2010 so far...& Princes ProAm update

Just the other day, I was sitting with my buddy Terry Winter....who is also a professional water skier.  We were catching up on some World News, and who was front page?  Tiger Woods, of course.  He was in the news most recently due to his performance....or lack thereof.  

As a Pro Water Skier, I couldn't help but create my own thoughts on the whole deal.  Mind you, these are just thoughts.  Excuse me if I'm wrong, but everybody is human.  OK, Tiger doesn't have the "Eye" these days....but whats the worst that could happen?  Break a nail?  Maybe get pissed and break a Golf Wrench over his knee?  He's still making millions right?  Shouldn't the news find something better to show us?...

Because heres the deal.  As a water skier, let me tell you what can happen on a bad day...when things are not going your way....when life is weighing heavy on your shoulders:  You get hurt.  You are sidelined.  You go home....empty, dejected..... 

Even worse, think about Jumping!  Can you imagine having to go jump 230 feet in a major pro event or suffer the punishment of being battered and bruised by the SportsCenter crew for losing your touch.....all after getting in a fight with your wife, getting a speeding ticket on the way to the lake, and finding out you're binding is ripped and needs repair before you go out?!  Ya, breathe that set up in real deep and tell me how your stomach feels now.  That's what I thought....gotta take a potty break right?  

I get it.  Golf is tough....is cheap (anyone can afford a ball and a club),....and can be done by kids from 1 to 92.  But its safe.

Water Skiing is the ultimate.  Doesn't matter if you're strong as an ox....strength isn't everything.  Doesn't matter if your pretty as a fairy on the water, technique alone won't take you to the promise land.  Even if you do have the strength and the style, you still need one more element:  Lets steal it from our golf buddies shall we??  the Mental Game.  

I love to ski on water.  Why?  Well, review the above paragraphs for most of the answer.  It has it all.

Do I love to fail?  NO.  This season, the 2010 ski season has taught me a lot about failure personally.  After a great few years and a few major wins up until 2007, I decided to shift focus.  "lets promote skiing".  So, the Face To Face Tour was born.

2 years and 20,000+ miles later, we had seen a lot of places, skied with a ton of people and hopefully spread a passion.  It was a different experience...a very valuable and fulfilling time in my life.

So, this year, 2010, it was decided that our Face To Face Tour would be curtailed from the previous years, to leave more time for serious training and skiing again.  Yet somehow I still found myself on the road for nearly half of the summer.  Ohhh, life as a pro.  Regardless, the training this year has been far superior to 2008 & 2009.  I am fortunate to have a 2010 MasterCraft ProStar 197 sitting on my Summit Marine Hydraulic lift, and a solid HO/Syndicate ski underneath my feet.  I am Lucky.  Truly.

But this season on the water has been my worst in years.  Is it age? 31 isn't that old.  Is it burnout?  NO, I'm more passionate, rejuvenated and fired up this year than the last two combined. Bottom line is the reason doesn't much matter.....its the struggles like this one that make us stronger.  In the spirit of "let the journey be your joy", I'm going to continue fighting, pushing and learning....knowing that things will get better.  

I've been on top before.  I will be on top again.

The Princes ProAm Final 8 are set to ski in about 10 minutes.  This event was the continuation of a tough event for me, as for many others.  Again, just a stepping stone if you will.....These times will only make us more resilient, if we so choose to evolve from them.  But as you can see from below, this event has been one of the toughest of the season.  6 guys at 2 @ 41 or more, and even more guys piled up at 3 @ 39, just out of the top 8.  The weather was cold, water was rough, glare came on yesterday, some powered thru it though.  The young french dude, Sacha, was the first to opt up yesterday:  32 head wind, 35 tail wind, then 39 into the wind AND glare....he barely went inside six.  Ballsy move, considering the cut was only 3.5 @ 39....opting up means he has to run all 6 to get credit for any of it.  He didn't.  He paid the price.  Jon Travers did the same....except his choice paid off, and he finished with a solid 2 @ 41.  I opted up as well, felt strong at 39 but went down at 2.

So this morning, there were a lot of us ready to sell our soul to the man on the corner for some good weather and just a chance at making top 8.  Actually, we weren't that desperate, but you get the picture.  The weather was worse today.  It was up and down, but most of us had challenging conditions.  I felt it was more calm for me than others....the first 2 guys missed their 2nd pass tail wind. I opted up into a head wind 39 again....not as good of a start, but still ok into buoy 3.  Screwed up.  No one else did any better into the headwind, even at 38.  It was tough.  It was Princes, in true form.  Hardnose Water Skiing.


Princes ProAm 2010 Final 8:  (Top 4 seeds get to choose who they ski against from the bottom 4 seeds)

1. Jamie Beauchesne 2.5@ 41
2. Chris Parrish 2 @ 41
3. Jon Travers 2 @ 41
4. Chris Rossi 2 @ 41

5. Aaron Larkin 2 @ 41
6. Will Asher 2 @ 41
7. Nick Parsons 4 @ 39
8. Carlo Allais 3.5 @ 39

The Rest of us...
9. Billy Susi 3@39
10. Terry Winter 3@39
11. Fred Winter 3@39
12. Glenn Campbell 3@39
13. Tom Brantley 3@39
14. Sacha Descuns 3@39
15. Matteo Luzzeri 5.5@38
16. Romain Chambaud 5.5@38
17. Marcus Brown 5@38
18. Garth Milicich 3@38
19. Thibaut Dailland 5@35

And...the choosing:

JB vs Carlo
CP vs Larkin
Jon vs Parsons
Rossi vs Will

Currently its pissing down rain, and windy as all get out.  Above are the matchups for the top 8.

JB vs Carlo?....I think I'll pick JB on this one...he's got the softest legs in the business....and he's got experience

CP vs Larkin?....tough one.  Larkin was born with grit in his teeth.  He's a Kiwi.  Parrish is the World Record Holder.  But his abilities and solidarity in adverse conditions is questionable on that Goode.  In this classic rivalry, a Moomba rematch, I might have to go with Parrish on this one...but again,..anything can happen.

JT vs Parsons?...JT is on fire...Parsons is the sleeping Giant thus far this weekend.  I see Parsons coming alive in the cold and blowing wind...he's from Utah!  JT is from Florida...water temp 92 deg.  Parsons is, well, a Yeti, but his home lake is 65 deg.  Parsons wins this one based simply on comfort factors.

Rossi vs Willy....Willy looked awful good yesterday.  Rossi did too.  Its windy tho...and its cold.  Willy is in his motherland.  He's got soft legs, and rides that Syndicate A1 well balanced. Rossi likes to rotate a bit and fall back on the tail...I am gonna lean towards Willy on this one.

Updates for the rest of the event at Twitter:  Marcus_Brown_ to follow me.

That's http://www.twitter.com/Marcus_Brown_

Till next time...

See ya..