June 27th, 2009 was the 17th rendition of the Buoy Bash.
This is the first time for me at Crystal Springs. Its a 2 hour drive from Rochester to the home of Crystal and Darrell DeBay and their picturesque pond in the southern tier. The mood was a little heavy due to the recent tragic loss of a wonderful member of the skiing community, John O’Neill. All of the proceeds from the event went to his family, and everyone there was very generous.
It was recommended to me by John O. last year to make sure I take some practice on the pond prior to competing due to the overlapping course. Basically you ski the last 6 balls of an 8 ball course, with a few extra gates and 55m balls sprinkled in for good measure. 2 passes and you get the hang of it, and realize that the turn in for the gates happens right around ball 5 (friendly bouy as it is referred to) of the return pass. This acts as a fantastic reference, and if you ski here enough, your gates can be flawless.
Overall, its a great site truly situated in the middle of no where. Well worth the drive.
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