First Rides on D3 Quest

[Horton]

I took two sets on the D3 Quest today. Considering the time of year it is hard to say too much because I am all screwed up by the menace known as winter. It is clear that the ski is wicked fast and makes a lot of angle. I rode it with and without wing. You want to ride this ski with a wing. You want to ride this ski.

After only 2 sets but I am pretty stoked about this ski.

 

 

[Horton]

FYI- video shot with Wakeye

[Murrski]

@Horton - At least you're skiing man and not bad at all for this time of year! Looking forward to more feedback on the Quest. Curious about the video zoom - can you bring it in closer or are you trying to hide the winter coat you put on this past season? haha - you are not alone if so!

[Dirt]

You short on cash? I bet Craw will pay you to remove that video from the Internet:)

[skidawg]

Mine will be here any day....can't wait

[jayski]

@ Horton What line length was the second pass in the vid? Couldn't make out he rope color...

[Tim Vaio]

I picked up a 67" Quest from Paul yesterday. I skied the first set on my existing 2011 X7 and the second set on the Quest. After the first pass on the Quest, my son told me it looked smoother with more angle than he had ever seen me. I noticed that the ski immediately was stable, got great angle on both sides with little effort, accelerated all the way thru the wakes with little effort and had me in better position coming into each buoy. I had standard fin settings and I ride double hardshells and had the front 29.5" from the tail of the ski. It felt extremely comfortable and I noticed I was lesss tired at the end of the set than I was on my first set using my old ski. It felt like I had to work significantly less harder to ski on the Quest. I think there are going to be some great comments coming in on the Quest as more people try it!

[Horton]

that was 35 off. Don't judge me. ... it is still winter

@jayski

[Ed_Johnson]

@Horton: I thought the on-side turns off the apex looked really good !!!!

[Dirt]

I just flagged my own post for abuse of @Horton

[ForrestGump]

I flagged your last post for abuse of the flag.

[Horton]

I got 1 ride on the ski today with different settings. Much smoother and flowing than yesterday. I liked it yesterday but felt like I have to get used to it. today I didn't think about the ski at all. it just flowed underneath me

[ral]

@Horton, would you share yesterday's and today' settings?

[gregy]

@horton You on a 67"?

[Horton]

@Ral there were two D3 reps out this weekend. Saturday was Doug's settings and Sunday was Bob' settings. I know that does not help. I think Bob's number are right on bone stock.

 

I am sure that if I had video from today it would look way better than the video at the top of this page. (Bob's settings!)

 

@Gregy Yes

[Horton]

Just to wrap this up. I got three sets total on the ski. That is no where near enough for a review but I can say that I think this is a very refined slalom ski. It is the kind of ski that lets you worry about your skiing not what the ski is doing.

 

This exact ski is going to Mexico next week without me but I hope to get a ski to review soon.

 

[A_B]

Like it too much and we may start calling you Johnny Quest.

 

I know, bad, but late Sunday night doing tax work...

[skibug]

@Horton will never ride the same ski for more than its breakin period.....Maybe Johnny Bravo

[The_MS]

@Horton I think you are gradually getting hooked on the wing and are starting to not ski well when you do not have it on.

[Horton]

@MS not exactly. On some skis I do better with it on some skis I do better without. As I've always said 34 mile an hour skiers should try it.

[The_MS]

Your trend lately has been liking the wing. The more you ski with the wing on your own ski, the harder time you will have skiing without it on your test skis.

[bishop8950]

I sometimes get overly excited about first impressions so I have been holding back on this a bit. This weekend I got what I consider the first 3 rides of the season on my white top Quest, and I could not stop smiling. I am more excited to ski right now than I have been in years. I think ski companies improve their skis with every update at least incrementally. Sometimes they succeed in a step change. This ski feels like a step change and like the ski I think D3 have been working for years to build. I have heard and believe it is very hard to find the right combination of design elements that makes a ski match the designers vision, but the boys are buzzing with excitement around how this ski turned out. Beyond all that, these are my skier observations as I avoid starting my workday because I just can’t wait to ski again…

 

1) This ski will allow you to grab a lot of angle, but it’s easy for the skier to choose how much. Ride the line you are on, take a bit more, let it run a bit long, and always get a sweet turn. I feel I have more freedom than ever before with no negative consequence

 

2) The next thing I notice is how quick it is side to side. It’s definitely faster than my X7 and maybe as fast as a Fusion. I notice it accelerating out of the turn and as I carry speed into and through the next buoy

 

3) It’s easier to get the ski moving out through the edge change. I am thinking that is largely due to the 2 things above but like it a lot in any case

 

This is the way I always wanted my ski to feel and I can’t wait to get fit and for the weather to warm up to see how these observations pay off at my shortest line lengths.

 

[Horton]

Looks like I will have a Quest for this weekend. Screw winter! Lets start Ski Tests!

[04196]

@Horton PLEASE STOP THE SKI TESTS, my wallet cannot keep up with this, I owe the IRS, my parents, the bank, my girlfriend, people I don't even know and now I want a new ski! How can I even start to justify this?? Who the heck cares, I'm going to demo a Quest. Damn you Mr Horton!

[Horton]

@04196

I had two friends call me to day asking if I knew when they could get a Quest.

I called D3 and lucky for you skis are are shipping every day. Do you need the phone #?

[04196]

@Horton No unfortunately (fortunately) I am well hooked up here in the Seattle area but my wallet still does not like you right now!

[teammalibu]

Oh Crap!! JD's got one waitin for me this weekend. This year is the best in a while for new ski's.

[Nick Sullivan]

My 68 is shipping today! Tomorrow afternoon its going to be behind the boat.

[skidawg]

Quest came in last night, riding saturday weather permitting.

@bishop8950 are you running stock settings?

[teammalibu]

@dawg see ya saturday

[bishop8950]

@skidawg I think so. 2.515, 6.940tips, 0.750flat, 7 degrees, and 30 1/16" on my Reflex. I have not played with it at all, and so far dont feel like I have too. When it warms up and I am working on short lines I will play around to make sure I have the best setup.

 

Cant wait to hear what you think! Especially compared to your Fusion.

[Nick Sullivan]

This is an animal if you let it be and I think its every bit as fast or faster than the Fusion. I only have one set on it but it likes to create angle right at the ball.

[Horton]

@Sully My first rides it seemed VERY aggressive but then we tweaked it and it was smooth and calm

[Wish]

Nate on a Quest at Moomba

[Nick Sullivan]

@Horton this ski wants to snap turn on me if I am not careful. What would you recomend I do to the fin to stop that? Add some length to the fin?

[Horton]

@Sully

On side on or off side

[ral]

@Sully, what settings are you using? In any case, give the ski some sets. Mine did even turn before the buoy a couple of times, but when you get it, it FREAKING ROCKS!!!!

[Nick Sullivan]

@Horton and @Ral, Onside turns are intense. On my way now to get a few more sets in. The sun is out and the air temp is going to hit 60!

[Nick Sullivan]

Stock X7 Numbers is how we set it up. Its a 68 and I emailed PC for settings but have not heard back yet.

[ral]

@Sully, so you're using 6.950"? I am on a 67", and using 6.913" instead of the recommeded 6.940". I would go shorter, especially if you feel too much ski in the water for the onside.

[ral]

Could not see Nate today, was he on the Quest?

[bkreis]

Yes, and looked great on it, he set a new course record of [email protected] and looked like he could have run it!

[ral]

After the comments in the forum and Moomba today hot cakes will be slow sellers compared to the Quest...

[jdarwin]

We played w/ the Quest a bit today. Again, it's early in the season and the water temp is low 60's but I believe the ski is more user friendly than the Fusion. Quick across course and a more predictable turning ski. The 6.940 length coupled with the 2.515 depth is WAY too much fin surface area. Backed up to 6.920 / 2.510 and it was much better but still too much fin IMO. I believe the correct numbers will be 6.910-6.915 and 2.505 to 2.508 depth. The DFT is fine. Not sure why D3 recommends such long/deep fin numbers. The 30" binding position seems about right. An 1/8" forward/back to taste. I believe this ski will satisfy many more skiers than the Fusion did. The Fusion required a bit more techinical application to perform consistently. Not a bad thing if you are a technical skier. But for the rest of us, the Quest is a much better performing platform that allows for some movement without overreacting. I'm looking forward to warmer water and tweaking the ski to bring out its full capabilities.

[ral]

@jdarwin, I started with 6.913", 2.511" and have not felt like changing it yet.

[skibug]

@jdarwin, are you on a 68"? What is your DFT?

[Nick Sullivan]

Okay, two more sets down and I must have changed my skiing some how. I skied very well today on the quest. Kept the fin at stock 68" X7 settings. I don't like to move my fin too much without giving it several sets between tweaks. I'll try to move the fin forward and a little less depth tomorrow just to see how the ski responds. Overall I am very impressed.

[bishop8950]

@jdarwin that may be way too much fin. Its the only thing I have tried yet and it felt good to me. D3 are getting all the feedback now on how fin settings are working out in the field and they will revise the stock numbers it if it makes sense. My guess is PC will tell you stock or shorter and more shallow than stock just as others have said above

[jdarwin]

Kevin - Ward can chime in here but the stock numbers (67") seemed like a lot of fin. That will only be amplified as the water warms up. Once the water hits 85 and higher, we typically end up around 6.905 - 6.917 length and 2.500 to 2.508x depth on every D3 since the RC. BTW, the ski is a 67" and the DFT is .750.

 

@ral - I think you are on track. I was tempted to just put my typical numbers but since there was so much "new" about this ski, we thought stock was the correct initial setting.

[bishop8950]

Ya, got a text from Ward yesterday and will try less fin next time i ski. snow skiing this weekend!