@Ron Funkhouser Hello, Many people have tried to waterski behind a car and boat using the old longboards. It was something that was fairly easy, since the wide boards were pretty stable and heavy enough to go straight at the start. Double narrow water skis are the normal beginner’s starting mode. Some start with one ski. But the surfboard gives confidence as one steps onto the board at the start. For most, stability is the key. Being pulled by a car is a rarity as there are a few public places where this is even possible. Daytona Beach comes to mind, but water skiing behind a car? Is it allowed? Jnaki Comparing the wide surfboard of old to the narrow lightweight ones of today, for stability, the heavier old boards are easier to stand up and go. The lightweight ones would be like a real single waterski, except they are a little wider. So, is that why a lot of people start off with dual skis or the more athletic folks start off with wakeboards? Smaller, but like a wide snowboard. When we all went to the Colorado River, as teenagers with a Ford powered inboard boat, the goal was to water ski on the pristine smooth portion near the Parker Dam. The water was cold, but at least, when falling, it was refreshing and a mouthful of clear water was ok. Learning on a single ski was not that bad and I got about 20 feet to win a bet about single ski motion. The 63.5 Ford Galaxie had enough power to tow the longboat to the river and back. I was up and stable, but the driver of the boat was the person who started the bet about me “not” being able to stand up on a single ski. So, everyone witnessed me jumping up from the beach, being pulled out into the water and standing up. But, in order to win the bet, the driver gave it some V8 power and yanked the grips out of my hands while turning too soon. Later, being pulled behind a powerboat creates a wake and the wake is like a wall of the real wave action at the beach. So, what you can do on a real wave, surfing, is simulated by being pulled as one goes up and down the face of the wake as well as moving back and forth. A wider surfboard would make it easier to stand up and at least get stable enough to move on a wake. Of course, the smaller wake gives a perfect ramp for power moves up and over for a jump. In surfing, the up/over and back down the face of a wave is also able to be done, but you are not connected to the board and could fall off. With a larger surfboard, it would be difficult to jump out of the water, since the length of the old longboard is quite deep in the water and heavy. Note: In surfing contests, one gets points for “air” but, only if you come down and continue surfing as if it was a part of the wave repertoire. If one falls down at the bottom of the move, then no points are added. YRMV
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