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how much pull does a skier, boarder, tuber etc exert on the tower, pylon


Malibusteve

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I cracked welds on my tower pulling a tube like a dumb a$$. So, when we tube we pull from the ski pylon when we wakeboard or kneeboard we do it from tower...

AF1

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CompTech Marine has a quick release that will tell you how much force it released at.

Plus you can adjust it so it releases at any amount of pull.

I've seen guys push it to 600 lbs on an under-rotated front flip landing.

trickrelease.jpg

When you say releases, it gauges how much load or pull weight but doesn't disengage correct?

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CompTech Marine has a quick release that will tell you how much force it released at.

Plus you can adjust it so it releases at any amount of pull.

I've seen guys push it to 600 lbs on an under-rotated front flip landing.

trickrelease.jpg

When you say releases, it gauges how much load or pull weight but doesn't disengage correct?

Yeah, but how much is the cost versus using ski pylon that is already installed. Not trying to be an a$$, but dollars are short on this end.....

AF1

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Cost of that release is $550. When comparing that that to my $2500.00 ski, $40,000.00 boat or priceless body parts (couldn't resist), it's a drop in the bucket. And many of you have way pricier boats & body parts!

The Comptech has a couple of different settings. You can watch the white line on the bottom while the skier is riding. If you see it spike to 300 lbs, set the release to 400 lbs & let'em go. When they yank it to 400 lbs, it'll release on it's own. Or you can pull it manually, whatever works in your situation.

Another option is the Cinch release...... $65 & you don't need anyone paying attention to pull it. I've use it all the time & it works great.

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I'm not an engineer but I would think a heavy shortline slalom skier, or multiple deep barefooters would do a lot more than that. Ive pulled 3 footers deepwater and their weight alone was probably close to 700. Not to mention getting their big a$$es from 0 to 42, ok maybe 41.

These are the same guys that have ripped pylons out of their old boats, not intentionally of course

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No doubt multiple skiers/boarders/footers/riders would be huge. But ever seen one guy do it on his own?

In 2000 at the Hydrofoil Worlds in Lake Elsinore, CA., one of the Aussie riders ripped a Zeroflex tower out of an MC on a double front flip attempt. He never let go of the rope, despite the fact that he under-rotated the 2nd front flip by maybe a 1/4 rotation & landed on his back.

I know of another rider on the Delta who ripped an extended pylon out of a Maristar a few years ago too..... by himself. As I recall he was doing a trick out in the flats & yanked it sideways, where there is no bow cable supporting the pylon.

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I recall reading that Andy Mapple had a 700 lb pull years back. I also recall reading that the Rlxi pylon was tested to 2200 lbs.

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Ditto on the 2200 lbs on the ski pylon on DD. I don't know, but welds on a tower that break before the glass at the tower feet show stress? What kind of tower was that?

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I'm not sure about a slalom skier, but I can tell you this much when it comes to foiling. I, too, have a comptech release and hate riding on a boat without one. If I really try, I can make it release at 600lbs. However, I don't ever TRY to make it release - its usually good for the people watching, but bad wondering how long it's going to be before I hit water, and how much it's going to hurt when I finally do. So I set my release at 600. Just last week I had it release when I had a front flip go bad... rope wrapped around the foil. Saved the foil and myself, so right there it paid for itself. And believe me, that wasn't the first time it saved me. I'm guessing on a big wake roll I'm pulling around 500-550 lbs. Normal lower stuff is probably around the 350-400 mark.

The other thing is the pull at 600lbs is for a second at the most right before the launch out of the water.

If the slalom guys are pulling 700lbs, my hats off! It is all I can do to hang on to the rope at 600+lbs for a second (according to the Comptech guage). I can't imagine doing that for even a few seconds - it would probably rip my arms off. Granted, I'm not a small guy (6', 205lbs) - so maybe it's different for you in-shape slalom guys.

But I would guess that a single skier isn't pulling more than 600 at any given time. Ok, maybe I'll concede to 700 for a few of the elite, but I couldn't handle that. For those of you that lift weights, think of how many 45lb plates that would be on the bar that you are pulling.

And yes, I did split a Mastercraft tower last year at the Chain Reaction tourney. The welds cracked and the tower pretty much folded - but it also had an AirSling on it, so that probably didn't make things any easier on the tower.

Just my $.02 worth...

Bryan

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And yes, I did split a Mastercraft tower last year at the Chain Reaction tourney. The welds cracked and the tower pretty much folded - but it also had an AirSling on it, so that probably didn't make things any easier on the tower.

Wow, I didn't realize you'd torn up an MC tower too. Probably the current model tower too, I imagine.

David Hedley was the Aussie rider I was talking about. As I recall he was riding behind a Zeroflex at the time. Took the top hoop completely off the boat & hit Scooter's wife & put her in the hospital.

I looked on Rubber Jungle's website for some more info on Hedley. He was a helluva rider. Not sure what he's up to now days.

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The other thing is the pull at 600lbs is for a second at the most right before the launch out of the water.

If the slalom guys are pulling 700lbs, my hats off! It is all I can do to hang on to the rope at 600+lbs for a second (according to the Comptech guage). I can't imagine doing that for even a few seconds - it would probably rip my arms off. Granted, I'm not a small guy (6', 205lbs) - so maybe it's different for you in-shape slalom guys.

But I would guess that a single skier isn't pulling more than 600 at any given time. Ok, maybe I'll concede to 700 for a few of the elite, but I couldn't handle that. For those of you that lift weights, think of how many 45lb plates that would be on the bar that you are pulling.

West Coast Slalom video has Terry Winter & Marcus Brown on Pull Gauges.

Terry hits 700 at max load at 38off and 35off , after he hooks up & fully loads before the first wake going from ball 2 to ball 3. Marcus also hits 700 peak in the video.

The sustained pulls for both of these two is around 600 lbs. Neither of them are the biggest skiers at the pro level, so I wouldn't be surprised if some of the bigger guys hit higher peak loads.

Edited by Addictedto6
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Just out of curiosity, what part of that device seperates and do you not have a metal projectile screaming toward your face when it lets go? As an engineer, I would have never expected being capable of those kinds of loads without popping your arms out of socket. But if several have data to prove it, I'll go along. Duration must be very short.

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Just out of curiosity, what part of that device seperates and do you not have a metal projectile screaming toward your face when it lets go? As an engineer, I would have never expected being capable of those kinds of loads without popping your arms out of socket. But if several have data to prove it, I'll go along. Duration must be very short.

I was thinking the same thing. I wouldn't want to be in the back seat when that thing lets go!

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Quick question somewhat related.... any issues pulling two wakeboards off the tower? (I have the XS tower) I woudl assume no... and didn't really think about it untill i started reading this thread.

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Just out of curiosity, what part of that device seperates and do you not have a metal projectile screaming toward your face when it lets go? As an engineer, I would have never expected being capable of those kinds of loads without popping your arms out of socket. But if several have data to prove it, I'll go along. Duration must be very short.

Yes there is a brass piece that the rope attaches to which locks into the assembly, and then usually some type of foam float to keep it from sinking if it does release. When it releases, it ends up about 10-20 feet behind the boat when it hits the water, so there isn't really any danger to the boat occupants with the release being mounted to the tower. We use non-stretch ropes with foiling, so it doesn't travel even close to the rider. However, I'm not sure what would happen with stretch ropes - and I'm not sure I'd want to find out. But in the years that these have been available, I've never heard of someone even coming close to the released brass piece.

I am a HUGE advocate for the comptech release - it has saved many a foil and many a body part. It's not all that uncommon for tricks to go bad and arms to go through the handle - it's a bad bruise at 600lbs when it releases... and a trip to the hospital with many months/years of recovery without a release.

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Quick question somewhat related.... any issues pulling two wakeboards off the tower? (I have the XS tower) I woudl assume no... and didn't really think about it untill i started reading this thread.

Other than the risk of hitting each other? No problems on the tower that I know of, but I've never done it on any of the Illusion towers either.

The best thing I can tell you is to talk to each other a lot. Make sure the other rider knows when your about to do something & he's not cutting back towards you. We ride tandem occasionally & it's a lot of fun.

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