What type of ski & why?

[skidawg]

What determines the type of ski ballers ride? Price, performance, looks, brand loyalty, friendships, etc.? MS can't answer because he is totally brainwashed.

[A_B]

Has to throw big spray.

[MattP]

I ride what is beneath my feet, I have followed brands and ski designers in the past but I am open to any ski that works for me on a performance level.

@eleeski rides his own creations because he's crazy and does not want to conform.

[Nick Sullivan]

Performance and Customer Service. There are those ski companies out there that excel at this and some that don't.

[ToddL]

Value = optimal performance at the most affordable price. This usually translates into a used ski that got rave reviews last year...

[Horton]

Are we talking about skis for before or after lunch?

[skibug]

Performance, customer service, price and no brand loyality

[ral]

Needs to be D3.

 

@scotchipman, you are talking about comparing performance between normal, mid and wide???

 

:-)

[Razorskier1]

Since getting serious about the course I've ridden KD, Obrien, Fisher, and now Razor. Rode the KD because my brother said so, tried the Sixam because Mapple rode one, went to the Fisher because the ski test that year said it was the ski to have, and bought the Razor because if the Fish was good, then the Razor had to be better, right? Price matters too -- although if Horton guaranteed me 38 off 50% of the time I'd buy a Sans Rival!

[jimbrake]

How does Goode support water skiing more than any other brand? I don't see that.

[Wish]

Nationals Sponsor, buoy innovations, ski innovations (service record aside), vest innovation, binding innovation, Big Dawg sponsor. Sponsors for a bunch of other tourneys. Not a brand loyalist, but the couple Goodes I've had have done well for me. Will most likely jump ship as several skis I tested over the summer have peaked my interest.

[6balls]

The Razor seems to have a great price point for a ski that is apparently well built using RTM, fast as snot, turns great and is stable when set up right. I know it's not in many people's conversations...but it should be. I know my technique is improving, too, but I don't think my improvements and ski change are coincidental. I'm really excited to come out of the blocks next spring w/the current set up...hoping for a big year.

[Than_Bogan]

I choose a ski almost entirely by what I hear from other tournament skiers.

 

I *keep* a ski based on consistently running buoys with it.

 

The only other factor I consider is durability, although that's been more of a dream than a reality because I continue to run more buoys on Goodes that don't last quite as long as I wish they did.

 

I suppose price matters a bit, too, but only at the extremes.

[jimbrake]

Tournament sponsorship - to some degree, yeah, I can see that. Buoy innovation - for safety's sake, OK. Ski and binding innovation is not supporting the sport, it's supporting their business which is expected and what all ski companies are doing to varying degrees to stay viable. I think they are doing what is best for Goode (including sponsorship), which is what any well run company would and should do.

 

I need to try one just so I can know "wow, why haven't I skied on one of these before" or "meh, whatever, lots o' good skis out there".

[Chef23]

I am on an HO because I could demo it and it was better than what I was skiing on. I am on the 68.75" ski also so there are fewer choices in that size.

[Boody]

Performance and that is it! With the amount of work I put into this sport, I want the best equipment, even if it costs a little more. With the money / effort we put into tournaments, gas, travel expenses and time, the cost of the ski is a drop in the bucket (even a Nano).

 

I don't get the Goode haters, its kinda weird. Goode does help promote the sport by sponsoring many significant events and was even recognized for it in the latest Waterski Mag.

 

 

[jimbrake]

I hope I didn't come off as a "Goode hater" in my post. Not at all. As I said, would like to try one. I can understand why some exist, though, based on customer service, but I've never dealt with them, so I'm not one. Sounds like that aspect of their business is improving anyway.

[thager]

Fischer #01 now Razor. Right price, and my average went way up. Turns and burns! May be a Goode design but is built tough.

The Elite is now the backup ski in my closet.

[skidawg]

MS, I said u can't answer this thread, are u looking to get banned

[KM]

It can ski like crap as long as it has cool graphics.

[Ed_Obermeier]

Whatever works for my style, period. New ski, old ski, doesn't matter. If it works it works.

 

I hate the process of searching for a new ski when I have one that works well, water time is just too rare and too precious to spend it all on experimenting with new skis. Unfortunately they don't last forever and they change models every 2 - 3 years so at some point you gotta do it but IMO it sucks. Should have bought a couple more MPD's while they were still making them, best ski I've personally been on since the KD CR7/D3 Custom 4 (basically the same ski). Lost two seasons screwing with the first generation Monza before I got onto the MPD.

[Horton]

@skidawg i deleted MS's comment by accident but still a good idea

[Horton]

I want a ski that works best when I run out of talent. I can spank my early passes on almost anything. The key is to find a ski that rocks when I am dumb.

[Ed_Obermeier]

Horton wrote "The key is to find a ski that rocks when I am dumb."

 

Probably the most sustinct statement on the subject I've ever heard. Good one John.

[tsixam]

When I bought the Original Sixam I knew from others that it was one of the best skis ever built, and it was. When it went dead I was looking for the same feeling but an upgrade and what could be better than Elite? It’s a great ski, probably one of the best but very demanding when it comes to body position and patience. I need a ski that helps me when I am running late. Like Horton, “The key is to find a ski that rocks when I am dumb”.

Goode is out of the question. I have heard so many stories about their customer service and broken skis. If even the “local Ballers” have problems, how would they treat a Baller calling from the other side of the Atlantic?

The problem we have is that it is usually very difficult to try before you buy, so we just have to read reviews listen to others and try to make a decision and buy to the right price so you can sell without loosing too much money.

Right now I am thinking of Strada, Fusion, Razor and SR2.

Tsixam

 

[Dirt]

I looked at what ski would work for me. I then decided that the best ski was one that I could "borrow" from the ball of hair and then not return. I am stuck with an A2. Not sure if it is the right ski but circumstances dictated it was the best for the moment. I have a mid ride on the way.

[ral]

@scotchipman, just teasing... For new skis, I always remember a comment made by my late buddy Carlitos Chicharro, an outstanding skier and an even better person:

 

"a new ski will feel better than everything you have tried before, will look like the one that will take you to the next level, until the ski realizes who is riding it..."

[Razorskier1]

JTH -- great point! I heard someone else say something similar about ski setup -- don't worry about how it skis at 28, worry about how it skis at 38.

 

OB -- aren't you supposed to be getting your shoulder looked at?

 

Brent -- I have dealt directly with Volker at Razor for everything and they have been terrific!

 

As for what works with a particular style, I felt like every ski I had (mentioned earlier) was an evolution for me to a faster, ski that got me more balls with less effort. It becomes hard to say which one is better at this point, however, as I've evolved significantly in skiing style over the years that I've been at this. It seems all skis these days reward good position and handle control.

 

On the Razor, I'd enthusiastically tell anyone to give on a ride. Fast cross course with low load, early to the other side, turns like a rock star, great customer service.

[skidawg]

"a new ski will feel better than everything you have tried before, will look like the one that will take you to the next level, until the ski realizes who is riding it..."

 

...That is prolly the most brilliant ski related phrase I have ever heard.

[skibug]

One flaw in the statement "don't worry about how it skis at 28, worry about how it skis at 38"...a lot of us don't get to 38....so, we have to worry about how it skis at 22, 28, 32, 35......

 

 

[Nick Sullivan]

Something else I forgot to mention. I want to buy from an American company that is making the ski in America. I never used to be a big "buy American" kind of guy. But I am now and I am following through with it from here on out.

[The_MS]

Any ski that Eddie makes.

[Razorskier1]

Skibug -- when I heard this quote it was from a pro. I think his point was that your ski set up should be dialed in for where you hit your limits, since just about any ski set up will get you through your earlier line lengths/speeds. So no matter what your level, set things up to work at your hard spot.

[Marco]

I chose my last 2 skis based upon performance and quality. I bought a Fischer # 1 in 07, and an '11 Elite at the end of last summer. The Fischer didn't break down at all over the 4 seasons on it, and the only reason I bought the Elite is because it is also RTM, and I got a good deal on it. The 2 ski very similar, and I don't notice any sign of breakdown on the Fischer compared to the performance of the new Elite. With these 2 skis in my closet, I probably won't need to buy another for a long time. RTM skis just don't seem to break down.

[eleeski]

Weight is all that really matters.

 

Since all skis are derivitaves of the Obrien Comp 1 or some other legacy ski (not the Vogue though) construction methods and materials differentiate the skis. And lighter is better.

 

Some of the innovative (wider) shapes are copies of my skis. But are they as light?

 

Eric

[Wish]

Thats never made any sence to me. Why is lighter better?? Isn't that just a manifestation of the materials available now. I can see thickness and flex/stiffness playing more of a factor so the lighter and inherently stronger materials would be the choice. Makes the ski lighter but what if i put heavy boots on it? When I'm five pounds heavier in the spring, my ski doesn't suck. Just don't get it.

[6balls]

I do think weight matters to some degree, in terms of ski swing weight and overall package. We need to change directions quickly and a body in motion tends to stay in motion.

Ski buddy runs a Goode. He had roller blade bindings on the velcro plate...I thought not too wise. Finally they wore out and he put proper Goode bindings/liners on there and instantly was running almost every 35 off he saw and having nice 38 starts. I realize other factors are also at play, but his set up is way lighter this way.

[Wish]

I guess my argument stems from that (still stuck in my head) HO Coefficent Xsl I rode this summer. It was as fast if not faster cross course than all the others I tested (all ridden with the same boots). It turned extreamly well. At times to well and would over turn. Kept pushing the fin back and that to disapiered. Same findings re: over turn for the S2 on a diff thread and thats a feather waight ski. CoX was a considerably heavier ski than the others. By a lot. Ran buoys equal to and in several cases better than the feather weight skis.

[Boody]

I switched my boots from the and old pair of FMs to the new Goode powershells and noticed a significant difference in quickness of edge changes. The ski was more nimble, but I didn't necessarily pick up bouys.

 

I do think heavier skis perform better in choppy conditions, but I would rather have a light ski.

[boarditup]

I am a heavy skier. At about 250 lbs, I have tried some of the skis the lightweight guys run and they just don't cast out after the second wake (Monza, A1, etc.). So, I am on the Radar Senate series of skis. They work well, are very forgiving - especially when I ski dumb. For me, the Eddie Roberts designs work well and fit how I ski.

[jipster43]

I skied on my '82 Kidder Redline Graphite up until I bought an Elite last year. I didn't really know what I was doing, and I did not have an accurate assessment of my abilities, but I liked the supposed durability of the RTM skis. I didn't demo a single ski - not even the Elite, but it worked somehow. A Senate C probably would have made my learning curve a little easier, but now that I'm getting more stacked and skiing faster, I've really enjoyed the Elite. The next time I buy a ski it will be after demoing everything under the sun.

[eleeski]

Weight is one factor in the design of a ski. Almost all of the top end skis have evolved to be quite light. The few grams of weight difference between light skis will get overshadowed by other factors. But throwing around a few pounds of extra ski weight will certainly affect performance. And nobody adds lead to their ski to improve performance.

 

Materials and processes that were once exotic are now standard. We don't appreciate how light our skis are.

 

Will you gain buoys on a lighter ski? A few years ago at Ski Tests, I skied well on the Monza and horribly on the System 8. Supposedly the same mold but different construction with the System 8 much heavier. It seems that I can notice weight differences.

 

Demo everything you can. Make what you choose work through ski tuning and adjusting your style. Choose lite!

 

Eric

[Wish]

@eleski or anyone, So why haven't the ski companies/designers messed with weight distribution? For example, more weight in the tail or the center or tip to create a different turn characteristics or whatever that may affect. If weight matters that much, I would think that it would be a variable the ski companies would not only be messing with but touting as the next best thing like Nano carbon or a twist or a step bottom. All the companies ever brag about is being "overall" lighter than the next. If that's all they are interested is being overall lighter and so many other design features being in the for-front of design and marketing, is weight that big of a deal?

[eleeski]

There may not be any weight distribution factor. The weight in the ski is determined by shape and load. Any tuning of the weight distribution would require adding weight for weight's sake. As noted earlier, nobody adds lead to a ski. And a small weight difference will not have a noticeable effect on performance or feel.

 

Snow skis do add weight for dampening. It improves race times. But the added weight requires a higher skill level to make it work. Old school style with lots of turns favored light skis (Hexcel, Durafiber, K2 threes, etc.). New styles favor speed only - covers of the current magazines show lines with one or two turns down the whole pitch. Personally I like turns and lower speeds down the fall line - Goode snow skis rock for me!

 

Eric

[eleeski]

Most of my snow skis last a season before the bumping takes its toll and either breaks them outright or softens them to where they don't work well anymore. My Goode snow skis are 4 years old now. They have been worked in the bumps and are showing their age. But you are right, they are still working too well to make them rock skis. But with the snow we got last week, it would be fun to make a couple turns - on rock skis.

 

Eric

[Horton]

@wish please do not encourage Eric..

 

[GAJ0004]

My last ski purchase was a 2008 D3 Nomad RCX. I switched from a 2000 O'Brien Mapple Signature which I completely wore out after 8 seasons. I bought my last ski from H20smosis Sports. I told them what I was on, and looked for a ski that I thought would be similar. I tried the HO Syndicate A1, but it did not work for me. I just could not get in sync with it after two weeks. I tried a D3 Nomad RCX and it worked perfect for me right out of the box on stock settings which I still use today. I also tried an O'Brien Sixam at the time. I could not do anything on that one either. My take is try as many skis as you can on stock settings only. Pick the one that works best for you. There are no bad skis out there. I always try the ski with the bindings from the same manufacturer. I figure it is easier to work with skis and bindings that are designed for each other. Bottom line pick the ski that works best for you. Brand does not matter...