SkiReel- for the rider that must have EVERYTHING

Jim M · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 2933

Great concept, user friendly, looks cool, but worth it? I think this product may be a little overboard on what wakeboarders really need to spend their hard earned money on (just an opinion). But hey if you have an abundance of flow and no regard for spending, it may just be the thing for you!

I have friends that can adjust the line length too, its a pretty amazing process, heres how it goes- they stand up, take the rope off the eye, move it up or down a section, then tie it back on, all in about 10 seconds. Amazing huh!

Josh R · Posted: May 15, 2003 6:33 am Post subject:

It IS a cool idea... But most wakeboarders really wouldn't need it. It's a lot of $$$ for something we can already do.

On the other hand, every Wakeboard school out there should have one of these things. It has some pretty good applications in that section of the industry.

anti-shoobies · Posted: May 15, 2003 7:24 am Post subject:

Very good point JRobinson.

Jim M · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 2933

Yeah no kidding, but you are referring to places that get all their gear for free via sponsors. Same as pros.

And about precision, that part is nice, but I just use scissors! I ride at 78 ft on an abbreviated 80ft line.

jedsterr · Soul Rider Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 291 City: Star Idaho

$300-600 for lights that (usually) sit on the tower & do nothing more than look cool --vs.-- $1000 for something you'd use every time you ride. Not that irrational after all.

I don't have the flow to afford one, but it would be a nice add on.

Dees · Posted: May 15, 2003 7:42 am Post subject:

or $900 tower speakers that dont get used when i'm riding. Pisses me off when the drive would rather shoot the breeze with the passengers then let me listen to music.

Jim M · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 2933

Now Dees that is something I wouldn't put up with. I am by no means a thug, but we make it very clear to new arrivals that we ride to blaring hardcore rap music and they will just have to deal with it. Thumbs up doesn't mean speed up, it means "turn up my riding music, WTF!!!" Surprised

And if you drop $500 for a light bar, this probably is the product for you! They didn't manufacture this thing for nothing, there is obviously a market for it. Just look at all the financed $50K boats being pulled by financed $20K trucks!!

jedsterr · Soul Rider Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 291 City: Star Idaho

payments payments payments!

Millertyme · Posted: May 15, 2003 9:30 am Post subject:

They need to make that Skireel thing adjustable from the rope handle? If your rope is non stretch why cant you run a wire and controls to the handle??? In that case why cant you connect it to perfect pass and adjust the speed also? HMMM? If anyone uses my idea, I want half of the profits.

Millertyme

Premier135Chick · Guest

L-A-Z-Y........just like the power flag. Why pay all the extra money when you can make the other people on the boat do it and earn their ride?

west coast boarder · Addict Joined: 09 Mar 2003 Posts: 558 City: Nor Cal

I'm with premier chick about the power flag. That thing is the biggest waste of money. I don't see why someone just can't hold there arm up with the flag in there hand. Why do we need to push a little button and have it pop out of a little cylinder on the tower.

skireel · Newbie Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 44 City: Houston Texas

All good points and we like the feedback. There are tons of accessories that are really not needed on a wakeboarding boat but they make life easier and of course funner. Don't knock it till you try it. The time you save by adjusting your line on the fly vs. stopping the boat and sectioning off equals more time riding. If you wakesurf, the WakePro will pull you right in where you need to be to the inch. How much time have you spent undoing knots and tangles because the towrope was on the floor and got trampled by your clumsy buddies.

Jeremy Coe · Soul Rider Joined: 27 Feb 2003 Posts: 408 City: Auckland

skireel, good points. So does the handle just hang from the tower if the rope gets pulled right in to stop clumsy buddies stepping on your rope and tangling it?

WMrider · Posted: May 15, 2003 11:26 am Post subject:

"more fun".............................cool concept though

jumalian · Ladies Man Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 7625 City: san diego

Are people really that gullible? Sorry, I don't believe in laziness to save 1 minute. Maybe you could send me one, to convince me, and I'll do a review. Laughing

Jeremy Coe · Soul Rider Joined: 27 Feb 2003 Posts: 408 City: Auckland

jumalian, you and your reviews....hello my name is jumalian and I would like to review the XStar towing capabilities of a Lamborghini Murcielago.

jumalian · Ladies Man Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 7625 City: san diego

Wouldn't that be awesome? Laughing

Jim M · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 2933

haha good one Jeremy

Thanks for the info SkiReel, and yes indeed you can count on us to lay it all out there! I would sport one and show it off all the time if I had a heap of c-notes burning a hole in my pocket. Or if I was a sponsored pro of course.

Thanks for offering up a very cool and very innovative product, I hope it goes well. Call me when the $100 version comes out Laughing

j/k. Practicality can be debated until its a beaten dead horse, but determining that is only up to the potential buyers. Unfortunately most of us don't fall into that category Crying or Very sad

Jeremy Coe · Soul Rider Joined: 27 Feb 2003 Posts: 408 City: Auckland

yeah, until you pulled the ass end out of the Lambo and had an italian V12 engine dragging along the asphalt...

How come you aren't a moderator anymore?

Jim M · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 2933

..adjustment on the fly is a cool feature, I would use it all the time just to upset the rider...

"HEY HOW BOUT SOME RIDING WAY BACK THERE IN THE WASH!!!"

jumalian · Ladies Man Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 7625 City: san diego

I am...but only in a couple forums.

Premier135Chick · Guest

You wont really have a knot problem if you wrap up the rope right the first time. It is a cool concept, just not one I would invest my money in. I can see a lot of people who have money to blow wanting to invest in both this and the power flag. I guess it is kind of like getting extra options on a car....

One question, if this product is geared towards wakeboarders, then why is it called a SKIreel? Just curious.

byerly2003 · Criminal Joined: 13 May 2003 Posts: 82 City: Nashville

to much money for what it does

skireel · Newbie Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 44 City: Houston Texas

Premier Chick,
The company is called Skireel but the product is called the WakePro.
I remember when fat sacks came out and then boats started coming with auto ballasts. I said that was too much to be able to just flip a switch and ballast the boat, hell I was used to cement sacks or filling up my fat sack with the hose. Then I rode on a SAN that had it and I was convinced I had been wasting my time using a water hose. Same concept here. Mission 2 Ride pulls 25 riders a day and they all have their preferred lengths. Now they just hit the button on the dash and adjust the length of the rope as they tow the rider. They can reel in or out to any length between 15 and 95 feet. Boom done. Try it and you will ove it.

Jim M · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 2933

I have a 'mission to ride', same as Umali, will you sponsor me too??

This is pretty cool though b/c its a groundbreaking product. Same as the Flight Control Tower and integrated ballast like you said. We do pay for all these enhanced options because we warranted their cost, agreed that everyone is leary because they haven't used it before.

Have you guys talked to any boat mfg's about adding it as a factory option?? It would be great if you had a whole fleet of boat dealers on your team, they would act as agents and would help to move a lot of them! Especially if you could encompass the price into a 15yr finance!

One more question - My normal crew uses 3 different ropes/handes due to preference. I know most comp riders are very picky about their rope/handle so these things wouldn't go over well in comps. Is it easy to change out lines or are they pretty much fixed in??

ATX-BigZACH · Newbie Joined: 25 Apr 2003 Posts: 41 City: Austin, Texas

Thats what I wanted to know. I didn't buy a 100 dollar rope just to throw away, I want to use the one I already have. Why cant people send you their rope and yall put it on? And 1000 is pretty steep for something like this, if thats how much it costs. I could see maybe 200 but thats all.

dizzyj · Soul Rider Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Posts: 485 City: Austin, Tx

all skireel has to do is get correctcraft to offer them on their nautiques as an option and they will sell as many as cc sells wakeboarding nautiques.

you cant tell me that people dont buy every little gadget and convienince with thoes things, hell they brag about it here.

tc · Posted: May 15, 2003 2:29 pm Post subject:

The WakePro is a pretty cool accessory to have. If you are a boat gadget person and have all the gadgets you can possibly think of, this is definately a cool add on toy.

For those of you that don't like cold water you can do this:
http://www.wakepics.com/view_single.php?medid=2337

I'll get some better video up soon.

I hear that they are working on a remote version which will allow the rider to control thier own rope length.

The WakePro definately adds a new dimension to wakeboarding as now there are towable sliders. You can tow you're slider while you ride adjust the rope length to hit the slider then when done hittin the slider give your self a lil more rope and jump wake to wake. COOL!
Hopefully have that video out too!

Funkster · Posted: May 15, 2003 3:38 pm Post subject:

Iam not saying that this idea is not cool,but have you guys seen the price of wakeboarding in general??? Wakeboarding is expensive and this is just one thing I can live without. Good idea thought!!

Jazz · Posted: May 15, 2003 6:12 pm Post subject:

I agree with most of you that it IS a cool IDEA, however, its way too expensive for the average wakeboarder.

The Wakepro (along with plenty of other wakeboarding gadgets) reminds me of Homer Simpsons automatic hammer, and that automatic flag thingy, its quite funny. Still, someone has suggested to me;

"just take your bull-bar off you 4wd, and strap it to a tower, that steel rope on your winch is non-stretch!"

I guess they were ahead of their time a little. Seriously though, the product should be pushed towards Wakeboarding schools, with multiple ropes even.

Skireel, i guess you have already thought of it but i'm thinking a disclaimer about launching off the swim platform would be in order, can anyone imagine the ramifications (sp?) should someone inexperienced catch an edge or face plant while 3 feet from the platform? Anyway just giving you a heads up on it (an i'm from Australia!)

ty540 · Addict Joined: 14 Feb 2003 Posts: 603

I think that it would definitely be nice to have for competitions... especially because people who aren't used to the boat can adjust on the fly.

skireel · Newbie Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 44 City: Houston Texas

You can use any rope you want in the WakePro. Your sectioned yellow jacket, viper series, etc. We sell Straightline, Accurate, Masterline etc. 90 feet all one length ropes that have colored sections. The WakePro has a T bar that allows you to reel the rope completely out and switch to another mainline fast.

Jeremy Coe · Soul Rider Joined: 27 Feb 2003 Posts: 408 City: Auckland

sounds good skireel...is there any extra wear on the spectra?

skireel · Newbie Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 44 City: Houston Texas

No extra wear on the rope at all. The WakePro platform is made of polished stainless with special wear proof fairleads that guide the rope. If you get a chance to do a Mission2 Ride or Backyard tour clinic, our WakePro will be on the boat.

derrick · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 723 City: Orlando

or it's just something else to break on the boat. If you can roll a rope decent then why would it get tangled?