Water-skiing behind an 8
Peter Rees
Simon
being pulled behind an 8+. I would not say that they look particularly
well balanced or sitting high on the water, but they are up there. It
may have been a University of British Columbia men's crew pulling the
poor fella along - they used to train out of our club for many years.
Simon
On 14 Sep 2003 17:40:13 -0700, pet...@beyond.com.au (Peter Rees)
wrote:
Henry Law
>We have a photograph at the Vancouver Rowing Club of a water skier
>being pulled behind an 8+.
Be better if the skier *was* the "+". She or he could steer by
veering out to the side. Cox's visibility would be excellent. And if
the idea caught on then the shell could be built without the cox's
seat, which would reduce weight and start to overcome the drag
penalty.
I'd love to see that photo; any chance of posting it somewhere?
Henry Law <>< Manchester, England
Nick Suess
"Henry Law" <lawshous...@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:r0lamv4fk7a3u4tfh...@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 04:22:44 GMT, Simon <spu...@telus.net> wrote:
>
> >We have a photograph at the Vancouver Rowing Club of a water skier
> >being pulled behind an 8+.
>
> Be better if the skier *was* the "+". She or he could steer by
> veering out to the side. Cox's visibility would be excellent. And if
> the idea caught on then the shell could be built without the cox's
> seat, which would reduce weight and start to overcome the drag
> penalty.
Hmmm. The drag penalty of the skier might be quite considerably more! I have
seen power boats towing "skiers" here at speeds comparable to those of
rowing boats, but at a closer look, that "skier" was on a surfboard and not
a waterski. Maybe that's what the photo showed. My dim distant memories of
waterskiing are that I was travelling a lot faster than a rowing boat. I'd
also be curious as to what the drag of the skier would do to the hull
immediately the power is released at the finish. I think it would retard it
so much that the rowers wouldn't be able to get off back chocks, and might
even fall over backwards. I wonder what THE GREAT MAN thinks of that?
Daniel Spring
> has anyone ever heard the myth that you can waterski behind a rowing 8?
I remember a few years ago the ITV programme "You Bet" set up a
challenge for a 4- to tow a waterskier. I think a crew from London RC
took up the challenge and successfully pulled the women's world champ
(can't remember her name at the moment) for a good couple of hundred
metres.
Perhaps someone with a better memory than mine can fill in the
details. I guess it must have been late 80's early 90's.
Edward Fryer
"Daniel Spring" <daniel...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:e5c0bb1c.03091...@posting.google.com...
>
> I remember a few years ago the ITV programme "You Bet" set up a
> challenge for a 4- to tow a waterskier. I think a crew from London RC
> took up the challenge and successfully pulled the women's world champ
> (can't remember her name at the moment) for a good couple of hundred
> metres.
> Perhaps someone with a better memory than mine can fill in the
> details. I guess it must have been late 80's early 90's.
Those pretty much are the details. Must have been early 90's. Gonzo was in
the crew; can't remember anybody else. ISTR that they did this at Thorpe
Park?
Allan Bennett
<URL:mailto:pet...@beyond.com.au> wrote:
> has anyone ever heard the myth that you can waterski behind a rowing 8?
>
It's been done behind a K4 - a four man racing kayak, There are pics on a
website somewhere... I would assume it would be feasible behind an 8 - using
2 skis, water-skiing at low speeds is relatively easy.
Allan Bennett
--
Henning Lippke
> 8?
Yep, and seen it at "SpeedRows" this spring in Hamburg:
http://www.der-club.de/90_IMAGE/FOTO/2003/04_Speedrows/DSC01404_s.JPG
And later this year another event:
http://www.der-club.de/60_INFO/Fotoalbum/FA_2003/x_INFO_D_FA2003_08
_Rowboarding.htm
-HL
Walter Martindale
>has anyone ever heard the myth that you can waterski behind a rowing 8?
>
When I was coaching at the Vancouver Rowing Club in the 80's, we used to
go to Kelowna BC and have a coxswain's water ski race over 500 m.
The crews would be "throw together" after the main regatta was over, and
a guy from the heavy men's crew would cox each eight (and hold the tow
rope). Coxswains made up their own oversized water skis and would have
to deal with the intermittent propulsion...
On another version, in Saskatoon (I was coaching there) - the club did a
demonstration where a member of the water ski club sat on the bow deck
of a motor boat which tracked the speed of the 8+ until it was under
way, and then the motor boat dropped back letting the skier free to deal
with the intermittent propulsion.. The skis in this case were normal
skis and he sank a bit too much on the recovery/start of drive phase.
Yse, it can be done, no, it's not a myth - it's not that fast or
practical, but can be a lot of fun.
Walter
Marc Gwadz
Dirigo) that featured a photo of an 8+ towing a female water skier.
John Davis
Back in the late 70's I witnessed a contest in which eights pulled
waterskiers in Long Beach, California. They really got jerked around
by the rythym of the strokes. Most of the skiers used "trick skis"
which are much wider and shorter.
I can't recall who won, but one of the skiers was a smashing blonde
from UCLA. I didn't know her then, but today she's my wife of nearly
19 years.
JD
pet...@beyond.com.au (Peter Rees) wrote in message news:<6b6b4da6.03091...@posting.google.com>...
Simon
The 8+'s that Walter Martindale is referring to may be one of the same
crews but the picture is taken at Coal Harbour where the Club makes
it's home.
Anyhow, there you go.
A quick note: we are having a bit of a fundraiser for Canada's
National Team at the Vancouver Rowing Club this coming Saturday at
2:30 pm local time. There will be a few of the yahoos who were at the
World's over to show us how to erg, and we will be holding a draw to
go for a row with them.
There is also a draw being organized by Rowing Canada to raise money -
they are selling tickets at $100 each (only 500 are being printed) to
go to the Olympics in Greece and see some of the show next summer.
Ideally there will be tickets available to be bought on Saturday
Happy trails,
Simon
Neil Wallace
"John Davis" <johnn...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:f4ba1e33.03091...@posting.google.com...
> Peter:
>
> Back in the late 70's I witnessed a contest in which eights pulled
> waterskiers in Long Beach, California. They really got jerked around
> by the rythym of the strokes. Most of the skiers used "trick skis"
> which are much wider and shorter.
>
> I can't recall who won, but one of the skiers was a smashing blonde
> from UCLA. I didn't know her then, but today she's my wife of nearly
> 19 years.
>
> JD
Sure fire way to pull a bird?
Michael Sullivan
>
> Peter:
>
> Back in the late 70's I witnessed a contest in which eights pulled
> waterskiers in Long Beach, California. They really got jerked around
> by the rythym of the strokes. Most of the skiers used "trick skis"
> which are much wider and shorter.
>
> I can't recall who won, but one of the skiers was a smashing blonde
> from UCLA. I didn't know her then, but today she's my wife of nearly
> 19 years.
Cheating slimeballs from Long Beach State won it, I know because
my Irvine crew finished second.
Still haven't forgiven those duplicitous, lying weasels.
A TV show called 'You Asked For It', the re-make in the
early 80s offered a challenge of a coaching launch to the
winning crew who could win a 500 meter race pulling the
coach behind them. They televised it and showed it Prime
Time. Good footage, I don't know who would have a copy.
I called the other coaches and found that the only coaches with
water ski experience were some of the really big guys who
had real trouble even getting out of the water.
We had a cox sized coach, so I went out every day after practice in the
launch and we gave him ski lessons.
At Irvine, we were both interested in being fast AND in doing academics
well, so it was very difficult scheduling time for an eight to practice
pulling Jim and for him to get used to it. We used combos of guys
rotating around from all the crews, so as not to cut into anybody's
class time a lot, and certainly not cut into our practice time.
I figured a pro skiier could
do it quite easily so called the snivelling two faced poot stain
of a coach and suggested that we all use pro skiiers. The
producers had first approached the Long Beach folks so they
were driving it.
He thought that was a great idea. He called back later and said
the producer of the show nixxed it, that it was supposed to be
a reality type deal, it had to be a coach.
shrug.
When we rowed out to the course at Long Beach stadium, I didn't
recognize
the coach from Long Beach that was supposed to ski. They were lining up
to race and couldn't figure out who he was. When we raced, every coach
fell at least once, Jim certainly did. Long Beach did not fall. We
picked up Jim, started again and nearly caught them at the finish.
After everybody got in, we found out Long Beach used a ski pro,
who of course, was not a coach at Long Beach or anywhere else,
not of rowing anyway.
they got the launch, but **** them.
still.
When we raced them during the season, we beat them by curvature
of the earth. If I was as big an a-hole then as I am now, I woulda
had my crew tow a ski behind them during the race.
BTW, JD, WD did an awesome job.
Mike
John Davis
Forgot to mention that Wendy's fam had a ski boat at Lake Arrowhead
where they spend time each summer.
JD
Michael Sullivan <su...@forsythe.stanford.edu> wrote in message news:<3F67AC...@forsythe.stanford.edu>...
Simon
the pictures I mentioned. Pictures of pictures, but pictures none the
less.
On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 15:17:11 +0800, "Nick Suess" <ni...@scull.com.au>
wrote: