Baller eleeski Posted August 7, 2012 Baller Share Posted August 7, 2012 I am using a soft Horton fin and really like it. But it is getting tired. So I laid up some graphite in a sheet and cut out a fin. It is very thin and very soft. Skiing it felt like I had the fin too shallow. I need to do more testing. But I will try to extract the conventional wisdom. What effects correlate to thin fins and soft fins? Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Waternut Posted August 7, 2012 Baller Share Posted August 7, 2012 From Reflex's website advertising their carbon fin... "The carbon fins are more flexible and are more responsive than standard aluminium fins. The Carbon fin makes the ski feel soft in the turn and gives a lot more control than an ordinary fin, without sacrificing speed and allows the skier to get more angle into the wake." No idea on their thickness or if their statement is true but that's what they say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller MattP Posted August 7, 2012 Baller Share Posted August 7, 2012 @Horton here we go again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Horton Posted August 7, 2012 Administrators Share Posted August 7, 2012 I am going to just look away Goode ★ HO Syndicate ★ KD Skis ★ MasterCraft ★ PerfSki Radar ★ Reflex ★ S Lines ★ Stokes ★ Baller Video Coaching System Become a Supporting Member or make a One-time Donation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Waternut Posted August 7, 2012 Baller Share Posted August 7, 2012 Oh no... I wouldn't have commented if I knew this was a hot topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller SkiJay Posted August 7, 2012 Baller Share Posted August 7, 2012 @MattP " @Horton here we go again..."??!! Rats. Being late to the party, I'm sorry I missed this debate. It sounds like a good one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller MattP Posted August 7, 2012 Baller Share Posted August 7, 2012 @Horton care to enlighten @SkiJay ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller A_B Posted August 8, 2012 Baller Share Posted August 8, 2012 If you are a lightweight skier, the softer fin may make some sense. I think my 250lbs flexes a standard fin...... I tried a few carbons in the past, and felt more of a tank than I am... That being said, I saw Warren Witherall run into 39 with a fiberglas fin with no holes or wings back in the late 80's...problem was that he kept breaking them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller SkiJay Posted August 8, 2012 Baller Share Posted August 8, 2012 @Horton I think I understand the basic theory behind carbon fins in as much as you can engineer the flex to be stiff, soft, or even stiff on one side and soft on the other. It all seems to make good sense and I've wondered why they aren't more prevalent. I guess I was disappointed to not get the chance to learn more about them, or at least to learn what the issues surrounding them are. Your and @MattP's comment implies these issues have been beat to death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller MattP Posted August 8, 2012 Baller Share Posted August 8, 2012 @SkiJay Long story short. Horton took time off from skiing. Got back into it by starting a carbon fin venture. They worked, and broke the bank. Got him back skiing, made a website and tada fast forward some years and we are here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller SkiJay Posted August 8, 2012 Baller Share Posted August 8, 2012 So we have the allure of carbon fins to thank for BOS? Nice job on the follow-up project @Horton! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller eleeski Posted August 8, 2012 Author Baller Share Posted August 8, 2012 @MattP @Horton just doesn't want to acknowledge my crazy activities. Thanks @AB for a tidbit of useful information. Aren't the fin properties as important than .001 of movement? Don't any of you try different fins? Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Horton Posted August 8, 2012 Administrators Share Posted August 8, 2012 I am still paying off the CarbonFins debt. Worse yet I was going to do my own bindings before I came to my senses. Goode ★ HO Syndicate ★ KD Skis ★ MasterCraft ★ PerfSki Radar ★ Reflex ★ S Lines ★ Stokes ★ Baller Video Coaching System Become a Supporting Member or make a One-time Donation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller A_B Posted August 8, 2012 Baller Share Posted August 8, 2012 Goode makes a standard black and thinner blue fin. Measure them with your caliper. On my 9500, I like the black fin and large wing over blue and small wing. (tried both wings on blue). On my Strada 55, I like the blue with smaller wingmover the stock Radar, which is like a standard Goode. I think the thicker fin also provides a little more resistance in Straightline skiing so pulls the tip down. So to get them optimized, I could have added length to the blue on the 9500. Just a WAG. Just go ski it and see what it does. That's my motto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller sunvalleylaw Posted August 8, 2012 Baller Share Posted August 8, 2012 Since the topic came up, the fin that came on my used CRX does not seem like a stock D3 fin. It does not appear to be aluminum, does not have the standard markings, and seems thicker than and alu fin. The ski came from the Redding area. I am curious if anyone has a guess about its origin. Anyone? I can take a quick pic if that would help. I have to order replacement binding wraps from D3 and was thinking about asking them to put a fin in there too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankS Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Just curious, does @Horton still use a carbon fin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller thager Posted August 9, 2012 Baller Share Posted August 9, 2012 @horton I just built my own bindings. Not so hard to do but it will make you BFF with Eric! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Horton Posted August 9, 2012 Administrators Share Posted August 9, 2012 @FrankS Since I started reviewing skis for BOS I do not. About 3 years now. Goode ★ HO Syndicate ★ KD Skis ★ MasterCraft ★ PerfSki Radar ★ Reflex ★ S Lines ★ Stokes ★ Baller Video Coaching System Become a Supporting Member or make a One-time Donation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Horton Posted August 9, 2012 Administrators Share Posted August 9, 2012 Next week when I can carve out an hour I will write something about this for you guys. Goode ★ HO Syndicate ★ KD Skis ★ MasterCraft ★ PerfSki Radar ★ Reflex ★ S Lines ★ Stokes ★ Baller Video Coaching System Become a Supporting Member or make a One-time Donation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller eleeski Posted August 9, 2012 Author Baller Share Posted August 9, 2012 Next week? I need a fin to take to Nationals right now! Too many variables on this new ski. Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller skier2788 Posted August 9, 2012 Baller Share Posted August 9, 2012 This is kinda off topic but at my lake we have a lot of floating lumber from the cottonwoods that surround the lake, This year for some reason my fin really took a beating. I am wanting to replace it. I ski on a 2011 Elite. I was wondering if anyone had tried a carbon fin on an elite? That and if I did try it would the fin explode if I hit a larger piece of wood? I actually hit something hard enough it flattened and widened a spot on my aluminum fin this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller SkiJay Posted August 9, 2012 Baller Share Posted August 9, 2012 @Skier2788 The fin on your Elite is thinner than most. You might find that a carbon fin will not fit in the Elite's fin block without some modification. It may work, but double check any replacement fin's thickness and your fin block/ski slot tolerances before buying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller sunvalleylaw Posted August 10, 2012 Baller Share Posted August 10, 2012 @Horton, hey can you tell from this photo if this looks like one of yours? http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w92/sunvalleylaw/fin.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller A_B Posted August 10, 2012 Baller Share Posted August 10, 2012 Looks like my CF from Horton. I would sell it if anyone has an interest. I think it is a 105 or something like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller ForrestGump Posted August 10, 2012 Baller Share Posted August 10, 2012 Yep, that's one of Horton's fins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller eleeski Posted September 4, 2012 Author Baller Share Posted September 4, 2012 Update: I'm kind of liking the thin flexible fin. My fin measures 1.5 mm vs 2mm for a stock fin thickness. It is quite flexible - way more than the thin Horton fin I like. The shape was copied from an old HO Pacman fin. The stock Pacman fin did not work as well for me when I tried it - the ski turned slower and held less angle. Buoy count was way down. There are a couple of issues I am facing. One trivial one is that the ski walks around - a lot! - when running flat (I know, don't run flat). Another concern is with the falls I have been taking. The ski is skipping out on me too much. Typically on my offside when I'm a bit late. I suppose I could set the fin deeper. But would going a bit thicker and stiffer help? And would fewer holes (or none) on the blade help? So many variables! Any chance for some insights on fin properties? @Horton promised a writeup? Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller_ DW Posted September 4, 2012 Baller_ Share Posted September 4, 2012 My experience with more flexible fins (read carbon) yeilds a less harsh transition from the completion of the turn to the pull across the wake, thus less of a waist bender/slack hitter. Different skis respond better/different to a carbon fin or a certain carbon fin than others and some skis like a particular carbon fin over another one with different characteristics. I am a light skier, so I don't put as much load on the line as a bigger skier. The one area I found some penalty with the softer carbon fin is the ability to keep angle across the wake. I theorized that the flex allows more slip with the ski, thus less angle to the buoy. Might need to consider running through the fin testing exercise with a ventral . . . . I simply used a fish scale and a dial indicator to measure the flex of a variety of fins, both aluminum and carbon. @thager: have you tested your binding setup yet? What are you coming off of? Write up appreciated (in advance)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller thager Posted September 4, 2012 Baller Share Posted September 4, 2012 Am presently in RS-1s on a Razor. Still in testing on my old Elite. Have finally found the right amount of tru- loc to use via trial and error. Was pre-releasing at 1 ball. Am 6' 186lbs and ended up with 5 full rows of 250. I want to build some forward lean into the boots next which will probably mean using some 400 up front. Finding out how much will be fun. The boots are very comfortable and feel like the RS-1. Ski well now. A little twitchy at first. Just starting to trust the tape. Looking to sew some velcro on the liner tops to keep the top out of the water or else shorten the liner height. About $120 in plate boots and liners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller ForrestGump Posted September 4, 2012 Baller Share Posted September 4, 2012 I wish @Horton still made fins. I'd like to try a carbon one on my A2. The D3 Custom 4 I put one on back in 06-07 responded well to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller tjm Posted September 4, 2012 Baller Share Posted September 4, 2012 @ShaneH I have a Horton fin never used, I'll sell it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller eleeski Posted September 4, 2012 Author Baller Share Posted September 4, 2012 @DW Thanks. I am struggling with angle (a new problem for me) but I was thinking the Goode vest is the relevant factor for that. Maybe the fin needs some more development. What might I expect from a ventral on a soft fin? Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller SkiJay Posted September 4, 2012 Baller Share Posted September 4, 2012 I put a ventral on a slot fin two years ago and it lowered the tip a bit made the ski a little more stable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now