How young were you on your first water ski?
 

Bet ya not this young.

This is not my video. Little nutty, but wow.

https://youtu.be/joT-rykf7KE

yikes...
 

....borderline child endangerment....

I think I was 10 or 11 when I learned to ski. Certainly after I knew how to swim!

I think that is a bit of a stretch, there is direct supervision, and the child has on a PFD.... Not that I recommend the practice.... But don't blow it out of proportion.

Is not a pair of water skis, is more like a 1950's style, aqua board ..... what beginners used to use, before moving up to two water skis.

Recall Mitt Romney aqua boarding around Wolfeboro Bay, standing on a step ladder attached to the aqua board ..... going no hands.

Can this baby do that!

Blow it out of proportion to what...??
 

why would anyone put a 6 month old baby in that situation? Obviously, the baby isn't asking to go water skiing, so it is purely for the adults' entertainment, which is completely irresponsible.

Why would parents let children travel in the back of station wagons with out seat belts on? Why would people allow children to travel in the back of pick-up trucks....

I can go on and on here.... Three are many situation, in history where we can look back and say why did someone put there kid in that situation. The question is was the parent doing it with malicious intent? The answer is usually no... As I stated, would I have done that with a six month old... not on your life. These people chose to, from what I can see in the video there was excellent supervision.... so I don't see an issue....

We are going to have to agree to disagree on this one I think...

Honestly think this is a little over the top. Would you say the same for people that have toddlers skiing or snowboarding or playing golf or ice skating. Non are old enough to “ask”.


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A Baby is Not a Toy...
 

Riding in back of a pickup truck is not legal in Florida, although that traffic law is seldom enforced.

After Hurricane Irma, construction workers (mostly out of Miami) would be packed in tightly.

With too little room in the cab, my BIL rode in my truck's bed. I hoped we wouldn't encounter the Sheriff's Department on our short jaunt. As it turned out, we were followed by the Florida Highway Patrol for several miles :eek: and as we turned off the highway, he continued onward! :eek2:

I see a similar "situation" in boating, where an adult takes a baby on a Jet-Ski ride.

For non-swimmers, the risk is excessive, IMHO.

Camp Lawrence
 

Started water skiing at Camp Lawrence when I was 9 or 10. We skied off the West Beach behind the "Tinkerbell ", camp director Wellington Tinker's boat.

Dave

There's no value in putting a kid that young in that situation except for the parent ego boost. The child has no control beyond the grip and, should he fall, hitting the water or board could cause major damage.

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I’m just very sour someone else had fun. NIMBY

According to this statue, adults riding unrestrained in open (cargo) bed of a truck is legal in FL.
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/...0316.2015.html

No, I don't think clarifying this detail has much relation to the risk/reward discussion of a toddler waterskiing.

This has nothing to do with fun or NIMBY but rather calling out dangerous behavior with a child who can't advocate for himself. The parents' only job is providing safe opportunities to learn and skiing at 6 months, at least to me, is not safe at all.

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"waterskiing"?
 

Hardly. I see it as new age viral exploitation of the baby.....might as well have used a squirrel or a dog.....but if you used a dog someone would call it animal abuse. Don't need a license to have a kid.

Soo sour...

When I first saw the video (my wife found it on facebook) I thought of how you lake lovers would love to see it. Not argue over it.

I did think about it being a little nutty, but still kind of cool. They are going pretty slow and watching like a hawk. I think they genuinely thought the baby enjoyed it and perhaps naively thought nothing was wrong with it. Were we all raised by smart parents?

This Video popped up after the first one, of another baby water skier and they discuss the debate a bit here. It might lower the tension.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fr9LlsvPzQ

We taught our daughter to water ski I think around age 9. I had to tie the wooden skies together because her legs were not strong enough to prevent from going into a split on launch. Even though she was a pretty good gymnast. She popped up in what seemed like 20ft.

We put our daughter through gymnastics. She could snap her neck at almost any time. And some do. Were we abusive parents? She did diving too and hurt herself pretty good a few times.

I didn't start water skiing until later. I got hooked on the lake life through dating my wife. So I learned around age 23. Love water skiing. I'm really kind of bummed it's not as popular as it used to be. Because I don't think there is anything quite like it. Nothing like a slalom ski on glass water just after the morning fog lifts in August behind the purr of the inboard motor pulling you with ease. You feel like you are flying. No blasting music needed.

Where’s Broadhopper? I think he started barefoot skiing when he was 9.

I learned how to ski when I was 9 years old. Had northland skiis and at that time you wee not required to wear a PFD.

No doubt you have experienced this. :):) In my high school years it was anywhere from 40 to 60 miles per-day practicing for the water ski races back then.

Started on my moms ski's when I was about 7 years old on Northwood lake .... a day I'll never forget, Regretfully I wish I had a chance to introduce my dad to "Sunset Bob" they would have really enjoyed each others company. My dad learned how to water ski behind a jeep (yes the truck jeep) while stationed in the air force in Texas.

I started when I was ten. Never really liked skiing on two but when we changed over to slalom, it was a whole different world.

Funny how once you learn to slalom ski you never want to go back to, two skis ever. As you mentioned a whole different world especially on one of those flat foggy mornings that "mswlogo" eluded too.

It is true. Can you think of one person that ever went back?

Slalom sking
 

I learned to slalom as a teenager. There was a family in our neighborhood that had 2 brothers of championship ability. The one was a slalom skier of incredible skill. All of us teenagers emulated his skill and tried to copy him. We too liked going in the early morning when the lake was like glass. I'll never forget watching our neighbor skim the lake like a ballet dancer, shoulder 6 inches from the water during his turns, pushing a wall of water 20 feet into the air.