I've been fascinated by multi engine Dynes since I first saw a video of one. I can understand how twin rig dynes came about. I've got photos in a book from the 60's showing them and explaining how twin rigs were necessary to provide a good slalom course pull. It isn't much of a surprise that every time a bigger model engine came out, somebody put a pair on the back of a dyne! But I'd love to hear the evolution of the triple rig. I'm betting somebody here could tell me all about it. Who did the first one and where. How it went. What motors. Was it kept secret until the nationals? How many skiers? What new acts it allowed. Every now and again I watch the wonderlake pyrimid thread the needle pickup. Still gives me chicken skin! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCGSEjZstqM Thanks Greg
I believe the first to do a triple rig Dyne was Badgerland. It had triple 150s, and I think they showed it for the first tournament @ Lamb's Farm in 1996. It was kind of goofy because the controls were backward. They were like Livorsi's, but the shift levers were to the front and throttles were to the rear, and when you accelerated the controls you pushed them back instead of forward. Greg
The Evinrude 150 Intruder was only about 17.5 inches wide so it fit no problem 3 wide on the transom. 60 degree V6, extremely light at about 367 lbs and low center of gravity engine. Al Hutchison put it together and it did in fact debut in 1996. Greg probably knows more about the timing of when in the season it did but I know they had it in 96 at WI State. The next year they went to Ficht 150s and the fuel consumption went down by like 70%. Aquanuts debuted a triple 175 Intruder boat in 1997. Rochester (MN) water shows had one soon after and I think in 99 or so the first attempt at a big pull was done. Badgerland routinely pulled 38 with their triple 150s and 14 pitch standard SST props. Little Crow soon joined the ranks with triple 150s and I remember for a long time one of their best acts was 5 prefab 3 highs turned into a 4 high/3high/4high right in front of the crowd at Nationals in Janesville. RAJ I think put together their first triple (150 Optis) in about 2001 or 2002. In 2003 they put together a second triple with 250 XS motors and pulled something like 44 at WI State. By 2004 or so most Div 1 clubs were on the triple bandwagon. We built our first in 04 with triple 150 Yamahas and were promptly flooded off our lake for half the season.
Here a picture of the new Aquanut triple in 1997 with the Intruder 175s on it. This picture was actually take before the boat was even finished. They wanted one for the program cover, and it needed to go to print in the spring. In the picture the boat has no weight in the bow, no throttles connected up yet, no rope guard, no ski hook mounted on the gunnels, and limited instrumentation. Greg
Thanks Greg and Must ski So not that long ago then. wow very interesting story. I'd also love to hear from the people that put together the first few, what they expected them to do, what the shakedown drive was like etc. It must have been exciting What are they like to drive? You boys interested in a road trip to Australia to see and maybe ski in a world record in January 2012? Greg
