no wake vs huge wake

[beast 496]

What happened to the day's of an inboard not having any wake? I mean I grew up not wanting any wake or at least as flat as possible. Slalom skiing is not as popular or even barefooting. I just can't believe young guys and gals don't want to learn how to barefoot. It is all about slow going wakeboarding or surfing. go figure that all of the effort to build inboard ski boats to have 0 wake and now to have a huge wake. I guess I am too old. Al

[moombamania]

Beast.... Not to old, just old school. I was a slalom skier behind an I/O for years, dreaming of a competition wake behind a dd.

started riding a "Skurfer" back in the day and really started to enjoy the heck out of it along with my knee board. Well, now I wakeboard WAY more then I ski so that flat wake needed ballast and a tower.

Your no-wake is still out there. IMHO just be thankful the Skurfer craze caught on and grew as it rejuvenated an industry with a whole new market share and a whole new inboard design with big wakes and big space in the v-drive.

[KY Steve]

Its not just happening on the water, the dynamics are also changing on the snow.

I'm a Generation X'r and was a teenager when boards were born. Addicted to both on water and snow but I do pull out the slalom once a year to prove I can still do it. ;)

[Supra-in-steamboat]

Second KYSteve. I guess Tony Hawk, Shaun White, and ESPN are responsible.

[sybrmike]

I'm with you, Al. The closest thing to a wakeboard when I skied collegiate club was a slalom trick ski - some of the same tricks, but remember both bindings faced forward. It was all about 38' off, 180' jumps, & high point trick runs. Thought kneeboards would never catch on - best used for stepping off into footing (our old outboard couldn't pull a deepwater start).

I still love dipping an elbow on my old Jobe & my Social Security eligible parents still slalom, but my kids wanna learn wakeboarding & surfing. Hopefully my old DD Saltare will be able to satisfy all our needs (if I can ever get her back on the water).

Old school rules, but guess we gotta roll with the times - lest we're relegated to our rockers on the front porch yellin' at those dang young whippersnappers to "get off my lawn!"

[Kip]

We do close to as much skiing as we do wakeboarding. I have really started to slalom more this year, it is definitely a rush to go from about a dead stop when you lay the ski over to rocketing across the water in a matter of feet.

The dual purpose of our Supra is one of the main reasons I love it. I can crank the wake plate down and put everyone in the front and have a good ski wake, or crank the plat up and pile people in the back for wakeboarding.

[jaywidhalm]

I'm with you guys...I learned to slalom as a kid, and still love it...and for the record I'm 31. I do wakeboard as well, and am learning to surf...but I agree that slalom skiers are a rare breed these days! I do like the versatility of the V drive, as well as the space. The wakeplate makes it a great "dual purpose" family friendly boat. Not the best pic...but oh well!!

[87SunSportMikeyD]

I feel like I was part of the crossover 'generation'. Here is my candid story because I am bored. When I was 10-12 I was skiing non stop. Learned to drop and deepwater slalom start. Learned to rip it up back and forth across the lake. But that was it. There was nothing else to do on the slalom ski besides make sharp turns. It got kinda old for me.

I started messing around on the slalom ski, learning to jump the wakes when going slower. I never got into trick skiing and our old i/o (76 Glasstron 16.5' 135hp Volvo Penta - this was in the early 90s) either didn't have the power or else I never had a great teacher to teach me to step off. But honestly I can't really say going 40 on only my feet sounds THAT entertaining, you mostly hold the position or wipe out big time.. all imho.

This was about the time I saw my first wakeboard magazine on the shelf at a book store and saw a skurfer in a store. After seeing the Flight 69 and Byerly and Gator doing flips and 360s I was sold. I begged my dad to get me a board. He said the twin tips with full wrap bindings were too expensive (doh) so we went home with a Connelly Blade with surf wrap bindings. It took me two weeks to get up and a year and a half to learn to jump the wakes with no teachers and old equipment. :) Now I have taught so many people I feel I could be an instructor for beginner to intermediate riders.

So in summary it was the variety that wakeboarding brings that brought me over. Freedom and expression on the water to do a great variety of tricks. Ability to tweak and add your own style. Not to mention big air - how can you not love big air?!? But I love and respect all the water sports, so peace to all.

[werlinda]

Very good topic. Im 29 and love to water ski. I slalom all the time and you still get the looks from people on the lake when you do it and and can spray the babes laying out on the rafts doing it. I still double ski for fun too, just double skiied with the old man this weekend. Good time.

Kneeboards, painful. Wakboarding makes me want to slalom.

Whatever your age is there are still some of us out there that live to water ski only. My dad and fater-in-law still barefoot and are both over 50. That is something to see!

[mapleleaf]

I def. have to get out the slalom a few times a year, wouldn't be the same without it...... Hadn't thought about the fact we probably board more now then ski......its all good in my books.......

[KG's Supra24]

It's hard to beat big air on a wakeboard as the sun is setting and then busting out the surf board for a relaxing night surf.

Just my .02.

[csuggs]

I'll throw in my two cents. I too grew up on the slalom and with tricks - and an occasional kneeboard. I remember the days of not wanting a wake - going through the slalom course at 34 or 36 cutting the buoys. I wasn't that great but had a great time! My favorite as a teen was a single trick ski (quit double tricks after ripping my groin on a gnarley landing!) I'm 45, and just last Sunday I got up on slalom first try of the season. I also got up on the wakeboard and messed around - no aerial stuff but able to do side slides and 180's. Used to be able to ski backwards, but can't arch my back and neck like I could when I was younger! So all this goes on the boat with us now: 2 wakeboards, 1 wakeskateboard, 1 kneeboard, a pair of combo skis and sometimes a tube! I need to tow a section of a dock around to keep all our stuff on!

[jet]

Alright you O.G's (thats old guys...for you old guys :D) I have been around since the 1st skurfer hit the shelf's being a mgr at a dive shop/surf/ski in Florida back in the day. I still have my 90' Connelly Concept in the attic with dust on it. Mikey is rt (thats right for you old guys, lol) you can go back and forth..back and forth and thats about it. Im a surfer 1st, and wakeboarding is about riding for me, Im a soul rider, not a trick specialist. Wakeboarding is my wave since Im stuck in Tx. Wakeboarding is the shiz niz (thats the shit..for you old guys :D) My old ski runs use to take like 10-20 seconds, and anything i love to do I want it to last more than 20-seconds, keep that in mind next time you have sex. LMAO (laughing my ass off..for you old guys:D) Surfing, wakeboarding, inline skating-50 mph, crotch rockets- 170 somethin..Its all about motion and scaring the HELL out myself to make me feel ALIVE and closer to GOD. Thank you God for keeping a eye on my stupid ass. I'll put it to you this way skiers. My dad use to buy Buick's..mow the lawn in his dark socks..where funny clothes..spray the girls while slaloming BUT! Just because you can..don't make it cool! :D Jet

p.s. Hopefully no O.G's were hurt in the making of this email. Its all in good fun my brothers.

[sybrmike]

Great posts - you might need to switch to all caps so us OG's can hear you... Kept me grinning (yet another B-Day yesterday)...

Whether it's wake/surf/ski/tube/(even fishing) on the water, blowin bubbles under the water (scuba), or heck - just lounging in the pool - water just makes life better.

[rludtke]

This is a great thread!

I didn't get exposed to watersports until I was a young adult, and learned to slalom behind a friends Bayliner Challenger(Bayliners first indb tow boat). That was about 1990-ish. I had another friend with a Mastercraft who introduced me to barefooting, also in the early 1990's. I coveted the indb tow boats, and jumped at every oppertunity to drive nearly as much as I jumped to ski and foot.

Fast forward 25 years, and now at 45, I'm the f-ing old guy. The "old school" boats of the 1980's and the early 1990's left such a strong impression on me that that was all I wanted. Fourtunatly, they can lead a dual-purpose slalom/wake boarding life.

I am still pretty hard-over about slalom skiing, but where I live, the oppertunities for flat water don't come often. My teanage son, now off to college, was more interested in the wake board, so he and I spent more time figuring that out (we are still beginners) primarily because you can do it in a lake thats all messed up. My little girls (9 and 11) are more interested in the towable, but they have tried the trainer skiis, and will again this year.

One of the things I learned about wake boarding is that is is much easier on this old body. That's a plus. I developed another little trick: Sometimes we shorten the rope to about 15' off the pylon, load up the rear corner with what ever we can find (people, dogs, etc) and at low speeds (7-10 mph) "surf" the wake with our old-fashonied single ended scurf board. We have to hang on to the rope, and we are still in the elastic bindings, but it gives you a taste of real surfing, and it is really easy on the bod. I have gotten folks who have never seen a ski boat up doing this, and they just have a blast.

I have purchased 2 250 pound bags and a water pump, and will try these out this summer. One of these days I will purchase a used surf board,if I can figure out what is the appropriate board for use behind a moderately weighted Comp (any advice would be appreciated). I think the whole surfing thing looks like fun, but heck, any sport you can do with a beer in your hand looks like fun to me.

So yeah, you wipper-snappers dreamed up some pretty cool ideas for stuff to do behind the boat, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO GET OFF MY LAWN!

[Kip]

I agree with Sybrmike completely. Just being on the water makes for a great day.

[beast 496]

Well for the "Old Guys" I will have to state that I am not only older but a little heavier. Now I have to Foot at 43 to 44 mph. I can still do a cross wake, but I have stopped with the deep water starts. The ol knee board still works great to stand from. The Boom still works fine to. Oh for you YG (young guys) lol A boom is a pole that sticks out from the side which is attached to the pylon and cabled to bow eye. On the boom you can foot much easier. Some of the new wake board boats might not even be fast enough to pull a couple of bare footers who are also over weight. lol Gotta have a big block. Keep up the good times. Al

[csuggs]

Good reading guys! Hey Jet, thanks for explaining the abreviations!

I just like being on the water (have all my life) and I love seeing my 3 sons and their friends, girlfriends, etc have a good time on my boat. It's money well spent considering it keeps the family together!!!

FYI - I learned to ski in the 70's behind a 15ft open boat with no floor and a 35hp outboard, on flat wooden skis that were probably a foot longer than I was tall and binding that would barely stay on! It was all good back then! Guess that makes me an official OG!

[BigCity444]

I switched over from only Slalom and Barefooting when my folks moved off the water. Now I trailer to and from the lake and everyone and everything comes with us for the day. There is just too much stuff in the boat to keep the wakes small.

To add further comment. SC isn't making a decent Barefoot, Trick or Slalom boat any more. If I was looking for a new boat to serve these purposes I would look at the Nautique 200 or a MC 197. Does Gecko still make boats? They had amazing open bow boat.

[mapleleaf]

Alright you O.G's (thats old guys...for you old guys :D) I have been around since the 1st skurfer hit the shelf's being a mgr at a dive shop/surf/ski in Florida back in the day. I still have my 90' Connelly Concept in the attic with dust on it. Mikey is rt (thats right for you old guys, lol) you can go back and forth..back and forth and thats about it. Im a surfer 1st, and wakeboarding is about riding for me, Im a soul rider, not a trick specialist. Wakeboarding is my wave since Im stuck in Tx. Wakeboarding is the shiz niz (thats the shit..for you old guys :D) My old ski runs use to take like 10-20 seconds, and anything i love to do I want it to last more than 20-seconds, keep that in mind next time you have sex. LMAO (laughing my ass off..for you old guys:D) Surfing, wakeboarding, inline skating-50 mph, crotch rockets- 170 somethin..Its all about motion and scaring the HELL out myself to make me feel ALIVE and closer to GOD. Thank you God for keeping a eye on my stupid ass. I'll put it to you this way skiers. My dad use to buy Buick's..mow the lawn in his dark socks..where funny clothes..spray the girls while slaloming BUT! Just because you can..don't make it cool! :D Jet

p.s. Hopefully no O.G's were hurt in the making of this email. Its all in good fun my brothers.

Jet...You had me 'til you brought up the fruit boots....LMAO.....

[jet]

Fruit boots??

[mapleleaf]

Fruit boots??

inline skating.....50mph + would be exciting, but we still call'em fruit boots!!! LOL

[jet]

Ah! This isnt like girly skating..this is 20-30 miles a week in a 100-102 degree weather. How do you think I stay in shape for wakeboarding. : )

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1556382128&v=app_2392950137#!/video/video.php?v=1349833556673

[csuggs]

We used to call these fruit boots. Not sure why though.

[mapleleaf]

Ah! This isnt like girly skating..this is 20-30 miles a week in a 100-102 degree weather. How do you think I stay in shape for wakeboarding. : )

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1556382128&v=app_2392950137#!/video/video.php?v=1349833556673

I guess I can cut you a break, it was when I was younger and skateboarded everyday, that def. doesn't happen anymore and I don't think you're out there trying to do tricks!!!!! Those are the guys we aimed it at!!