Good Combo Skis?

[Sunapee]

I need to replace our old O'Brien Celebrity combo skis and am not thrilled with the choices I have found so far.

They are primarily used by my wife who is moderately aggressive. She can't slalom because of back issues, but loves to get out on two skis. On occasion, we use them to teach newbies - but that doesn't happen too often. I think that we would use them on crowded days when we simply can't find good water to slalom if the binding would hold up.

The issue that I have with almost all combo skis I see is the bindings. Does anyone make a decent combo ski with decent adjustable bindings? We don't need high wraps, or anything that resembles a comp setup. Just a good binding with some support for intermediate skiers that might last a few seasons.

Last year I got a pair of Hydroslide WakeSkates that had a newer style binding that had a fixed heal and a toe that wrapped over your foot with a Velcro strip to hold it tight. In a word, they sucked. You could not get it tight enough on your foot to feel secure, and they tore during the first week. I mention this because HO Combos offer a Helix binding that looks very similar. Has anyone used the HO Helix?

[Hwood]

Last year I got a pair of Hydroslide WakeSkates that had a newer style binding that had a fixed heal and a toe that wrapped over your foot with a Velcro strip to hold it tight.

Sounds a lot like this!

In a word, they sucked. You could not get it tight enough on your foot to feel secure, and they tore during the first week. I mention this because HO Combos offer a Helix binding that looks very similar. Has anyone used the HO Helix?

I would say you probably won't be happy with the Helix either. The support from the old style combo skis comes from jamming your foot as far forward as it'll go in the front. Most people don't slide the heel forward enough to get the necessary support. With nice soft rubber, you'd be suprised how snug you can get those things. Adjust the heel first then jam your foot in, you'll never get them tight enough after your foot is already in. I'd stay away from a padded footbed unless you have good anke support otherwise your ankle rolls and the ski stays flat. No control advantage.

The BEST pair of combos I've ever skied on are Connelly FLEX 250s. There are a couple generations of the FLEX line, they are all good. Nice and lightweight too! I know most of these cheap skis come out of the same factory (Connelly, O'Brien, HO, etc) but there is just something about these.

[NorCaliBu]

O'Brien Performer Combo come with the X-9 lace-up neoprene bindings. They look decent, haven't checked them out close up but it was the pair that I was considering for while (ended up blowing it off altogether). The X-9 bindings are the same ones that they put on the Impulse (their recreational ladies slalom).

See them here.

[88Skier]

I like old wooden combos. Much easier to teach newbies on. Go on ebay. There's always pairs of Cypress Gardens combos for sale. I've got a pair of HO Perfomance combos. We don;t even use them anymore. Everyone likes the wooden ones better.

[electricjohn]

I like old wooden combos. Much easier to teach newbies on. Go on ebay. There's always pairs of Cypress Gardens combos for sale. I've got a pair of HO Perfomance combos. We don;t even use them anymore. Everyone likes the wooden ones better.

Someone finally agrees with me. There is NOTHING easier to ski or start on than an old pair of flat bottom wood skis. What do show skiers use? I can ski twice as long on my old (and well maintained) CG's, then I can on my O'B Performers. My daughters in the avatar are on wooden skis, they hate tunnel concave skis too.

Edited July 2, 2008 by electricjohn

[MN_LSV]

I like old wooden combos. Much easier to teach newbies on. Go on ebay. There's always pairs of Cypress Gardens combos for sale. I've got a pair of HO Perfomance combos. We don;t even use them anymore. Everyone likes the wooden ones better.

Someone finally agrees with me. There is NOTHING easier to ski or start on than an old pair of flat bottom wood skis. What do show skiers use? I can ski twice as long on my old (and well maintained) CG's, then I can on my O'B Performers. My daughters in the avatar are on wooden skis, they hate tunnel concave skis too.

My mom (60) will only use her very old flat wooden combo ski's. She swears she can't ski on anything with a tunnel. She skied last weekend, and we asked her what she would do if one of them broke. She said "I guess I would be done skiing". She went on to say that she was thinking she should give them a coat of paint. Too funny!

[Sunapee]

Thanks for the input. I picked up a pair of O'Brien Performers with the X-9 binding @ Sports Authority last night. We'll see how they fly!

Interesting comments on the flat bottom wooden skies. In my younger days we all used EP jump skis. They had a honeycomb core and dead flat bottoms. Anyone know if the ones used today are flat? I would LOVE to find a pair of the old EPs!

[Hwood]

Interesting comments on the flat bottom wooden skies. In my younger days we all used EP jump skis. They had a honeycomb core and dead flat bottoms. Anyone know if the ones used today are flat? I would LOVE to find a pair of the old EPs!

I'm also a big fan of some flat bottom woodies. I have several pair that I use as kick skis for barefooting. They track well and are nice and light. They also give you a very good feel for the water.

It is starting to sound like you are talking about my jump skis!