What is the future of Slalom Waterskiing?
Posted by Robby Trimble on Sat, May 07, 2011 @ 06:53 PM
The question, "Is slalom waterskiing dead" has been posed many times here at SkiSunsetRanch and over cocktails with friends many other times. So, I thought I would throw in my two cents, feel free to chime in with your own yeah or nay.
This can be a pretty widely debated topic, especially when over the last several years it has looked like the entire boating industry in the USA is on it's last breath.
I believe slalom waterskiing is going to live on...First, let me say that old school "tournament waterskiing" is and has been dying a slow painfull death. That skiing genre is often what is used as the barometer for slalom waterskiing which is most likely the reason for all the bleak forecasts.
A guest who was just hear asked me the question again and here is what was my reply...
Years ago when Doug and I cooked up our hairbrained idea that we would open up our world class private slalom lake for skiers from all over the world to be able to come to and enjoy in for a waterski school/ waterski vacation experience here in california. We went with the "if we build it they will come" philosophy....and so they have come. From many more places in the world than I had ever dreamed of, countries I could not even imagine had waterskiing. There are tons of waterskiers out there young and old, many of the younger may have started in the wakeboard boom. Now many of those boarders want to continue to be out on the lake and have mastered all wakeboard tricks they can. Those younger skiers are starting to do what the rest of us have done for years looking for a challange and finding it in slalom. The great thing about a slalom course is there really is no end and there is always one more buoy just out of reach. The rest of us, that I am speaking of many of which are open water skiers that have skied for years, many having lake homes in the family for generations. Those folks often are really good skiers, also looking for good waterski coaching to put those years of skiing to the test to see just how good they are!
They seek out a waterski vacation, or take a lesson the door opens and the buoy addiction begins; before you know it they are putting a portable course on their lake or searching out a local club to join. It is now our mission to foster the slalom waterski life, to see that that first buoy or first full pass happens and the rest is history...
Fuel your Addiction Here...
