I actually skied this past weekend. I actually prefer it to anything else.

My neighbor still does. I see a few occasionally. Usually earlier in the day. Water skiers tend to be more serious about it and like the calm water.

Water is surprisingly hard at 40+mph.

The hard core skiers are out on the lake at daybreak. Anything more than a ripple on the water is junk.

Camp Grady Spruce? That is actually where I learned to water ski, went every summer as a kid. It is also where I learned to shoot a rifle, shotgun, bow, ride horse, sail...I bet it is nothing like the early 70's when I went.

Grady Spruce is the YMCA camp, camped out with my then Boy Scout now Eagle scout son Wyatt right across from there at Camp Constantin around 2005 +.

That's what I was thinking. Maybe people aren't seeing water skiers because they are all out at the crack of dawn and back on the dock by 9AM. After that, the water probably gets too rough from all the wake boarders/tubers.

I was a big snow skier in high school and had a buddy in college take me out water skiing with his family one time. Starting out, I did a couple of faceplants from dropping the tips of my skis. The bigger issue I had was that I tried to overcompensate leaning forwards by leaning too far backwards. Lets just say I probably blasted out half the lake into the toilet when I got back to his house and sat on the can. We went skiing 5 or 6 times and I never could get up on an expensive slalom ski. However, I had no issue slaloming on the cheap ski that came with their boat.

Yep, that was us back in the day, just us skiers and the fishermen. And oh did the fisherman hate us. The ones that shot us the finger, we would circle back and lay a big sheet of water on them.

I did about forty years ago. At my age, hitting the water could cause the old “check engine “ light to come on and end up in the shop, if not worse!!!!

Amen Brother!

Yes sir! I was the waterfront director in '92 and '93. I would have been there longer if life hadn't of gotten in the way. Met my wife there almost 30 years ago. Couple of the best summers of my life. A much simpler time. My youngest daughter works there now. My wife and I still have some ties there.

Obrien Green, remember them well. Used to ski behind my buddies Correct Craft Ski Nautique. This was Circa 1977, young, thin and horny.

Guy, I'm very Impressed!

I spent a few summers at Camp Grady Spruce, slept in rollup side tents, "Bug Juice" in the cafeteria, counselors throwing fire torches off Hell's Gate while others told us scary Indian stories. I remember treading water while taking my blue jeans off, tying knots in the legs, turn them upside down, going under water and blowing bubbles up in them till they filled up with air, then floating on them.

got to learn to shoot .22's, sail, ski, etc. Good times, oh, and my Grammas chocolate chip cookies in the mail !!

Our house was around the point from Camp Grady Spruce Frontier unit, I always saw them out there teaching kids skiing. It looks like that part is shut down now, with Ray Bean and Main being still going.

Yes, most of the Frontier Unit was leased from the BRA They let it go several years ago. Main and Ray Bean are owned by CGS and still operating.

We have almost never been without a boat. I sold our XPress CC boat with a blown engine to a dealer in Gainsville last fall that takes that kind of stuff. If there is a boat price crash this year due to our current inflation insanity we may be back. My wife texted me this evening a 2004 purely water sports boat on AutoTrader that was $27,000. I told her that boat will be a buck and a quarter very soon with these gas prices. I figure these boats will be parked front row on bank parking lots very soon.

To the earlier poster, referring to a face plant learning to ski, I have never been able to step off of a slalom at under 42 MPH. If I screw up it is a major face plant.

I was just looking over our boat stuff corner in the shop. If I stumble onto a crash price on a CC boat that we can do it all in we may get there. I have the inventory ready. We haven't had a "pair" of skis since I guess ever. My wife was on a slalom when we started dating in 1984.

The old man still got it. Went out today, I have not been up on slalom ski since late 80's. Got up first pull...First run I did slalom ski, did one run. Then I did one run on wake board, that was enough for me. Wake board much easier. My daughter had a blast, got up first pull on wake board, then took a big crash and chipped her tooth. She criyed for a little bit, but got right back on the horse and made like 15 more runs, she could not get enough...





This is what we did, we rented the Malibu Ski boat..

https://flyingandfloatingtoys.com/

"Wake Surfing" is the new thing...

Looks like a great day

That does look like fun, the old man still has it

I need to do the same...

Havent seen many skiing in awhile. Seeing the things kids can do on wakeboards, Im not surprised there’s little interest in skiing. Personally, I always enjoyed wakeboarding more just because it was so much easier for me.

Doing a THF group ski would be a good idea. It says that Malibu Sportster can handle 7 passengers. 7 would probably be really cramped, a group of 5 would be better. 3 people like us, lots of room. 2 hours is $380 with tax, I gave $100 tip, probably too much. But $480, 5 guys, $100 each not bad for some fun and a good workout. Me and my daughter, after 1 hour we were done, we just drove around the lake for another hour...

My daughter is still sore today. I was not sore at all, but I only did 2 runs..

These have been collecting dust since the early 90’s. Bought both in the early 80’s. Gave it up after selling the 15’ tri hull w/155 Johnson in ‘93. And 2 neck injuries and a pair of broken ribs.

Like Mae West once said "If I'm not there, go ahead and start without me."

The tip is supposed to be the $20 they dropped off of $400 lol.
I’d be in for wakeboarding, not sure if can still spin and do flips in the air. But I’ll sure try!