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Ski purchase


Slayer

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So the wife has offered to get me a new ski for Christmas this year. Having just gotten back on the water after 20 years I think I could use some suggestions from the crew.

This season I skied on an HO CDs that I borrowed from a neighbor who suggested I ski it for the season before buying. Right now I ski about 30 mph and free ski primarily. While we have a course on the lake I have only had a chance to ski it a few times and focused in shadowing the balls to develop a rhythm. I ski about 3-4 days per week during the season. My goals for this year are to further develop my skills and run the course at 15 off, 30 mph. Considering this , what recommendations does the crew have? Should I buy a ski I can grow into or bug one for my current ability? I think I should be getting a ski that I can grow into and use for a few years while I learn to run the course effectively.

Please let me know what you all think. FWIW I am 5'-10" 190 lbs. TIA for your responses.

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My vote....... if planning on staying at 30mph, then 67" Radar Theory....if 32 0r 34 mph is in your future, the Radar Senate 67" will go there with you, and well into the course. Both give good bang for the buck.

Note that both of these skis received a redesign for 2011...not that there was anything wrong w/ prior versions.

Best of luck....

Edited by davemac
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My vote.......Radar Theory 67" if planning on staying at 30mph....if 32 0r 34 mph is in your future, the Radar Senate 67" will go there with you, and well into the course.

Best of luck....

Thanks. I do see those speeds in my future but not until I nail things down at 30.

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I've had both those skis (actually still have the Theory for boat guests) and was at same size as you. Personally I liked the Senate much better. The Theory is wider than the Senate, and thus will allow slower speeds. The problem with adding width to a ski is that unless you are proficient at wake crossings (meaning you properly keep the ski on edge), the wider ski will bounce/jump more....if flattened at the wakes.

You might want to experiment w/ different speeds some. Many boat's wake characteristics will change considerably between 30 and 34 mph. Sometime the smaller wakes that come w/ a little faster speed will make things more comfortable to you.

Edited by davemac
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I love my Senate and purchased it with Dave's advice after he found a killer deal on them. It's been a great ski. I play around in the course, but am still learning proper skiing form and have made a lot of progress with this ski over the last year. I usually free ski at 30-32 @ 15 off.

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Senate all the way! My brother and i are 6'5 and 6'8, 180 and 200 pounds ski on a 69". I ran the course for the first time in my life this season. At 30 mph, i got to 28 off on this ski. Radar makes some good stuff and the senate is a great ski.

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I've had both those skis (actually still have the Theory for boat guests) and was at same size as you. Personally I liked the Senate much better. The Theory is wider than the Senate, and thus will allow slower speeds. The problem with adding width to a ski is that unless you are proficient at wake crossings (meaning you properly keep the ski on edge), the wider ski will bounce/jump more....if iflattened at the wakes.

You might want to experiment w/ different speeds some. Many boat's wake characteristics will change considerably between 30 and 34 mph. Sometime the smaller wakes that come w/ a little faster speed will make things more comfortable to you.

This is a great point, Dave. With the wider ski that I used all this past season I found that once comfortable with keeping th ski on edge it seemed that the wide ski required a ton of effort to maintain the edge on wake crossings. At speeds of around 32 the wake got much better behind my boat. As martinarcher states, the senate may be good for me as I can grow into the ski.

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I'm 5' 10" and around 200, so not so different.

I tried the Senate C this past spring. I wanted to try the Carbon version because a stiffer ski is usually a little better for a heavier guy like me. Well, I have to say, I didn't like it at all. It could have been that I hadn't skied in 6 months (I tried it while in Florida in the spring). It could have been that the ski wasn't as wide as what I was used to. It could have been just me. But when I was skiing the Senate it felt like it wouldn't grab in the turn. Every time I tried to turn the ski would flly out from underneath me.

My thought on the Senate after several tries was that it would improve my form and technique, because I wouldn't be able to ski it without that improving, but until then I would be very frustrated on that ski.

I am currently skiing a 69" HO Triumph. It's a really nice ski. Less expensive than the Senate, especially if you go a year or two old (it hasn't changed much) and would be a great ski for the speeds you are talking about.

If you are getting it for Christmas it will be tough, but you really should try to ski on it before you buy. It only took one run to realize I don't think the Senate is a ski for me.

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You could also try all the Radars on Silver Lake in Fenton this Saturday from 10:00 AM till 4:00 PM. Silver Spray Sports is having thier Polar Ski that day. I hear that it is free too, you just got to bring your own wetsuit (if you think that you need it).

I went with the Theory and am pleased with it. I will keep it forever but probably upgrade to a Senate in a couple of years. If I lived on a lake with a course, I would go with the Senate.

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I'm a big fan of the Senate too, but it needs a lot of weight on the front foot. With weight on the front, it will hook up, turn well & be really stable.

If you ride the tail, it will not turn well at all - you will really feel like you're sliding through the turns.

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I'm a big fan of the Senate too, but it needs a lot of weight on the front foot. With weight on the front, it will hook up, turn well & be really stable.

If you ride the tail, it will not turn well at all - you will really feel like you're sliding through the turns.

I learned that. I started with too much weight on my rear with the Senate and wow what a difference once you get more weight up on your front foot.

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I mostly barefoot but got back into skiing this year. I demoed a Radar Vice and was not to thrilled. I had a buddy who had an HO A1 Syndicate and I liked it. I ended up buying an A2 Syndicate on ski-it-again and I absolutely love it. I would recommend trying to demo some skis and see what you like. I think its all about personal preference. You could also try looking for advice on ballofspray.com.

Brett

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You could try some skis on Saturday at Skier's Pier! You'll have the lake almost to yourself.

You could also try all the Radars on Silver Lake in Fenton this Saturday from 10:00 AM till 4:00 PM. Silver Spray Sports is having thier Polar Ski that day. I hear that it is free too, you just got to bring your own wetsuit (if you think that you need it).

I went with the Theory and am pleased with it. I will keep it forever but probably upgrade to a Senate in a couple of years. If I lived on a lake with a course, I would go with the Senate.

If I had a dry suit, I'd likely do just what you both suggest. Given the fact that we have a couple inches of snow on the ground, the thought of jumping in the water without a dry suite is NOT at all appealing. :)

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I'm 5' 10" and around 200, so not so different.

I tried the Senate C this past spring. I wanted to try the Carbon version because a stiffer ski is usually a little better for a heavier guy like me. Well, I have to say, I didn't like it at all. It could have been that I hadn't skied in 6 months (I tried it while in Florida in the spring). It could have been that the ski wasn't as wide as what I was used to. It could have been just me. But when I was skiing the Senate it felt like it wouldn't grab in the turn. Every time I tried to turn the ski would flly out from underneath me.

My thought on the Senate after several tries was that it would improve my form and technique, because I wouldn't be able to ski it without that improving, but until then I would be very frustrated on that ski.

I am currently skiing a 69" HO Triumph. It's a really nice ski. Less expensive than the Senate, especially if you go a year or two old (it hasn't changed much) and would be a great ski for the speeds you are talking about.

If you are getting it for Christmas it will be tough, but you really should try to ski on it before you buy. It only took one run to realize I don't think the Senate is a ski for me.

I like the idea of a lighter, more stiff ski. I also like the idea of demoing a ski but I don't really see that happening. I guess that's the beauty of ski it again for me. I can get a decent deal on a slightly used ski and if I don't like it or it doesn't work for me then I can always sell it and not be to far behind.

The other thing to me is that it would seem fitting to get a ski that is slight above my ability. I don't want to be in a position of having to buy a new ski each season. It would be nice to have one that will get me through a couple seasons before replacing it.

hijack on.

welcome back to the world of the skinny stick.

i typically ski the course at whitmore lake most days during the season.

give a shout.

hijack off.

I may take you up on that if you don't mind me being the worst skier in the boat! :biggrin: All kidding aside, I would likely only do so when my skill level and confidence is high enough to actually get through the course. I would return the favor here as well. You're more than welcome here to run our course if you don't mind skiing behind an SSLX.

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The other thing to me is that it would seem fitting to get a ski that is slight above my ability. I don't want to be in a position of having to buy a new ski each season. It would be nice to have one that will get me through a couple seasons before replacing it.

Not sure what your budget is, and it would presently be overkill, but surprisingly Radar's top of the line ski (the Strada) has gotten great feedback from skiers of a wide range of abilities....with recreational skiers having good success with it. A nice used one (2010+) would set you back $600-$700. If you want to drive to N.H. this Sunday, you can try mine BYODS (bring your own drysuit) 46F water/ 53F air :) . Heck, I might even sell you mine...67" (PM if interested).

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FWIW in my opinion, until you're running target speed (presumably 34) running at least 22-28, do NOT get an uppoer-echelon ski. they are too stiff, the bevels too sharp, and are too narrow to generate speed without angle off the ball which is only possible once you're getting "up" on the boat. The only highend skis that I have seen skied successfully by "beginners" are D3s. In my opinion, people way overbuy slalom skis. Don't let your ego convince you you need a new strada/a2/etc. Get a "soft", round beveled ski which will allow consistent forgiving turns and allow you to progress your angle.

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FWIW in my opinion, until you're running target speed (presumably 34) running at least 22-28, do NOT get an uppoer-echelon ski. they are too stiff, the bevels too sharp, and are too narrow to generate speed without angle off the ball which is only possible once you're getting "up" on the boat. The only highend skis that I have seen skied successfully by "beginners" are D3s. In my opinion, people way overbuy slalom skis. Don't let your ego convince you you need a new strada/a2/etc. Get a "soft", round beveled ski which will allow consistent forgiving turns and allow you to progress your angle.

Yep...all good advice.

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FWIW in my opinion, until you're running target speed (presumably 34) running at least 22-28, do NOT get an uppoer-echelon ski. they are too stiff, the bevels too sharp, and are too narrow to generate speed without angle off the ball which is only possible once you're getting "up" on the boat. The only highend skis that I have seen skied successfully by "beginners" are D3s. In my opinion, people way overbuy slalom skis. Don't let your ego convince you you need a new strada/a2/etc. Get a "soft", round beveled ski which will allow consistent forgiving turns and allow you to progress your angle.

And your thoughts on a specific ski?? Found a great deal on a Senate that I'm considering.

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I find my D3 extremely forgiving. Love it but can't say how it would do below 34mph. I am on a Z7 68" I am 5'10" 210lbs

Ya Ya I am a round old fart but this ski has done me very very good. :biggrin:

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