What is “too early” for boat start-up on the Parker Strip?

[Sharp Shooter]

More scans for you picture thieves.

1970

 

[cofooter]

Has anyone actually answered the question by the OP?

He would have to go to a boating forum for information like that

 

[milkmoney]

He would have to go to a boating forum for information like that

Do you know where a good one is ..?[emoji39]

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[old rigger]

Sharp Shooter, how did you get a magazine owned by Chuck Stearns???
Very cool, local hero when I was a kid.

 

[nrbr]

More scans for you picture thieves.

View attachment 753034

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View attachment 753037 View attachment 753038
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View attachment 753040
1970

View attachment 753041

Very affordable home prices , I'll take one please

 

[Sharp Shooter]

Sharp Shooter, how did you get a magazine owned by Chuck Stearns???
Very cool, local hero when I was a kid.

IMO, Chuck Stearns is the “GOAT” of all things water skiing. He could do it all on skiis.

I never met Mr. Stearns, so when he emerged silently from the back of the building to take the mic at Ron Boltons funeral (maybe you were there...?) myself and I think most of the room were floored. It was like seeing a super hero that had been away for a long time.

He and Ron were great friends going way back which I never knew until that day.

Anyway, I won an ebay auction of old boat mags sometime after that I knew from the content and labels that they had to come from Chuck himself, at least originally.

I highly value his magazines and brochures. Part of the lot included several copies of issue No. 1 of Water Ski magazine which he was on the cover of.

 

[Wheeler]

Good stuff Jerry!

More scans for you picture thieves.

View attachment 753034

View attachment 753035
View attachment 753036
View attachment 753037 View attachment 753038
View attachment 753039
View attachment 753040
1970

View attachment 753041

 

[NicPaus]

Very affordable home prices , I'll take one please

Crazy the prices on the Strip from just 5 years ago. In our park there is only one on the list under a $100K. Windmill just set the record on a mobile on CA side at $430K for a land lease mobile. I screwed up by not buying a house water front but no complaints where I ended up.

 

[Sharp Shooter]

 

[nrbr]

Crazy the prices on the Strip from just 5 years ago. In our park there is only one on the list under a $100K. Windmill just set the record on a mobile on CA side at $430K for a land lease mobile. I screwed up by not buying a house water front but no complaints where I ended up.

Crazy!

 

[old rigger]

Crazy the prices on the Strip from just 5 years ago. In our park there is only one on the list under a $100K. Windmill just set the record on a mobile on CA side at $430K for a land lease mobile. I screwed up by not buying a house water front but no complaints where I ended up.

My parents bought in Marina View in '72ish. The trailer they put on the lot is still there but surrounded by nice big homes. I think we were 4 back from the river but back then we had the canal to leave the boat in. I guess you're not allowed to dredge the canal any longer. That canal, or wash, is in-between Marina Manor and View. Anyway after dad died I was looking at some pictures from that time and one that I shot had mom and dad proudly standing infront of there new lot. Behind them is a clear view of the river with no waterfront homes yet. I asked mom why they didn't buy on the water? She said those lots were 5K, they couldn't afford that much. They paid $1500 for theirs and then found a trailer in a park in Torrance and had it moved in there.

Had a ton of fun in that place.

 

[Wheeler]

My parents bought in Marina View in '72ish. The trailer they put on the lot is still there but surrounded by nice big homes. I think we were 4 back from the river but back then we had the canal to leave the boat in. I guess you're not allowed to dredge the canal any longer. That canal, or wash, is in-between Marina Manor and View. Anyway after dad died I was looking at some pictures from that time and one that I shot had mom and dad proudly standing infront of there new lot. Behind them is a clear view of the river with no waterfront homes yet. I asked mom why they didn't buy on the water? She said those lots were 5K, they couldn't afford that much. They paid $1500 for theirs and then found a trailer in a park in Torrance and had it moved in there.

Had a ton of fun in that place.

Post them pix up, rigger!

 

[Sharp Shooter]

Post them pix up, rigger!

X2!

 

[milkmoney]

X2!

Jerry. Its +1 ....yore not 2 people...[emoji39][emoji106]

+2 .....

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[fmo24]

Cool pic of Chuck in his signature Polk a Dot trunks

 

[old rigger]

Post them pix up, rigger!

I'll see if I have them. They might've been with the albums when my mom lost her house in a fire.

 

[Sharp Shooter]

Jerry. Its +1 ....yore not 2 people...[emoji39][emoji106]

+2 .....

Maybe I wanna see them twice.

 

[rivermobster]

I'll see if I have them. They might've been with the albums when my mom lost her house in a fire.

 

[Wheeler]

 

[Wheeler]

Not much in the way of performance boats this morning.

 

[1homeblown]

Not much in the way of performance boats this morning.

View attachment 753652

That looks like the boat that passed me. [emoji16] I’m still jealous he’s out there and I’m not.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wheeler]

Looks like a Lavey if I had to guess.

Here's a couple pix of a friends Lavey from way back when. The boats name was Boo boo.

 

[Wheeler]

That’s bitchin!! What make?

Lebel with a Harlan Orrin wood deck.

 

[Skyskier]

 

[rivermobster]

View attachment 755380

Hey Denny...

What year did the air chair first hit the water?

 

[Wheeler]

View attachment 755380

Got any stories from back in the early days of ski racing?

 

[Skyskier]

Hey Denny...

What year did the air chair first hit the water?

Murphy was "talking" about this hydrofoil thing back in the '60's / early 70's an about the time I got drafted, 1967 he did have a couple of prototypes made up, some of them were real doozies !!............by the time I got back home, 1969 he hadn't come up with a real workable one an about THAT time he was working the ski show circuit an I was livin in Vegas so we kinda lost contact with one another......I'm thinkin him & Bob had the 1st marketable one like 1970 / 71 /..........

 

[NicPaus]

Murphy was "talking" about this hydrofoil thing back in the '60's / early 70's an about the time I got drafted, 1967 he did have a couple of prototypes made up, some of them were real doozies !!............by the time I got back home, 1969 he hadn't come up with a real workable one an about THAT time he was working the ski show circuit an I was livin in Vegas so we kinda lost contact with one another......I'm thinkin him & Bob had the 1st marketable one like 1970 / 71 /..........

He passed through Echo last year. Old Man Rey has some good stories from back then on the River with Murphy. He stopped by his place and started talking after I asked who he was.

 

[Wheeler]

was

 

[rivermobster]

Murphy was "talking" about this hydrofoil thing back in the '60's / early 70's an about the time I got drafted, 1967 he did have a couple of prototypes made up, some of them were real doozies !!............by the time I got back home, 1969 he hadn't come up with a real workable one an about THAT time he was working the ski show circuit an I was livin in Vegas so we kinda lost contact with one another......I'm thinkin him & Bob had the 1st marketable one like 1970 / 71 /..........

I remember you telling me me some of this story a long time ago up at your place.

I remember a few other details too.

Weren't you one of the first test subjects??

 

[Wheeler]

[QUOTE="rivermobster, post: 3341021,

Weren't you one of the first test subjects??[/QUOTE]

As in the first test tube baby?

 

[Skyskier]

I remember you telling me me some of this story a long time ago up at your place.

I remember a few other details too.

Weren't you one of the first test subjects??

I rode, or TRIED to ride one of his earliest creations, a real "V" ...........eh, hard to explain some of those early ones.....somewhere I have a bunch of photo's I did for him of the REALLY early ones, and I don't know how many patents he holds, I framed several of those, and we just framed up his certificate from Guiness for THIS one, .............I',m gonna have to pass on riding this one,.....I get nose bleeds at high altitudes an I don't like heights !.....http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com...ng-pro-break-record-on-11-ft-air-chair-431719

 

[Skyskier]

I rode, or TRIED to ride one of his earliest creations, a real "V" ...........eh, hard to explain some of those early ones.....somewhere I have a bunch of photo's I did for him of the REALLY early ones, and I don't know how many patents he holds, I framed several of those, and we just framed up his certificate from Guiness for THIS one, .............I',m gonna have to pass on riding this one,.....I get nose bleeds at high altitudes an I don't like heights !.....http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com...ng-pro-break-record-on-11-ft-air-chair-431719 View attachment 756931

 

[Skyskier]

Got any stories from back in the early days of ski racing?

I just posted this up on Kathy Steele's facebook page, her husband Gary recently passed away.........

yo, Kathy,.............I never quite know what to say at times like this, and more often than not I don't say anything, BUT, I just thought you & Scott might like to know,.......it's been 52 years since I last saw you guy's, it was the last race at Parker,in 1967, me & Thomas Siewers , one of Gary's regular skiers ,were tied for high points for the year, maybe not tied but it came down to which ever one of us finished ahead of the other guy was gonna get the high point trophy,........my Dad was pulling somebody in a another class before my race an something on our boat broke, so , for the most part, that was it for our "season", ......and yes, while I COULD have gotten another ride, it just would NOT have been the same, especially for my Dad,...........anyways, somebody must have told Gary about us being on the trailer, when out of nowhere, I mean NOBODY asked for the help, but here came Gary down to our rig, he asked Pop what was it that broke an it turned out Gary had a extra whatever it was , next thing I see is Gary an Pete Peters with my Dad frantically working on our boat, an just about the time the 5 minute gun went off they had it fixed an we went racing !!!.............I NEVER forgot that day nor did my Father,.......to this day, I couldn't even begin to guess how many times the subject of something about being a class act sportsman / competitor has come up an the 1st guy I think about is Gary Steele. .....................I was 19 yrs. old on that day, an here I am today, a 72 yr. old man that has thought back to and used this "life lesson" that I learned from some guy in Phoenix Arizona.

 

[Skyskier]

Got any stories from back in the early days of ski racing?

HEY Wheeler,.........not EXACTLY a ski racing story,........
The Dock Start 101.......how to take off on a single water ski without getting wet.............................................................

So,.....I'm up in Idaho several years ago, went up to see my Mom when she was going downhill with the dementia and alzheimers rather quickly, she has by now moved into an assisted living place pretty much 24 / 7 except for when we take her out on a day pass kinda thing,.... it's EARLY March as I recall, colder than the proverbial "well digger's ass". Pop wanted to take Mom out to the lake house one day, I think he KNEW this was probably gonna be her last trip out. So we get out to the lake house an the 'ol man asks me if I wanna help him get the boat out of the barn an in the water so's he could get it up on the lift an cover it up an wait for summer to FINALLY roll around about mid August, damn the cold, he's ready to go boating.

Well hell, when your Dad ask's if ya wanna give him a hand with ANYTHING boat related, there's only one answer, an that's "yeah man, let's do it ! " ...So we get Mom set up next to the fireplace down on the deck, I get a blazing fire going for her an me & Pop go get the boat outta the barn. Takes us all of about 5 minutes, we got the boat fired up, the 'ol man comes in to the OUTSIDE of the dock instead of pulling into the lift, an NOW, I already KNOW what's coming !..........Pop sez, " let's take Mom out for a short ride " .......( remember what I just said about when your Dad ask's you about ANYTHING "boat related" ? )..........so we now get Mom all bundled up, the boat is idling, I'm waiting to shove them off on what I'm thinking is gonna be their last, sentimental, boat ride together, me ?.......... I'm gonna go back up an wait by the fire ! it is IDAHO COLD !!...........an THEN ?.... the 'ol man hits we with " hey, ya wanna go for a short ski ride ? "........HO LEE CHIT !!..............( remember what I just said about when your Dad ask's you about ANYTHING "boat related" ? ).........

........... SO, I sez "yeah man, let's do it ! "...............Now my 'ol man did NOT get excited about much, but one thing I KNOW that WOULD get him jacked up is when I came to Idaho with the skyski.

well, I drove the Magnum up an there is no room for the skyski , BUT, LUCKILY , Pop sez " we got a couple single skis over in the shed an there's a couple of life jackets an I'm pretty sure there's a wetsuit in there also".........now I'm telling you, this is gawdam Idaho, in March, an 45 degrees in Idaho is like minus 15 degrees in Arizona !!...........there's no getting out of it, I'm gonna have to get wet

....so I go get this wet suit that DID fit me real good,.............when I was like about 12 years old !, ......the "ski" ?....well shit, that thing was also made for about a 14 year old, it's an OLD, LITTLE jobe single ski,........awwwwwww GEEEEEEZ ! ....I';m gonna die !!..............

Now I want you to REALLY look at the setup I have on, that wet suit is sooooooooo tight I can't hardly breathe, same with that stupid life jacket, I mean REALLY look at this !!.......and, as you can see I've got about 20 feet of slack on the dock, just like we did back in the day.............back in the freeekin day when we skied with a old 35 hp evinrude !! ,.... now I have NOT made a dock start in over 50 years, but hey,..how tuff can it be right ? ....I've done literally 100's of em.........so, here I am NOW, all suited up, I have my 80 some yr. old Dad, who's taking his son out for a ski ride, an he's got his bride of almost 60 yrs. at his side who he's taking on what he knows is gonna be their last boat ride together...............there is NO WAY ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH I CAN TELL HIM " uh, I changed my mind, I don't wanna do this .............

so, here we go !....HIT IT POP !!!.................as the boat leaves the dock I look down at ALL THAT SLACK I had an I start thinking, "damn man, I don't remember taking THAT much even with the old 35 HP evinrude !?...........as SOON as the slack ran out, he pulled me OUTTA the ski, I flew about 10 feet out from the dock an into the dark, icy cold Idaho lake water....... I SWEAR I hit my head on a piece of a mini ice berg an did In say IT IS AS COLD AS ICE !!!..........SHE IT !!!.......the 'ol man comes around, an I'm struggling to get the ski back on, by NOW with that tight wet suit, I shit you not, I can't breathe !!........I think MAYBE it'll be better now that I'm soaking wet ?.........NOOOOOO, it was NOT.........I finally have the ski back on, I got the rope,...........an it's "HIT IT POP !!".........

Now I NEVER missed a deep water start in ALL the years we spent ski racing, NEVER, an by GOD I was NOT gonna miss this one even though, about now I'm literally suffocating from the wetsuit an life jacket, an that ski ? I said it was made for a 14 yr. old,......uh-uh..more like a 9 yr old, ..........I mean I REALLY struggled just to get up, REALLY STRUGGLED !!!..........about the time I finally get up outta the water I feel this " POP" an I ain't talking about my Dad !!!.......I have now ham stringed myself !!......an it hurts, I mean it REALLY hurts !! ....worse than ANY injury I EVER got ski racing at 90 + mph !!! ....EVER !!

SO,...........here I am FINALLY up an out of the FREEZING COLD water, I'm on the verge of passing out due to lack of oxygen, I can't breathe !.......I have crippled myself with the ham string injury, about now, I'm FRANTICLY waving at Mom, trying to tell HER to tell POP to go back to the dock,..... Pop ? hell, he don't EVEN bother to look around, he'll know if I let go, BUT, I CAN'T let go cuz NOW not only am I suffocating, and on the verge of Hypothermia, there is NO WAY I'm gonna be able to pull myself into the boat, Pop is like 83 yrs. old, he can't pull me in anymore , an Mom with her dementia, well, the whole time I'm trying to tell her I'm hurt, she THINKS I'm just waving at her !!!........an SHE'S waving BACK, whistleing an giving me the 'ol thumbs up, an she is having a BALL of a time !!....just like the good 'ol day's !....an Pop, he's pulling me with Mom riding shotgun, just like back in the good old day's !..........he never KNEW what a "short ski ride is , he's ready to go till the cows come home"...........an I gonna I'm gonna die before this ski ride is over !!..........

By NOW, Pop has pulled me way the hell past Carlin Bay,... I'm in tears, Mom is having a grand old time, my fingers are contorted around the ski handle,............MAN, ......I wanna go BACK to Arizona !!.........................
We finally made the turn an headed back to the dock, when we DID make it back I had to have Pop drop me as close as he could to the dock, when I was down in the water, I can't let go of the rope, Pop had to literally pry my fingers off of the ski handle an I had to CRAWL to shore ,an then CRAWL up onto the rocky beach an TRY to get outta that gawdam wetsuit !!...........

so, here I am now almost 70 years old, an looking back on this ordeal I NOW realize,.......THAT was THEEE BEST ski ride my 'ol man EVER pulled me on !!..........the best EVER !..........................man, what I wouldn't give to go just one more time !......

 

[BajaMike]

Wow.....14 pages and 686 reply’s. Lots of good pictures.

 

[nrbr]

HEY Wheeler,.........not EXACTLY a ski racing story,........
The Dock Start 101.......how to take off on a single water ski without getting wet.............................................................

So,.....I'm up in Idaho several years ago, went up to see my Mom when she was going downhill with the dementia and alzheimers rather quickly, she has by now moved into an assisted living place pretty much 24 / 7 except for when we take her out on a day pass kinda thing,.... it's EARLY March as I recall, colder than the proverbial "well digger's ass". Pop wanted to take Mom out to the lake house one day, I think he KNEW this was probably gonna be her last trip out. So we get out to the lake house an the 'ol man asks me if I wanna help him get the boat out of the barn an in the water so's he could get it up on the lift an cover it up an wait for summer to FINALLY roll around about mid August, damn the cold, he's ready to go boating.

Well hell, when your Dad ask's if ya wanna give him a hand with ANYTHING boat related, there's only one answer, an that's "yeah man, let's do it ! " ...So we get Mom set up next to the fireplace down on the deck, I get a blazing fire going for her an me & Pop go get the boat outta the barn. Takes us all of about 5 minutes, we got the boat fired up, the 'ol man comes in to the OUTSIDE of the dock instead of pulling into the lift, an NOW, I already KNOW what's coming !..........Pop sez, " let's take Mom out for a short ride " .......( remember what I just said about when your Dad ask's you about ANYTHING "boat related" ? )..........so we now get Mom all bundled up, the boat is idling, I'm waiting to shove them off on what I'm thinking is gonna be their last, sentimental, boat ride together, me ?.......... I'm gonna go back up an wait by the fire ! it is IDAHO COLD !!...........an THEN ?.... the 'ol man hits we with " hey, ya wanna go for a short ski ride ? "........HO LEE CHIT !!..............( remember what I just said about when your Dad ask's you about ANYTHING "boat related" ? ).........

........... SO, I sez "yeah man, let's do it ! "...............Now my 'ol man did NOT get excited about much, but one thing I KNOW that WOULD get him jacked up is when I came to Idaho with the skyski.

well, I drove the Magnum up an there is no room for the skyski , BUT, LUCKILY , Pop sez " we got a couple single skis over in the shed an there's a couple of life jackets an I'm pretty sure there's a wetsuit in there also".........now I'm telling you, this is gawdam Idaho, in March, an 45 degrees in Idaho is like minus 15 degrees in Arizona !!...........there's no getting out of it, I'm gonna have to get wet

....so I go get this wet suit that DID fit me real good,.............when I was like about 12 years old !, ......the "ski" ?....well shit, that thing was also made for about a 14 year old, it's an OLD, LITTLE jobe single ski,........awwwwwww GEEEEEEZ ! ....I';m gonna die !!..............

Now I want you to REALLY look at the setup I have on, that wet suit is sooooooooo tight I can't hardly breathe, same with that stupid life jacket, I mean REALLY look at this !!.......and, as you can see I've got about 20 feet of slack on the dock, just like we did back in the day.............back in the freeekin day when we skied with a old 35 hp evinrude !! ,.... now I have NOT made a dock start in over 50 years, but hey,..how tuff can it be right ? ....I've done literally 100's of em.........so, here I am NOW, all suited up, I have my 80 some yr. old Dad, who's taking his son out for a ski ride, an he's got his bride of almost 60 yrs. at his side who he's taking on what he knows is gonna be their last boat ride together...............there is NO WAY ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH I CAN TELL HIM " uh, I changed my mind, I don't wanna do this .............

so, here we go !....HIT IT POP !!!.................as the boat leaves the dock I look down at ALL THAT SLACK I had an I start thinking, "damn man, I don't remember taking THAT much even with the old 35 HP evinrude !?...........as SOON as the slack ran out, he pulled me OUTTA the ski, I flew about 10 feet out from the dock an into the dark, icy cold Idaho lake water....... I SWEAR I hit my head on a piece of a mini ice berg an did In say IT IS AS COLD AS ICE !!!..........SHE IT !!!.......the 'ol man comes around, an I'm struggling to get the ski back on, by NOW with that tight wet suit, I shit you not, I can't breathe !!........I think MAYBE it'll be better now that I'm soaking wet ?.........NOOOOOO, it was NOT.........I finally have the ski back on, I got the rope,...........an it's "HIT IT POP !!".........

Now I NEVER missed a deep water start in ALL the years we spent ski racing, NEVER, an by GOD I was NOT gonna miss this one even though, about now I'm literally suffocating from the wetsuit an life jacket, an that ski ? I said it was made for a 14 yr. old,......uh-uh..more like a 9 yr old, ..........I mean I REALLY struggled just to get up, REALLY STRUGGLED !!!..........about the time I finally get up outta the water I feel this " POP" an I ain't talking about my Dad !!!.......I have now ham stringed myself !!......an it hurts, I mean it REALLY hurts !! ....worse than ANY injury I EVER got ski racing at 90 + mph !!! ....EVER !!

SO,...........here I am FINALLY up an out of the FREEZING COLD water, I'm on the verge of passing out due to lack of oxygen, I can't breathe !.......I have crippled myself with the ham string injury, about now, I'm FRANTICLY waving at Mom, trying to tell HER to tell POP to go back to the dock,..... Pop ? hell, he don't EVEN bother to look around, he'll know if I let go, BUT, I CAN'T let go cuz NOW not only am I suffocating, and on the verge of Hypothermia, there is NO WAY I'm gonna be able to pull myself into the boat, Pop is like 83 yrs. old, he can't pull me in anymore , an Mom with her dementia, well, the whole time I'm trying to tell her I'm hurt, she THINKS I'm just waving at her !!!........an SHE'S waving BACK, whistleing an giving me the 'ol thumbs up, an she is having a BALL of a time !!....just like the good 'ol day's !....an Pop, he's pulling me with Mom riding shotgun, just like back in the good old day's !..........he never KNEW what a "short ski ride is , he's ready to go till the cows come home"...........an I gonna I'm gonna die before this ski ride is over !!..........

By NOW, Pop has pulled me way the hell past Carlin Bay,... I'm in tears, Mom is having a grand old time, my fingers are contorted around the ski handle,............MAN, ......I wanna go BACK to Arizona !!.........................
We finally made the turn an headed back to the dock, when we DID make it back I had to have Pop drop me as close as he could to the dock, when I was down in the water, I can't let go of the rope, Pop had to literally pry my fingers off of the ski handle an I had to CRAWL to shore ,an then CRAWL up onto the rocky beach an TRY to get outta that gawdam wetsuit !!...........

so, here I am now almost 70 years old, an looking back on this ordeal I NOW realize,.......THAT was THEEE BEST ski ride my 'ol man EVER pulled me on !!..........the best EVER !..........................man, what I wouldn't give to go just one more time !......

That was the best story I've heard in a really long time!!

 

[coolchange]

Cool story, thanks for taking the time.

 

[rivermobster]

I just posted this up on Kathy Steele's facebook page, her husband Gary recently passed away.........

yo, Kathy,.............I never quite know what to say at times like this, and more often than not I don't say anything, BUT, I just thought you & Scott might like to know,.......it's been 52 years since I last saw you guy's, it was the last race at Parker,in 1967, me & Thomas Siewers , one of Gary's regular skiers ,were tied for high points for the year, maybe not tied but it came down to which ever one of us finished ahead of the other guy was gonna get the high point trophy,........my Dad was pulling somebody in a another class before my race an something on our boat broke, so , for the most part, that was it for our "season", ......and yes, while I COULD have gotten another ride, it just would NOT have been the same, especially for my Dad,...........anyways, somebody must have told Gary about us being on the trailer, when out of nowhere, I mean NOBODY asked for the help, but here came Gary down to our rig, he asked Pop what was it that broke an it turned out Gary had a extra whatever it was , next thing I see is Gary an Pete Peters with my Dad frantically working on our boat, an just about the time the 5 minute gun went off they had it fixed an we went racing !!!.............I NEVER forgot that day nor did my Father,.......to this day, I couldn't even begin to guess how many times the subject of something about being a class act sportsman / competitor has come up an the 1st guy I think about is Gary Steele. .....................I was 19 yrs. old on that day, an here I am today, a 72 yr. old man that has thought back to and used this "life lesson" that I learned from some guy in Phoenix Arizona.

That's awesome.

 

[rivermobster]

HEY Wheeler,.........not EXACTLY a ski racing story,........
The Dock Start 101.......how to take off on a single water ski without getting wet.............................................................

So,.....I'm up in Idaho several years ago, went up to see my Mom when she was going downhill with the dementia and alzheimers rather quickly, she has by now moved into an assisted living place pretty much 24 / 7 except for when we take her out on a day pass kinda thing,.... it's EARLY March as I recall, colder than the proverbial "well digger's ass". Pop wanted to take Mom out to the lake house one day, I think he KNEW this was probably gonna be her last trip out. So we get out to the lake house an the 'ol man asks me if I wanna help him get the boat out of the barn an in the water so's he could get it up on the lift an cover it up an wait for summer to FINALLY roll around about mid August, damn the cold, he's ready to go boating.

Well hell, when your Dad ask's if ya wanna give him a hand with ANYTHING boat related, there's only one answer, an that's "yeah man, let's do it ! " ...So we get Mom set up next to the fireplace down on the deck, I get a blazing fire going for her an me & Pop go get the boat outta the barn. Takes us all of about 5 minutes, we got the boat fired up, the 'ol man comes in to the OUTSIDE of the dock instead of pulling into the lift, an NOW, I already KNOW what's coming !..........Pop sez, " let's take Mom out for a short ride " .......( remember what I just said about when your Dad ask's you about ANYTHING "boat related" ? )..........so we now get Mom all bundled up, the boat is idling, I'm waiting to shove them off on what I'm thinking is gonna be their last, sentimental, boat ride together, me ?.......... I'm gonna go back up an wait by the fire ! it is IDAHO COLD !!...........an THEN ?.... the 'ol man hits we with " hey, ya wanna go for a short ski ride ? "........HO LEE CHIT !!..............( remember what I just said about when your Dad ask's you about ANYTHING "boat related" ? ).........

........... SO, I sez "yeah man, let's do it ! "...............Now my 'ol man did NOT get excited about much, but one thing I KNOW that WOULD get him jacked up is when I came to Idaho with the skyski.

well, I drove the Magnum up an there is no room for the skyski , BUT, LUCKILY , Pop sez " we got a couple single skis over in the shed an there's a couple of life jackets an I'm pretty sure there's a wetsuit in there also".........now I'm telling you, this is gawdam Idaho, in March, an 45 degrees in Idaho is like minus 15 degrees in Arizona !!...........there's no getting out of it, I'm gonna have to get wet

....so I go get this wet suit that DID fit me real good,.............when I was like about 12 years old !, ......the "ski" ?....well shit, that thing was also made for about a 14 year old, it's an OLD, LITTLE jobe single ski,........awwwwwww GEEEEEEZ ! ....I';m gonna die !!..............

Now I want you to REALLY look at the setup I have on, that wet suit is sooooooooo tight I can't hardly breathe, same with that stupid life jacket, I mean REALLY look at this !!.......and, as you can see I've got about 20 feet of slack on the dock, just like we did back in the day.............back in the freeekin day when we skied with a old 35 hp evinrude !! ,.... now I have NOT made a dock start in over 50 years, but hey,..how tuff can it be right ? ....I've done literally 100's of em.........so, here I am NOW, all suited up, I have my 80 some yr. old Dad, who's taking his son out for a ski ride, an he's got his bride of almost 60 yrs. at his side who he's taking on what he knows is gonna be their last boat ride together...............there is NO WAY ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH I CAN TELL HIM " uh, I changed my mind, I don't wanna do this .............

so, here we go !....HIT IT POP !!!.................as the boat leaves the dock I look down at ALL THAT SLACK I had an I start thinking, "damn man, I don't remember taking THAT much even with the old 35 HP evinrude !?...........as SOON as the slack ran out, he pulled me OUTTA the ski, I flew about 10 feet out from the dock an into the dark, icy cold Idaho lake water....... I SWEAR I hit my head on a piece of a mini ice berg an did In say IT IS AS COLD AS ICE !!!..........SHE IT !!!.......the 'ol man comes around, an I'm struggling to get the ski back on, by NOW with that tight wet suit, I shit you not, I can't breathe !!........I think MAYBE it'll be better now that I'm soaking wet ?.........NOOOOOO, it was NOT.........I finally have the ski back on, I got the rope,...........an it's "HIT IT POP !!".........

Now I NEVER missed a deep water start in ALL the years we spent ski racing, NEVER, an by GOD I was NOT gonna miss this one even though, about now I'm literally suffocating from the wetsuit an life jacket, an that ski ? I said it was made for a 14 yr. old,......uh-uh..more like a 9 yr old, ..........I mean I REALLY struggled just to get up, REALLY STRUGGLED !!!..........about the time I finally get up outta the water I feel this " POP" an I ain't talking about my Dad !!!.......I have now ham stringed myself !!......an it hurts, I mean it REALLY hurts !! ....worse than ANY injury I EVER got ski racing at 90 + mph !!! ....EVER !!

SO,...........here I am FINALLY up an out of the FREEZING COLD water, I'm on the verge of passing out due to lack of oxygen, I can't breathe !.......I have crippled myself with the ham string injury, about now, I'm FRANTICLY waving at Mom, trying to tell HER to tell POP to go back to the dock,..... Pop ? hell, he don't EVEN bother to look around, he'll know if I let go, BUT, I CAN'T let go cuz NOW not only am I suffocating, and on the verge of Hypothermia, there is NO WAY I'm gonna be able to pull myself into the boat, Pop is like 83 yrs. old, he can't pull me in anymore , an Mom with her dementia, well, the whole time I'm trying to tell her I'm hurt, she THINKS I'm just waving at her !!!........an SHE'S waving BACK, whistleing an giving me the 'ol thumbs up, an she is having a BALL of a time !!....just like the good 'ol day's !....an Pop, he's pulling me with Mom riding shotgun, just like back in the good old day's !..........he never KNEW what a "short ski ride is , he's ready to go till the cows come home"...........an I gonna I'm gonna die before this ski ride is over !!..........

By NOW, Pop has pulled me way the hell past Carlin Bay,... I'm in tears, Mom is having a grand old time, my fingers are contorted around the ski handle,............MAN, ......I wanna go BACK to Arizona !!.........................
We finally made the turn an headed back to the dock, when we DID make it back I had to have Pop drop me as close as he could to the dock, when I was down in the water, I can't let go of the rope, Pop had to literally pry my fingers off of the ski handle an I had to CRAWL to shore ,an then CRAWL up onto the rocky beach an TRY to get outta that gawdam wetsuit !!...........

so, here I am now almost 70 years old, an looking back on this ordeal I NOW realize,.......THAT was THEEE BEST ski ride my 'ol man EVER pulled me on !!..........the best EVER !..........................man, what I wouldn't give to go just one more time !......

That's gotta be the best story ever told on this board...

Thank you Denny. You are bad azz!!!

LoL!!!

 

[dryhoze1]

Skyskier,

Love it !!
Thanks for sharing.
That’s the read I enjoy with the first cup of coffee

 

[Wheeler]

That's two new stories that I've heard in the last couple days! Tell us some more, Grandpa!

HEY Wheeler,.........not EXACTLY a ski racing story,........
The Dock Start 101.......how to take off on a single water ski without getting wet.............................................................

......

 

[Wheeler]

 

[Wheeler]

That's gotta be the best story ever told on this board...

Thank you Denny. You are bad azz!!!

LoL!!!

Next time you see him have him tell you about sawing the shester attorneys desk in half, while it was still in his office!

 

[Wheeler]

Wow.....14 pages and 686 reply’s. Lots of good pictures.

All this and lake dave still hates little boats.

 

[rivermobster]

Next time you see him have him tell you about sawing the shester attorneys desk in half, while it was still in his office!

That one I've heard already...



Where the fuck is Barry anyway?? No water ski thread can be complete without him...

@obnoxious001

 

[Wheeler]

Chandler hates Baker Boats.

Where the fuck is Barry anyway?? No water ski thread can be complete without him...

@obnoxious001

 

[Skyskier]

That's two new stories that I've heard in the last couple days! Tell us some more, Grandpa!

you need to come up to Beanpot Hill some night when we're sitting around the campfire, I dunno WHAT it is about a campfire but it really get's ME into "story mode"

 

[Skyskier]

That one I've heard already...

.............shit Joe, yer starting to sound like my grandkids now ! .............have I told you that before ?........


Where the fuck is Barry anyway?? No water ski thread can be complete without him...

@obnoxious001

 

[Rattle Can Lou]

Great story...that brings back lots of memories for a water ski racing family..