Another one down

After a interesting year for our economy, a poor year for my skiing, losing a few of the CRBs boys and a exit for the Rowboat Abides...and Youtube blocking the Ken White video (what the hell by the way), its just about time for a change. And low and behold its December 31st...WOOT.




Happy New Year all of you out there in the CRB Kingdom!

Now go get your drink on...I suggest $2 bottles of Champaign, your morning will be the best.

Anyone else think they should actually let that ball drop and hit the ground? That would be sweet.

A Legend Moves on to Promote Waterskiing in Heaven

If God wasn't aware of Waterskiing, or specifically, collegiate 3-event skiing, well, he sure is now. Scott Coley, the man basically and largely responsible for the incredible growth of Wisconsin Collegiate Waterskiing has decided to run the course a bit farther north.

Its easy to list of the accomplishments within the waterski world that Scott was responsible for, but, that's for the lame. At the core, Scott bled waterskiing, he lived it and breathed it and pushed it to places that other parts of the country would be insanly jealous of.

A few of us within the CRB HQ have been lucky enough to meet him and work with him in various aspects of things.

His personal life? Dunno. His professional life? Dunno.

But, if either of those two aspects of life were attacked with any of the same verve and passion that...matter of fact, if those two aspects were attacked with even half of the verve and passion he went after promoting Waterskiing within the state of Wisconsin, well, thats better then alot of us can hope for.

Scott died, and there is never a "good" time to die, but, the holiday season has to be the worst. But, in an ironic sense, he promoted collegiate skiing so hard within the state that its only right that the collegiate skiers within the state are now on winter break and can attend his visitation.

Folks....our world lost one of the best ambasadors to our sport that there is. He thought outside the lines, pushed hard for growth and worked everyday to spread the love of waterskiing.

If you are in Hustisford, WI on the 23rd, stop by St. Michaels Church and pay your respects.

Official Obit

Wisconsin Waterski Federation

Get your old on!

If you guys handed noticed before, I really dig Free Style jumping, and I really dig videos...So needless to say, here is an awsome vid of old school free style jumping. Of course they have embed disabled, because they know that the ODBF is out and about, but seriously check out this one, it is well worth the viewing.

I truly belive that bringing free style back can help bring peeps back to the shore. Wake boarding has not accomplished it. But if you look back a few years, back when there were crowds in the thousands on shore lines, you will see two things that are not around now...Free style jumping and Beer! The showskiers have shown that having a beer tent and some crazy action on the water at all times can bring in big crowds. They can draw as much as 5,000 or even more while our 3 event tournaments seem to be excited to get 200 on a shore. I had to bring my own beer to the Michigan pro tour stop! I'm not harping on Tadd here, that was probably a lake rule or something like that, but I think you bring back the party atmosphere, you will bring back the numbers.

Like I would pass this up.

Sasha Fierce...What bitch!

400 posts. Holy Smokes.

Wow.

There were some changes on this site recent...like, 1o min ago. But, the CRB is has now reached 400 posts. I made a big deal out of it when it got to 100. and we blew by 200 and 300 without a mention.

But, hey...for a maybe twice weekly blog about the silly of watwerski, that ain't bad.

Total side note, had a very interesting conversation today with someone who is a bigger wig in the world of waterski and this person was predicting very bad things for our sport, like, total failure.

This could have been just chat, but, decent business people within this world know what is what, and if decent business people say something is amiss, well, they probably know.

Its a scary thought. We are lucky to be able to do what we do, but, given my current situation, its much easier to pick up a basketball then it is to fire up a slalom ski (even though i wouldnt because slalom is for the lame).

Our sport is insane. The boat companies are putting setting................









whatever....enjoy the holidays. JANUARY 11th!!! 24 LIVE BLOG! HOLLA!

ps. captioned a pic...you know, just for old times sake

Site News: Changes a plenty!

The ODBF said, "hey, rowboat, i am drinking."

I said, "wow, thats amazing...did the sun come up today?

ODBF said, "sure, why not...jerk."

I said, "Whats with the attitude, its like 3:30 PM.."

ODBF said, "really? that would mean...oh no.."

I said, "lemme guess, you got fired again from Taco Bell"

ODBF said, "I still 'techincally' work there?"

I said, "air quotes don't work over the I.M and you are also a 50 year old drunk"

ODBF said, "um, you are WAAAYYY off"

Anyways, here is the low-down...from here on out the ODBF is the official and for reals (not like the fake from before) head of this blog. The minion is out and I have been relegated to a new duty within the company.

new duty being, live blog man!!!

Also, Rowboat opinoins get posted over there on the right hand side of the screen. YAY!! more rowboat crap you don't care about!!!!! SOLID!

So. Whats that mean for you? Well, you may get once a week posts!! From there, I will be live-blogging various fun events, we tried it once with the season "premier" of 24. We will be doing it again on January 11th when 24 goes weekly for real. (see what I did there?)

Anyways...ODBF is leading the charge and has another person in the wings to help out, funny nicknake coming....but, be that as it may, keep the 11th in your calander.

Christmas beer?

The Crb crew has been doing a bit of decorating around the office* and has had a tough time keeping the world up to date on all the important happings of the waterski world during this holiday season.

No more decorating....please....

*shed behind the homeless shelter

A lake that was, will be again.

One of the most dramatic events that took place during the midwest flooding this past summer was the draining of Lake Delton. One of the biggest tourist drawing lakes in Wisconsin saw the dramatic failure of a thin strip of land between the lake and the Wisconsin River. The draining of the lake caused one of the few pro show ski teams in the US, Tommy Bartletts, to have to cancel their season, leaving quite a few people out of work and putting the entire future of Tommy Bartletts in jepordy.



But after all of that it looks like the lake will be refilled and ready for use by next spring. Which will be good news for Aqua the clown and all those skiers that dont mind getting a paycheck for what the rest of us pay to do. Well shit, I guess they actually have the right idea.




WATCH THE FLAMES DUDE!!!

Chat a hoochee

Mitchell reminded us that southern boys ski in cowboy hats and prefer to drive in rivers and go noodling and all that weird shit as shown by Alan Jackson in the Chattahoochie video. And actually he is not a bad skier, swerving a bit on a old woodie (Horton and the Wooden ski group should like that) and throwing a front on a trick ski.

I would have put the video on here, but embedding is disabled on the link, so instead I have put a video of some redneck barefooting in white trash clothes.

Rowboat Off-Topic - Movies You Can't Turn Off

The post below this one, about the USA Waterski poll was initially posted in hopes of sparking some opinions from the peeps, no go I guess, rumor has it the ODBF is furiously pounding away on the lappy with an opinion type piece.

Anyways, after the long Thanksgiving weekend I am sitting here eating turkey burritos and watching a movie. It got me thinking, there are a few movies out there that regardless of when they come on I watch the whole damn thing. One of them is, if you have read this blog for any length of time, is Shawshank Redemption.

So, I felt like posting a list of some movies that, without fail, if they are on when I flip through the channels I watch.

1) Shawshank Redemption.

This has over-taken Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as my favorite movie of all time. Its amazing and everytime I watch it I swear that something new pops on screen I didn't see before or maybe as you get older it affects you in different ways. Regardless, that's what I am watching now.

One that I noticed, was at the beginning when Andy first is working in the laundry Red says something about "This place may eventually get to him" but it doesn't. Then, the night prior to Andy escaping you see Red worrying in his cell about Andy. Had to be thinking that the place finally got to him. Then sure as shit, all Andy's talk is the truth and Red sort of has a realization. Hence...this scene.



2) The Big Lebowski

SHUT THE FUCK UP DONNY! There isn't any real redeeming or social or message in this movie other then gratuitous swearing and non-sense, I think that's why I like it so much. Plus the relationships between The Dude, Walter and Donny is just awesome.

Plus, I enjoy bowling sometimes and I think at some level all of us would love to have the "pssh, whatevs" attitude the dude has and I think we all know people like Walter. Oh, and meeting Bunny Lebowski with her offer, well, I may find a ATM as well.



3) Gladiator

Lets make one thing clear, there is some awful acting in this movie. I used the line in our Live-Blog that I have seen better acting from girls faking....err, not that I would know anything about that...you know I have heard.

Anyways, people fighting with swords and plots for revenge, well, that's two things that are pretty damn cool. I suppose there is a redemption aspect to this movie, but, more then anything, it looks cool and sword fights are cool and that weasel emporer guy, grr, he deserves to die anyways.

Plus, his, "My name is Maximus Desimus Meridius..." line is just t.i.t, tight.



4) Bad Santa

Doesn't matter what time of year it is, but, Billy Bob is awesome and I love how he just loses his shit at that kid and...well...all the time actually. For some reason the other day I spent like a 1/2 hour just you tubing Bad Santa scenes for a laugh.

Add to that the fact that A. that little kid is hysterical B. Lauren Graham is a babe and C. GOD DAMNIT...ARE YOU FUCKING WITH ME?



5) Super Troopers, Fight Club, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

These three movies to me are like listening to Led Zeppelin. I have seen each of them so many times that I can recite it verbatim at the drop of a hat, but, I rarely grab the DVD and play them when I am bored. I don't get it. Like Zep, I have all of their stuff, all the DVD's, everything, and I love it. But, yet, I never seem to find myself listening to them.

However, when I am out and about or in the car or at a bar or whatever and someone plays some Zep, damn right I sign along...well, not sing really, but, sort of, you know, play drums on the table or whatever.

Anyways, its the same with these movies, they are like that. I rarely watch em, but, damn if when I see it on I stop and watch.



So, now Red is walking down the beach and Andy is sanding away on his little boat.

Zihuatanejo!!!