Many years ago, back in the days before Christopher Columbus, most thought the Earth was flat as to express views otherwise was quite dangerous.At the time, this was the norm in thinking and well accepted even though it was far from the truth.Today’s skiing is in the same boat, as the norm and the reality are again butting heads.Accepted as the norm are the traditional waterskiing styles of the past.Styles that have progressed from the beginning based upon feel and athletic ability.Quickly becoming the reality are the bio-mechanical stylesderived from years on the snow ski slopes and computer labs of many government as well as privately funded organizations.Marcus Brown states;“I believe I ski/coach the correct technique, mechanics and way to ski, and that there is only one "correct" explanation for the most efficient mechanics thru the slalom course”. Marcus soon after stated “I believe 90% of the elite skiers (all disciplines included) do not understand how I ski and what I am trying to achieve”.These statements reflect the views of one of the Christopher Columbus’s of our time.One of the enlighten who can see through the darkness of the past and into the shining lights of the future.“If we keep doing what we’re doing we’ll keep getting what we’re getting”!I knew the Earth was flat for many years until one day, one of my students, Chris Rossi showed me differently.He was talking in terms I never heard and doing movements that seemingly made no sense.Then I became aware of Jamie Beauchesne, Terri Winter, Marcus Brown, Will Asher, Thomas Moore, Jason McClintock, Karina Nowlan, David Miller and countless others skiing this new style .All these skiers are using bio-mechanics as their baseline and all of these skiers have a lot of progression ahead of their already awesome scores.These are the next generation of the greats of our sport.Patti and I have spent many hours with the next generation of waterski coaches.We’ve been coached by those trained in bio-mechanics.Coaches like Chris Rossi and Matt Rini.Today, there are many among us that still believe the world is flat.They still teach the old and try to suppress the new.This suppression comes from a lack of understanding and knowledge.For only without an understanding of what the bio-mechanical coaches are teaching and what the bio-mechanical skiers are skiing, can one still believe, THE EARTH IS FLAT!
U.S. water ski athletes Jamie Beauchesne, April Coble-Eller, Caroline Hensley, Freddy Krueger, Adam Pickos, Jonathan Travers and Zack Worden are ranked No. 1 in the world in respective divisions/events on the International Water Ski Federation's preliminary 2008 world rankings list that was released on Wednesday.
The rankings cover performances between May1, 2007 and April 30, 2008. To view the rankings, click here.
IT'S JAMIE BEAUCHESNE FIRST AND CALE BURDICK SECOND. KARINA NOWLAN FIRST AND NICOLE ARTHUR SECOND AND THE BIGGEST UPSET IS RYAN DODD FIRST, JASON SEELS SECOND! MORE HERE
http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=15745 Last summer, we had a problem similar to this on a 2007 Malibu when the pin that the transmission cable attaches to at the transmission fell out with a child directly in our boat's path. Luckily, nothing happened! Ski safe!
HERE'S THE RECALL NOTICE
Bulletin ID: SB062608-9 Date: 6/26/2008 Bulletin No: 9 Affected Models: All 2008 Models Except Ride Series, Response and Response LX Subject: ZF Ski Command potential loss of shifting capabilities
Condition:
ZF Marine has discovered the ZF throttle and shifter control has the potential to fail creating a loss of shifting capabilities in the forward or reverse direction in all 2008 model boats excluding the Ride series, Response and Response LX.
Action Required:
While the failure rate has been determined to be less than 2 percent, Malibu Boats must insist that any boat using the 2008 shift by wire system should not be used until the unit has been repaired or replaced by a certified Malibu technician. ZF Marine and Malibu Boats will be utilizing their entire team of technicians for this component recall and we anticipate a resolution by 4th of July weekend.
TIGER WOODS
I was watching TV about a week ago when the announcer came on and told the world that Tiger Woods would be out for the rest of the year due to an upcoming knee surgery.He then went on to show the videos of Tiger grimacing in pain as his body torqued and twisted as his golf club drove the ball with incredible accuracy towards it’s final destination and his ultimate triumph, not over only his friends, but over himself at the US Open.Tiger played on, knowing that each and every time his club face made contact; his body would again be wracked with unbearable pain.Yet with each shot doing more and more damage, Tiger played on.Tiger played on in such a manner that most of the world knew not that an injured and maimed Tiger had played and won.Tiger played on with an inner strength and conviction that we rarely have the opportunity to witness.This win of Tigers should remind us of the great dedication and commitment required to excel to greatness in any endeavor we choose in our lives, be it golf, family, business, skiing, etc., etc...When the going gets tough, we all need to remember how the Tiger wrestled victory out of almost certain defeat and the pain and sacrifice it takes to join the Tiger in the winner’s circle. Schnitz!
WILL ASHER AND EMMA SHEERS WIN THE MALIBU OPEN; MORE
MASTERCRAFT PRO WATERSKI TOUR
PRESS RELEASE7/15/2008
THE MASTERCRAFT PRO WATERSKI TOUR EVENT SCHEDULED FOR ON AUGUST 29-31 @ MIRROR LAKES IN NORTH CAROLINA HAS BEEN MOVED BECAUSE OF DROUGHT CONDITIONS. THE EVENT HAS BEEN MOVED TO TROPHY LAKES IN CHARLESTON S.C. ON THE SAME DATE. SOME EXCITING VENUE CHANGES ARE SCHEDULED FOR THIS EVENT. NIGHT SLALOM AND JUMP WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS EVENT ON SATURDAY AUGUST 30TH. IN ADDITION, A MASTERS MEN EVENT WILL BE HELD ON SUNDAY ONLY, AUGUST 31ST. THE OPEN MEN JUMP TOUR CHAMPION WILL BE CROWNED @ THIS EVENT.
ALL OPEN DIVISIONS WILL BE RUN ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.
OPEN MEN SLALOM$20,000
OPEN WOMEN SLALOM$15,000
OPEN MEN JUMP$15,000PLUS TOUR BONUS OF $6,000 TO JUMP CHAMPION
The NC State Championships were held last weekend at Coble Ski School. The site was beautifully prepared and groomed for the 135+ skiers participating in the tournament. Upon arrival skiers were checked in and treated to a goodie bag with a T-shirt, poster, drinking cup, a coupon for a McDonald's dessert and stickers. For the 82 slalom skiers a new course was surveyed in on Lake 4 by Jerry Jackson from Georgia. The 39 trickers competed on lakes 1 and 4. Sunday was a day for the 18 Jump competitors. All competitors competed behind Mastercraft boats using Zero Off. Massages, hamburger and hotdog lunches, and cotton candy and snow cones were available for purchase by the competitors and spectators during the tournament. Saturday evening's banquet was enjoyed by all. The wonderful dinner was catered by OUTBACK Steakhouse with desserts provided by Joyce Eller. After dinner awards were presented to the juniors and other completed divisions followed by a raffle to support Junior Development. Sonny Collins was induct into the N.C. HALL OF FAME THANK YOU to the Cobles for putting on a FANTASTIC State Championship!
Dave Miller wins Michigan Big Dawg (I'm still waiting for a copy of the "Official Big Dawg Rules") MORE HERE
ORDER YOUR UPGRADE OR COMPLETE SYSTEM TODAY!
Wade Cox Announces Retirement
Posted by: usaws On: 05/27/2008 09:29:46 In: Water Skiing
U.S. water ski athlete Wade Cox, one of the sport’s premier slalom skiers for two decades, has announced his retirement from professional water skiing. Cox, who will turn 40 in December, made the announcement on May 25 following the 49th Masters Water Ski & Wakeboard Tournament in Pine Mountain, Ga.
Originally from El Dorado, Ark., Cox won the 1981 Junior Boys’ national slalom and overall titles, the 1983 Boys’ national slalom title, and the 1985 Junior Moomba Masters’ slalom, tricks, jumping and overall titles.
He eventually made the move to professional slalom specialist, relocated to Orlando, Fla., and quickly established himself as one of the sport’s all-time greats. He was a three-time Masters’ champion and the 1996 U.S. Open champion. He finished runner-up at the U.S. Open six times and runner-up at the Masters five times.
The rivalry between Cox and Great Britain’s Andy Mapple was the stuff of legends. Of the 60 U.S. Pro Water Ski Tour events held between 1992 and 1998, Mapple – who retired in 2005 – won 29 titles, Cox won 22 and the entire rest of the field won just nine. Cox won back-to-back U.S. Pro Water Ski Tour and Water Ski World Cup season titles in 1995 and 1996, and finished runner-up to Mapple in 1993, ’94, ’97 and ’98.
MASTERCRAFT PRO WINNERS
Jamie Beauchesne
Jay Leach
Karen Truelove Krueger
HERE IS THE WRITE UP ON LAST WEEKEND'S MASTERCRAFT PRO EVENT
The H2Oz Pro Swerve is in the books. The Pro Water Ski Tour is back and will be 'the Premier Water Sports Tour' soon enough. All is said and done. Checks have been signed, sealed, and delivered. What a weekend it was.
Throughout the weekend every emotion a human could possible have in their head, I have had. The weekend was full of ups, downs, and all arounds.
For the week building up the event, preparation was being done to make this not just a first class event from a skier's perspective, but to ensure that from a spectators point of view, both on site, and webcast viewer, we built the best package of entertainment that we could. This was a culmination not just months and months of planning, but a lifetime’s dream of creating the best Pro Water Ski Event that I could. When all was said and done, did this happen? We will cover that shortly.
Back to the event.... Come Friday, the banners were out, the boats were shined and dialed in, and the event was underway.
The Masters Men threw down and warmed up the waters of WhitestoneLakes posting some absolutely brilliant scores. Scott Tynan topping the likes of Greg Badal, Lucky Lowe, Chad Scott, just to name a few. With a handful of scores at the 41 off (10.25m) line length, I knew this weekend was going to be nothing less than explosive on the water. Things ran quite smoothly as Friday ended up being a quick day on the water.
Saturday arrived and the weather could not have been more perfect. With a full slate of action on the water, 2 rounds of qualifying for Open Women and Open Men, we could not have paid for a better day.
The athletes most definitely did not disappoint, taking full advantage of the world class site in Talking Rock, GA.
First the Women - Between the resident mainstays of the Pro Women elite, Karen, April, Emma, Regina, and the fresh new blood - Nicole, Karina, and the newest of all of them, Caroline Hensley, the women ripped the water to shreds all day long. Thoughts of Deena, Camille, Helena, and Jennifer went through my head as these women carved it up turning buoy after buoy. Of course, Jennifer on the water battling it out with all these women was definitely a treat. She still has it for sure, and could possibly end up in a final at one of the upcoming Mastercraft Pro Tour Stops. With Karen, Regina, Emma and April taking down 38 (11.25m) quite easily, the Sunday finals seemed way too far off, as these ladies definitely left you wanting more and more.
As for the Men’s prelim rounds, well, it was much, much more than I had expected. Of course you knew names like JamieBeauchesne, Chris Parrish, Willy Asher, and Drew Ross would slay 39 off, but how about the newbies coming onto the scene, John Travers, Fred Halt, Jason McClintock, and Cale Burdick showing the vets that the big check at the end of the weekend was not going to come that easy. With over 10 skiers with scores at 41 off (10.25m) (some skiers with multiple 41 off scores) I was blown away, and this is coming from someone who has trained with the best of the best close to my entire life. Of course, Jamie had to make sure he took the top score of the day with a 3@41. I would not have expected anything less from the "Live Free or Die" New Hampshire native.
Saturday was expected to be a long day and it was with over 95 pulls all day long, but with skiing like that, I could have watched 95 more. After screaming at the mechanical sphere all day, I was a bit exhausted, as were my vocal chords, but I was sure nothing could bring me down. Famous last words...
As dawn broke Sunday morning and I arose from a much needed rest, I was bewildered as my clock said 6 am, but outside it still looked to be midnight. Low and behold, Mother Nature kicked me in the stomach (but lower) again. Reminiscent of the freak tropical storm at the inaugural Pro Swerve just a year before, the heavens opened up with such fierceness that I thought the actual lake may blow away. Sitting at the starting dock with Dana Reed, Chris Eller, Tommy Harrington, Seth Stisher, amongst others, trying to figure out what to do, how to piece together what started out as quite possibly, one of the most epic tournaments ever, I just wanted to run to the hills not to be seen again.
Then, the rains subsided, the clouds broke, and we got our chance to get the wheels in motion, to get things moving again and scrap together whatever we could come up with to turn this dreary day into something special. To be honest, I just wanted to get through the day, just wanted to get skiers on the water and finish it off. We lost about a 1/3 of the day, so some things had to change. Formats had to be changed. The head to head format had to be scrapped... Or did it?
We made the decision to start off the Masters Men with a straight shot and run the 12 semi finalists right through till we had a champ. Then move along and get to the Open divisions. It was not going to be an extreme head to head battle; it was not going to be the greatest water ski format that I know of, just a straight shot through to get a winner. We would still crown a champ, it would still be good, the first ever Pro Tour Masters Men champ would be known, it would just not be as I envisioned it. It would be much, much better.
The script could not have been written better by an Oscar winning screen writer. The skiing began, with a slight drizzle still going. Then came Jay Leach's turn to swerve some buoys. This average guy from Mississippi who had backed out of the event the previous Monday due to personal issues, only to be persuaded by his wife and by his ski partner, Chad Scott, to make the drive the day before the event started, completely changed my outlook on the day, perhaps my outlook on water skiing in general, perhaps my outlook on life. Never in my wildest dreams did I think one man, who I did not know until just a few days ago, could change my perspective on how things should be, how life has a funny way of ending up just right.
Jay Leach came out in the rain and ran 39 (10.75m) in the rain, for only his third time ever. What an accomplishment, what a feat!! Wow, today was going to be OK. David Miller and Scott Tynan ended up making their way through 39 as well, and all three tied with 1@41.
So, what started as a straight shot through the finals, ended up as a Head to Head to Head runoff. Just then, the webcast began. We were going to be able to bring this brilliant story to all the water ski fans throughout the world. This was amazing, Jay Leach was in a runoff for the first ever Masters Men title in Pro Tour history. That would have been a great way to end the event in itself. But Jay had a different plan. This man from Mississippi, who had only run 39 off 2 times in his life, who just ran it for the third time ever in the final round of a Professional event, did it AGAIN!!!
Chad Scott blew by me hootin and hollerin all the way down the lake. It seemed as he was back at his day job as a DEA agent going to bust some bad guys, but instead he was running down the lake in excitement for his good friend who just blew everyone's mind by smokin 39 (10.75m) off not once but 2 times within 40 minutes. Jay Leach ended up taking the title from two of the world’s best Masters Men competitors. My sore throat burned as I screamed through the mic, trying to let everyone know the man from Mississippi, who came out of nowhere, just took home the first ever Masters Men Championship on the MC Pro Tour. Right then, right there, I knew, this event was going to build steam and become one of the most epic, thrilling events, I had ever seen. In that instant, everything was perfect. In my head, the sun was shining, the water was butter, and Jay Leach linked the most perfect turns ever. Somehow, one man took all that rain and put it in his back pocket and made the day special.
Next, the Women took to the water. Again, a shortened format for the women. We were going to run the 12 semi-finalist straight through down to 4 finalist and run them in a head to head battle for the title. Karen, April, and Emma kept their spots and took 3 of the top 4 spots. Regina ended up going down a little early and the 2008 Masters Champ's day was over. Enter Karina Nowlan. Karina is no doubt a rising star in the world of Women's water skiing and she wanted to make the Pro Swerve her coming out party and take the title from 3 of the worlds top Women Swervers. Karina took the top seed with a stellar performance of 3@39 (10.75m)
So here is what we ended up with, Head to Head battle: Karina Nowlan vs. Karen Truelove. April Coble vs. Emma Sheers.
Skip to the Head to Head Showdown. First up, Karina v. Karen. Both women smoked 38 off (11.25m). Karina going out first got a score of 1@ 39. Karen, the sly vet came out second, and knowing exactly what she needed to do, got herself around 2 ball to knock out the young up and comer. But believe you me, Karina has moves on the water and I guarantee we will be seeing her again.
Emma and April come out next. This was a battle of the Titans for sure. A rematch of the Moomba Masters from earlier this year. This time April came out on top and punched her ticket to a fight with Karen Truelove in the final matchup. This being a rematch from the finals of the first Pro Swerve last year in which Karen came out on top after multiple runoffs at 39. Yes, the North Carolina Duo would battle once again for the top spot, a story that has gone on for over 20 years. Best of friends, fiercest of competitors, another story that could not have ended up more perfect. In the end, Karen Truelove showed her supremacy and took April down to secure back to back titles at the H2Oz Pro Swerve and be the first woman to win a Pro Tour Event in over 7 years. At this point, my voice was dead and I was running on pure adrenaline.
And I still had the Men's division to yell about! Yes, what started off as the worst day of my life was quickly turning into one of the best.
Here come the guys.... This was the marquee division. A Who's Who of Pro Men’s Slalom Skiers would be battling it out for the Pro Swerve title.
The Coach: Seth Stisher. The Editor: Todd Ristorcelli TWhisper: Terry Winter Face To Face: Marcus Brown Billy "The Kid" Susi Tdegs, the World Champ, Thomas Degasperi The Tower, Chris Parrish Bobby Bo: Jamie Beauchesne Will Asher Drew Ross JP: Jay Parades Jeff Rodgers JT: John Travers Cale Burdick Fred Halt Jason McClintock
You know most all of the names listed above. If you are a slalom skier, most likely you try to emulate any one of a majority of the names above. But who is Fred Halt? Where did Jason McClintock come from? Finally we get to see Cale Burdick at a Pro Event! And just how good is John Travers??? We had the chance to find all of this out and more by the time the spray settled.
The men got the chance to go head to head, all the way through. As I know I have been somewhat long winded already, I am going to stick to the highlights here. First upset, Todd R. "The Editor" taking out a podium mainstay Drew Ross. You kidding me?? Drew Ross going down in the first round?? What else could happen? Epic Battle #1: Tdegs v. CP. I am shaking just writing about this one. Tdegs takes him out. Epic Battle #2: MB v. Willy. Best onside turn contest ever!! Willy moves on, knocking out Face to Face.
Moving on. The Editor's storybook tourney takes another step. He proceeds to take out Masters Champ Will Asher in the next round to get himself into the final 4. Was Jay Leach not going to be the only storybook ending of the tourney? How could things get more exciting?
Here comes John Travers. This kid has been burning up the line everywhere he goes. Scores at 41 coming out of this kid faster than the price of gas rising! He and Cale Burdick had one of the most epic brackets of the tourney and quite possibly stole the show, letting everyone know that the future of slalom skiing is in good hands. JT takes down Cale and moves on to the final 4.
TWhisper looking strong, regaining his form from a few years back when he took his first title at the WaterSki Magazine Shootout. He makes the final 4.
Oh yeah, less we forget about "Live Free or Die". JB should have only showed up on Sunday as he knew he would be in the final four before anyone else and was not ready to let anyone knock him out, not without a fight.
So here is what we end up with: JT/JB. The strongest skier in the last decade vs. the hottest young gun out there today. JB tells John to put up a score as he lets JT out first. JT puts down another 39 and gets himself 1@41. Amazing performance and guts this kid has. Unfortunately for him, that is not enough to knock out, the guy who many believe is "THE MAN" in slalom skiing. B 2@41 and moves right along to the finals with a grin and a donkey kick off the wake on the way back to the dock.
TWhisper v. "The Editor" Todd Ristorcelli. Long story short, the storybook tourney keeps on moving and The "Editor" wins a shot at the title. Kind of bitter sweet, how do you really win, when you have to face a guy like Jamie? When the dust settled, fatigue took down "The Editor" and ended his dream event as JB took the title in crowd pleasing fashion and made sure everyone got wet in the end putting up a wall of water on the diehard fans who lined the shore.
Taking nothing away from Jamie, but it was Todd's day as he got his best finish ever in a Pro Event and legitimized himself as a contender on this fledgling Pro Tour. He definitely had a smile on his face and was happy to finish runner up to Champion Beauchesne.
All in all the event was one not to be forgotten. Plenty of new names are known and a new wave of rippers made sure that everyone knows they are a force to be reckoned with.
Huge Congrats go out to Fred Halt, JMAC, Cale, JT, and of course the "Editor". Karina and Nicole made sure that girls like April, Emma, and Karen must be on their A Game to earn future wins. Most notably, Jay Leach, the man from Mississippi, the Cinderella story of the weekend, made sure everyone knew that great things happen to good people. Nice guys truly do finish first.
As for the Pro Tour... Many, many questions have arisen. The answers are being sought out as we speak. We need to make sure we produce the best package that we can. This weekend was a test, a trial, and we learned a lot. We are currently taking the knowledge that we learned and implementing it as we speak. Things will move on and we will prevail and create the best Pro Water Ski Tour that you have ever seen.
Webcast is the way of the future. It will be integral in making sure that the Pro Tour sticks around. Most importantly, the Pro Tour needs support from water ski enthusiasts. Positive support! Go to the event! Watch the webcast! Give feedback! Be positive! Support the sponsors! Support the skiers. Grow the sport! Our thanks go to Tom & David for the effort they have gone to in putting on such a great Webcast. With growth and education of the sport we all love, we can make it easier to do all over the world.
Let the Pro's motivate, educate, and entertain you.
Many, many thanks go out to all who made the event possible.
Dana Reed, Aarne Clow.
Whitestone Lakes Estates: (Drew, JoAnn, Kyle, AJ, Tim, Carey, Joel, Julie, Jason, Janet, Grahams, Tony, Nolans, Emily, Big Tony, Andy R., Andy W., and I am sure I’ve forgotten some people, but you know who you are) Jenna Schreiber, the best Chef ever! Kristy Petrillo, Natalie Hamrick, and Wade Cox, my co-announcers.
Webcast-TV: (Tom, David and Pam Grey + Crew)
Stisher, JStizz, PJ Mac.
The officials of the event: Gary, Meredith, Becky, Ray, Alan L, Kim B., Brian K, Daniel K, Tommy, Chris, Lyman, Taylor, Jim J., Jerry J., Jeff G., George L., and everyone else who helped out judging.
The Sponsors: Mastercraft Boats and Water Sports Central. Zero Off, Indmar, OJ Props, Boaters World, HO, Obrien, Radar, D3, Goode, Connelly, Straightline, Eagle Sports, Brown Equipment, Kiker Financial, Georgiamountains.com.
I hope I did not forget everyone, but if I did, it was unintentional and I apologize, and thank you very much for helping make this event possible.
See you in Baton Rouge at the Night Jam!!!
Article by - Tadd Schreiber
Master Men's and Open scores here (copy and paste this; H2Osmosis Pro Swerve )
Beauchesne, Truelove Win Slalom Titles Posted by: usawsOn: 06/01/2008 21:54:00 U.S. water ski athletes Jamie Beauchesne and Karen Truelove won respective titles Sunday at the H2Osmosis Pro Swerve Water Ski Championships at Whitestone Lakes in Talking Rock, Ga. It was the opening event of the 2008 MasterCraft Pro Water Ski Tour. Beauchesne, of Rocky Pond, N.H., won the men's slalom title, while Truelove, of Winter Garden, Fla., won the women's slalom title.The event featured a head-to-head format.
Beauchesne out-dueled Jonathan Travers of Groveland, Fla., in the men's semifinals, scoring 2 buoys at 41 feet off to Travers' 1-1/2 buoys at 41 feet off. In the other semifinal match-up, Todd Ristorcelli of Orlando, Fla., defeated Terry Winter of Sacramento, Calif., with a score of 4 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off to Winter's 3-1/2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off.
In the finals, Beauchesne scored 6 buoys at 38 feet off to Ristorcelli's 3-1/2 buoys at 38 feet off. In the women's event, Truelove defeated Australia's Karina Nowlan in the semifinals with a score of 1-1/2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off to Nowlan's 1-1/4 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off. In the other semifinal match-up, April Coble-Eller of Lillington, N.C., defeated Australia's Emma Sheers with a score of 2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off to Sheers' half-buoy at 39-1/2 feet off.
In the finals, Truelove scored 2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off to Coble-Eller's 1 buoy at 39-1/2 feet off.
Correct Craft, the Orlando-based manufacturer of the Nautique boat line, has introduced an interactive e-newsletter called Nautique Nation.
Nautique Nation will feature interviews with Team Nautique athletes, details on upcoming events and special promotions. The newsletter will be distributed on a monthly basis via e-mail.
“Our team is excited to be able to communicate directly with our Nautique family and friends, using the new Nautique Nation e-newsletter,” Correct Craft president and CEO Bill Yeargin said in a statement.
In the photo above, Regina Jacques appears to be less than 10 feet away from the backside of the jump ramp at the Masters tournament last weekend in Pine Mountain Georgia. Often times, in tight sites, the jump will be installed on the opposite side of the course of the turn buoy. In the event that a skier is really late, they can continue skiing beyond the width of the course far past the next buoy (as illustrated above by Regina). If the jump ramp is there however, there can be deadly consequences. There is a video on the internet of Steve Cockram accidentally going over the ramp on his side after a fall. Had the ramp been facing the opposite direction, there's no telling how serious he might have been injured. This time it appears we were lucky.
PERFECT PASS SOLD TO ZERO - OFF
Aquastar, Inc.'s Zero Off, and EControls, Inc., reach an agreement with PerfectPass regarding GPS speed control technology rights.
Zero Off, the leader in GPS speed control technology, and EControls, Inc., the manufacturer of Zero Off, have reached an agreement with PerfectPass, the respected long time industry speed control provider. The agreement states that starting with the 2009 boat model year, Zero Off will be the exclusive GPS speed control system provided by OEM boat manufacturers for all "Throttle by Wire" applications. This technology is utilized by most leading engine builders in the inboard and stern drive marine markets.
"This is positive and exciting news for professionals as well as recreational athletes and enthusiasts. This agreement provides standardization for training athletes, and consolidates the integration of the speed control and engine management system for improved reliability and robustness." - Jeremy Lessaris - Marketing Manager AquaStar, Inc.
"The decision to sell this division of our business was a difficult one for all of us", stated company President Eric Horton. "Ultimately, we recognized that EControls had a competitive advantage due to their existing engine controls business. They were a natural buyer of our business which fits perfectly into their existing business model. EControls is a superb company with a strong engineering and management team."
Since its inception Zero Off has gained momentum and skier acceptance through its performance, ease of operation, and proven track record. Zero Off has had great success over the past two years; passing AWSA testing, gaining AWSA tournament certification, becoming exclusive supply partners with Correct Craft for the 2008 model year, and working with major OEM boat manufacturers for the 2009 model year release. In addition, Zero Off has been chosen as the official speed control for the 2008 Masters Waterksi Tournament as well as the MasterCraft Pro Tour - including the US Open.
"We all can relate to how GPS has made our lives easier in many applications. Aquastar, Inc., Zero Off, and EControls, Inc., have brought true GPS technology to the Waterski and Wakeboard Industry. This announcement and this team paves the way for future technology advancements to the boating industry, and the sport of Waterski and Wakeboard." - Andy Mapple
"Zero Off has proven to be the leader in GPS based speed control both in 3 event skiing as well as the wakeboard market. I'm extremely excited to see the future advancements a company like Zero Off can bring to our sports." - Freddy Krueger
"I never felt so light and so strong behind a boat before I experienced Zero Off. I ran six out of six 39's off in a Pro Event last year in 2007. The system has enormous potential and it will increase the level of this sport, it's a tremendous tool for this industry." - Thomas Degasperi
"I feel comfortable putting anyone in the driver seat now that I can depend on Zero Off to do the job. Whether I need a straight line or a huge double up, I know my speed will be dead on." - Shaun Murray
For more information on Zero Off GPS speed control visit us online @ www.zerogps.com
The future of speed control is here!
For Immediate Release
PerfectPass Control Systems sells a significant portion of its OEM Business and Technology Assets to EControls, Inc.
HALIFAX,CANADA April 23, 2008 - PerfectPass Control Systems Incorporated has sold a significant portion of its Original Equipment Manufacturer business to EControls, Inc. of San Antonio, Texas. Included in the sale are technology assets and two United States Patents owned by PerfectPass.
The business sold relates primarily to the company’s products designed for “throttle by wire” engines. This technology is utilized by several leading engine builders in both the inboard and stern drive marine markets. The majority of the business transition will not occur until June of this year as boat manufacturers commence production on 2009 model year product.
PerfectPass will continue to manufacture speed controls systems for the ski/wakeboard market, stern drive industry and jet boat segment that utilize mechanically throttled engines. In addition, PerfectPass will continue to develop affordable and exciting upgrade options for its seventy thousand existing worldwide customers. As part of the transaction, PerfectPass gained exclusive licensing rights to GPS technology developed by EControls.
“The decision to sell this division of our business was a difficult one for all of us”, stated company President Eric Horton. “We have forged many personal relationships in this part of the industry with great people that we will truly miss working with. Ultimately, we recognized that EControls had a competitive advantage due to the fact their Engine Control Modules are being used by these engine builders. They were a natural buyer of our business which fits perfectly into their business model.”
“EControls is a superb company with a strong engineering and management team. In addition to being a recognized leader in engine control technology, they also manufacture the Zero Off Speed Control System.”
“Although our product mix will be changing, we are not abandoning our roots which is the competitive water skier”, say’s company co-founder Gary Allen. “Our new GPS enhanced Star Gazer System has been extremely well received and we will continue to offer it to existing customers with “throttle by wire” applications as well as to new and existing customers with “mechanically throttled” engines.” We believe that the performance characteristics of Star Gazer and Zero Off have become more similar in recent months. This is a positive thing so skiers training behind either product will not be surprised when competing on a boat equipped with either speed control brand.”
Founded in 1995 by Eric Horton, Randy Eisener and Gary Allen, PerfectPass Control Systems Incorporated is a world leader in the design and distribution of electronic speed control systems for the pleasure boat industry. Its clients are made up of more than twenty boat manufacturers including premier brands such as Correct Craft, MasterCraft, Malibu, Sea Ray, Cobalt and BRP. For more information, contact Gary Allen at (902) 468-2150 or e mail
I have begun testing the sound levels emanating from the exhaust of the 2008 ski boats. I started this because the new MasterCraft was so loud. On the message boards, people were asking, "WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?” So off I went to Radio Shack and bought a decibel meter and began the arduous task of recording their noise levels. Testing went fine on the 2008 Correct Craft Ski Nautique 196 and Malibu Response LXi. Picking up a skier, the 196 had a 77 db noise level. The LXi rated 88. This was with me standing on the starting dock with the boat roughly 50' from me. When I went to take the levels on the new MasterCraft, the owner would not cooperate. He said MasterCraft was installing new mufflers today as the noise level behind his boat was unacceptable. I predict the levels behind the new MasterCraft will be higher than the LXi. So far the Correct Craft Ski Nautique 196 tests out to be the quietest boat on the lake coming in 12.5% quieter than the Malibu. If keeping your neighbors happy is important to you, the Ski Nautique is by far the quietest boat out there!
Hey Steve, April 23, 2008
Just a quick comment on testing sound levels. The two boats that you tested are not 12.5% different in loudness since the decibel scale is not linear, nor does it relate directly to "perception" of loudness. They could possibly be considered twice as loud! Without getting real scientific or trying to deal with different frequencies, here is a little rule of thumb used by some in the recording business...
A 3 dB difference is barely perceptible, but a 10 dB difference will seem twice as loud. Of course there's a lot more involved, but you can see the point. One thing that would be interesting would be what the sound levels inside the boat are, particularly for the driver. 88 dB is real close the level where in industry OSHA begins to require ear protection for continuous exposure (8 hours), which I think is 85 dB. After 85 you half the exposure time for every 3 dB. Something to consider if you're a full time boat driver at a ski school, tournaments, etc.
It's interesting to see on the various boat owners forums how people really want quieter boats. There's a lot of talk of adding mufflers, silencers, downpipes, and motorbox insulation after people purchase their boats. I did my motorbox and it really helps from the drivers seat but really the whole boat could be quieter. I think the manufacturers should treat this as standard and charge extra for a louder setup!
If Stargazer and Zero Off are already approved and being used in competition, why are they being tested again this month?
Will someone with a decibel meter please check the exhaust decibels coming from the new MasterCraft and compare them to the new Ski Nautique and Malibu? This baby is loud!
HAVE SOMETHING WATER-SKI RELATED TO BUY OR SELL? CHECK OUT "SKI IT AGAIN" HERE
Check out my Interview by Leigh Sheldrake "DRAGO" here In the interview, my statement should have been that Thierry Malhomme is the best senior skier outside North and South America. In Canada we have Dave Miller and in South America we have Juan Cuglievan. This year at the Senior Worlds, we should see Dave, Juan and Thierry battling it out for the Senior II title. This will be real interesting! Another mistake I made during the podcast with Drago was when speaking about the skiers who were going to be doing the ZO - Stargazer - PP Classic testing. I said Laurie Remke when I meant Laurie Lindsey.
Big Dawg Jerome Bocuse of Orlando is an incredible senior skier originally from France. I did not include Jerome in my statement about the best senior skier outside the Americas because I have not seen Jerome ski outside the USA even though he is still ranked in Europe. I have been to just about every Senior Worlds and Senior Europeans in the last eight years.
NEW GATE RULE?
I heard yesterday that on the World Cup Tour, when a skier misses their entrance gate, they continue on to the next pass. If they make the pass, they get credit for both. If they miss the gate or the pass, they score zero from the previous pass on. This sounds like something that can be great for competitive water-skiing. What do you think?
Schnitz,
Greetings from Houston, and always enjoy the site. Wanted to comment on the new gate rule which may be in effect for the Pro Tour. As per your explanation, missing the entrance gates does not matter. In fact, the skier is allowed the next pass, but must successfully run the second pass to get credit for both. If unsuccessful on the second pass, then the two passes do not count at all.
Me thinks you have lost your ever-loving mind to readily accept it as "great for competitive skiing."
Let us extend the logic of missing the gates to include any kind of miss in the course, say, 2 ball. I'm a lefty and 2 ball gives me problems. We shall allow rightys to miss 3 ball, no worries. Do we see where this leads? If the skier misses a ball, no problem! Just run the next pass and all sins are forgiven!
I have a novel idea: let's enforce the concept that a pass includes running the gates, all 6 balls, and out the gates. How difficult is it to enforce the rule of no exceptions? Good Grief, we must be consistent in our application of the rules, or, in this example, let us agree to throw out the gates altogether. Or make it a five buoy course and get any four to move on. Or allow any speed the contestant wants, as long as the skier is happy.
No can do, Schnitz. Competitive skiing will be just fine without these exceptions to "promote" the sport. Let us encourage every contestant to do their best, but no free passes, my friends; only skiers who have earned it by running the previous pass. Practice those gates, gang, cause they count.
Kind Regards,
Lowell Hoover
Lowell,
The rule book used to allow for timing from the center of the entrance gate to the center of the exit gate. The rule book disallowed adjustable trim on boat hulls. The rule book stated "no other devices" when HO and O'Brien had "power stiks" and flex adjusters on their skis. When has anyone let the rules get in the way of progress?
Schnitz!
MasterCraft Pro Tour - The Akron Stop on June 27-29 has been moved to Lymandland www.lymanland.com in Tuscaloosa Alabama. Same venues - OM, OW slalom, OM Jump. Necessary event information will be up on Proskiers.com in a few days concerning motels, directions to the site etc., etc..
Entries will still go to: Pro Slalom Events LLC PO Box 1245 Hickory NC 28603
World Record Holder Chris Parrish is back on his game. Chris rejoined O'brien a couple months ago and has won his first PRO event in years riding his new O'brien stick. Everyone has been waiting for this moment and it's finally arrived. Parrish was unbeatable prior to his switch to HO, a ski that did not fit his style of skiing. With Parrish back on his game, it's a totally different playing field. At his peak, Parrish was running 41 off on a regular basis setting and breaking the World Record time and again. If he's back skiing at that level, the PRO event organizers might as well put his name on all the first place checks today as the game is for second and beyond. COMPLETE RESULTS
I built a new page titled "THE GIRLS OF WATERSKIING" but I need your help. Please send me your best shots. Wives, daughters, friends, lovers, skiing, smiling, it doesn't matter, just send em 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.
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.
Kuno Ritschard, President of the International Water Ski Federation (IWSF), released details today of the calendar of the IWSF Waterski and Wakeboard World Cup series organized for this season. Having successfully completed 21 Stops to date, the locations fixed for this year are the most exotic so far.
The venues announced are Dubna on the VolgaRiver in Russia, the Palm Hills Development Wakeboard World Cup on the Mediterranean in Egypt, Doha in Qatar in the Arabian Gulf, Putrajaya, the new GovernmentCity in Malaysia, downtown Singapore just above the Equator and Hyderabad south of Mumbai in India. With six Stops in total, three will incorporate Wakeboard and three will include Waterskiing. Further new locations are already under negotiation for the coming four years.
The original objectives of the World Cup series were, and still are, to bring the very best IWSF athletes to compete in high population downtown and exotic locations around the World and to maximize media and sponsor exposure. The 2008 World Cub schedule ticks all the boxes. Population-wise, Hyderabad leads this year’s field with 38 million, Dubna’s Moscow Region has 7 million, Singapore has 4.5 million, Egypt’s HaciendaBay west of Alexandria has 4 million, Putrajaya on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur has 1.5 million and Qatar has 1 million. In other words, the 2008 Waterski and Wakeboard World Cup series will take place on the doorstep of over 56 million potential fans !
In 2007, reports produced for the IWSF by Mediadvice LLC and Videosol London estimated that the total worldwide TV News and Edited TV Shows of the World Cup series achieved 296 million viewers over 120 hours . The IWSF arrangements for 2008 will expand this coverage further. News Releases will again be distributed to over 12,000 Media contacts around the World for every World Cup Stop.
The IWSF World Cup Calendar dates are as follows :
JULY 24-26 : Dubna, Russia / WATERSKI AUGUST 13-15 : Palm Hills Development, Egypt / WAKEBOARD OCTOBER 10-12 : Singapore / WAKEBOARD OCTOBER 13-15 : Doha, Qatar – WATERSKI / WAKEBOARD NOVEMBER 7-9 : Putrajaya, Malaysia - WATERSKI NOVEMBER TBA : Hyderabad, India / WATERSKI
The IWSF athletes selection process and those who have qualified for the 2008 World Cup series will be announced shortly. As in the previous 21 successful World Cup Stops, the men and women selected will represent at least 15 countries. MasterCraft will continue to supply the very latest competition boats, backup service and logistics throughout the entire 2008 global journey ! For further information, contact http://www.iwsf.com
2007 MasterCraft Promo. Super clean and low, low hours. Factory single axle trailer, bimini, mooring cover, Perfect Pass, bow cover and much, much more. My loss is your gain. Sacrifice at $38,750.00 Will deliver anywhere within 10 hours of West Palm Beach. Scotty at 1-561-714-6533
Please excuse the wind noise. I need to re-video with a wind noise dampener but in the meantime, listen and you will hear the boat gassing Jeff as soon as he starts pulling and backing off when he releases the pressure. Being that he's pulling long, ZO stays on him long. You cannot hear a difference in the engine with Perfect Pass or Accuski. I cannot ski well behind drivers that gas me. It does not fit my style. Accuski fits perfectly. I want the Accuski pull! I suggest ZO incorporates the ZO pull as "A", the Perfect Pass pull as "B" and the Accuski pull as "C". In this manner, we can each choose the pull we like, just like we choose the ski and bindings that work for our style!