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Slalom Setups


EZSnow

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I've got a 72" Kidder Redline with double comp bindings... I bought the ski about 5 years ago, and am just getting around to spending some time on it. I'm 6'4" and 265. I haven't touched the factory settings on the fin, wing, or bindings. The bindings are neutral, and I seem to remember the fin being fairly neutral and a slight downward angle to the wing. There is no vertical adjustment to the fin, it is just slotted front-back.

I'm having trouble picking up slack on the off side, and in some pictures my wife took this weekend, it looks like I'm riding a wheelie both on- and off-side. This thing is a big, heavy stick. I'm pretty confident I need every bit of it to get out of the hole, so for now it's my ride. My photographer needs a little work, but I can get a pretty good idea of ski position at least, and and it looks to me like the tip is high, which I'm also open to critique on. Only one off-side, though. I'll try to get some decent ones this weekend.

So where should I be for a baseline adjustment on this thing? I'm feeling like I'd like to try it with the bindings forward one hole, but I have NO IDEA where to go with wing/fin adjustments. I just want to be in the right ballpark to start with. I'll also take any advice for getting my weight forward if that's the solution.

Man, it feels good to be skiing again!!! Yahoo.gifYahoo.gif

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You can start with moving your bindings forward one hole. I don't think that changing the fin settings at this point will do anything for your current issues. The slack issue usually comes from loading the line too much by pulling(leaning) too far out in the turn with out gliding. You should be carrying enough speed through the wakes to carry you out to your turn. After the second wake you should be easing up on the pull and gliding out to your turn. As far as the wheelie, it's probably happening because you are pushing down too hard with your back leg to make your turn. Try to just drop your hips toward the wake with your knees bent. The way I learned the proper turn on my onside, a guy told me to drop my hip like I was going to sit on the ball (turn bouy), and wow what a difference. It takes some practice because it feels really strange at first, but it really works. Keep your legs bent at all times, and don't try to force the turn by leaning back and straightening your legs, just drop your hip and the ski will roll over and bite. Slow the boat down a little and practice at about 1/2 as hard as you normally turn. Once you get that ski rolled over, it will do the work for you.

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I was just taught the same thing as Brodie is talking about dropping your hips and 'sitting on the ball'. It feels really weird at first but really works. Plus for the bigger boys out there it really saves energy.

You can practice the hip thing by pulling out from the wake outside the course.

Edited by bretski75
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I have no delusions of perfect form. I just don't want to have something SO out of whack that it might be holding me back. I want to get a solid baseline, work on my technique, then start tweaking here and there. I thought about moving the fin forward to "shorten" the ski, as it's a REALLY long ski, but I don't necessarily have any trouble getting it to turn. I don't have access to any buoys, so it's all free-skiing for the time being- enjoying the workout and the exhilaration of being back on the water.

So I'll take the criticism, and solemnly vow to work on my form, but if anyone has got a solid setup for a 72" Redline, I'm all ears.

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My reply was in no way meant to be criticism, and I apologize if it came off that way, they were just tips that helped me with similar problems in the past. You don't need buoys for what I was talking about, and you will find out that with some small changes in technique, that your ski will act totally different.

Edited by Brodie
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I was told to throw the fin away until I get to 30 off. I think I still know where it is but I don't expect to need it anytime soon.

One of the drills for slack line that I saw on 15 off is to start making perfect turns only as wide as the wake with the line absolutely tight and then gradually widen them but go back to the wake the instant there is any slack at all in the line.

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My reply was in no way meant to be criticism, and I apologize if it came off that way, they were just tips that helped me with similar problems in the past. You don't need buoys for what I was talking about, and you will find out that with some small changes in technique, that your ski will act totally different.

Hey, don't even start to think I was offended. I'll take all the tips (or corrective criticism) I can get. It's been the better part of ten years since I was carving it up, and while it feels like it's all coming back to me, I need refreshers on some stuff. Bombs away, man- I'm not too proud to work on things!

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My reply was in no way meant to be criticism, and I apologize if it came off that way, they were just tips that helped me with similar problems in the past. You don't need buoys for what I was talking about, and you will find out that with some small changes in technique, that your ski will act totally different.

Hey, don't even start to think I was offended. I'll take all the tips (or corrective criticism) I can get. It's been the better part of ten years since I was carving it up, and while it feels like it's all coming back to me, I need refreshers on some stuff. Bombs away, man- I'm not too proud to work on things!

Welcome back! It will come back to you pretty quickly with some water time. Also, every 5 lbs. counts. I lost 15 skiing years to frickin golf, and I when came back I was pretty heavy, and it really sucked at first. Now, I feel better every time I go out and I am a little lighter every time I go out.

Note to self: throw away clubs and never quit skiing again.

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There was a great line in the movie “The Secret Spot” that comes to mind, when commenting about friends always wanting to go golfing with him, a guy in the flick says something like this… “I’ll go golfing when I can’t ski anymore” Rockon.gif

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Hey EZ,

Are you open to a suggestion on a different ski?

There are 2 out there that can be had very reasonably, both are shorter than the Redline, yet provide more weight carrying capacity and less effort.

Bill

Certainly. I probably won't be able to swing another stick this summer, but maybe over the winter I can scrape up enough extra to buy a new ride. What do you have in mind?

I'd really like to try and ride my old O'Brien Synergy "Z" again. I really liked that ski. I felt like a hero on it. But, alas, it's only a 68". My biggest fear with a smaller ski is the deepwater start, but I'm willing to go demo something for sure.

Edited by EZSnow
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Hey EZ,

Are you open to a suggestion on a different ski?

There are 2 out there that can be had very reasonably, both are shorter than the Redline, yet provide more weight carrying capacity and less effort.

Bill

Just curious what would those 2 ski suggestions be? I'm not quite EZ's size but close enough that my old Connelly Rocket 68" is a chore on deepwater starts. The SuperMid I have is surprisingly just about as tough and I never really liked it much once up anyway.

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i would suggest the connely outlaw in the 69" version. This is based on the old icon powercarve which was one of the best shaped skis ever built before the wide ski design became more popular. I saw someone selling an old powercarve on ski it again for 200.oo or you can call wileys and get the outlaw for about 200 new without bindings. this ski will ski like a high end ski with great learning room.

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The 2 skis I was thinking about were the 69" HO Triumph and the 69" Radar Senate.

Both of these skis have just obscene buoyancy and perform to a very high level. The difference between the 2 are in the feel. The senate is a more uncompromising ride and really likes to hold a cross course line once its on one. The triumph is more flexible in that respect and will allow the rider to give and take at will. The other thing is how they handle speed. Both skis will perform in and out of the course from very low speeds up to 34mph max. If all you were going to do was ski in the course or stay at 34mph the Senate would be my pick.

Another difference may be the price. I found my Triumph on sale at Adrenaline sports a couple of years ago for $179 (blank). I upgraded from a HO Charger to a Nitro then to the Triumph (69 in). If I had it to do all over again, the Triumph would have been my choice hands down (again especially for the price). It’s been the best ski I’ve ever owned, haven’t skied the Senate, but would love to try it out though.

Personal specs: 5ft 10in tall, 220lbs, 15ft off @ 30-32 mph through the course.

The Triumph is a great ski that doesn’t make me feel like I’m sinking at the slower speeds like the others did.

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Well, after last nights' video session... Looks like I could use a Senate for my onside and a Triumph on my offside. Anybody make something like that? Tease.gifTease.gif

Had a good set, got up 3 times with only one failure to launch- I was trying too hard to get up easy (does that make sense?) and ended up going OTF. LOTS of nasal cleansing... off side *felt* ok, but watching the video I was hesitating/porpoising a bit on the off side until I got it hooked up and heading across. I'm probably somewhere in the nether-regions between trying to force the ski to turn and letting it bite in and turn itself. I guess I just gotta have a little faith and let it do its job, huh?

...this is gonna hurt. Baby.gif

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Here is one for $250 Triumph for example.

You can count on TMC every time to help you spend money. In this case, at least we are trying to get you a good price.

Consider dual breakaway hardshells or Whileys bindings for your next ski, your ankles may thank you for it. IMO

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In response to EZ's original question....Check this out.

This is an awesome reference tool on diagnosing problems with your turns and corrections you can make to your stick to help you improve. Regardless of what you are riding it's amazing how seemingly small changes will make a huge difference.

http://www.schnitzskis.com/skitips/skituning.html

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  • 2 weeks later...
There was a great line in the movie “The Secret Spot” that comes to mind, when commenting about friends always wanting to go golfing with him, a guy in the flick says something like this… “I’ll go golfing when I can’t ski anymore” Rockon.gif

Cheers.gif

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