Ski Paradise?
I was in Costa Rica last week and hoped to come back with a story, pictures, and recommendation on the ski lake advertised as www.waterskicostarica.com. The lake didn’t officially open until November 1st but I had been in contact with the owner last month trying to work out a tour before the season start. Unfortunately, and even though the owner was on site while I was in Costa Rica, communication follow up from waterskicostarica.com was poor and I was not able to visit the site. As a result, I can give no recommendation to the quality of the lake, staff or lodging but can only say that in my experience communication with waterskicostarica.com is difficult. To bad for the owner. I had some great RipNsix apparel to give him. Now he will just have to go to our shopping cart and buy his gear there.
IT IS WATERSKI SEASON AGAIN!
Spring has sprung (at least here in Northern California) and although there is still a little bit of chill in the air the sun is warming things, including the local lakes, up to where we like to see them. Already college teams are back on the water competing, courses are being repaired, replaced or reset after the winter and clubs everywhere are getting their act together for another great summer of skiing. It doesn't matter if you barefoot, slalom, jump, or trick, Spring is the season of expectations, expectations of the Summer to come, personal bests to achieve, and time spent with friends as the warm sun drops behind the hills. But don't get caught looking ahead too much, spring has its own charms for us sick minded water folk. Although the Columbia River flowing through Wenatchee Washington is registering a cool 43 degrees, our skiing brethren in that area have already switched from their dry suits to their wets suits and they are loving the lengthening days, perfectly flat water and no other boats around to bother them. Come summer the water will warm up some and they will still be skiing; but the peace and quiet of early spring will be long gone, replaced by the many river boats heading to who knows where, for some reason not nearly good enough to be putting the good water in jeopardy. So, unless the water in your area is chillier than the Columbia you don't have an excuse (and who would want one). Go get on the water doing what we all love to do best...SKI. If you aren't living life wet, you aren't living at all. RipNsix, Life's better wet!
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After hitting the lake for a few sets of barefoot skiing on December 2nd in 39 degree weather I took off for South America leaving RipNsix in the able hands of Joel and Melissa. Under there oversight RipNsix had a great December shipping out the normal allotment of t-shirts and hats but with a cold weather twist quite a few sweatshirts and beanies.
It has become a tradition for me to head south for two or three weeks each December. This year’s destination was Chile, but not just Chile - Patagonia. It is no wonder the clothing brand Patagonia makes winter and snow ski clothing. Patagonia is a cold place. Situated on the southern end of South America, but at its southern tip roughly the same distance from the equator as Edmonton, Alberta, the wind blows off the south Pacific bringing a damp cold across the countryside…despite it being summer. The landscape is beautiful, however, and well worth the visit. There are lakes everywhere but very few boats to be seen. Even the northern part of Patagonia, which is 12 hours by bus south of Santiago, and much warmer, water skiing is a relatively unknown sport.
We rode buses for hours and hours past so many different pristine lakes. The inactivity, especially when surrounded by all the water, was hard on a guy like me but it gave me plenty of time to think. I kept coming back to something I have thought about many times in the past. What is the future of waterskiing? Everyone knows wakeboarding has exploded over the past 10 years. During that same time period waterskiing has seen a decline in participants. The ease of learning to wakeboard has attracted many newbies that were before unwilling to put in the effort to learn to ski. The large wakes created by wakeboarding boats has made opportunities for open water skiing a rarity. Even the quality of water in many public ski courses has been adversely affected. These events have driven more and more people to private lakes and clubs and out of the public’s eye. Without the exposure to the public even fewer people will want to learn to ski and our sport will continue to see participant losses. There is something we can do. We all need to reach out and get non water skiers involved in the sport. We need to represent our sport whenever we can, and represent it well. Wear the tournament shirt (or the RipNsix shirt!!!). Put the bumper sticker on your vehicle. And as painful as it is, try to invite people to the lake with you. We were all rookies at some point too. We got better and learned the etiquette, and so will they.
The health of our sport depends on it.
Dear Friends,
The holidays are just around the corner and RipNsix.com is a great place to shop for your friends and family. Our warm, cozy, hooded sweatshirts are a great gift for anyone. Also check out our roomy RipNsix duffle bags; great for ski gear, the gym, or traveling.
As a thank you to our customers, RipNsix will be raffling away one of these great bags for the holidays. For each dollar that you spend between now and December 25th, you will earn a raffle point.
Also, submit winter waterskiing/wakeboarding photos for a chance to win the ultra-warm RipNsix beanie. The photo that best captures the essence of a cold weather water sports will walk away with the prize. In addition to the beanie, each photo submission gives you 10 bonus points in the drawing for the duffle bag. Click here to submit a picture. The drawing will take place on December 25th.
Happy Holidays from your friends at RipNsix, and remember, Life's better wet!!!
So the temperature is dropping, your putting wood on the fire, sipping hot chocolate and thinking about the upcoming holidays. Then you spot the ski in the corner and recognize that a little film of dust is gathering over the tip of your ski. With a closer look you see a little cobweb delicately wrapped around the boot and stretched over to your jacket that sits slumped next to your ski. It’s the beginning of November and you’re already resigned to the idea that the fair weather ski season is done. You reflect on the warm summer days on the lake, the new ski you bought, your fading tan……. but, after recalling your PR run in late Septmeber, you’re not ready to give into Old Man Winter. This year will be different. This will be a 12- month ski year and you expect to have PRs in February. Well, maybe your expectations are a little high, but here are a few places to check out to extend your ski season this year. Cancel the trip to Vail, wipe the dust of your ski, grab the suntan lotion and keep those ski legs ripped this winter.
Winter Haven, Florida
This city located southwest of Orlando in Polk County is widely recognized as the water skiing capital of the world. Winter Haven’s city limits touch or surround 41 lakes with a unique 16-lake southern chain and 9-lake northern chain connected by navigable canals. In fact, any spot in Winter Haven is within a few steps of a freshwater lake or canal. The Water Ski Museum and Hall of Fame is also located in Winter Haven and includes displays, paintings and information about water skiing’s pioneers and stars. Winter Haven range from budget motels to country inns and lakeside resorts, making it the perfect location for your central Florida vacation. www.floridavacations.com
Ski Paradise, Acapulco Mexico
The ultimate water ski and sports vacation provides all-inclusive water ski vacation packages, including instruction from 6-time National Slalom Champion, Gordon Rathbun and other celebrity guest coaches. Known as the best ski site in the world, you will experience is a magical week of great skiing, great instruction, friendly people, excellent accommodations and fabulous food. Most guests have at least two things in common: they want to improve their water skiing and have a great time on vacation. www.skiparadise.com
Villa Buena Vida, Costa Rica
Located in the heart of Costa Rica this beautiful Spanish design villa is available for a private waterski vacation retreat. A beautiful ski lake is located 10 minutes from the villa to enjoy waterskiing and wakeboarding. Other activities nearby include horseback riding, boating, natural hot springs, and white water rafting. This Central American country is friendly, relaxing, tropical, beautiful and full of adventure. www.goode.com/BV/Adventures.html
Ranweli Village, Sri Lanka
Designed for skiers and boarders who want the ultimate spot to vacation in the winter. Offers the finest training in Asia and plenty of other activities to make this an unforgettable vacation even for the non-skiers. Master the course right in front of your bungalows and the breaking waves of the Indian Ocean………..One of the few places in the world, where you find excellent conditions for skiing, surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing at the same time. www.waterskicamps.com
Top 10 reasons to NOT put away the ski this winter….
2006 Barefoot World Championships
The 2006 Barefoot World Championships were held this past week in Adna, Washington at Lake Silverado. Cool temperatures and glassy smooth water greeted competitors representing 13 different countries. This event is held every two years and represents the best barefooters in the world. The competition includes slalom, trick and jump. In an amazing representation of athleticism, skill and courage, the US Elite Barefoot Team and the US Senior Barefoot Water Ski Team brought home the gold medal. The U.S. Junior Barefoot Water Ski Team earned the overall silver medal, and 17 U.S. athletes earned individual medals in respective events during this 9 day tournament.
Keith St.Onge (USA) had an amazing performance with a 10850 point pending world record to clinch the Open Men's Overall title, a narrow margin over David Small (GBR). The overall winners were:
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Ashliegh Stebbin (AUS) - Junior Girl's |
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Heinrick Sam (RSA) - Junior Boy's |
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John Stekelenburg (AUS) - Senior Men's |
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Jody Sherwood (USA) - Senior Women's |
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Keith St.Onge(USA) - Open Men's |
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Racheal Normand (USA) - Open Women's |
If you’ve never seen a barefoot competition, put it on your “must do” list. Making the waterski slalom course at 36mph 28 or 32 off may seem a bit tough, but try barefooting 40+mph, hitting the jump with your feet (intentionally) and soaring through the air in hopes of landing the jump to regain your barefoot ski position. Ever thought about putting the ski rope around your neck at 40+ mph and letting go with your hands…….? Now think about it without your ski on. Yes, these people are amazing…….okay I’m going to say a little crazy!
RipNsix is going to Worlds
Next week RipNsix will be traveling to Adna Washington to join in the skiing festivities at the Barefoot Water-Ski Worlds Championships. The Barefoot Water-Ski Worlds will run September 9 – 17th with RipNsix attending and having a booth Thursday through Sunday (14th – 17th). If you are in the area make sure you attend the competition to see amazing barefoot water-skiers compete in trick, jump and slalom events. If you do make it to the competition (and why shouldn’t you?) make sure you come by our booth and say hi. On top of just being great people, the RipNsix staff working the booth will have three different barefoot water-ski shirts designs available. That is in addition to the normal inventory of waterskiing and wakeboarding shirts, sweatshirts and hats. Don’t forget to ask one of the staff how RipNsix can help your water-skiing or wakeboarding club with its apparel needs. See you there!!!
Tournament Info
Coming to Adna, Washington September 9-17
This is going to be one amazing 9 day period of top-notch EXTREME Barefoot Water Skiing. High Speeds, big crashes and amazing sky-flying jumps highlight the event.
In the first ever COMBINED Junior, Senior and Elite World Championships, the best Barefooters from 15 countries arrive this September to compete for the World Team Title. Additionally, each country sends independent competitors who by virtue of a qualifying score can compete on the dock with the professionals…. The lone independent skier is the river skier who brings it all for a chance to compete on the World level. Come see the best compete for the Title and come cheer for the guy who skis for all the rest of us.
The 2006 World Barefoot Water-ski Championships.
For directions and event schedule please go to the website at www.barefootworlds.com
65th Goode Water Ski Nationals
The 65th GoodeWater Ski Nationals were held August 14th-19th in Ski West Village just outside of Bakersfield, CA. A spot at Nationals is earned through performances during the summer tournament season and by placement at regional championships held in the five USA Water Ski regions in late July and early August. Competitors ranged from 5 to 82 years and represented all regions across the United States.
Participants were competing for national titles in slalom, tricks, jumping. There were 26 age divisions and two Open divisions during the six-day tournament. In the Men’s open division, Chris Parish placed first with 5.5 buoys at 39 off. Nick Parsons and Wade Cox placed second and third respectively.
In the Women’s open division Mandi Williams placed first with 1.5 buoys at off. Jennifer Leachman and Joy Todd placed second and third respectively.
The 65th GOODE Water Ski National Championships is scheduled to take place in August 2007. It will be at Ski West Village again and will be a six-day event on three lakes
Feel the Love!
One of the items that the founders at RipNsix discussed in depth during the process of starting the company was the state of water skiing across the country, and maybe the world. As most involved in the sport know, participation in the water skiing has been declining for several years now. Out of every ten performance ski/wakeboard boats sold, nine of them are wakeboard boats. When people look for causes of the decline (and the corresponding boom of wakeboarding) the common theme is wakeboarding is so much easier to learn that people don’t want to put in the time or effort to learn how to ski. I think there is one factor that many over look though. As more wakeboarding boats hit the water with their massive wakes, skiing in public areas became more difficult and less fun. Some people just gave up and joined the wakeboarding crowd. Many others, sick of choppy water, headed to private ski areas. The result was a dearth of skiers in public areas. This in turn left water sport newbies with no exposure to water skiing. As they picked up their wakeboard, the challenge and fun of water skiing was left a mystery. If we as water skiers are to keep the sport from continuing to die, we need to reach out to the general public and show them the possibilities that exist in the skiing world.
That is one of the reasons that events such as the ShredFest, held at Lake Berryesa in Northern California on August 5th, are so important to the future of our sport. The ShredFest ski tournament was coordinated by Monticello Waterski Club (annual pass only $70) and was sponsored by several big names in the water ski industry including HO and RipNsix. This grass roots tournament used the “never made” format which allowed even the newest beginner to participate in the festivities, and maybe even win a trophy. The standout performances of the day came from husband and wife Erik and Cheri Dalquist who each walked away with first place trophies. Three separate skiers (including RipNsix’s own Alec Smidt) set new personal bests. Most impressive of all, and of greatest encouragement to the future of the sport, was four year old Patrick Kerr, who made only his third water skiing run. The cheers from the dock were deafening as he took a couple runs up and down in front of the dock.
With music playing, the barbeque smoking, and MC Mike Dunn making as much fun of all the participants as humanly possible, everyone, regardless of their skill level, had a fantastic time. Even I, who missed my opening pass and was out of the running early on, had a great time.
Events like these are the hope for the future of water skiing. It is very easy for us to want to keep our clubs small and our great ski spots secret, but only by opening up and sharing the fun of water skiing with the public, are we going to be able to help this sport grow. Only by helping the sport grow are we going to be able to maintain the political influence to keep waterways open to skiers, public courses in existence, and private lakes making it through planning approvals (an especially big deal in California).
Water skiing is fun. Let’s spread the joy.
And of course, as always, Keep RipNsix, and remember: Life’s better Wet!
A Brief History
Waterskiing has been around since the 1920's but has seen many changes since the first two wooden planks were towed behind the old outboard powered boat. Now the sport is associated with sleek, ski boats with minimal wake, glassy water, meticulously designed skis, and tons of accessories to help you make that "perfect pass." Still one of the most popular water sports in the US, participants range from the recreational "double ski" water skiers to the competitive ski jumpers, tricksters and slalom course competitors.
The three events of competitive water skiing are slalom, trick and jumping. In slalom, the contestant negotiates a zigzag course of six buoys. The boat speed is increased two mph until a maximum speed for the division of competition is reached. Thereafter the rope is shortened in pre-measured lengths. The winner is the one who rounds the most buoys without a miss or fall.
In tricks, the contestant performs two, 20-second routines of tricks that each have an assigned point value. Some of the most difficult tricks include wake flips, and multiple turns performed with the towrope attached to the contestant's foot.
In jumping, the object is distance. Although there is a maximum boat speed for each age division, the skier can increase his or her speed by "cracking the whip" behind the boat; some jumpers approach speeds of more than 60 mph at the base of the jump ramp. Whether a recreational waterskier or the die hard early morning glass-seeking skier, tighten your bindings, grab the rope and make the most of your nearby waterways.
