Z7 Review

[Horton]

I will have a D3 Z7 by end of the week! Darn! I mean Yeah Baby! No Darn! Not done with Elite review. Darn! And where the heck is my S1 anyway? Hmmmm maybe the HO guys know that if I change skis one more time I will melt. It sucks to me be.

No. I will not loan ANY of you a ski. Stop asking. If I would ever loan you a ski, you know who you are and you know the secret handshake. (The Code Word is DirtyMartini ) 

[skidawg]

I thought the code word is dirty sanchez!  Yeah, whine, moan, it sucks to ride all the good stuff.

[coreym]

Your S1 should be to you soon.  We are just pressing a bunch more.  The will be shipped out ASAP. 

[Horton]

Darn! Darn! Darn!

[skibug]

In the immortal words of Jeff Spicoli....You D#$@%CK!!!  Meant in the nicest of ways though....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBPWxtuBjaU

[Horton]

:-)

[teammalibu]

I rate the Z7 average

[Horton]

Mike,

What did you not like?

 

[Horton]

Z7 is here and is so pretty! I'll mount her early next week.

[Horton]

Staying with current girlfriend though weekend. Got to get the last of the good love before I move on.

[Horton]

Rode Z7 last night. It will take a few weeks for me to understand any ski in depth.  This ski may be harder to understand because it really fits my skiing. My first impression is very positive.

[Old MS Accout]

The Z7 Rocks.

[Horton]

MS says it rocks and D3 stock drops 30%. MS  says "It Rocks" = Kiss of death

No wait he might be right. Yea, it does rock.

[MrJones]

Ahhhh, seems I remember the "sauce" rocking through the Winter. Some skis are better in the garage than on the water! :) 

sj

[Old MS Accout]

That was my 2008 ski. My new 09 is not like my old one. I should have kept my defective ski.  

[skidawg]

3 sets on z7 and it is definately a player for 34, it may b a bit better than my sauce, eagerly waitin on the elite....

[skidawg]

3 sets on z7 and it is definately a player for 34, it may b a bit better than my sauce, eagerly waitin on the elite....

[scoke]

 

Zed 7 or Elite for you guys = cardboard checks.

 

 

[skidawg]

New brain = cardboard check.

[Ali]

MS

does that mean you have given up on the A1? 

cheers

Ali

[ForrestGump]

One of my 2 ski partners has been beating himself senseless at 38 for the last year and a half on a 9800. Unless he's perfect, it won't turn his offside once he gets to 38.  He ordered a Z7 and skied it for the first time Sunday. Says it's a keeper now as it turned 2 ball at 38 well enough for him to get to 4 for the first time since he got off the 9700 in late 07.

[Old MS Accout]

I dont have the cash to drop on a new stick. Its the A1 until next year. I put the my 106 carbon fin on and now im am liking it again.

The Z7 would be my first choice right now if I had to pony up for a new ski. 

[Stevie Boy]

I,m looking to part with a big wedge of cashs but can not make my mindup, hope to demo a Z7 in the next week or so, have to say its veryquite on the Z7  front , comments  that the ski is averageand no better than the RCX, is it as good as the RCX or is it justanother ski produced with all the regular marketing hype to get you topart with your cash. I currently ski on a sixam 2,  Where I amhere in the UK Z7 price is £1,150 or the equivalent of 1,891 USDollars.

 

[Horton]

Stevie,

I do not really understand the Z7 yet. If you read this forum a lot you know that I spend a lot of time trying to explain how the skis are different.

What I can tell you is this ski is not Hype. I suspect it is going to work for a very wide range of skiers. My review, when I figure it out, is going to be VERY positive.

[Stevie Boy]

Thanks , I look forward to your comments on the Z7, I was not to sureabout D3 trying to eliminate the "all at once turn" sure gets me out oftrouble when its not going too good.

 

[roberto]

Stevie

 Just come back from 10 days at the Swiss, took my 2 point out, tried the Z7 for two days. Matched what I was doing on the 2 point. With the z7 felt as though I was skiing on cream, turned well, smooth...but just felt a tad slow?

Certainly not disappointed but just not a discernable step forward to make me get the wallet out! It comes down to style, if you can work the ski in front of you, good with knees and hips it will please you. Otherwise the 2 point is an underated sturdy stick, go to extreme and get some good coaching, it's the only ski I have run 12 on.

Mines an 06, would like a spare, so if you change, you have a potential buyer, I am looking for a 08/67" ...01233 770174 .

Roberto 

 

 

[Stevie Boy]

Roberto just wondering if you ski at 55KPH the Z7 may have beenpreviously setup for a 58KPH skier which might make a differencebecause of the wing setting  8 degrees for 55KPH and 9 degrees for58 KPH ,not a lot but maybe enough to make the ski feel slow.Unfortunately I have a 2006 "66 sixam 2    but you canstill get "67 sixam 2 at   www.perfski.com for 499 dollarswhich is pretty good I think.

 

[Stevie Boy]

Hey Guy,s just got some interesting info from a good buddy of mine , hegot to demo Z7 and hated it, most peolple like to run the fin a bitdeeper to maitain angle ,but this kiddy decided to have a go with thefin qutie a bit shallower, one set and he,s on the phone quoting hiscredit card number, he says it totally transformed the ski, making itmuch more nimble & aggresive with tremendous turning ability. Heskis into 35 off @ 58KPH.

 

[Horton]

Numbers?!?

[Stevie Boy]

You are going to like this - NOT A LOT!  no numbers, he says keepthe fin level with the scribe line just going out of view, LOL, he does not have vernier,I have asked him to get somebody to measure itfor the numbers , if I get them I will post as soon as possible. Iguess some people just like to mess with it, until it feels right . Iprefer to know where it,s at, it may move at some point.

 

[Stevie Boy]

Ok here are the numbers that he is running on the Z7, depth =2.42   tail = 0.732    length = 6.89 still looking at skis myself very undecided, 2009 RCX or Z7 , stillthinking about the Elite but its hard to get demo over here in UKanother skier brought one blind, reckons it is like a rocketship,  and breaks him in half at bouy 2, because it turns so hard, can I handle it I ask myself or am I just going to makes thingsharder for myself, perfect style and position are not my best assets,working on it and it is improving, but I am a senior Dawg that needssome Love & Care from the equipment I ride on.

 

[Horton]

Stock for the 67 is 6.92" Tips / 2.515"  /0.755" Head /30"

Stisher is at 6.88 / 2.510 / .755

Taking the wing on and off this ski does things that I did not expect.

Without a wing it seems to turn ultra easy but the my path is early and narrow?1? With a wing I am plenty wide but the turns are not a good. Stange - should be the other way around. I am going to have to try it both ways a few more times. I think this ski just needs a little tweaking. 

[Bruce_Butterfield]

I have been holding off posting my opinions on the Z7 until I’ve had a chance to get really comfortable on it.  I now have 15 sets on it and I like it more with every ride.  It is the most symmetrical turning ski I have ever ridden.  As long as I focus on counter-rotating the ski comes out of the turn with just the right amount of angle and HOLDS it.  Its not like other skis where I have to jump on the nose, or kick the tail to make it turn, the Z7 just turns and goes.

 

“Stable†is a good description like many D3s, but unlike previous D3s this ski turns much harder, but its smooth.

 

The only adjustments I made from factory were to file 1/8†off the lower back of the fin and move the bindings back 1/8†to 29 7/8â€Â.  I don’t foresee making any other adjustments at this point – its ready to rock.

[Horton]

Fin Settings are stock?

[Bruce_Butterfield]

As "stock" as I get with anything.  Stock numbers with my filed Connelly wing, and as I mentioned, about 1/8" filed off the lower back of the fin.  That helps the tail start to come around in the preturn for a "rounder" turn, instead of dumping at the buoy.

[Stevie Boy]

Diagram of Fin  ?

 

[MrJones]

Bruce,

What were you feeling that made you go back with the bindings? What are your thoughts on the toe side turn?

sj

[Horton]

http://www.ballofspray.com/joomla/images/BlackWallOfWater.jpg

The Z7 does throw a good wall of spray. I love how the rope is going in my spray. Photo by KGH.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

Scot,

 

With the bindings at 30, I was having trouble with the ski getting behind me coming out of my strong side turn.  Moving the bindings back 1/8 greatly helped and lets me keep the ski underneath or slightly in front coming out of the turn.

 The toe-side turn is about the best I’ve had on any ski in a long time.  The attitude of the ski stays constant pretty much all the way through the turn unless I really do something funny.  I don’t have to try to turn it like most other skis.  If I’m just patient and counter-rotate, the ski turns by itself.

[Horton]

Here is a ton of photos of me on the Z7. The take away from these images is that you can do some very stupid things  and still run a lot of balls on the Zed. If you look careful you will see that no matter how bad I try to screw it up the Zed always gets back down in the lake and shoots me to the other side.

http://tinyurl.com/pblsy8

 

[MrJones]

I have been on the Z for about 3 weeks now. Overall for set up it seems that most people are factory on the bindings and going back and shorter on the fin. My best numbers are as follows.

2.507

6.870 tips

0.730 head

To me the ski initially felt as if it needed less tip. Taking tip with the factory tail number did not feel good at all. Going back kept the ski attitude flat in the water while taking tip took the bite out o the end of the toe side turn. At this point I think I could slowly add some tip back 1/1000 at a time as it is very close. I tried deeper and shallower and neither felt good. The factory 2.510 is a good place to start.

 I have been in contact with other skiers who are generally doing the same. Hope this helps if anyone is looking for set up stuff. (This if for a 66" ski BTW. If you are on bigger or smaller things may be different)

sj

[Stevie Boy]

Not for me, I have just had a demo of  6 sets on the Z7, felt likesomebody had thrown a bucket out behind me, slow slow slow struggle toget down the line 28 off @ 34mph and it was not happening, friend ofmine had a go, really had to work hard for his 28 off @ 36mph normallyruns 38 off      2  passes he called it a day hisdescription of this ski was "like riding abarge"     sorry guy,s for the negative, just beinghonest. would like to know if the rcx is quicker or if anybody else hasa comparison.

 

[MrJones]

Did you check your fin settings? If you look at what I wound up at, it is 40 thou shorter than "factory". That is given your ski was actually set to the recommended numbers out of the box which is unlikely. We checked one at a tournament last weekend and found that from the "factory" it was about 50 thou long.

 

Try it with less tip. It frees it up a great deal off the second wake with much more flowing turns. (I strongly recommend you go back with the decreased tip BTW) I actually went from 7 back to 8 on the wing after taking all the tip out and it felt fine. 

sj

 

 

[roberto]

stevie boy

Try and get a ride on the elite. That'll make you smile.

Dont put to much effort into it, you'll be at 6 before the boat!

Enjoyed my session on it this weekend, Tolerant, symmetrical and just effortlessy quick. This ski can get you out of trouble and into it very quickly.

Just discussing my findings with the CFO. I think I am going to have to commit to re-decorating the whole house off-season to secure the deal!

Roberto  

[Stevie Boy]

Yeah' set the fin to factory before I even stood on the Z7, then Ihad a go with Scots Numbers the ski just felt dead in the water turnswere average, I think that with Factory numbers you should at leastfeel if the ski has any potential regardless of what settings you endup with, I just found the Z7 hard work in comparison to the Sixam 2. Ilike what you are saying about the Elite Roberto , I must get a demo.

[Horton]

Real quick here as I need to get to bed.
If you think the Z7 is a ton of work or slow you have the crap for settings.

I found the stock settings to be . . . . not what I would ever use. I shortened and moved back and think the Z7 is a pretty darn good ski. A formal review is still pending from me but soon-ish.

My settings are  6.830 / .730 / 2.505 (tips & digital slot). Thinking about going shorter.

This is a very very good ski

[Stevie Boy]

I agree with you perhaps the fin settings I was using were not verygood for the ski with stock @ 6.91 and yourself going 6.830 and maybeshorter it would explain the drag. I did try Scots 6.870 /.730/2.505and it did feel better, I really wanted it, to be the right ski for me,D3 produce a quality product and give great customer service. I guessthat some skiers are happiest on an HO, some on an O'brien, some onConnelly and some on D3 etc, with a price tag of £1200 ( $1995 ) it just didn,t light my fire. Sorry!

[MrJones]

John,

Is that 6.830 correct or a typo?

sj

[Horton]

Scot,

I think so.... I will double check. 

The stock settings felt good but I could never settle in. It was a kind of an indescribable feeling of not being connected to the boat. I was always plenty wide and wake crossings were KILLER but I could not string 6 smooth turns together. I ran a lot of balls but was not comfortable. Even though I was wide I did not feel like I was carving in front of the ball.  Shorter and further back has transformed the ski.  It almost feels like it sits deeper in the water now. (I know this is not the case) Now I am wide, early and carving. I feel connected to the ski now.

 If you think my #s are crazy I talked so some skiers that are running Super Shallow and swear by it..... yea I will try it soon enough.

Somebody asked about bindings. RS-1 boots -Front is Bone Stock and back is as close they the Radars get.

[aguylikeshark]

True about the settings - may just need to loosen the ski up but Z7 is 36 mph capable, and your going to have to put more power down. the Sixam 2 pt is a wider 34 mph design and will be easier to ski. i've got both skis coming my way so will be able to compare the two as well.