Conference vicki::boats

January 1, 1996 -  11:30 am Mountain Time - Boise Idaho - Luck Peak Resevoir

Air Temperature - 38f

Water Temperature - 33f

Skies - Clear

Water - smooth

Started out with the another Digit and our kids for a day on the lake.   We 
took the dry suits and layered up for the afternoon.  Started out with Bryan 
skiing first: suited up, prepared for the shock and headed off the back of 
the boat, focused the camera of the Polar Bear and we were off only to be 
told afterwards that it was too hot with all the layers.  Next came Bryan's  
14 year old daughter: suited up, hit the water and skiied on glass.  After 
that came my 14 year old son: suited up, hit the water skiing,  dropped off 
and switched to his skirfer.  Last was myself:  suited up, and skiied wishing 
it would stay like this: no other skiiers and smooth water.   Then out of the 
water and up the mountain for a run or two down the hill on my other skis.

Tab still smiling......

    Here in New England we have glass smooth water too. No matter how much
    the wind blows you don't see white caps beneath the foot of snow and
    ice. Glad to see somebody is able to ski. 
    
    Last nite on America's Funniest Video re-runs there were a few brief clips
    of waterskiing. The first was a kneeboarder heading down a flooded main 
    street. When the car stopped the boarder yelled, "You stalled?". Response 
    came back, "No, stop sign". The next was a footer who tumbled but managed 
    to hold on and came back up with his suit around his ankles, wearing what 
    looked to be only an athletic protector.
    
    There is a reason I live in New England, but it escapes me right now.
    
    ~jeff

    Where else but in New England can you have open water on one half the
    lake, and ice fisherpersons on the other half New Years Day? That was
    what we had this year.  I wouldn't be out on the ice, but if the boat
    hadn't been blocked in the garage by a cord of snow (4'x4'x8') plowed
    from the 9 storms in western Maine so far, I just might have tried out
    that new ski!!
    
    The Merrimack was open and flat Tuesday.  Looked for Rick, but
    remembered he followed our lead into early hibernation this year.
    
    Just got the first '96 MC Star magazine.  Sounds like enough storage in
    the new '205s to support a true gummie!
    
    dave

	Cool Tab! It is nice to at least *read* about someone waterskiing.
How do you deal with frozen toes & fingers out there in Idaho?

	Yeah, the river has been real strange so far this winter. One day it's
ice all the way across and the next it's showing open water. This seems to
happen without regard to outdoor temperature cuz the entire time it's been
bone chilling *COLD*!

	I got the warm weather "jones" something awful this year. The 
frequency of snow storms really doesn't help, neither does a new (to me)
Seca 750!

	It's possible that I may get a "deal" on a Hawaii trip this
winter. Is there any skiing there or will I just have to learn how to
surf, dudes?

Rick

ps. Show-and-tell at the WCP is going to be a hoot!........

    > How do you deal with the frozen toes & fingers out there in Idaho?
    .... you mean frozen 'Digits'?  (sorry... cabin fever).
    
    >ps. Show-and-tell at the WCP is going to be a hoot!........
    Yeah, I picked up a couple of unique books on skiing that folks should
    enjoy (Unique= Christmas present from a Mother-in-law with a different
    outlook on my water sports!)
    
    Rick, which Island(s) you gonna hit? The only hint of skiing I saw was
    along Kanapali Beach on Maui. I never pursued it 'cause the swells were 
    too high.  There must be some quiet water there somewhere.  Definitely
    do the parasail off Waikiki, and snorkel in Hanauma Bay. The
    windsurfing just beyound Paia on Maui is spectacular to watch.
    
    ... and only 105 days till ice out in Otisfield :*(
    
    dave

re. 4&5

It actually isn't that cold,,,,  you wear long underwear and at least sweats 
under the dry suit.  If it is real cold, I just add layers for warmth.  For 
the feet you wear a neoprene sock for the back foot and a thin neoprene or 
rubber sock for the front.  The hands get a pair of neoprene gloves (glacier 
gloves for you fisher persons), and the head goes into a neoprene diving 
hood.  The only part of the body not covered is the face and the rest doesn't 
get any colder than if your snow skiing.  

I always try and keep the head and hands above water as much as possible, but 
once you get up and going you get warm fast.  With gloves, hood and suit the 
face is the only part getting the wind and splash which isn't any worse than 
a cold day snow skiing.

On the first when we were there, a couple of other guys were doing the same 
and also barefooting.   I prefer my feet to be a nice pink color.....

Tab   

Dave,

	I understand that I'll be visiting Maui and one other
island, should this all work out. I'm not sure of the name of
the second one... ?Kuwaii?

Rick

Rick,
	You sure know how to make a guy jealous.  Maui is my number one favorite
place, even if they don't have good water skiing there.  Kuaii, the emerald
island is quiet and beautiful.  It holds the record for the highest annual
rainfall in one of the valleys, so be ready to 'enjoy' a few wet days.  The
Napali Coastline tour in a zodiac boat is outstanding, but they usually aren't
running during the winter -too rough.  We managed to book a trip in February;
we were cold, wet and sore from all the pounding.... but it was worth it.
Absolutely majestic.

	Maui is great, good compromise between the over commercialization on
Oahu (Waikiki) and the gardens of Kuaii..  Kanapali Beach offers great
accomodations, reasonable restruants and surf..... but that's all for a
different notes file.

	Do enjoy... and let us know if you find a reasonable place to ski in the
islands.

dave

ps... I don't wanna know how much snow is now blocking the garage/boat in Maine.


	 

    re: .4
    
      Rick,
    
    I agree with Dave (.8) on all points, particularly regarding Maui. We
    have been to all the islands and we return year after year to Maui.
    hint: Whale season is roughly Nov. to Mar. and Maui is the place to be!
    
    Anyway, the reason this RON is rambling on is, I remember being on Oahu
    a couple of years ago and going by Suyderhoud's Water Ski Center to see
    if Mike was there. He wasn't. You can try calling 808-395-3773 to see
    if they are still around.
    
    Also, once on Kauii, over on the East side, I remember seeing an
    inboard ski boat idling by when I was on a 'sight-seeing' "boat" going
    up a river...they were trickin'.
    
    I also got a bunch of hits on AltaVista using 'hawaii waterski', but
    nothing on the first 6 or 8 pages.
    
    We'll be on Maui and Hawaii (big island) the first two weeks of March,
    so we'll keep our eyes out for some 'ski-nuts'!!
    
    good luck and have fun,
    
    kp
    
    

>    We'll be on Maui and Hawaii (big island) the first two weeks of March,
>    so we'll keep our eyes out for some 'ski-nuts'!!
>    
>    good luck and have fun,
>    
>    kp
 
	Rumor has it that March 11th may be the departure date....


Now for something entirely different...

	My thanks to Jeff, Maria, Cam and Ryan for hosting the 1996 WCP.
It was wonderful to see everyone. Jackie, Ricky and I really had a
great time. Man, has that Whynot clan sprouted! For some brief moments
on Sunday, I felt that it might actually be 80 degrees outside. And that's
tough to do when it's really 0!

	I don't know about this catering thing, though... While the food
was delicious and in grand supply, it's a long way from Dominoes and beer.
Guess I better start polling *my* neighbors! :-)

Rick

ps. The new house is really nice!
    
pss. I will never park on the street again!
I will never park on the street again!
I will never park on the street again!
I will never park on the street again!
I will never park on the street again!
I will never park on the street again!
I will never park on the street again!
I will never park on the street again!
I will never park on the street again!
I will never park on the street again!
I will never park on the street again!
I will never park on the street again!
I will never park on the street again!
I will never park on the street again!
I will never park on the street again!
I will never park on the street again!

Celeste and I want to add our thanks and appreciation to Jeff and Maria for
their hospitality at the 1996 WPC.  This was our first, and set high
expectations for years to come.  We only wished we hadn't had another commitment
that made our departure so early. 

It was great to meet Maria whom we'd heard so much about, and the Whynot clan
too.  There's no denying the parentage in that family- number one son is a 
spitting image of dad, and those girls sure take after mom. What a great family!
And Jackie.... we hadn't seen her since late summer, as she missed the gumball
and our October outing.  

We sure didn't leave hungry.  The food was great, were gonna have to get the
name of that restaurant.

Now who would park on the side of the road in zero degree weather, when there's
such a spacious driveway with ample parking right next to the house?

dave

ps.  In a moment of weakness Celeste said, 'maybe if we could have one as good
as Ryan was.........'  but a dash of cold water returned her to her senses.

	Geez, I guess I *HAVE* to make it out this weekend or admit
that I began skiing in April in 1996! Afterall, I think I quit in 
November last year....

	Anyone seen the N. Chelmsford ramp recently? Any other takers?

Rick

<<< Note 1248.12 by KAHALA::SUTER "and now for something you'll really like!" >>>
                        -< It's *is* Spring ain't  it? >-


>>	Geez, I guess I *HAVE* to make it out this weekend or admit
>>that I began skiing in April in 1996! Afterall, I think I quit in 
>>November last year....

>>	Anyone seen the N. Chelmsford ramp recently? Any other takers?

>>Rick


	Rick,

 You may just be snowskiing this weekend if the forcast I heard comes true.
 I thought Spring was here, but I guess it's not quite the time for boat yet,
 so I guess I'll have to pass on the March start of the 96 season.... ;-)

	Norm

    I can't get away Saturday but I might be up for summin' on Sunday, WX
    dependent. If I have my oldest helper with me I may have to hold out
    for sunshine at the least. My boat is still mothballed so it would have
    to be the Nautique.
    
    Took a ride to Nashua at lunch and the river looked wonderful. No signs
    of ice or debris crossing at 111, some nice flowing current. No clue
    what a ramp looks like though.
    
    ~jeff

I made a trip to the North Chelmsford ramp last weekend.  The road in was
real muddy and rutted, and since I had the car, and not the 4x, I opted not
to get down to the river.  The snowbanks were still there where they had
plowed around the launch area, so there might still be a (small) bank at the
ramp.

We're making a day trip to Maine tomorrow, then I'm off to Phoenix and Denver on
a biz trip for a week.  I guess if I were gonna ski this early, it would be in
Phoenix.  I don't think my wetsuit is adequate protection for the Merrimack.

Hopefully the snow in front of the garage door in Maine is nearly gone and the
MC can come out of hibernation by the end of April!

Let us know how it feels Rick.

dave

    Surprised Rick hasn't made an entry yet. As threatened, we did in fact
    make it out yesterday to officially start our '96 ski season here in
    N.E. We didn't make a lot of runs believe it or not :^). The few I did 
    felt good though. Just like riding a bicycle, only a whole lot colder!
    
    Brief, but enjoyable!! I like starting in March 'cuz the conditions
    have to improve as the season progresses. 
    
    ~jeff
    

>Let us know how it feels Rick.


	It felt GREAT!!!!!! A little short on time, Jackie, Jeff and I
had to limit ourselves to only 2 runs each. But they were wonderful. Cam
and Ricky were also along for the ride.

	I began off the ramp's beach with a kneeboard run... errrr splash...
The water was a little lower than usual and the board stuck like glue to
the shore. The only successful thing about this start was I was succesfully
dragged thru the water. Oh well, SOMEONE had to check the water temp. :-)
Can you say, "Drinking a Slushee too fast? I knew you could".....

	A few wakejumps on the kneeboard, I'm told were met by a few "YAHOO"s
from Cam. Jeff, you are certainly training that kid right!

	Jeff was up next for a little wakeboard action. His hard cuts through
the wake also got some YAhoos!

	Jackie hit her slalom, only pouting once or twice that her NEW ski
arrived in the wrong length. She looked superb, like she hadn't even taken
the winter off. Smooth carving turns, nice cuts through the wake and only
letting the boat get away from her a couple of times. Next week will be
HAMMER TIME for her!

	I took a run on the wakeboard. The foot felt real good, not even a
twinge on big air. Last fall, I still couldn't jump without knowing about
it in my left foot.

	Jeff hit his slalom ski next. Not to be shown up by Jackie, he
looked real good also! Doing his one-handed turns without even thinking
about it. All that crashing thru the wake stuff left far behind now!

	Another slalom run for Jackie... All the boats come out for her!
She did get some glass near the end of her run, but was a little beat to
make use of it.
	
	I whimpered a little about not gettiing on my ski, and into the
ramp we went...

	A great day!

Rick

ps. Later that day Jackie and I saw the river just a smooth as glass and
	we sighed somewhat that we were not out there. I then thought, "But
	some people don't even know what it's like to ski on glass like that,
	but we do!"...

 Most folks think I'm a crazy lad. Fishing in the snow on the Hudson river in
 November and breaking ice on the Nashua in December...
 
 I was on the water yesterday too! I was dressed well and fishing. Water temp
 down the cape was in the high 40's.

 The fish were biting, I was warm. I don't remember anyone offering us a
 
                        S L U S H E E !!!
 
 You Dudes (and Dudess) are really rad man

 Next time I'm fishing that nucular waste by-product of a river, I'll have to 
 see if I can find you folks and give you a high-5 and a warm beverage and
 new rad badges!

 -Sully
 

    As I passed over the Tyngsboro bridge on the way to the airport, I told
    the limo driver 'watch for them.... they'll be out there.'  He thought
    I was nuts....
    
    So I'm stuck with the old Digital slogan..."Just Imagine..." But wait
    until next month. I'll adopt the latest (yuk)... "Whatever it takes!"
    ... and chrisen my new ski too.
    
    Glad to hear the foot felt good Rick... gotta make up for some lost
    time.... and hey, if you need someone to show you the poor form at the
    beginning of the year, just let me know!
    
    dave

July vacation provided the first opportunitites for Celeste and me to get back
on the skis. We hit the water on July 1rst with a little caution, not wanting to
undo the benefits of 10 months of physical therapy for the ole shoulder.

I stayed on my old World Team for the first few runs (days) finally getting the
courage to do a single ski deep water start - NO Problem!!! After a few days of
taking it easy, followed by copious quantities of Advil and the occasional
icepack, I was ready to break out the new ski.  The Rumor Comp is 2 inches
shorter than the Team, causing concern on the starts.

Surprisingly, the starts were no problem, but the ski was like being on a banana
peel.  I moved the fin all the way back for the next runs, and the confidence
began to grow.  By then end of vacation I had the feel of the new ski, and began
working on all those old bad habits that just never seem to go away.

Celeste started the year conservatively as well, staying on 2 skis for the first
week.  Her confidence then built to a successful ski drop and run, but the ski
bouy is causing some resistance, especially on the start.  Now we have to work
on the endurance.....

The Prosport came home with us for some river runs in the near future.  Looking
forward to some of that glass we found last year!!

dave

	Well, in yet another example of my infinite wisdom, I didn't
take a route that allowed a view of the river this AM. How'd it look
coming over the bridge this AM, Dave?

	Is the rock half way between the bridge and Paulie's corner
showing?

Rick 

Well, we can understand your being preoccupied.  Its a big responsibility being
the person responsible for finding riverfront property to support this gang of
skiers.  Now remember, my slip needs to accommodate 21'!!

In spite of not having the benefit of Rick's observations we hit the river last
night.  The water appears about 4' below norm, with LOTS of rocks showing. The
rock by the wall below Tyngsboro bridge is showing by a good 6", the one by
Polly's corner is still hiding.  I got a good scare seeing for the first time,
the wall of rocks on the west bank, just below Pheasant Lane Mall.  Seems like
I just went over that area last Saturday!!! 

Great time last night.  Its amazing how advice is reinforced with 4 people all
telling me what has to change to improve that form.  Now if I can just remember
to:
	shoulders back,
	hips up
	rope to hips
	eyes to far shore
	chin up
	ski on edge
	hip towards boat
	weight evenly distributed
	knees slighly bent
	pull hard thru the wake
	edge change ~2 ski lenghts beyond the second wake
	swing the lower body out
	extend
	etc, etc etc.....