Comments on: Water Skiing

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 13:14:24 +0000

If you’ll zoom in until you’re about 150″ above the surface, you’ll see that the “object” has turned enough to be heading southwest away from the boat, a trick no wakeboarder is capable of. Jumping a boats wake with a wave runner isn’t illegal everywhere, (not that laws deter everyone)and this is without a doubt a wave runner.

By: Ryan Toyota

Ryan Toyota — Mon, 13 Jun 2005 20:08:04 +0000

Long exposure time? If the exposure time was long enough to extend the wake, then the boat itself would be incredibly blurred. The fact that I’ve never seen any motion-blurred images on Google Maps, especially from planes, leads me to believe that they’re not captured with a long exposure time.

By: r

Sat, 11 Jun 2005 09:06:55 +0000

Its not a wakeboard. FINAL!

By: Jared

Jared — Fri, 10 Jun 2005 16:44:15 +0000

One thing people may want to consider is the exposure time needed to take the picture. Granted, it isn’t a *long* time, but it may be enough for the long wake to be visible to the camera.

It also depends on the water. If the water was relatively calm (which it appears to be), you’ll see a longer wake.

These factors could also explain the fairly long trail for the object itself.

But, I would also agree with the fact that there is no visible “object”, so it is most likely a boarder of some type.

By: Turd Ferguson

Turd Ferguson — Fri, 10 Jun 2005 06:50:15 +0000

Here’s a zoomed in shot from world wind. I don’t see any jetski… My money’s on a wakeboarder.

http://img219.echo.cx/img219/9365/huh3gh.jpg

By: Adam Phillabaum

Adam Phillabaum — Fri, 10 Jun 2005 05:11:16 +0000

This is definitely a waverunner (or whatever name-brand you prefer).
A) That boat is going too fast for a wakeboarder… look at the white-wash coming off the bow… only a boat going 30+ MPH would generate something like that

B) the waverunner is staying off to one side. If it were a wakeboarder, all the speed they generated from cutting into the wake to jump would cause them to go all the way to the OTHER side of the wake.. which definitely isn’t happening.

anyone who said this “is definitely a wakeboard” had definitely never wakeboarded.

By: Casey

Casey — Fri, 10 Jun 2005 03:44:18 +0000

That is definitely a wakeboard. When the wakeboarder turns, the rider digs in hard to the water, creating a large wake. Jetskis are not small, they are def. bigger than people. We would be able to see the craft more clearly if it were a jetski. Also, the path left by the smaller object goes over the wake a few times.. def a wakeboarder. It’s really illegal to do that on a jetski.

By: Quinn

Quinn — Thu, 09 Jun 2005 17:43:55 +0000

The boat is obviously going quite quickly, given the size of its wake. I think therefore that it is unlikely that a waterskier would generate a wake that would even really be visible from this altitude. Yet the wake of the smaller craft/object is fairly significant. In my opinion we’re looking at a jetski.

By: Jared

Jared — Thu, 09 Jun 2005 17:31:05 +0000

Hmm…It looks like they’ve always maintained a position behind the boat and to the right of it. However, you can only pull yourself out to the side so far when skiing/wakeboarding/kneeboarding/chairboarding. But, it looks like they’ve stayed within that range during this picture.

Or it could be Jaws.

By: Ringo Star

Ringo Star — Thu, 09 Jun 2005 14:21:29 +0000

I Think that it is wakeboarding. That boat is really plowing the water to make a nice wake to do tricks off of.