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This Sliding Bar can be switched on or off in theme options, and can take any widget you throw at it or even fill it with your custom HTML Code. Its perfect for grabbing the attention of your viewers. Choose between 1, 2, 3 or 4 columns, set the background color, widget divider color, activate transparency, a top border or fully disable it on desktop and mobile.

Towed Watersports

/Tag:Towed Watersports

Adventures in Water Skiing, Hydrofoiling. You’re Fired.

 

 
YOU’RE FIRED
 

The partnership between Bob Woolley and Mike Murphy at Air Chair was always a strained one. That was unfortunate because each man had a set of skills the other did not have, and together they had what it took to run a successful business.

Mike was the star and front man. He was already a […]

Adventures in Water Skiing, Hydrofoiling. Fly-In’

 

 
FLY-IN’
 

The first Fly-In was coming up soon, and I wanted to be ready with even more new tricks. Next on my list was a gainer in the flats. Mike claimed this trick first, but all of the attempts that I saw him do were something shy of a true gainer. His was more of a […]

Adventures in Water Skiing, Hydrofoiling. Air Chair.

 

KNEEBOARD HYDROFOIL > AIR CHAIR (1983-1991)
 

It was the early summer of 1983, and I found myself in the midst of all the action while working full time for Mike at his “Ski Shop” on the Parker Strip of the Colorado River. Uncle Mike’s collection of rental equipment became the fodder for the next big breakthrough in foiling. […]

Adventures in Water Skiing, Hydrofoiling. Stand Up Foils

 

 
FIRST FLIGHT > STAND UP HYDROFOILS (1906-1989)
 

The first record of using a hydrofoil on a boat belongs to the Italian inventor Enrico Forlanini in 1906. Alexander Graham Bell and Casey Baldwin improved upon Forlanini’s design in 1919, and their hydrofoil boat, the Hydrodrom-4, set a speed record of 60 knots, which lasted into the 1960s. There have […]

Watersports & Long Term Brain Injury. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy CTE. Concussion & Water Skiing, Wakeboarding, Barefooting, Jumping

The genie is out of the bottle.

Lovers of towed watersports may not want to hear this or even consider the possible long-term effects caused by multiple hard falls.

Who wants to find out that the sport they love can have a direct and serious affect on brain function later in life?

I’m all about assumed risk. People […]

Road Warrior: Adventures in Water Skiing, Kneeboarding

 

 
13: ROAD WARRIOR
 

The 1980s were a whirlwind of shows, competitions, photo shoots, and all the craziness that comes with being single and on the road.

Rick Skinner, the Midwest rep for HO, took me on a 10-day tour of Michigan and Wisconsin, don’t you know.

We hit the road to call on Rick’s dealers over the region. […]

Win Some, Lose Some: Adventures in Water Skiing, Kneeboarding

 

 
12: WIN SOME, LOSE SOME
 

If you compete long enough there will be times you should win, but lose. Conversely, there are also times that you deserve to lose, but somehow manage to a win. It’s all supposed to balance out. I’ve had a mixed bag.

My day to squeak out a win at a major event […]

Aerialist: Adventures in Water Skiing, Kneeboarding

 

 
11: AERIALIST
 

In 1986 Herb O’Brien decided it was time for HO Sports to make their first kneeboard. He asked me to design it, and I excitedly agreed.

The first step to develop a new design is to create a test board out of foam and fiberglass. I didn’t have any personal experience in hand shaping boards, […]

Riding the Wave – Competitions: Adventures in Water Skiing, Kneeboarding

 

 
10: RIDING THE WAVE – COMPETITIONS
 

In the early 1980s watersports enthusiasts were excited about kneeboarding. The industry was pumping money into the market with new designs and an advertising blitz. More riders than ever were getting good on a kneeboard, and companies like Hydroslide, O’Brien, Connelly, and Ski Master were giving free product to the […]

Mail It In: Adventures in Water Skiing, Kneeboarding

 

 
9: MAIL IT IN
The water ski magazines were fueling the growth of the sport. In 1982 Spray ran the first kneeboarding feature story, with action shots by Terry Dorner. It was the first time real kneeboarders were pictured, even though their names were left out. The following year World Water Skiing did a makeover, and […]