Saw 2 Fools yesterday.
 

Yesterday when riding around looking at property I saw 2 fools water skiing on the Chickahomany River witch is just outside Richmond VA.

Whats wrong with that?? It was 75 degrees here..:D :D :D

LOL. That takes brass balls.

and an electric ball warmer!;) :D

A friend of mine was a hired driver for a competitive freestyle water skier years ago. Friend would get up at 5:00 am every morning and throw on whatever clothes were appropriate for the season. He would meet the skier at the boat ramp and hop in the boat. Skier would back the boat in and leave the truck and trailer in the lake to the side of the ramp. Friend would make a lap of the cove to get the boat motor warm and come back and throw him a line. The skier would start in 6" of water and ski for 45 minutes. They'd come back to the ramp and skier would ski to the bank and settle on a carpet mat he had started from. They'd load the boat and friend would go home and shower. Then we'd see him at school at 7:45am (we were all in high school).

This took place 365 days a year. The skier would give friend a personal check every week and never spoke to him except to be critical of his driving or ability to hold a perfect speed (these were the days long before skiboat cruisecontrol).

My bud did this for more than 2 years. Pay was decent for an hour and a half ($140/week).

This nut skied when there was ICE on shore thick enough they had to bust it up for him to ski...

I think he fell a grand total of 20 times in 2 years during practice or something equally ridiculous...

When I was a kid,we used to ski the 1st day of April, My dad had a '74 Jet Boat with 455 Olds that required no thermostat. One year the water was so cold that the engine choked out as he was starting off the shore, I don't think I tried it that day after that.

Eddie

Here in Wisconsin, the earliest I have been H2O skiing was May 1st. The air temp was not bad but the water :eek: :eek: was frick'n cold. To this day I cannot believe we took the dare and went skiiing that early.

Brass nuts is right :)

I learned how to ski in 42 degree water, no wonder I got out of the water so quick, cause my balls could only receed so far and they pop. Wohoo. B3

Several years back, maybe 10-15 would be closer. The dealership I worked at started selling Master Craft Ski boats.

They had an optional heater for the driver. It was plumbed to the motor just like in your vehicle. They said it wasn't a very popular option, but in the "cool" states they did sell a few.

We surely didn't order the option here in Florida.

mcoll., that's a great story!!!! Only fell 20 times is wild. YOu mentioned freestyle skiing, I assume he was a trick skier??

I have skied in some really cold stuff, Halloween was one of them , but the early season stuff is definitely more testicle shrivling. However, the coldest water I hav ever been in was Whitewater Rafting in W. Virgnia.

About 10 of my buddies and I thought we would be econimically clever and save some $$ by signing up for "Ice Breaker Weekend". Yeah, good idea.......long story short, 42* water, it was snowing when we woke up in the morning. THAT, my friends...........was COLD!!!!

Eddie I think it was Jim Arvis

Allan -
Talked to that friend today and mentioned that I'd posted about him. He did say that he couldn't remember the number of falls, but that it was Looooooow.

The guy was indeed a trick skier, but spent his mornings polishing his routines for smoothness. He never tried ANY new stuff in the mornings, only finish work on his transitions and stuff. He used the weekends for incorporating anything new into the pattern. Friend was not involved in any weekend pulling (except for the mornings of course).

Friend was responsible for finding fill-in driver so he could vacation, etc.. Skier required the fill-in guys to go three consecutive days at no pay to observe and get ready to drive. THEN with friend still present, fill-in driver had to drive for no pay as a test. I never bit on that hook - too early and too boring..

We were punk kids and the skier was mid thirties and had no personality (to us). Interesting, though.

I went through Richmond, Va last Friday on my way to N. Carolina and was surprised at the number of boats I saw on the water down that way.

We used to start barefooting early March. It is not usually real cold here but, tha water is still freezing. We used a wet suit and got up quick. It was worth it though to looklike a pro while everyone else was just starting to get back into it.

mcoll, you said he didn't have a personality??????? HAHAHAHAAAA...sounds like a giant rectum to me!!!!!:D :D

However, when you are working on routines (whether it is trick, wakeboard, or footing)or running a slalom course or jumping, the driver is VERY important. Not only for consistent conditions, but it becomes a safety thing as well. Bad things happen when boat speeds suddenly change!!!!

So, I guess the dude had point, and I guess I am pretty picky about drivers as well when I am skiing, but this guy takes it to a new level.......TRYOUTS!!!!!........HAHAHAHAHA:D :D :D

Out playing around is a different story. Great story you have though;) A4

I used to be one of those nuts out there. When i lived in NY I skiied on a show team(like cypress gardens/six flags)... We would actualy start skiing with ice still on parts of the lake!

We have a mastercraft(for sale BTW) that has a heater in it... an WE USED IT!.... It was needed on those ever soooo cold days..