Water Ski Around the Boat

This is a trick that many specators enjoy seeing during ski shows. Teams today send not only one, but multiple skiers around the boat at one time and sometimes coming in from opposite directions. This post helps Correct Craft Fan members understand what needs to take place between the skier and boat driver in completing this trick! This is how we complete the trick with a 1983 Ski Nautique. Included are some items that we use to get the job done!

We have a "C" hook that has been attached to the center pylon. We use the "C" hook for added height and for quick hot pick ups for other acts during a ski show. We found out that the knot in the ski rope needs to be as tight as possible when doing this trick. It is possible for the rope to come off the "C" hook. We also added a "steering tractor knob" to the steering wheel to help with the tight turns. Also needed is a 60 foot ski rope with a good wide handle for pulling. Last it is a good idea to have a helmet, wetsuit and a good flat ski for the skier. We use a bright orange wooden jump ski.

Picture of the "C" Hook


Picture of the Steering Tractor Knob



Picture #1 shows a hop dock to start the trick. The boat pulls out a constant speed and at the point of about three feet of rope left the boat does a gradual pull out. When I see the ski hit the water, I give a little more throttle and progress to 25 mph to find a spot on the lake to do the trick. We do the hop dock to help keep the skiers gloves and handle as dry as possible for a tight baseball grip.



Photo #2
I wait for my skier to cross over the left wake and use that as a signal that the skier is ready. I then take notice of any boat traffic or fishing boats that are anchored within the area of performing the trick. If it is not a clear area we try to find another spot and continue at 25 mph speed. Safety is the name of the game! If the area is clear I increase my speed to 33 and nod my head up and down to signal the skier to start a hard cut away from the boat. At this point I also increase the speed to 36 mph and begin a quick turn to the right.



Photo #3
The turn to the right helps wip the skier away from the boat. The skier at this point must have a very tight rope and needs to continue to cut hard to the left. The skier needs to keep his body low with the ski on edge and remembering to keep his arms in towrds the body.



Photo #4

This is where the steering knob is most needed. At this point I now need to pull the throttle to neutral and turn hard to the left as the skier is circling in front of me now! The skiers rope begins to clear over the windshield frame. To keep the rope tight, the skier needs to continue to pull away from the boat and keep the hands in tight to the body. The driver must remember to duck his head towards the windshield as low as possible while the rope goes across the windshield frame. Before doing this trick I slide my drivers roto cast seat as far forward as I can with enough room to turn the steering wheel. The roto cast seat is a must so that the driver does not slip out of the seat. The old bench style drivers seat would be a problem!   



Photo#5

The trick is now almost completed! The skier continues to edge while keeping a tight rope. The driver now begins to increase throttle speed and make a slow progressive turn to the right. If the trick was done correctly the skier never gets water above the knees. The water should be somewhere between the ankle and the knee! Sometimes the skier can help by pulling in on the rope and standing up. The only thing left for the skier to do is ride out the wakes from the tow boat. That is what we do and have been told to throw this trick starting from the left side and not the right because of the clockwise rotation of the prop. The most completed ski around the boats that we ever did was twelve in a row! The water conditions have a huge impact on the success of doing that many in a row. The driver is myself and the skier is my son (skierox) also a member here at CCF. I hope that you enjoy my post!

I love the oven-mitt interior of that era of SN. They need to bring that back, big time. It's outstanding. Also, how about that speedo de-clogger? Never even heard of that!

M3Fan, the speedo de-cloggers were sold for a few years as advertised in the water ski magazines in the mid to late 1980s! The cost was around $85.00 per unit. We got a better deal because of it being used for shows! During the ski show it was vital to have correct speed for all the different acts! It works as a small air compressor that shoots air through the tubes to blow off any object that has clogged the path to the speedo such as weeds. Sometimes you would have to press the de-clogger many times to clear the path. It seemed to work best while turming the boat. You would not believe how many acts cannot be performed if the speed is even off by 1/2 mph. This was really true for the swivel and trick skiers! This was all that was available at the time and was well worth the money! Today with all the increased technology this really isn't a necessity with the development of the gps systems. For the airguide speedo's this was great! The airguide provides instant readings without averaging. The boat will be at Green Lake this year for our first visit as CCF fans!   

Very cool tull. First time I've seen that.

john

Here is another example of Ski Around The Boat provided by Water Ski Magazine using a mid 90's Ski Nautique.

Wow great stuff guys. I love this site more and more everyday!!!

I really appreciate the comments! I hope to meet many of you in person at the reunion this summer in Green Lake, Wisconsin!

what our driver does for the ATB is he has a bundle of washers at the middle of the c hook that are taped to the hook so the rope doesnt slip up over the hook.

Sweet. Its awsome you still use the oldie for ski shows. I bet people love the boat. We kneeboard around the boat on our public lake. Its possible to do an almost true 360 instead of 180 with the boat on a kneeboard. People freak out when we do that haha.

Pauly-Banana wrote: I have never seen that before. Having a pyramid go around the boat that smoothly must be really tricky to complete. What point value did the judges decide on and who was the team that completes this cool trick! Thanks for adding to the post!

the team is called Spray Masters, we are out of Davisburg, MI. I cant remember off the top of my head what the point value was but i believe it was second highest at D2 nationals that year

Always wanted to try that!! Awesome!!

This is my son a few years back. Not a CC but perhaps this year. Need to modify the tiller arm on the SN to turn like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Wf4VakVGGE


FrankT

Awesome thread. If I was a casual boater and saw the weekend warrior skier go ATB I would crap my board shorts.

Sometimes if you have a capable driver/rider/skier, you can do this act without the C hook or without an extended pylon. My buddies and I used to go around his 95 sport with nothing out of the ordinary. Get practiced up on it and wow people on your lake!

Thanks for re-posting!

http://www.lakeelmosports.com/home.php?cat=52

We cracked just about every weld on our Moomba's pylon bracket and replaced it with a stainless steel one. We also broke the knob off our MasterCraft pylon. Love the ATB!