Is Skiing Passe'

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Descant

The boats are so different now. In the 50's and 60's there were aq lot of flat bottom , 15-16' boats that could pull a skier with 50 hp. No wake, so it was easy to ride a disc, aquaplane, trick skis, slalom, etc. I learned to jump with 50 hp on a ski jump in Paugus Bay. Not many of these around any more. As boats got bigger, and added deep-vee hulls, wakes got bigger and less suitable for all sorts of skiing. On smaller, calmer, lakes I think there is still a lot of skiing. We even changed the law a couple of years ago so that certain, specially equipped, slalom boats don't need an observer practicing on a certified course.

We (and our neighbors) had 14' boats. In the days of the required "ski-belts" we pulled skiers behind either one, depending on who had the most gasoline! But in Winter Harbor, it was only a mile trip to refill at Winnipesaukee Motorcraft. Right next door, we would mail letters or buy groceries.

Ours, a lighter wooden powerboat had a 20-HP Mercury--theirs, a 30-HP Evinrude on a fiberglass boat. We progressed through two skis to one--and we discovered that was where the fun was. I don't see the fun with a wakeboard. Some spectacular stunts are possible, but nobody here seems to have any wakeboard skills!

"Sky-skis" are something else! There's a reason most wear helmets.

Starting on one ski was easy from a dock or float. You just gave the boat a 30-foot head-start, and gave a short leap onto the water. With a little practice, you could also land at dock or float!

You still see slalom skiers carving graceful turns, but they're usually out early, before oversized boats tow tubes to throw a choppy wake.

We'd ski in the rain...