SKIBOARDING with World Champion Jeremy Kovak Millgrove's Jeremy Kovak won the World Skiboard Cha- mpionship in September 1993 in Dallas, Texas. We caught up with Jeremy and dad, Dave, to get a few tips and comments on the fastest growing water sport- skiboarding. What kind of board should I buy? What features should I look for? And how do "phasers" work, anyway? All the ski companies make good boards now - at first a few had a real edge, but the others caught up and they all make top quality boards that perform. Weight is a key factor when you go out to buy a board: it's easier to do aerials, flips and everything in general on a light board. You should consider size as well - the bigger boards ride higher and give you more air, but the smaller ones track better and are more manoueverable. Phasers are depressions about 5 cm (2") across on the bottom of the board. They trap air, and this provides turbulence that helps the board break free from the surface and reduces drag. This makes the board faster and makes it easier to do tricks. What about fins? There are boards with one fin, three fins, removable fins. How do I know what to use? Most companies make boards wih more than one fin. You can put on two or three fins. They also often give you small and large fin sets. For the beginner, more fins and larger fins make the board more stable and easier to control. As you progress to harder tricks and flips, you'll need smaller and fewer fins. One small fin in the centre works best for surface and wake turns, but in the slalom event a large centre fin with two small side fins works best. What about the boat and boat speed? Any guidelines? This year the Pro Tour had a Sea-Doo pulling some of the events - how does it compare to a boat for skiboarding? The big reason skiboarding is such a fast grow- ing sport is because any boat big or small - or a Sea-Doo - will do. When you first start ski- boarding you will probably ski at trick speed (28-32 kmh or 18-20 mph), but eventually you will slow down to 24-27 kmh (15-17 mph). Sea-Doo sponsored the Pro Tour, and skiers were required to do 6 tricks behind it in each round. It's a little tougher to trick behind because the wake is smaller and you can pull it down, but it was a great crowd pleaser. Advanced skiboarders prefer to ski behind an inboard because the even pull makes tricks easier. Any safety tips for new skiboarders? What about progression of trick skills? Start slow and get some good coaching. Start by jumping wakes and get your board set up so it works best for you. See if you can get a binding that releases easily, as ankle injuries can occur when you fall or catch an edge. If you're already a good trick skier you'll probably advance faster. A lot of the best ski- boarders (yourself, Darin Shapiro, Cory Pickos) come from a background in three- event "traditional" skiing. Would you say it's necessary for a skiboarder who wants to do well in competition to be a good trick skier? Are they complimentary or do you have to choose a speciality? If you have a background in 3-event skiing you can prob- ably improve faster con't next page FIRST SKIBOARD EVENT SCHEDULED Ontario's first skiboard tournament is on! Schreiner's Ski and Sports in Huntsville will host the event, which is tentatively scheduled for August 13 at Hidden Valley Resort. Plans call for a morning skiboard clinic, followed by a tricks-only tournament, which may also include a knee- board event. As this type of competition is in its infancy in Canada, the emphasis will be on fun and accessibility. We want to introduce the sport to as many new competitors as possible. If you would like more information, or would like to help as a volunteer or official, call the OWSA office. If you want to compete in the event, call the OWSA or Schre- iner's at (705) 789-6771. SKIBOARDING as a skiboarder, but there are a lot of skiboarders in the Pro Tour who only do the board and they do quite well. It's true that Darin, Cory, Russell Gay and Eric Perez were three-event skiers, but that could be because skiboarding is so new: time on the water is what makes you good, and three-eventers have a head start. What's the hardest part when you're learning? How did you get into skiboarding, anyway? For a trick skier, the hardest part at first is making the transition to a longer heavier board that seems to get in the way of the rope in tricks and flips. Whether you're a trick skier or not, you need to get the feel of the board and know where you are at all times during the trick. Just get a lot of time on the water - it'll fall into place. For myself, I always enjoyed hotdogging on the water, playing around and doing crazy things, especially doing flips on the trick ski. When skiboarding came along it was made just for me! What about the future of skiboarding in Ontario? What would you like to see? Skiboarding is taking off incredibly fast in the U.S. and Canada. Talking to ski shop owners and ski companies, E it appears that the future looks very good - some people think it will become the biggest event in water skiing. It would be great to see skiboard events in Ontario and Canada, and a Skiboard Nationals. BOAT TIPS FOR SKI FIENDS Courtesy: Mercury Marine ver tried water skiing without a boat? It's not too exciting. So it's important that you get your boat motor in shape for skiing, just as you do the rest of your equipment. If you're not confident in your own boat knowledge, get a friend to help or check in with your professional marina operator, but don't go out without proper engine maintenance. Whether you have an outboard such as a Mariner or a stern drive like a MerCruiser, there are two compo- nents to your set-up: the power assembly and drive leg. The power portion is different, but the drive section is similar in either case. There are a number of items you should check regularly to make sure they are right. * Check the level and condition of your gear case oil; * Check the condition of protective paint covering and sacrificial zinc anodes; * Be sure the kick up and reverse lock mechanisms are working; * Examine the condition of the propeller blades and shear hub; * Ensure the water pick-up inlet is free and clear. Now, up to the power section. If you're running with a stern drive, check your crankcase oil as you would your car, using the dipstick. Since most outboards are 2-stroke and get their lubrication from oil mixed with the fuel, there's no crankcase to check. But do be conscientious about maintaining the right oil/gas ratio and if your out- board has automatic oil injection, be sure to keep the reservoir topped up. With the demands of towing skiers, proper engine lubrication is an absolute necessity. There are other things to look at. * Check your plugs to make sure they are clean and gapped prop- erly. * Check your fuel filter(s) and replace them if necessary. * Be sure to check your battery, being careful to wear eye pro tection and rubber gloves. Your battery condition is critical to proper engine performance. Take care of your motor and it will deliver the good for you. Then you can get on with the important things in life, like skiing!