager died yesterday May 2nd in Acapulco after a skiing accident.Brett was a great friend and a well liked skier from Central California and had homes in Pismo Beach and Lake Anna in Arvin, California.Brett is survived by his two sons Justin and Tyler ages 20 and 16 respectively, his parents Bill and Doris and a sister. Brett died doing what he loved best: competing in a friendly water ski tournament with his friends. A Memorial Service will be held in Pismo Beach, CA on Saturday May 17th.In lieu of flowers there will be a college fund set up for Tyler Yager.If you would like to make a contribution please send a check to:P.O. Box 3087, Pismo Beach, CA 93448. Details of the Accident With all three coaches having run 38 off on Thursday it was only natural for Bob Edie, Brettski, and myself to have a tournament on Friday.After the guests had all taken a ride, the coaches were going to take their turn.Brett was the first one off the dock.He ran smoothly through 35 off and was coming back towards the palapa on his 38 off pass.This is a big pass for us all.Brett had told guest Rob Sterne earlier in the day “All I want to do is ski because it makes me feel so good.I love it!"He also said, "I don't care who wins, but I'm not letting go."Brett proceeded to do his patented body slam on 1, 3 and 5 balls and he just held on and somehow managed to make it around 6 ball.He was traveling extremely fast.I don't know how he managed to turn his ski, but he did.We were taking video from the dock and the video shows an unusual fall with slack rope and most likely his head passing through the handle.When the rope came tight it was all over.I'm not going to go into other details, but the 14 of us watching were in shock.Our group gave Brettski 30 minutes of CPR until the ambulance arrived and Brett died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Trust me; you don't ever want to be involved in an accident like this. The family has requested a cremation and this procedure will be carried out later today.I will bring his ashes back to California on May 16th. Brett's Loves: His Sons and Coaching Brett loved his two sons more than anything else in the world and constantly talked with great affection about Justin and Tyler. With regards to our friendship, Brettski had been coming to Acapulco for 18 seasons, first as a guest and later as a very good friend and guest coach. Brett spent two weeks here in March and did a great job coaching.He often said to me how much he loved helping people ski better.He got a huge reward from seeing a guest smile and enjoy their progress.He asked to come back later in the season if I had an opening and we did.Brettski would coach all day in the boat to put a smile on our guest's faces. This is a tough loss for all of us who loved Brettski.We will never forget his competitive intensity, smiling face and playful attitude. I have received many emails today from friends of Brettski's, expressing their heartfelt sympathy.Gabriela and I appreciate these. I have also made and received many phone calls expressing a need for rule changes to make our sport safer.I don't know if there is anyone who has written more letters than I have in an attempt to get rules changed over the years.The trouble is letters don't seem to do any good.Lobbying is what is necessary. If we require handles that have a mesh cover then this accident might never happen again. We also could change the rules so a skier does not need to make it to the wake for a full buoy. We could just have all skiers ski away at the 55m buoys rather than the exit gates so skiers wouldn't have to risk a dangerous fall.Settle the contest at the next line length. Those making the rules need to want to change the rules for the better so they can feel good about helping our sport become safer.
We love and miss you Brett.
THE NEXT BIG THING
A few weeks ago I was interviewed by Leigh Sheldrake (Drago).This interview can be found here; http://waterskitechpodcast.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=322547We discussed many topics starting way back in my early days of skiing and working our way up to now and beyond.I mentioned to Leigh that we (my machinist and I) were working on something that would change skiing.I needed to look into a few things prior to letting the cat out of the bag which I have done so here we go.
In the interview, I talked about a barefooter and a jumper, skiing side by side on a boom at 30 MPH.If they both let go at the exact same time, the barefooter would stop very quickly and the jumper would glide way down the lake.I call this the “footprint”.A larger footprint has more glide and a smaller one, less.
When slalom course skiing, we need a couple things to be successful.One is enough speed to get our ski around the buoy and the second is the ability to turn into a tight line.If we can do both, we’re unstoppable.The problem with today’s skis is that in order to get the speed necessary, today’s skis are too large in wetted surface area.This largeness shows up on the backside of the buoy as a loose line or slack.
What we need are skis with a smaller footprint (wetted surface area).The problem in the past has been getting enough speed on a smaller ski.Here’s the solution.About a year ago, I came out with my SpeedFins.Speedfins have the wing permanently attached so the wing is not adjustable.This removes all of the unnecessary parasitic drag by removing the wing’s attachment plates.This makes these fins much more efficient and faster.By coupling these faster fins on smaller skis, we accomplish the two things necessary to be successful; speed and turning.We get the speed we lost on the smaller ski by switching to the faster SpeedFin and we get the tight line out of the buoy from the smaller ski’s footprint, a match made in wat
