I still have a saucer my dad made almost 50yrs ago. I should bring it out and try it out?
Printable View
I still have a saucer my dad made almost 50yrs ago. I should bring it out and try it out?
I remember skiing on an old Shark. Not a bad ski for its day.
I'd like to add that we had a homemade carpeted surfboard attached to a rope with a handle to stand up on then roar around on which was a ton of fun but by todays standards Totally unsafe.
Anyone remeber these skiis: http://www.mahaskis.com/history.html
My dad had a Maharaja. Can't remember what happened to it though. It was a beauty!
They were always beautiful skis. I would love to get one for display at the cabin, even though I have never skied on one.
This pdf from that web site is a classic - http://www.mahaskis.com/pdf/Maherajah_1977_Flyer.pdf
Check out the price - $194 - and the hair/mustache on Bob Lapoint....
Also interesting - this is where the discussion first turns to talk of running 38 off... in 1977
Always loved the Maharaja. Did you ever check out there long skiis?
Admired them from a distance - not my thing - but interesting..
Three years ago I sanded down the saucer my Great Grandfather made and repainted it. And added some painters sand to one side for traction. That is fun to play with occasionally.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sled491
That's what I was thinking.Quote:
Originally Posted by ABUCKOTOMAMBO
When i started skiing (1976ish) there were 2 skis you had to have, either a Maha or an EP. The wooden Maha's were gorgeous and turned on a dime and if you cut hard enough they would sing! I wish I had one today!
O'brien and Connelly were not the ones you wanted to be seen on!
197? what? How old are you man :D
If I had to guess - I would say I started on two skis in 1965. Took me an entire year, 18 tries at multiple sites with multpile training aids behind several boats before I actually got up on two skis. I was not quite 10... Skied on two for a long time, until my female cousins and my older sister all started skiing on 1. Dropped a ski for probably 2-3 years before I had the courage to try a deep water start. Failed multiple times.
Then in summer of 1971 we were at a local lake with friends. The first guy in pulled the heel off one of the combo skis (very old style bindings) and dropped it to the bottom of the lake. All that was left was the ski with the rear toe... This guy tried several attempts and failed. So Dad looks at me and says - "This boat won't get me up on one, and Thor (real name - other kids dad) doesn't ski, so if you can't get up on 1 our day is done before we start." So I jumped in, put on the ski - got up, dragging a leg - and have not looked back.
Sled,
I was on a slalom ski when I was 2 years old man!!!! :cool:
Z, got it :)
Sled,
Ah yeah! :rolleyes:
So Big Spray is not something that is easily left out of waterskiing. Evidence by the Big Spray competitions documented in Waterski magazine.
http://www.waterskimag.com/article/F...-Wall-of-Glory
http://www.waterskimag.com/article/I...vice-Big-Spray
What a great thread!Quote:
Originally Posted by BensonWdby
I found this thread while searching to confirm whether it was Jobe or OBrien that was caught smuggling cocoaine. It was O'Brien, he was financing the purchases to bail out OBrien (not AMF etc.) and his CFO was involved also. They would ship skis to Chile, then make the purchase and ship them back to the US and empty them in the factory in Redmond. This is all available in The Seattle Times archives and miscellaneous court documents found by searching Bing (or Google, or...)
#5- it was possible to spend over 100k for a ski, if it was a mid-70s Obrien, special Chilean model.:-P
Here is another one to add:
Conelly and O'Brien worked for a guy in North Seattle that taught them how to laminate and press (shape) wood skiis, cut them, finish etc. Back in the day it was the shiz to have a custom "Wally Burr" slalom ski. My dad has a Wally Burr, and it is indeed flat bottom. But, I just found this auction, and it looks like this Wally Burr has a tunnel? So does that debunk Herb OBrien inventing the tunnelled ski (#1 on the list) ?? Did he really learn this from Wally Burr?
http://www.ltd-cars.com/ebay/p1-v31/c-120709110745.htm
Edit - I actually met Wally Burr when I was a kid (teenager) my dad took me to his house and we went into his basement and he showed us a bunch of clamping jigs, saws, planers etc. He must have been in his late 70's or into his 80's and wasn't making skis anymore, but Connelly was giving him some wood Comp 2's for what ever reason and he sold us one of those. Still have that ski, and my dad still has his Wally Burr. My dad is 82 today, hasn't skied for about 15 years.
One more - Jobe was the first and only waterski company to incorporate a honeycomb core in their waterskis. This technology was being used in Hexcel snowskis at the time and Jobe incorporated it into his waterski design.
I still have my Jobe Professional from 1978? Honeycomb with variable textured bottom. Just before they started using wings. My wife still skis on it.
Great thread! Funny... my first slalom ski was an obrian and it had a small coleman camping gear logo on it. That was in the the early 80's. Always wondered why that was there.
My dad still has an old Connelly Hook with the holes in the fin. That thing is so loud it will make your ears numb if you ride it for more than 5 or so minutes.
My mom still has an old sidwinder with the pink shag carpet in the rear slip binding = 70's awesomeness!!! Actually my dad bought it for her on there wedding day in 1969! I need to get those things out and get some pics.
I had an O'brien World Team in about '83 or '84 that had the Coleman logo. My Mom and Dad both had the Taperflex slalom skis that were dark woodgrain on top and white woodgrain on the bottom and had the avocado green shag carpet on them. Those were the $hit in the early 70's.
I still have my Jobe Honeycomb ski 1 model down from the pro,which i years ago added a fin too. Guess i was really slowing/stopping that ski. Back then i really never noticed the difference.I still have it and should actually try it out just for old times sake. Other than the fact i'm 30lbs heavier than i was then . Probably gonna just sink??
My first ski was a 1974 O'Brien Comp that I bought used from my neighbour and still have it. Skiid the H*ll out of that thing and it was a great 1st ski to learn on - very forgiving. My parents bought me a 1980 67" Kidder Redline Graphite for my grad and I have been skiing on it for 30 yrs and I still have it too. Took it into the local ski shop a couple of years ago to look at getting new boots and the kids working there just looked at it and asked "How old is that thing?" ha haQuote:
Originally Posted by Mikey
Technology has changed alot in regards to boots and bindings but the design of that Kidder ski is still rock solid IMHO.
Technology has changed alot in regards to boots and bindings but the design of that Kidder ski is still rock solid IMHO.[/QUOTE]
Grant you might think that ski is rock solid but ski technology has changed a ton too! Just got back from the Okanagan and a buddy of mine who swears by his Red Line jumped on my new ski. He whipped out wide and came across the wake for his first cut. The ski turned so fast it scared him and he bailed on the pull out of the cut. LOL
Needless to say his eyes were opened up in a hurry and I'm hoping he will buy my old ski?
My first ski was an O'Brien Competitor. I too ski'd the h*ll out of that ski from age 16 to 35. I didn't think it was ever replaceable but I too got on the band wagon and upgraded. My brother just handed over his wooden Connelly Hook to my daughter. Beautiful ski to look at as it's wooden and in GREAT shape...............but it's a heavy beast. She's stoked to give it a try and if/when she gets good on it I told her I would then consider purchasing her a newer ski!
I love that old ancient equipment. Cool to see where we have come from to where we are now???????
I tried the Senate C last year a few times and once you convinced it to turn it did fine. Maybe because it is a little wider it took a little more to start the turn. I might look at a higher end Radar this year like the Vice or maybe the Strada.
Grant give the Vice a try- it's a lot of ski for the money.
Grant I have had a very similar experience with the Radar Senate (not the C). I thought a 34mph specific ski would be better for me as I generally ski 34 or less. However have struggled to set it up to turn well and for some reason I really get slammed crossing the wakes on that thing. I've gone back to my Connelly Concept and am working into 22 off now on the old ski.
I'm going to try a 68" Vice this weekend and I will post up my thoughts. Need to blow alot of winter rust off....
Cool look forward to hearing what you think about the Vice. Ski yaker sounds like you are pretty happy with it...
yeah I'm pretty happy with it- but then again I won it in a contest so I might be biased. I came from a Senate (not C) and am happy with the increased speed of the Vice. I'm working my speed up at -15 through the course (30-32mph) so really the Senate is supposed to be a better ski for guys like me but no way I'm going back to it.
I'll be interested to hear what others think of the Vice.
here's the Vice Horton used for his review on BOS
http://www.ski-it-again.com/php/skii...m&postid=19433
Well I pulled the trigger and bought the Radar Vice. It is actually a brand new 2011 he gave me a great deal on. I think I need to adjust the front boot a bit forward but so far it is a very quick ski across the wake. Ya I'm old school with the rear toe piece - just too many years doing it that way I guess to change now!
https://forum.moomba.com/attachment....5&d=1338872840
Been long enough - I ran across this thread in a Google search and started reading the list of "myths" and was going - hey this sounds like everything I have heard over time. Got all the way through the first post before I realized it was my thread - getting old ......
Doing a 360 has been done in ski shows. The trick is to use a high pivot (performed before towers were common) on the boat and doing an "S" turn by the driver. The driver goes into a power turn and accelerates the skier and then does a power turn in the other direction and the boat goes behind the skier and resumes the original direction. I'm sure a 75' rope was used. That was the days of the wooden saucer with a small step ladder on it and the skier with the kite.
In the late 60's, the Cyprus Gardens El Diablo was the must have ski. It had two sets of grooves on each side of the ski that prevented lateral movement. The concave form came later and much better improvements when manufacturers went away from wood. I maintained my ski each year with waxing on a regular basis with carbana wax. Someday, I will hunt it down from the attic.
http://www.trademarkia.com/el-diablo...-72288009.html
http://www.kijiji.ca/v-water-sport/b...ationFlag=true
Now that is funny stuff ^^Quote:
Originally Posted by BensonWdby
I learned to ski slalom on a wooden ski called the "Banana". It was big and buoyant. Then graduated to a smaller sports ski called the "Shark"
Cannot remember the manufacturers but do remember the models.
Also did the whole Wooden saucer and stool trick as well as home-made DiY ski-trainer with plywood & carpet for the younger cousins.
Damn I'm feeling old when I start to look and remember back!!
Actually accomplished the 360 this weekend. Not me personally but I was in the boat. Helped to have the tower and a skilled driver. Took 5 attempt to get it perfect.Quote:
Originally Posted by zabooda