Horton used a Wing - Horror!

[Horton]

As you guys know I am always encouraging skiers to try taking their wing off. Like everything you have to try it and see what you think. Last night I was talked into trying a wing on my SS.

This was my first ride with a wing in 3+ years. I was surprised how mild the change was. I felt a little narrow but the ski seemed like it might stay under me better. What I mean is the drag may have helped keep me forward on the ski. I also felt that the ski might be a little more settled into the lake.

 

I do not think I will keep it but it was interesting.

[DaveD]

With it set at 5 degrees, my wing is only on the fin because it's a good place to store it. 

What was the angle and what line length were you skiing at?

[Horton]

7 or 8 degrees and I ran 3 or 4 at 38

it is an O'Brien wing that I bigger then I think I needed.

[skidawg]

the connelly wing is small than the ss wing, works much better.

[eleeski]

Kirk put a wing on his ski and ran a PB (practice) gaining a full pass. He's almost better than me now. It was a big Goode wing set to a medium setting (9 degrees?). Wings are definitely not evil.

I keep waiting for Horton to design a wing that allows good acceleration while giving the tip pressure, stability and deceleration that will augment the buoy count.

Eric

[Roger]

I'd like to add something from just this weekend. One of the guys I pull a lot is Harold Hintringer, an Austrian skier who runs into 41 off @ 58k on a Fischer. Last weekend, he changed from his 66" Yellow with wing to a 68" Yellow without a wing. I pulled him during the week and he ran a very nice 39 his first set, but missed it a couple of times the next. Yesterday I pulled him again and he ran what felt like another very nice 39. After the set, I commented how well he seemed to be skiing on the longer ski (he weighs 175lbs) without a wing. He responded that he put the wing back on but at a reduced 7 degrees instead of the usual 9 degrees.

 He said that as long as everything went perfectly, the 39 without the wing was great. However, if anything went wrong and he had to play catchup, he feels the ski will not shut down as fast when he has extra speed. With the wing, he feels he has a wider margin of error when things don't go just right. This seem logical to me.

 

JT, you seem to be running right around 3 or 4 @ 38 with and without the wing. Is this also true when you're having to hack a bit?

 

[Horton]

"Is this also true when you're having to hack a bit? " 

If you are saying that I am a hack, yea that is true. Why do you think I call myself a BallOfSpray? Otherwise I do not understand your question. When I am skiing well I can be relatively smooth but frankly I am pretty good at scaring the boat crew. Not as good at it as the Dawg but who is?

 

 

I do not think 34 mph skiers should need to slow down but I am comming around to think that wing stablity and maybe keeping the ski under me more could be good.

 

 

[Roger]

I mean, when you're "scaring the boat crew," are you still able to get your usual average or do you get the ski going so fast you can't slow down and wind up with 1.5 or something else short of your usual? I know if I really get on it across the wakes into my offside, I have trouble slowing down to a managable speed for the turn with a wing, I can only wonder how difficult that would be without one. I feel the wing helps in three places. 1) Glide for the gates (though this should just be an adjustment of how one pulls out when no wing is used). 2) Slowing down after trouble starts. 3) It helps keep the tail in the water during an aggresive turn (see #2). I also believe the ski makers do their testing and designing with a wing in mind.

From what I've seen around here (Okeeheelee), you can get the same bouy count either way, but it seems the wing allows a bit more margin for error when things go wrong...

 

 

"I do not think 34 mph skiers should need to slow down but I am comming around to think that wing stablity and maybe keeping the ski under me more could be good."

Personally, I think when you get to 38 and beyond, it's ALL about being able to slow down. Anyone can accelerate, it's those that know when and how to decelerate that run the shortest lines.

 

[Horton]

For me slowing down is just not an issue. If the pervious ball is under control and I do not screw up at the edge change I want to carry our as much as I can and keep my water speed to the ball.

 

In other words: if I am out wide and in front of the ball why would my water speed be a problem?

I get 3 at 38 on anything with any setting. For me to get to 4 or 5 things have to be on. I am sure that I could ski that well with a wing but for now I am more comfortable without it.