Scott Gaffney Takes Shane McConkey’s Iconic Stinger Water Skis for a Rip at Palisades Tahoe

A stunning 4 inches of moist schlop coated Palisades Tahoe earlier this month on January 22, 2024. Whereas many stayed house, some ventured out for some good moisture-laden ole Sierra Cement pow turns. The resort has been house to quite a few legendary skiers over time, however maybe none extra influential than Scott Gaffney. The unbelievable skier and filmmaker has been a part of each step of snowboarding’s evolution. He nonetheless will get after it, however on this present day, he determined to interrupt out a real piece of freeskiing historical past: the late Shane McConkey’s water skis. He additionally determined to do all of us a favor and compile an excellent two-and-a-half-minute edit reside for our viewing pleasure.

For individuals who don’t know, Shane McConkey was a pioneer not simply within the precise snowboarding that he did however within the skis themselves. Because the temporary function of McConkey initially of this edit explains, he was one of many first individuals to advance the game by using bigger skis in deeper snow. Since so many individuals saved asking him why he was ripping snow on what seemed to be water skis, he mounted up a pair for his personal use. Whereas it sounds apparent as we speak, innovation is at all times powerful on the time. His hunch was proper, and he set the usual that skiers all over the world make the most of as we speak.

It may be straightforward to say that McConkey was simply one other thrill seeker, an adrenaline junkie who went too far. This, nevertheless, is much from the reality. As poetically defined on this Pink Bull function, McConkey lived to actually take pleasure in every single day. It was his manner of appreciating and profiting from each second that life needed to provide. All of us try to get pleasure out of our on a regular basis lives, irrespective of our passions or occupations. We glance to reap the benefits of the time we’ve got, however how usually do we actually try this? It may be scary, downright terrifying at occasions to reside like that. Not due to the bodily danger, there are lots of methods to cherish every day with out that. It’s terrifying as a result of it’s totally different. We are able to all take a web page out of Shane’s e-book and embrace that concern. It doesn’t must be base leaping off a 300-foot cliff. Irrespective of the way you take pleasure in every day, chances are high that the work and concern you surpass to take action might be value it tenfold ultimately. Enormous thanks to Gaffney and McConkey for uplifting us to savor every day and reside it the very best we are able to. Now, sufficient rambling; take pleasure in some water snowboarding!

From YouTube –

I took Shane McConkey’s legendary Stinger waterskis for a rip as we speak (1.22.24) at Palisades Tahoe on 4 inches of rain-saturated mank, schmoo, sludge, Sierra Cement…no matter you want to name it. I’ve skied these possibly eight to 10 occasions in-bounds over time, nearly at all times in situations like this. And so they completely rule and are probably the very best software there may be in these situations (I do know they’d do nice on a sick powder day, too, however I’m normally just a little extra eager to be on my regular gear when it’s good).

Anyway, I figured lots of people most likely haven’t seen these boards in motion since Matchstick Productions’ “Targeted” a few a long time in the past (or in our McConkey documentary), so I threw an excellent fast edit along with some GoPro clips from the day. Possibly considered one of lately, I’ll suck it up and take them out when it’s actually firing.