“Just finished training with Nick Parsons and Dave Goode for a few days. I Will be on my way to Moomba on Monday evening. I am very happy with the way I am skiing since Just getting back on the water 3 weeks ago!” – Dave Miller

Thierry Malhomme has been training in West Palm Beach for one month and staying in top form.  Adding his usual jump rope and daily trip to the gym to his routine.

Chad Scott has been training on the water every day and skiing very well.  He travels to Australia with fellow competitor Jay Leach on Monday night.

The water is skiing really well and the temperature of 75 degrees is fantastic for optimum buoy counting.  A slight wind on the water gives it some texture.  If you have not been to this site it is one to put on your tournament list.  

More photos to come and a big thanks to the sponsors and officials who bring the O’Brien Big Dawg Series to life.

Chad Scott in Texas

An Interview with Chad Scott by Greg Davis

GREG
Congrats Chad!  What does it feel like winning the first Nautique /Obrien Big Dawg qualifier in TX?

CHAD
Well Greg, thanks for the congratulations. It has been a great feeling to win the first stop of the O’Brien Big Dawg in Houston. It is truly a great way for me to start my season and hopefully continue skiing at this level throughout the season.  

GREG
What are you doing differently this year?  Your skiing is off the charts!

CHAD
I decided to trim down a little over the winter and spent a little more time in the gym and was swimming all winter. I made several trips down to West Palm Beach and skied with Chet Raley and Becky Lathrop to try to stay in some sort of ski shape all year.

GREG 
A new ski?  Goode has been a sponsor of Nautique Big Dawg since day one, looks like something is clicking?

CHAD
I am currently skiing on a Goode Nano Twist mid-ride with the Raley ventral fin. This is the best feeling ski I have ever ridden. The set up with the Nano twist and the ventral is really working for me and my skiing style.

GREG
Who do you see as the Big Dawg Skiers to watch for going to the Michigan stop?

CHAD
There are so many great skiers that participate in this series it’s hard to pick just one or two. I think I heard that 21 skiers at the Houston big Dawg had scores into 41 off. You have guys like Chet Raley, Ben Favret, Scott Tynan, TJ, Badal, Miller and now Todd Ristorcelli. The list goes on.  Who is not to watch for?

Dave Miller, Chad Scott, Todd Ristorcelli, Harald Hintringer

GREG
Will you be competing in Michigan?

CHAD
I plan to go to Michigan and the finals this year and would like to be one of those invited to ski in Moomba next year.

GREG
I know you pulled Chris Parish to a new World Record, behind a Ski Nautique 200. Being a driver, what are your comments on the Nautique 200?

CHAD
As for the 200, it is a great driving and performing boat, which is evident by the world record set by Chris Parrish.

GREG 
I know you might want to thank some of the sponsors, any comments?

CHAD
I would like to thank all of the sponsors that support the O’Brien Big Dawg series. Certainly Correct Craft and all the others that continue to make this series possible… And thank you Greg for all you do to keep this series going

GREG
Best of Luck to you in Michigan, and we look forward to watching you ski again.

Tim Huston

Today at the Lakes of Cypress, it was a busy day of preparation for the weekend’s event.  David West, our host was busy zooming around on his golf cart making sure all was in place.  There weren’t very many photo opportunities, but you could see the look of concentration the competitors have; so we left them to their thoughts without adding the pressure of the annoying camera girl. 

The lake skis very well and there was only a slight tail wind off the dock for practice.  The concensus was that the water holds the ski tight and slows down quickly going into the turn.  Good angle behind the boat will be key this weekend.  Cypress has a bright blue colored water with the Goode bubble buoys floating at just the right height on top.  The temperature of the water is a bit cooler than what you would anticipate because the air temp is so darn hot. 

Focus, Focus

Mark Shaw, was sizing up the water conditions.  But this year don’t look for the striking blonde on the water, Mark left those of us in the blonde skier club and is now wearing black locks.  Seth Stisher is hanging out with the old guys now and I asked him how he felt about that and said he hopes he can keep up.  Ben Favret is skiing strong but after a long injury, would like to feel 100 percent again.  George Levien was roaming the site and when asked about his skiing, he said he is just happy the port-o-lets arrived.  Tim Huston in Houston is happy with his skiing this year.  He looked good on the water, so we may see him at the top of the list. 

There was a lot of interest in the contest for the final 4.  Tournament Director, Greg Davis

George Levien's most exciting moment of the day

has his work cut out for him tonight as he tallys up the votes.  If you read this by 7:00am Saturday morning (Texas time), you can still get in on the poll. 

The Nautique 200 boats were purring down the lake all day with most of the Big Dawgs taking two sets.  Becky Lathrop at the wheel.  Tim Cost will also be the other driver for the weekend.  There was a lot of pacing around with the head down stare at the ground looks as the Big Dawgs anticipate the first qualifier of the series to begin.  Good luck to all the skiers and give a shout out to your favorite via twitter @skibigdawg. 

Carbo-loading

The day finished with a relaxing reception dinner given by Nautiques with yummy food and desserts.

PCM has been an outstanding supplier and partner of Nautique for many years. We are thrilled to have an engine in Nautique boats that has been proven and tested

–Bill Yeargin,President and CEO Correct Craft Boat Company,the manufacturer of Nautique.

LITTLE MOUNTAIN, SC (JUNE 2, 2011) – Pleasurecraft Marine Engine Co. (PCM®) is celebrating its 35th year of building inboard engines designed specifically for inboard watersports boats. Over the years PCM has built hundreds of thousands of inboard engines and has been recognized year after year as having the highest level of customer satisfaction in the industry. PCM’s engineering and manufacturing experience and expertise is unprecedented, and PCM has invested many years in training what is now recognized as the strongest servicing “Premier Dealer” network in the industry. All along the way, PCM has supported the sport thru sponsorships of amateur and professional tournaments, towing thousands of athletes to victory, and hundreds to national and world championships.

Today, PCM is located in a 140,000 square foot complex built on 50 acres in Little Mountain, South Carolina. The complex includes the corporate headquarters, state-of-the-art engineering and research and development labs, as well as modern machining and manufacturing facilities. An expansive warehouse and shipping area supports today’s products and our 35-year legacy in servicing engines and parts

“On behalf of the entire PCM employee team, we are extremely proud of our heritage and equally excited about our future” states PCM President Chuck Thurman. “Our team has prepared well for a bright future by designing great performing, environmentally friendly engines. Our patented Catanium® Clean Emission System (CES) greatly reduces harmful emissions, and most importantly, does so without sacrificing the outstanding performance and durability that PCM has excelled at for the past 35 years. Our mission is to continue to lead the industry in technology and innovation and to continue to maintain the highest level of customer satisfaction in the watersports world.”

PCM is a division of Pleasurecraft Engine Group, the leading manufacturer of gasoline inboard engines in the world. To explore the PCM advantage, visit http://www.pcmengines.com.