Connelly Stealth bindings, any reviews yet?

[jefflyman]

Im looking for a safe binding for next season after double knee surgery this Jan. I like they way they release, especially side to side. Boots a bit tall but could be and ankle savor.

[Patmaster]

I heard good things from an insider, but they will be available only in January, last time I asked.

 

[Jim Neely]

I know of two skiers who received some for testing prior to full availability. Both indicate it takes about 5 sets to get use to them, couldn't get the ski to turn. After that they thought they were great. Safety seems the big selling feature.

[Than_Bogan]

It's trite, but still bears mention: There's no such thing as a safe binding.

 

I do think the multi-direction release of the plate & pins style is a good design, though, and is among the safer options.

 

Re taller boot: If you get stuck in an OTF, the force concentrates at the top of the boot, wherever that may be. I have heard that snow ski racers have demonstrated this particular bit of physics by breaking their legs higher up...

[Patmaster]

For those among us with shaky/broken front ankles, a higher boot may be interesting!

[jefflyman]

Agree with all the above and thanks for the info. This site is great for REAL information. I understand the Fogman-Stealth relationship but dont understand what the diff. is with a short boot vs a taller one? I would guess more leverage from a taller and less with lower? But a lower gives more ability to adjust by bending some at the ankle. I'm buying something just want to make the right move. I currently use Connely Fastback- hinged and yes there tall! Oh ya... chaseing bouys is my love so turning is important, any thoughts?

[jipster43]

I've had the Fogman's and am currently on the Radar RS-1's. The Fogman's were great, but I did sprain my ankle slightly when I stuffed the tip and ultimately found getting in and out of them more hassle than I felt worthy. I've been on the RS-1's for a season and have not had any issues with them at all and they're easy on and easy off. I love 'em!

[jefflyman]

Rs-1's a plate binidng where both feet stay together?

[jipster43]

No. They can release independently, but that has never happened to me. Knock on wood!

[Jim Neely]

I've been essentially off the water for 3 months because of an ankle injury. I was on RS-1s. Front foot released and back foot didn't. So, moving the stress point away from my ankle sounds like a good idea. Also, keeping both feet in or both feet out sounds like a good idea.

[Jim Neely]

Turned too early and ran over 3 ball (off side turn).

[nate93]

I was on the radar strada bindings and trashed my ankle this year. I got a set of fogmans and they are fantastic. The support, ski control and comfort is unreal not to mention they keep your feet warm in cold water.

 

I believe those bindings got me back on the water months before any other would have.

[Horton]

@nate93 when you got hurt, where the laces tight?

[Wish]

I've built my own hard-shells systems for almost a decade now. This by no means makes me an expert (crazy maybe). But it does give me insite and perspective. What I have found (for me) is that higher is better in terms of safety and performance. There are those who will argue that lower cuff makes for more control. Jury is still out on that for me. But without question, the tall boots I run have saved my ankles nomorous times. The boot bends forward only so far then stops. At worst I've felt pressure at the hing of the ankle. Said correctly above the higher boot transfers the load up the leg. To me a good thing. Higher means much larger bone stucture and no complexed joint to get messed up. To me that says less likelyhood of an injury. My shells cuff moves plenty front to aft but is extremely ridged almost snowski boot ridged. The Connellys do not seem to have this. Would like to try them and compare.

[Horton]

@rico I could not disagree more. I wear mine as loose as is practical.

[Chef23]

I am with Horton I wear mine loose as well.

[19skier]

Just cut up an old post-surgery boot to limit forward ankle flexion on the new EXO's. Stock they are very low cuffed and I am like Wish - would rather break a leg than what's left of the ankle. The more the forces can be shared with big leg bones the better.

[Ilivetoski]

Ok, I feel I have to say something here. People who typically get hurt on RS-1's or Strada bindings hurt themselves due to the fact that they tighten them as tight as they can go. @rico if you have to tighten them so much then you need a diffrent size, its not the style its the size with you. I have NEVER been hurt with 3 years on Radar RS-1's.

[jipster43]

I wear my RS-1's very loose and I love 'em!

[scuppers]

Yes loose for sure. The whole idea is for your feet to come out liner and all.

[nate93]

I didn't have mine very tight but obviously too tight as my foot came half way out. My post wasn't ment to bash the Strada boot but to highly recommend the Fogman system. I personally like the control the hard shell creates and as I said before it got me on the water much faster due to the added support.

[Patmaster]

19skier, Wish, you revolutionized the hardshell (garage) industry. Wish, can you impress us with a photo of your creation like 19skier did? Connelly, Fogman, are you listening? I've been on Fogmans forever, willing to try the 2012 EXO's (good enough for JT...should work for me). But the high front boot concept sounds great - I only have a limited number of tweaks left in my front ankle! Awsome guys!

 

[Wish]

Bear in mind I do this for fun and to save bucks. I'm a skier on an extreme budget. This was a way not to shell out hundreds of dollars for hard shells. My total investment on my current set up is less than $50.00. As you can see the cuffs are tall and the waffle structure on the inside makes them extremely ridged. It is a Goode type Velcro release system. Heels are elevated as the boot was originally designed to sit that way when they were roller blades. Rear boot is rotated. I believe in the safety of my system with the high ridged cuffs. But as Bogan said "there is no such thing as a safe binding" Take all the advice you can get, learn as much as you can make your personal decision. Common sense goes a loooong way.

[Wish]

Ok, why are my pics tiny??

[Wish]

that didnt work. sorry. used to be able to insert photo no prob. you can kinda make it bigger on an iphone or android but its a little fuzzy.

[Patmaster]

Brent, JT showed me his EXO's, he goes back and forth, but he seems to be trying to figure out what works best. Said that Exo's saved him during a tough crash at 39... good enough for me.

 

[jefflyman]

Never thought I would get this much interest. Safety in this case is over-shadowing performance so I think the Stealth will be the one. The high boot wins, I rather break that leg bone than an ankle. Ice coming soon here so time is on my side.

 

Thanks all and happy holidays!

[Jim Neely]

@OB, Air filled buoy. We recently purchased a set of bubble buoys but the lake level is down, not to mention cold, so we will wait till spring to install them. Some of our turn buoys are in 4 feet of water, but will be around 6-8 feet in the spring. I wear my RS-1 laces loose but when hitting a buoy it's possible for the ski to twist before the foot releases.

[Ed_Johnson]

Jim,

 

You will Love the bubble buoys. The peace of mind will improve your skiing.

 

They do require a little more attention to keep them "Burped" and at the right level, but well worth the effort.

[19skier]

bump I would really like to hear some feedback from anyone who is using these thanks.

[Horton]

I am wrapped up in the S2 review but will get to the bindings in a week or two.

[Patmaster]

As a Fogman user from almost the very beginning of hard shells, I thought I'd share my latest impressions. EXOs ski just fine if you are used to double hard-shells, but hard plastic/buckle combination will be missed by those used to it. With boots more like Powershells EXOs would be more interesting for Fogman and Powershell users, IMO.

STEALTH suffers from similar issues, whereas the boots look really interesting and promising, particularly the carbon base. I tried only the front boot (it takes forever to mount it on another Fogman plate) and gave up after two passes because it hurt me higher up on my shin. Maybe my foot/leg is just not good for it. Anyway it was a lot of effort for not much of a result. I happily went back to my Fogmans, which I use with Intuition liners made for Powershells. Nothing comes close to this in comfort/control combination. Latest experiment - adding an old (probably Reflex) "tongue" made of hard plastic to my front Fogman boot feels great. It just may prevent excessive flexion forward of my worn out front ankle! Curious if anyone else likes to use this accessory?

[Deanoski]

Me and 4 other reflex users I know all like the plastic tongue in the front boot.

 

I find like snow ski race boots the lower shell gives the user bigger angles and better ankle movement for fine tuning control. But you need to have strong ankles. so do ankle work outs and make or keep them strong them strong.

[jamieb]

The Connelly Stealth Boot/Binding Release System.

Features.. Carbon lower chassis, lowest possible volume, custom feel in a stock boot. Built in liner. Higher boot, prevents ankle injury. Leather uppers that mold to your stance with use. Speed lace system to customize fit. Adjustable, injury preventative and performance enhancing tongue. Rotatable, and cantable on the releasable plates.

Rather than having a plastic cuff, the stealths upper leathers allow the shredder to move where they need! So sic!! The boots look tall and. Nasty, but don't be scared, the uppers simply hold you in position, really soft, especially after a year of balling. They become super custom, after a few rides. The tongue should be snug if you are concerned with your ankle vulnerability, you can loosen up the tongue if you ski with mad knee bend. I like to snug mine up, and laser beam thru mashed up conditions like a surgeon!! The tongue adds tip pressure depending on the setting, and is a whole new weapon!

The new Connelly prophecy comes with inserts mounted for the system, no drilling confusion for youl!! The new ski has modified bevels, rails, steps, with a new top contour and graphics! All of which improve performance, enhance the sweet spot and will just help you look BOSS!

Jamie Beauch.

[jamieb]

Waterskiing put forces on our bodies.....

Lots of my friends and myself have smashed up our ankles skiing short line, and just skiing period. The stealthys tongue design, gives the skier some extra support when needed. Like when we eat @&$t. !! Hit a buoy, etc... Ankle flexion is key to running a lot of buoys. And so is keeping your ankle healthy. These boots adjust to the skiers style simply by adjusting the tongue angles. My testing has been like this.....smash a buoy at shortline, break over, crunch! No crunch here!! The tongue gives needed support, then the releasable system does its majic!!! I've skied with the releaseable pin system for EVER!!! Thousands and thousands or sets!!!!! In combo with the Stealthys!!!!! The best by far...... PERIOD!!!

Jamie B.

[jamieb]

CANTING!!!!

Yo waterskiers!!!! Our legs are connected to our hips!! SO..when we stand on our SLALOMS. We are pressuring the outsides of our feet. Even more exaggerated if we're bow legged!

Can't your bindings! Do it!! run more buoys, minimize slop and chance of injury.

Loosen your boots from the plate a skoshe"little bit", I use pennies or nickels depending on how much CANTING is required!! I slide the nickels under my big toe side of the foot to the front and rear boots. hit em with krazy glue.

Basically CANTING equalizes the pressures underfoot, allowing for a more controlled energy transfer.= way more buoys ezier!!!

Jamie beauch.

[Than_Bogan]

@jamieb Is that the same thing as incantation? :)

 

(Hi Jamie; hopefully cross paths in NH or somewhere later in the year.)

[Patmaster]

Thanks Jamie for your input. I will certainly give Stealths another go....

[Brian_M]

@jamieb It would be great if you/Connelly did a video tutorial showing how to properly setup the Stealth system including your canting tricks. Might help sell a ton of boots (and get the most out of them for those that do buy them).

 

Also, is the Prophecy the only ski that the Stealth are "plug and play" for or can you put them on the Carbon V too?

[tuna]

I just ruptured my Achilles' tendon (front foot) on a Fogman. It released but not soon enough. I think a higher stiffer front boot might be a good idea such as the stealth with the Fogman release system. The Fogman front boot has little resistance. Any thoughts or suggestions? Tuna, Lake Placid, NY

[thager]

I'd be interested in the plate/release but not the boots. Can a person get them separately?

[BraceMaker]

@thager - you can get the spring barrels and plates that FM uses from Voile direct.

 

http://www.voile.com/voile-release-telemark-binding-parts.html

 

If you want to set up a syustem similar to early fogman's, you would get two "spring housings complete" and two "Release binding kit adapter plate"

 

Make yourself two mount plates that fit your ski in the front, a mid plate to locate your bindings fore/aft like a radar sequence, and you'd be close to the fogman system.

 

This is ~120$

[BraceMaker]

OR... You can buy :

 

http://www.h2oproshop.com/fogman-binding-system-release-units--pair-.html

 

And I'm not sure on the plate parts....

[pnwski]

My dad and I both got stealth bindings this march. First set I could hardly cut or turn. I ended up barely running a pass. I took them out free skiing a couple of times and when I went back out on the course the week after they were amazing!! They felt extremely responsive and I've loved them ever since. Definitely give them a couple of free skiing sets before taking them out on the course so they can be broken in.

[lpskier]

I have five sets in on the Stealths following ten seasons on Fogmans. My initial impression is that they were difficult to get on and I had a hard time getting my toes comfortable with my orthotics in the boots. I had a difficult time adjusting to them in the turn, they felt somewhat awkward and I almost blew several starts. However, by the end of my first set I had figured out how to get them to turn. After a few sets, I have them adjusted so that my turns seem balanced. Getting in and out is easier and my toes are fine. The cross course angle is nothing short of breath taking and the turns are pretty short radius, although not the turn I am used to. I still feel awkward but I feel better every set. My scores are maybe four balls short of typical. The difference there is that my typical scores are in water that is (typically) in the 70s or 80s, and I am getting these scores in water in the mid 40s in a drysuit. I am going to Alabama this weekend to ski with family and friends and I am looking forward to see how the Stealths work for me in warmer water.

[gator1]

Tore my Achilles off my heel bone and dislocated my peroneal tendon, stuffed the nose at 38 off and went otf. Took two surgeries to put it all back together, screws and wire and grinders and all that crap. Got back on the water mid-summer last year, weak and scared. Tried the reflex front binding, toe strap rear, could not even get up in 12 tries. Finally got up, on 13th try. Couldn't ski. Despair and grief. Got to looking at the binding, realized high stiff ankle cuff had no allowance for bow legs and fact that one foot in front of the other creates a leg that is not perpendicular to the ski. Put 6 degrees of canting under the reflex plate. Ran 28 off first try.

 

Kept getting better, had falls where the binding released as per design intent. Wonderful feeling to be flying through the air enencumbered as the ski sails off somewhere else. Believe the Reflex release is very well designed, and can be counted on to release consistently. Never tweaked the ankle, and the binding, ankle and I agreed in post-fall inventory that it should have let go every time it did.

 

BUT. I couldn't get used to the toe strap rear. Sorry Andy, that's why you're a stud and I'm a wannabe.

 

So, got a hold of some Stealths. Tried them sans cant. Sucked. Put 6 degrees of cant under front and rear boots. Jaimie B, I'm an engineer not artisan, had to make serious cants, couldn't stand gluing nickels and dimes to those gorgeous carbon boots.

 

The Stealths are a thing of joy with the cants, but they take 6 sets or so to get truly joyful. I have released out of them per design many times. Not quite as good as the Reflex when a release is needed, there have been occasions where the post-fall inventory went something like this: ANKLE: "WTF dude, that was close, another couple of notches on the pain scale and I'm letting go of this POS tendon, wire and all", ME: "shut up, ankle you pansy, but binding, WTF, let go a little sooner will you", BINDING: "dude, I can't sense load differences between pansy foot and strong foot, what do you want, you're still in one piece and you're frigging old, go drive the boat for the athletes"

 

Had some true worst case OTFs in the Stealths as the year went on and got stronger and less scared, released every time, so I'm a believer. Tweaked the ankle enough for a little next day swelling, but probably shouldn't have been skiing anyway.

 

BUT. Engineer. So, working on a sensor to make the release more consistent.

[MattP]

Did he just write a discussion between his body parts...

[thager]

Just be glad he wasn't talking to a zipper!

[jefflyman]

Update..... as the one that started this Stealth thing thread I must say I took a different approach to bindings since. Bought a new Radar Vice and clamped Vector bindings to it. My safety theory changed after reading post after post here to "I want out of the boots". Well with the 2012 season behind and few falls coming out seemed to work with the upper laces a bit loose as Horton and others scream. I'm starting to like the ability to flex at the ankles and distribute weight as I want. New way of skiing to save my new knees..... let go !

[Lucas]

Just recieved my Prophecy with stealth bindings today. Does anyone know if there is a way/technique to release the bindings without having to slacken the tension springs right off?