A2 Review

[Horton]

The HO Syndicate A2 is the second of HO’s “A” or “Angle” series. Its predecessor, the A1, is one of the most popular skis in recent history. Fans of the A1 said the off side turn was ultra-forgiving, and the ski was stable and easy to ride. Detractors of the A1 said the ski was not overly fast, and it was slow turning at the on side turn. For the A2, the design team, lead by Bob LaPoint, has taken the proven design of the A1 and refined it into an even better ski.

General FeelThe A2 is a calm, predictable, and balanced ski. It waits for skier input and then does exactly what it is commanded. It is easy to ski technically correct on a ski that inspires confidence. The A2 is confidence inspiring.

Toe Side (Off Side) Turn
Approaching off side turns, the A2 apexes and arcs in early without much skier input. With moderate front foot pressure, the ski continues to draw an arc back to the wakes. The A2 carves a path around the off side that is continuous and flowing.

Heel Side (On Side) Turn
Where as the A1 required a definitive amount of front foot pressure, the A2 is more tolerant. It still requires front foot pressure but less than the A1. With moderate front foot pressure, on side turns are smooth and as flowing as off side turns. Skiers that are accustom to riding their back foot into on side may struggle to get angle.

From Second Wake to Ball
Width is easily achieved on the A2. Given reasonable handle control/rope tension, the A2 naturally draws a path wide and in front of the ball. The angle the ski achieves before the wakes is easily maintained off the second wake. By shifting your weight forward off the second wake, you will reveal this ski’s full potential.

From Ball to Second Wake
The A2 does not “feel” dramatically fast off the ball, but by design, the ski continues to acquire additional angle from the ball line to the wakes. Due to this ski’s arcing turns and overall balance, it is easy for the skier to achieve optimal position.

Quirks & Notes
Excessive physical effort is not required by the A2, but it does require that the skier maintains a steady level of aggression. When skiing in the aforementioned state, the A2 performs as described above. If the skier becomes overconfident half way through a pass, performance will diminish unexpectedly. The only trouble I had on the A2 was when I thought to myself: “Relax, Walrus. This pass is in the bag.”At the end of my scheduled month on the A2, I was given a 2012 spec fin. The new fin is thinner and unquestionably made the ski faster. The feeling of speed was especially apparent at gate pullout and out bound from the wakes to the ball line. This change made a good ski even better.

Conclusion:
The experience of riding the A2 is all about being wide, early and smooth. I think this is the best ski from HO in recent history. Mid-way through my time on the A2, I had the best ride of my life. I guess Bob LaPoint really does know something about slalom skis.

 

 

 

 

[scesnauskas]

Thanks for the good review and spreading the good word out in Bako about the A2. Steve Cesnauskas

[Stevie Boy]

Thanks for the review, did we end up with any recommended numbers etc

Regards

[Horton]

I will post my numbers tonight

[Horton]

Sorry.... my main editor is a bug scienetist. She uses big words

 

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[Roger]

Great summation! Since the A2 won men and women slalom at the Masters and Karina ran 1 @ 41 on hers just 4 weeks after going on it and at her first tournament of the year; I'd have to agree that it's the best offering from HO to date.

[ForrestGump]

I can imagine the bug scientist sitting there as she starts editing and just sighing.

[Than_Bogan]

@Horton @Gallagher And Entomologist is pretty much the same thing as Etymologist...

 

(Don't bother looking them up; it's not that funny.)

 

P.S. Female nerds RULE! Perhaps she'd be interested in http://www.geekgirlcon.com/

[Horton]

Yes you are funny ... I get it. Ward and MS will have to Google it.

[ForrestGump]

Can MS spell google?

[Horton]

Good point. He wants an A2 because he can spell it.

[SM]

Hey John, can you clarify "Best ride of my life", was it a new PB?

[Horton]

I have run 2 @ 39 before but have never run a 38 that good before. The boat path was on video and it was ZO. 100% no BS score and was easy.

[Horton]

as for numbers, I did not move around much at all.

29 1/4

2.502

6.842

.774 (slot)

.757 (head)

[Stevie Boy]

Hey John ,a bit confused numbers posted at one point were

.78 DFT

2.503 Deep

6.835 tips

29 1/2

Quite different from numbers above could you please clarify,

Best Regards

[SM]

@Horton Nice!

[Ham_Wallace]

.790

2.492

6.90-6.92

29 3/8

no wing

[Horton]

@Stevie Boy numbers I quoted last are the last numbers I used. Not sure they are perfect but are a pretty good starting place.

[Horton]

@Ham Wallace How do you measure DFT? Head of Calipers?

[Stevie Boy]

Thanks John gave those numbers a go and as you say they are good, but I found you have to be on your game. loose handle control and the ski wants to go back towards the bouy you have just come from LOL!

[Horton]

Please post your numbers

[apodawil]

Horton,

In you review you say, "At the end of my scheduled month on the A2, I was given a 2012 spec fin. The new fin is thinner and unquestionably made the ski faster. The feeling of speed was especially apparent at gate pullout and out bound from the wakes to the ball line. This change made a good ski even better."

 

Is this fin a BOS fin that is coming out? I thought your wife laid down the law. Or is this fin coming from HO?

 

[Chuck_Dickey]

Just saw a new A-2 has a red fin and fin box.

[Skihack]

Maybe it's a Strada fin box and fin. :)

[skibug]

Red is the thinner fin on newer skis

[Stevie Boy]

Question if you fit a thinner fin to the ski without the correct fin box for it, does the fin not end up out of center ?

John as for Numbers:

29 1/4 D3 Leverage Binding

2.504

6.843

.757 (head)

[Horton]

the thinner fin is what is shipping on all new HO skis.

I do not know what to say about the off center thing.... I ski good on the A2.

[Stevie Boy]

John just to make sure I,m getting this right the term head ,how are you making this measurement. I did but slot caliper but the quality of caliper was not that great, if I measure say a 2 thou plate with my normal caliper it,s 2 thou and with the slot caliper reads 3.5 thou, I do not trust it any more.

[Horton]

Sounds like you have a bad one. Strange.... Mine is money.

[Chuck_Dickey]

Best ski I have ever bought.

[ntx]

@stevie boy

Do you guys know what the difference is between 2 thou and 3.5 thou? A piece of paper is about 3.5 thou. Most human hair is 2 thou. You are splitting hairs. It cracks me up to sit and listen to guys on the dock talk about moving the fin .005 forward or back. Up or down. Most skiers I know, don't know how to use a caliper correctly. I bet you could get five guys on the dock. Give them a ski and tell them to measure the fin. I bet you get five sets of numbers that wont be within 20 thou on the length, 20 thou on the tail and 5 thou on the depth.

 

fyi, I work as a quality control manager and have over 30 years with calipers and precision CMM's

[Ham_Wallace]

Tail of Calipers.

 

[Stevie Boy]

Thanks for that ntx really useful.

[Than_Bogan]

Here's an "amusing" thing I figured out a while back: Assuming your fin is made of aluminum, that has a coefficient of expansion of 12.3 x 10E-6 in / in / deg F. So if your fin is about 8 inches long, then each degree of temperature change brings a change in your fin length of 8 x 12.3 x 10E-6 in or about 0.000074 inches. If you set it in a 70 degree room and then put it in 90 degree water, that's a 20 degree change so it lengthens by about 0.0015 inches.

 

The point of this is: Don't stress too much over the 1000ths -- they are beyond reasonable control.

 

(The alternative moral of the story is that you must measure your fin while submersed in the water you're actually going to ski in so that you can get it accurate to half thousandth as I've heard some claim you need. If that's how you want to interpret this, I guess I can't stop you...)

[ntx]

Great post Than. I bet someone will show up at a starting dock with a temp gauge, check the water temp, and adjust the fin just before they ski. LOL

It really is getting over the top.

 

 

[Horton]

seen it

[skibug]

ntx, I wholly understand your argument; but, I think we are talking about the difference between precision and accuracy. Precision is the relative grouping of discrete data; while accuracy is being able to hit the established mark. Well, If I measure my fin and make the adjustments (pretty much exclusively) my accuracy could be off; but my precision should be good. In this case a tolerance of .005 in measurements is very repeatable; but, maybe not wholly accurate. This is ok because now the adjustments of .005 are only relative to the last measured position; which I measured (i.e. I can measure my fin over and over and come up with the same measurements because I use the same method and technique). When I move the fin and measure it again; I use the same method and technique. So, the change is relative to the last fin position and not necessarily in line with the exact numbers someone else has dialed in.

[ForrestGump]

NTX, don't laugh.........that happens.

[ntx]

Skibug you are right on target. You measure and make adjustments to your ski. Everything is relative. But, then you post your numbers that work for you, and whoever duplicates them are off by ????

The two toughest are the tail and the length. Five skiers, five sets of numbers, same ski. How can anyone expect to duplicate any set of numbers posted, except that they are a starting point and may be up to .075 off on the length and tail. Don't make a big deal out of .001 or .002. You are trying to split hairs. At that point, the skier and what he is doing has a bigger effect on the ski than the movement of the fin .005 in any direction. Is our reach the same at every bouy within a inch? Do we get the same angle out of the bouy every time? Do we release the handle in the same place the same way every time? Maybe Nate does. LOL That's what I think makes a great skier.

 

 

ShaneH I know. I don't laugh. It does make me smile. SOL does that make sense?

[skibug]

ntx, agreed...5 different persons=5 different measurements. I would like to think that a base set of numbers gets you close; then you need to tune base on what you are feeling. That is where the relativeness comes into play.

[Ham_Wallace]

Is that like relative humidity?

 

[Dirt]

Are the binding placement numbers for a 67.5? Those are really far back compared to the factory recommended 30. Horton posted 29 1/4.

[Horton]

Greg told me to go 29.5 to 29.25

[Old MS Accout]

Thats on a ski with a wing. It would be differant without one on the fin.

[Dirt]

Got a demo A2 from Horton today. I have been waiting for it for a week. When it arrived, I called Greg Badal to get the best fin setting. He asked which fin was on it and told me to go check. I opened the box and had to tell Greg sorry I bothered him. This is what I found.

 

/vanilla2/uploads/FileUpload/3/923.jpg

 

The good news is Scoke's fin settings may finally be useful.

 

/vanilla2/uploads/FileUpload/4/924.JPG

[Mateo_Vargas]

Classic prank Horton. Excellent use of the holiday weekend to make Smart wait another day. When I saw him Saturday he couldn't stand it that his box was sitting at UPS. I was on the phone with him today and gave him Badal's number when it arrived. I think it went better than you planned.

[Boody]

Ouch! Smart, that is just not right. Its not like you deserved it or anything.

[Horton]

I love that ski. I ran 35 off (30 mph) on it a few years ago. Thought it would be good for Dave.

 

Could not make him ski worse

[Horton]

Latest # from Greg B. (not for wood ski)

 

.79 tail

2.500 deep

6.833 Long

[skidawg]

The mad super genius stricks again!!!!