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First Ride on a New Senate C


Timmo

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Took my new Senate C for it's first spin yesterday, and loved it. Very smooth, easy to turn and importantly for me, appears quite forgiving. Bought the 69" as I weigh around 94kgs. It was my first ski for the season and am still a bit rusty and went @#$% over )*@% at the first buoy on the very first run but after that all was good.

Chose the Senate for the following reasons,

1. It appears to fit into my level of skiing, ie mostly free skiing with the occasional attempt at the course at around 30 - 32mph.

2. Every review and rider critique that I have read is very positive.

3. Lastly & probably the most important reason is that the Viper Green and black goes very well with the black and green on the Malibu. I also have the green gloves, however as I said to my wife I was a bit of a fashion disaster with the red jacket and am currently waiting for permission to buy a matching green/black jacket. As I'm not going to impress anyone with my skiing it's important to look the part.(It's my first new ski since 1999, so I'm not a big spender)

Seriously though, very impressed and looking forward to a long, fun season.

  • Like 2
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Awesome. It is important to at least look good.

My new Alloy Vapor set up is going to be a bright orange color. I have a black vest, but maybe I will have to look into a matching orange vest too.

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We're losers! Too funny. Just bought a 2013 strada, which matches my orange boat and black and orange jacket. I definitely didn't get it because I was out-skiing my old ski.

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My daughter manages the local water sports shop. She tells me stories all the time of people coming in to buy boards and skis and such with the only criteria being that the color matches their boat, board shorts, etc. They don't want to hear anything about the characteristics or attributes of a particular item, only what the color is. Too funny.

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Timmo, you going to love the Senate C. I got mine last spring and it's a 65". I bought a 2012 model and saved a little $$. Mine is the bright orange. I am at about the same skiing level as you. I mostly free-ski and ski the course a little at 30-32mph. I hope next year to be on the course more and hope to start skiing at 34mph in the course.

What bindings are you running?

I do not have any matching Orange gloves or vest but I guess I will need to work on fixing that.

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Nice looking ski. I am looking at the Radar ski's and have been recommended the P6 since I have not skied in 20 years but would the Senate be a better option given it will be a bit more agile and slightly faster. I weigh 82kg so was looking at a 67"

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Timmo, you going to love the Senate C. I got mine last spring and it's a 65". I bought a 2012 model and saved a little $$. Mine is the bright orange. I am at about the same skiing level as you. I mostly free-ski and ski the course a little at 30-32mph. I hope next year to be on the course more and hope to start skiing at 34mph in the course.

What bindings are you running?

I do not have any matching Orange gloves or vest but I guess I will need to work on fixing that.

Hi, I'm currently running the bindings off my brother's KD Platinum, but I have a green/black Radar Vector boot and RTP on the way, hope they'll be here by the weekend.

I'd say the orange gloves and vest is a necessity if you want to progress to the next level.

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Nice looking ski. I am looking at the Radar ski's and have been recommended the P6 since I have not skied in 20 years but would the Senate be a better option given it will be a bit more agile and slightly faster. I weigh 82kg so was looking at a 67"

Hi Brad, Really hard to recommend a ski, I'd hate to say buy the Senate and then find it doesn't suit you, I guess it really depends what you want from your skiing. Best to have a test ride of both if you can. All I'll say is that I'm no Andy Mapple and have no intention of trying, just a weekend warrior really, and the Senate C feels really good for my level.

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Nice post, Timmo!

My nice KGB jacket could be just what you need. Goes quite well with my beautiful green and black Radar Vice!

SJGskiingIMG_3290a_zpsd2cacef8.jpg

Yes, nice combination Greenman, I'm obviously going to lift my game if I want to compete at the same level. A trip to Adelaide to browse the ski shops is now essential. You obviously like the Vice?? Have you hit the water yet this season, water up here is refreshing but skiable without a wetsuit. Probably in the high teens I'd say.

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Some questions for those of you with a new Senate C

What were you skiing before?

I ski on a 69" HO Triumph and wanted to move up to a slightly skinnier and stiffer ski. The Senate C seemed to fit the bill and had some good reviews. I went and did a test run on the Senate C and for the life of me could not get the ski to "grab" on the turn. Every turn I made the ski slid out from underneath me.

I thought maybe it was just me, but recently talking with someone else that tried a Senate (not the Senate C) he had the same issue... couldn't get the ski to turn.

I'm wondering for those of you skiing on a Senate or Senate C, did this happen to you at first? Did you have to change your form or the way you ski in order to get the ski to turn?

Thanks for any feedback.

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@CedarLakeSkier - that sounds like a ski setup issue. Bad binding and fin placement can really whack out a ski. My old Senate (non-C) was a good, forgiving ski that would definitely turn. You can get the stock settings from proskicoach.com.

Edited by billb
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@CedarLake, I did not have any issue like that. I was on a 2002 66" HO CDX.The CDX is a great ski but I wanted a 65". I have never skied a Triumph. When I got the Senate C I kept skiing the same form and it did good. I agree with billb, it must have been a setup problem?

I always call the factory to get my fin #. That proskicoach.com site had the wrong # for my old HO Nitro. It did not really mater that much because the ski was way too big for me. It was a 67".

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@Timmo, when you get the green/black Radar Vector boot your setup is going to look even better! You may have to get a green tattoo or dye your hair green. :lol: :lol:

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My daughter's setup looks pretty good with the bright pink and neon green Radar Lyric ski with the bright neon green Radar Room 38 Vector boots. It isn't the only criteria, but you might as well make it look good too if you can. Maybe she should go back to the bright pink streaks in her hair she had in high school so that it would complete the look better.

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ahopkins22LSV

@CedarLake, I did not have any issue like that. I was on a 2002 66" HO CDX.The CDX is a great ski but I wanted a 65". I have never skied a Triumph. When I got the Senate C I kept skiing the same form and it did good. I agree with billb, it must have been a setup problem?

I always call the factory to get my fin #. That proskicoach.com site had the wrong # for my old HO Nitro. It did not really mater that much because the ski was way too big for me. It was a 67".

Agreed. Or check with your local proshop they normally have all of the specs.

Congrats on the ski I am glad you like it. I have heard great things about the Senate C and thats why I steer people towards it even though I have never personally tried it. All of my friends that were on it loved it and almost all of the people I talk to at clinic/tournaments love it too.

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@Timmo, when you get the green/black Radar Vector boot your setup is going to look even better! You may have to get a green tattoo or dye your hair green. :lol: :lol:

Hmmmm. I think the tat or hair dye would be taking it a bit too far. I'm too old for a mid life crisis and so I think I'd just look a bit out of place and I'm sure my wife would have something to say about it!! She likes to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground.

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Timmo, did you take the wing off your fin?

I took mine off and there was a big difference. The ski felt like it was gliding on top of the water with 1/2 of the physical effort. What I have read and from talking to a local ski coach. You don't need the fin until you get up to 32-34mph skiing in the course. The guy I talked to at Radar said keep it on because it will help slow you down for the turn. But my coach said if your not going too fast for the turn then you don't need to slow down. Or you could say, don't pull too long after the second wake and you will not be going to fast.

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Nice looking ski. I am looking at the Radar ski's and have been recommended the P6 since I have not skied in 20 years but would the Senate be a better option given it will be a bit more agile and slightly faster. I weigh 82kg so was looking at a 67"

brad72, I am no Seth Stisher, but I can share my 2 cents and what I learned from my mistakes. Skis have changed A LOT in 20 years. And if the last time you skied was 20yrs ago, at the time you may have been on a 5 to 10 year old ski or even older ski? That would make that ski 25-30yrs old now? That is what I did. I made a jump from a 70's ski to a 2006 ski. I could not get that new ski to do ANYTHING. I was putting all of my weight on my back foot (like I rode the 70's O'brien Mach 1). I finally got some lessons and got on a new ski. It took a lot of time and it was a painful learning curve! Trying to learn new form on a ski too big and above my level was not good.

1. What kind of water do you ski on? If you are skiing on BIG open water (big lakes with lots of other boats or a choppy river). If it's big water you may want a little wider ski then the Senate (look at Theory). If on Big water, don't forget about the HO Freeride. (I love my Radar ski, but the freeride was made for big water).

2. Will you be skiing a lot? If yes, then in a little time you will may advance past the P6, and want to think about the Senate or Theory. I am personally not a fan of wider skis. It could be because of my 2006 nightmare with a ski that was too big for me. Also, I am a thin guy and I ski on mostly calm water so, I don't need a wide ski.

3. Think about getting a used ski until you get back in the swing of things. And to test ride if possible is always best.

When I got my ski I was on the fence between the Senate C & HO Coefficient X. I went with the Senate after reading a post at Ballofspray.com that said "Senate and Co-X are both great skis for the intermediate skier. You will be happy with either. The Co-X will take you farther into the course and chasing buoys."

Like I said, this is just my 2 cents. You don't want to buy something you are going to hate skiing on. Keep asking questions and someone will point you in the right direction.

Edited by wkendwarrior
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ahopkins22LSV

brad72, I am no Seth Stisher, but I can share my 2 cents and what I learned from my mistakes. Skis have changed A LOT in 20 years. And if the last time you skied was 20yrs ago, at the time you may have been on a 5 to 10 year old ski or even older ski? That would make that ski 25-30yrs old now? That is what I did. I made a jump from a 70's ski to a 2006 ski. I could not get that new ski to do ANYTHING. I was putting all of my weight on my back foot (like I rode the 70's O'brien Mach 1). I finally got some lessons and got on a new ski. It took a lot of time and it was a painful learning curve! Trying to learn new form on a ski too big and above my level was not good.

1. What kind of water do you ski on? If you are skiing on BIG open water (big lakes with lots of other boats or a choppy river). If it's big water you may want a little wider ski then the Senate (look at Theory). If on Big water, don't forget about the HO Freeride. (I love my Radar ski, but the freeride was made for big water).

2. Will you be skiing a lot? If yes, then in a little time you will may advance past the P6, and want to think about the Senate or Theory. I am personally not a fan of wide-body skis. It could be because of my 2006 nightmare with a ski that was too big for me. Also, I am a thin guy and I ski on mostly calm water so, I don't need a wide ski.

3. Think about getting a used ski until you get back in the swing of things. And to test ride if possible is always best.

When I got my ski I was on the fence between the Senate C & HO Coefficient X. I went with the Senate after reading a post at Ballofspray.com that said "Senate and Co-X are both great skis for the intermediate skier. You will be happy with either. The Co-X will take you farther into the course and chasing buoys."

Like I said, this is just my 2 cents. You don't want to buy something you are going to hate skiing on. Keep asking questions and someone will point you in the right direction.

100% agree. If you want start your own thread to share specifics and us "quite" slalom guys will get you on the right stick!

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ahopkins22LSV

Timmo, did you take the wing off your fin?

I took mine off and there was a big difference. The ski felt like it was gliding on top of the water with 1/2 of the physical effort. What I have read and from talking to a local ski coach. You don't need the fin until you get up to 32-34mph skiing in the course. The guy I talked to at Radar said keep it on because it will help slow you down for the turn. But my coach said if your not going too fast for the turn then you don't need to slow down. Or you could say, don't pull too long after the second wake and you will not be going to fast.

You are correct. The wing does slow the ski down in your glide going into the turn. It made a huge difference for my friend who skis 30-32 in the course. He was able to keep speed through the turn and ski in more of a fluid motion because he was loosing everything he created in his glide.

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It may help if you transition from the outside edge of the ski to the inside edge as soon as you cross the second wake. Put your outside hand on your butt or hip to force your hips outward. That will put you on a smooth arc toward the turn ball. You should be gliding at this point and not pulling it will help you get better angle off the ball and you will keep the line tight.

You might focus more on angle than speed. Good angle after the turn ball will set you up for a great cross wake approach to the next ball. The wing may act as a brake but it is also affects the amount of tail riding in the water. Like the others said it is probably a non issue below 32 mph.

Ski well.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 4

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Timmo, did you take the wing off your fin?

I took mine off and there was a big difference. The ski felt like it was gliding on top of the water with 1/2 of the physical effort. What I have read and from talking to a local ski coach. You don't need the fin until you get up to 32-34mph skiing in the course. The guy I talked to at Radar said keep it on because it will help slow you down for the turn. But my coach said if your not going too fast for the turn then you don't need to slow down. Or you could say, don't pull too long after the second wake and you will not be going to fast.

Hi, Wkendwarrior. No, I left all the settings as they came out the box. After a couple more skis (this weekend I hope) I'll have more of a play with it. Hadn't thought about removing the wing, will let you know how it goes.

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Thanks everyone for the notes on the Senate and Senate C. It may have been a setup issue but I tried the Senate ski at Swiss Ski School in Florida, they seemed to know what they were doing and since I was considering purchasing the ski I think they probably would have tried to set It up correctly

I had some other skiing issues that day, let's just say I wasn't skiing my best.. I tried the ski in march after I had not been skiing for several months. hard to determine what was the ski and what was me. The ski sliding out from under me was an issue I had after I had settled in a little.

Maybe another try is in order.

Edited by CedarLakeSkier
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ahopkins22LSV

Thanks everyone for the notes on the Senate and Senate C. It may have been a setup issue but I tried the Senate ski at Swiss Ski School in Florida, they seemed to know what they were doing and since I was considering purchasing the ski I think they probably would have tried to set It up correctly

I had some other skiing issues that day, let's just say I wasn't skiing my best.. I tried the ski in march after I had not been skiing for several months. hard to determine what was the ski and what was me. The ski sliding out from under me was an issue I had after I had settled in a little.

Maybe another try is in order.

It may be good to try it again. Although, you might be right. The ski might not be for you. When I tried new skis this spring I knew right away that some were not for me. Like within two passes.

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