Did You Ever Ski - Snow Or Water?

Discussion in 'Other Reminiscences' started by Faye Fox, Aug 30, 2021.

  1. Faye Fox

    Faye Fox Veteran Member
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    I have downhill skied at several resorts
    I was able to do low jumps and run slalom courses
    I never tried a snowboard
    I also cross-country skied when I lived in the mountains
    I also did a lot of snowshoeing

    I have water skied both with two skis and one ski, but I was never an accomplished slalom water skier. My proudest moment was being able to pop up on 2 skis and ski behind a 15 HP rubber raft. I won $50 (my share of $100) on a bet for that stunt. My secret was to just stand up precisely as Joanie, the raft driver, hit full throttle. No way a boat of that low power is going to pop anyone up.

    It all started when a friend had the idea we could do this. After a bit of practice, I was able to do it. Later that day when we were sitting around eating potato salad, drinking beer, and grilling burgers in the campground, some of her husbands' friends showed up. Her husband after a few beers, over the line, got to boasting about his lake-worthy vessel, a super amazing fishing boat but also a ski boat. It was more than just a mere inflatable raft. Well, a lot of bantering pursued and finally, one guy pulls out a $20, and then four others follow and the bet was placed. Her husband was known for drinking a bit much and then making foolish bets. The guys were totally PO'ed when I stood up as Joanie hit the throttle and away we went. We were marked as hustlers after that.
     
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    Last edited: Aug 30, 2021
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  2. Mary Robi

    Mary Robi Veteran Member
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    I've done both several times. It's hard to say which one I was worse at.......
     
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  3. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    I did some waterskiing when I was in high school, but nothing fancy, and we didn't have any hills large enough to bother learning to ski in the snow.
     
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  4. Bruce Andrew

    Bruce Andrew Very Well-Known Member
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    I did some waterskiing in the '80s, and X-country late '90s-2000s.

    One cold January morning (probably single digits) I was at a local park skiing; there was no one else around. I was probably 2 miles from the nearest house.

    There was a ton of X-country trails there and I was zipping around them, and crashed a couple of times. The snow was deep so no big deal, right? Then I got to thinking: What if I broke my leg? No cell phone. I was back in the woods probably 3/4 of a mile. Another human may or may not be there that day. Even if there was, what was I going to do, shout all day long (or until I froze to death) in the hopes someone was around and would hear me?

    So I never did that again.

    Here is where I was, the Harriet Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area. This is just a stock photo taken from the park, looking north over Honeoye Lake:


    Harriet Hollister.jpg
     
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  5. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I've done both, and am not good at either.

    I had never been able to get up on water skis, until I did a Club Med vacation. I decided to give it a shot (I was around 40 at the time) and they got me up on skis the first time. Really, really good instructors. I've not been on skis since.
     
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  6. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    @Bruce Andrew

    Opposite conditions: we had a 54 year old woman jogging with a group several days ago, only a few miles from our house. Separated from her friends somehow, it is thought she became disoriented, and numerous search people including a helicopter found her dead, only a few miles from occupied homes.

    The temperature was 113 degrees.

    Frank
     
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  7. Al Amoling

    Al Amoling Veteran Member
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    I took a ski train out of Boston on several occasions but I couldn't even successfully make it down the bunny slope.
    I tried water skiing once but the boat didn't have enough power to get me up on the skis.
     
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  8. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    I've done both.
    Actually, I used a Jet Ski once. The kind a person starts out on their knees and gradually stands up on. The front (steering) comes down almost flat and, as a person takes off and gradually stands up, the front comes up.

    I also used regular water skis a few times. I learned how to keep both ski tips straight up and as close together as possible and let the boat pull me up, out of the water. l used my knees as "shock absorbers, leaned back, relax and let the boat pull me. Then, I learned how to use either ski to go over the wake and ski outside the boat wake. Never/ever tried using one ski and never/ever went on a ski jump.

    In snow skiing, an old, old girlfriend of mine took me to Wrightwood in the San Bernardino Mountains, off of I-15. I amazed her, and myself, that I had absolutely no problem putting on the ski boots and latching into each ski, as well as getting into the chair and sitting down. Didn't go very far in the chair. Only to the Beginners area, but it was a nice, but short ride. Now, this was my first time snow skiing. Someone showed me how to, I guess, "shovel" snow, but doing that didn't seem much fun and really didn't get me anywhere. So, I straightened out both skis, and..........away I went! It was the Beginners Slope, so I didn't go that fast, but fast enough. And, then, I learned how to turn the skis sideways to stop. I did it all, and not to badly for a beginner! Anyway, the one, and only, time I snow skied.
     
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  9. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    Me too! Hubby is great on waater skis and ok on what little snow sking he has done. Not me! but then his family all skied when younger.Not me I just swam in our lake .I liked to go under water ,anchor myself by sticking my fingers in the mud and watch the fish bounce off my nose and stare at me.lo saw a few moccasins and snapping turtles. We had a 10 acre lake 45 feet deep in the middle.Lots of snakes in north Georgia and we grew up with them mama is only one who ever got bit.She almost lost her leg.
    I wish we had skied but not power boat.
     
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  10. Ed Wilson

    Ed Wilson Veteran Member
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    I only tried to cross country ski and badly. Once I had one ski go in one direction and the other in a different direction, and since the ski poles have straps and I could not release, I fell with one hand still propped up in the air and almost ripped my arm off.
     
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  11. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    :eek: glad it wasn't seasioius or permanent.I just went straight up into the air showing my grandkids how its done.Busted my butt really good. Most fun the grands had the whole trip:)
     
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  12. Lon Tanner

    Lon Tanner Supreme Member
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    I water ski very well but have never snow skied.
     
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  13. James Hintze

    James Hintze Very Well-Known Member
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    Back in the 60s, when I studied in Austria, I had to ski since it was almost required. When I bought the skis, I was asked to reach as high as I could. That was how long the skis were. I never got complete control of those.
    30 years later, wife insisted that we try again. The skis we rented were less than 6 ft. After one afternoon of instruction, I was doing blue runs without any problem. We skied regularly for the next 20 years. At age 70, at the end of the season, wife again (likely wisely) declared that our ski time was over. When watching the contests in Japan recently, I almost shed tears.
    Favorite place? Utah!
     
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  14. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    @James Hintze

    Alta, Utah! Learned to ski there.

    Frank
     
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  15. Faye Fox

    Faye Fox Veteran Member
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    The way they measured back in the day was to have you hold up one arm and reach to the sky and then the tip of the ski should hit your wrist. That was a great way for a skilled skier to measure for jumping and racing skis, but to learn it was a disaster. There was little turning and mostly snow plowing. In the late 60s it was changing to shorter skis and I bought a pair of 190 USA Graves because they were tough and the ski patrol was using them. They were heavy but really helped developed leg strength so I could pick both skis up keeping them parallel and do a 180 before landing. I was able to run the mogels with this new skill and slalom by just shifting weight. No way on those old 220s could I do anything but ski straight down beginner's slopes and snowplow. Any turns were by stopping and using poles while trying to get those long things brought around. I did enjoy low jumps using them.

    Before I quit in my early 40s, I was using lightweight K 2 180s. I sure liked the new custom-fit molded boots.
     
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