Tag: Water Skiing

New Blog Listed on the Right

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I’ve added a new entry to the blog roll. Mr. Rykert living somewhere in corn country (sounds like Iowa if you ask me) chronicles his life on the water as do I. While he recently pulled out his two jumps, it appears that I was still skiing. Give the man props though, he has two jumps. I have access to the team’s jump which gets yanked in mid-September. Granted my back hasn’t agreed with me using the jump very much, but he has two jumps to remove, which is two more than me. Both appear to be better than our team’s jump. And it looks like he has a consistently calm (and apparently clean) body of water to ski on… something that to me is only a pipe dream. Never going to happen in Madison. If I want really calm water, I’m skiing in a swamp. Or in November on Thanksgiving.

On an slightly related note… the great solar bee experiment in Monona Bay has ended. They didn’t appear to be doing anything and, according to my sources, won’t be coming back. This means less obstacles to avoid while skiing in the (near) swamp land. Look at some of my other posts from the summer, and you’ll see the weeds.

On a related note to the my last comment… the fact that the bay is nearly swamp land is both good and bad. Bad because it is nasty to ski in. Completely and totally disgusting. If you ever see it, you will understand… instantly. Ever want to pretend to be the swamp thing, just do a deep in the wrong spot and you’ll have your opportunity to “dress up.” Good because since the water is so disgustingly nasty, no one else goes in there and the narrow path that is typically open in the summer is nearly always glass calm. As you can see, this is a dilemma that I go through while arguing for cleaner water. Yes, it would be best to have water that I don’t need to pretend is clean and hope doesn’t cause me to get sick or infected from something, but I also want it calm water. I’m torn. My health or calm water? Tough choice.

I do wonder why my legs itch all day at work after taking a morning set in there? Things to make you go “hmmmm…”

Now it is time to go enjoy the Stella induced sleep…

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45 Degrees and Sunny

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Sound like a forecast for April or October? Yes, but it was also the weather we had today here in Madison, Wisconsin. Not ideal for deer hunting as the meat may spoil, but it worked for what I wanted to do today. It did reach mid-fifties, but 45 is the temperature that matters. You see, I took the boat out to the lake today. Hit the water about 10 am. The weather… blue skies, no wind, and 45 degrees. Can’t ask for a better day at the end of November. I meant to take advantage of it.

The water was still a balmy 41 degrees. I actually expected it to be colder. Put my dry suit on and eased my way into the water. Rope came tight and away we went. Took a pretty good run. Starting at Olin Park and made it along the south shore and then curved up towards the “rock pile” stopping well before it since the buoys had been pulled. Limited myself to one run though. We had turkey dinner scheduled for noon. It would have been nice to go latter in the day, but after eating a Thanksgiving dinner, I was 99% certain I wouldn’t be up for doing much of anything for the rest of the day… other than watch football.

Here’s some pictures from the morning’s adventures…

Ok, the water is cold… we can go any time now…
Really slow deep water start… the driver was a little soft on the throttle.

Look at the glass calm water

Time to stand up

It had been more than a month since I had last footed. Looks like I still know how.

Even did a little one foot

You can come pick me up any time now. The water isn’t getting any warmer.

The Madison Sky Line… I love this city!

Afterwards, dressed nice and warm for the car ride home. With my nephews Ben & Nate.

On a side note… as I was leaving the lake I get a text message from Dale… Cancel turkey dinner and bring the boat… glass calm water. I replied I had just finished a set and was off to dinner.
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More Mad-City Videos

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I’ve posted a couple new Mad-City Ski Team videos on Google Video…

Yes, you’ve seen this before, but this is an updated version that I put together
using multiple camera angles. (Link to old version for your comparison.)
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2006 NCWSA National Results

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Congrats to our local UW-Madison Water Ski Team who took 8th at 2006 NCWSA Nationals this past weekend. Pretty good considering they don’t have a jump or a slalom course for the majority of their practices, and are even willing to keep skiing when I’m willing to admit it is time to get off the lake when severe weather rolls in.

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The Water is Now 45.9 Degrees

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Yes, that is correct. We had some snow fall this past week and that probably helped cool of the lake. That, and the cold nights we’ve had where it has been down into the 30s overnight.

Last night 7, Sandy and I were out celebrating Badger Football & Hockey victories and knowing that the weather today was suppose to get up to about 60 and be sunny, we decided to go skiing.

7, Sandy and Myself

Today, I finished up changing the oil in my boat and gassed it up on the way to the lake. At 1pm it was sunny and pretty nice. But at 330 when we hit the water, the sky had clouded up and it was probably a little cooler (low 50s?).

Yes, that says 45.9 degrees…

Me, wanting to be a tough guy and get one last run in before putting on a dry suit, left my dry suit at home, planning on just toughing it out with a thermal shirt and shorty wetsuit. 7 and Sandy were better prepared.

7 suited up first and took a slalom run. Didn’t complain about the water, but kept his run pretty brief. Could be because he hadn’t skied a lot lately, maybe still recovering from 16 hours of drinking the day before or maybe just didn’t like the cold water.

7 on the Water

I suited up next and jumped right it. Ice. Yes, that is what the water felt like. Grabbed the handle, rope came tight, and off we went. Got up, and besides my face (which was freezing in the wind chill) it really wasn’t too bad. Took 3 good runs along the south and west shorelines. Managed some one foots. Sandy took the corner in the runs really tight. First time through it on the inside corner, I held my spot. Second time, I was on the outside and that was easy. Third time, I held for a while, but could feel it getting a little soft and decided to let the whip carry me across the bubbles. Now I had 20 feet off the rope, the distance I was at was pretty much the worst distance to be as there is quite the rooster tail at this distance behind my boat at barefooting speeds. So, having decided to ride the whip, I closed my eyes and released my cut and away I went. Actually, came through pretty good, probably one of my smoother wake crossings, but in retrospect, closing my eyes as I rode the whip through the bubbles was probably not the brightest thing to do.

Why’s there a giant ball of spray following the boat?
That is just Wedge doing a really bad one foot!
I can’t feel my face

The good thing about your feet going numb…
You can’t feel where the water is breaking on your foot during a one foot.

Just before I close my eyes and ride the whip

Sandy took to the water next. Having been living in Florida for the last 3 years and only getting water time in the heart of summer, she suited up in a dry suit and jumped in and took a good slalom run as well.

Proof that Sandy skied in Madison in front of the State Capital

She’s done!

Everyone had a good time and Sandy & 7 were content to have that be their final time out on the water. I, on the other, still want more!

I will admit to the fact that is officially dry suit weather now.

You can download full quality versions of these pictures and more in my web album.

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Wisconsin Weather Redux

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So last Monday, we have severe t-storms move through and highs in the 80s. Tuesday & Wednesday were decent too.

Sunday, high about 75, sunny and very nice.

Today, high in the 40s, rain in the morning, crazy windy, and snow. Yes, that’s right, snow. 9 days after a high of 85. There wasn’t any accumulation, but there was snow falling out of the sky.

Next skiing session will probably need a dry suit now. We’ll see.

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Footstock Highlight Video on Waterski Online

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Waterski Magazine Online put together a short video showing the world what Footstock is. Click on the link and then look for the footstock video.

Libby, you make a brief apperance at the 2:05 mark and Dewey, you got quite a bit of air time starting about 2:25.

Looking for results? The official results can be found here.

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Wisconsin Weather

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So with forecast calling for highs in the mid-80 in October, I planned to hit the water with T-Bell & John today. Watching the weather throughout today, I could see some pretty big storms moving north of Portage and South of Janesville, both about 30 or so minutes away in their respective directions.

As 5pm rolls around, the weather is still warm, somewhat clear, and basically good skiing conditions. Get to the lake at 515 and am getting the boat ready and feel that it is a little cooler already. Get out on the water and know for sure it has cooled off.

We get a quick set in as the weather slowly grows darker to the east, but looks somewhat west. I hop in to take my last run and do a quick run one way and see some lightning way off to the east. Figure I might as well take one last run back to the bridge and we head off to the west, turn towards the north, where it is now darker, and finally turn back to the east towards the bridge (we took the long way to the bridge) and now I’m see lots of lighting, notice the trees are now indicating a strong wind out of the north when it was out of the south minutes before. I let go as we get to the bridge, they come back, quickly, and pick me up. I hop in and we high tail it out of there.

We get out to the main lake and it is getting quickly worse. We make a beeline for the dock and get the boat out without incident.

We did notice the UW Ski Team was still skiing as we headed to the landing… we decided to be nice and hooked up their truck and trailer and helped them get their boat out when they finally came to the landing. BTW, the UW team qualified for Nationals… Congrats!!!

Sorry, no pics from tonight… little too gloomy. Still had good skiing though!

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