- Location
- Charleston, SC
Heya everybody, I'd like some suggestions on how to get into entry-level freestyle (non-competitive) from where I am currently, which is best described as "Haha, good luck".
What I'd like: A ski that could barrel roll, submarine, whatever you call a horizontal 360, and maybe even back flip with a combination of a year or two of practice and reasonable setup wake from a wake boat or larger boat you'd see on a lake.
What I have to work with:
- A 2007 800SXR, fully functional, stock, used for two summers worth of weekend lake riding.
- A 1997(?) 750SX, heavily used / worn out / not running with a thumb sized 1/4 inch chunk missing mid hull on the bottom, that's been decaying out in the parent's yard for ~3 years. I think it'd run with some work, but the hull damage scares me.
- $2,500 ~ $7,500, assuming I'm willing to sell a kidney or continue living in a camper trailer for the foreseeable future (I am). Cheaper is always nice, of course.
- 5'6", 135lb rider with embarrassingly little freestyle experience. To be fair, I'm happy to even get the SXR out of the water and 180. Sometimes, I think it forgets I'm even riding on it, especially compared to the ol' 750. At least that would roll over if I leaned far enough.
The reason I say not-quite flatwater is because the lake I ride on is usually busy during the summer, meaning it's almost never flat. It's not wavy, but there's generally light wake cutting across in multiple directions. Lots of pontoon boats and john boats, a few wake boats, etc. in a 1/2 mile wide corridor at busy times means there can be a lot of chop. In theory, I might eventually take the ski out to the ocean, but around here I'd be in ~2-3 foot waves at most.
I'm open to almost any ideas. I have no brand loyalty and while I've read enough posts here to understand that "try before you buy" is absolutely spectacular advice, I also recognize that learning how a particular ski rides is part of the challenge and fun. As long as the ski can feasibly perform tricks after I learn them / learn it, I'd be happy. I guess an underlying hope is that the ski would actually last through the "learning process" which will undoubtedly include lots and lots of awkward landings, mistimed throttle use, etc. The only thing I'm 100% set on is that I really do not want to use the SXR hull. I'm learning towards an aftermarket hull with 800SXR innards as a starting point and additional modifications as I improve and $ permits, but anything goes.
What I'd like: A ski that could barrel roll, submarine, whatever you call a horizontal 360, and maybe even back flip with a combination of a year or two of practice and reasonable setup wake from a wake boat or larger boat you'd see on a lake.
What I have to work with:
- A 2007 800SXR, fully functional, stock, used for two summers worth of weekend lake riding.
- A 1997(?) 750SX, heavily used / worn out / not running with a thumb sized 1/4 inch chunk missing mid hull on the bottom, that's been decaying out in the parent's yard for ~3 years. I think it'd run with some work, but the hull damage scares me.
- $2,500 ~ $7,500, assuming I'm willing to sell a kidney or continue living in a camper trailer for the foreseeable future (I am). Cheaper is always nice, of course.
- 5'6", 135lb rider with embarrassingly little freestyle experience. To be fair, I'm happy to even get the SXR out of the water and 180. Sometimes, I think it forgets I'm even riding on it, especially compared to the ol' 750. At least that would roll over if I leaned far enough.
The reason I say not-quite flatwater is because the lake I ride on is usually busy during the summer, meaning it's almost never flat. It's not wavy, but there's generally light wake cutting across in multiple directions. Lots of pontoon boats and john boats, a few wake boats, etc. in a 1/2 mile wide corridor at busy times means there can be a lot of chop. In theory, I might eventually take the ski out to the ocean, but around here I'd be in ~2-3 foot waves at most.
I'm open to almost any ideas. I have no brand loyalty and while I've read enough posts here to understand that "try before you buy" is absolutely spectacular advice, I also recognize that learning how a particular ski rides is part of the challenge and fun. As long as the ski can feasibly perform tricks after I learn them / learn it, I'd be happy. I guess an underlying hope is that the ski would actually last through the "learning process" which will undoubtedly include lots and lots of awkward landings, mistimed throttle use, etc. The only thing I'm 100% set on is that I really do not want to use the SXR hull. I'm learning towards an aftermarket hull with 800SXR innards as a starting point and additional modifications as I improve and $ permits, but anything goes.
= i have or have had everything. i have a superstock sxr motor that i just pulled out of my QSM sxr hull. when i built it, it weighed 290lbs. it had huge power, but i scoured the earth for all the trick parts it had, or i'd have gone broke buying new. i'm not saying that a kawi motor cant make big power. i'm saying it aint cheap and yamaha is cheaper/better/lighter/freestyle friendly.