First Rides on 2013 Connelly Prophecy

[MattP]

I took two sets on the Connelly Prophecy yesterday. At this point in the season I set a personal PB 4@35 in practice this past week then two days later switched skis. I was not quite sure what to expect. I had gotten very confortahbe on the ski I was on for the past year. After my first 2 sets I am pretty excited to see where this ski will take me. On my first set I ran 22, 28x4 and 4@32 which was my normal practice average last season. Second set 22, 28x3, 32, 2@35x2

 

It is way to early to to say anything definiate about this ski, but right now I am feeling that this ski is creating and holding some serious angle through and out of the turn as well as getting me very early to the next buoy. With the settings I am running at the moment the ski feels like it changes edges super quick and will turn on its own. Right now I am feeling and seeing to much tip rise which is something I will be working out here on the next few sets.

 

You can see my set-by-set log here

 

Here is some footage I took with my iPhone and EZ-Cam I do need to give my boat crew a seminar on how to shorten a rope and put the mount on the pylon needless to say it was good entertainment.

 

This is some hacking by me but felt pretty good for the first 2 sets on a new ski

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks64sjJ8S6k

[ForrestGump]

video is private

[MattP]

@ShaneH nice catch. Fixed. For some reason that is the default setting when uploading to youtube.

[Horton]

@MattP

ski looks good video is terrible

[MattP]

@Horton did you change the video's quality? The little gear in the YouTube window.

Not all of us college kids own super nice HD cameras to film our skiing on. I settle for my iPhone 5. The first two passes the skiing was filmed in portrait even though the phone was in landscape on the pylon. I had to flip the video in editing. Second set was filmed in landscape and tracks better with the wider lens.

[Steven_Haines]

Nice skiing Matt! Especially for the first set. You'd think that now that you're in the ski reviewing business your employer would break free of one of his Bad A$$ cameras to help you in your review process! Just sayin' d-)

[nate93]

Could you share the flex numbers?

[MattP]

@Steven Haines thanks, I kinda surprised myself. I like where your head is at but let's go one step at at time.

 

@nate93 I do not have the numbers and they did not come listed with the ski. I can contact Connelly and see if they have them recorded. I had planned to build/have built a flex tester this winter but I got side tracked. It's still on the to do list.

[skibug]

@MattP, Connelly can provide you those flex numbers based on your serial number; at least they did for me on my 2012. I would be interested just to see what they are as well.

[Horton]

Flex is super important but I bet less than 50 people on earth really understand what them mean so I would like to discourage you guys from going down that rabbit hole and trying to make a conclusion.

[MattP]

@Horton yeah yeah yeah

[skibug]

@Horton, I think there is value in knowing the flex numbers even if you don't totally understand what they mean. I agree with @MattP, yeah yeah yeah....because it is a combination of flex numbers and ski design that work in concert so you can't necessarily do a direct comparison from ski brand to ski brand...yada yada yada. However, the value comes when comparing the ski flex to itself 1 or 2 years down the road (i.e. is it breaking down?); as well as, from ski to ski of the same model, make, and year.

 

It is worthwhile information to keep a record.

[estrom]

@MattP, what ski were you using prior to the prophecy and what made you decide to try the prophecy?

[Horton]

Haaaa @MattP had been on a basically homemade Frankenstein ski

[gator1]

Well, the factory engineers say the '13 is easier to cast wide at the ball, and easier to get back in front of you and gaining angle after the ball when compared to the '12. They also comment that people who have the '12 won't give the '13 back after trying it. So......I ordered one. Truth be told, it was a done deal once I saw it was orange.

[MattP]

@gator1 nice! You must be a Florida fan...

[gator1]

U of Illinois is the manly answer, but the real answer is I lusted after a pair of orange Lange ski boots 35 years ago and never got over it.

[nate93]

Thanks @mattp.

[MattP]

@Estrom @Horton is right. I have been on a "home made" ski for the past year. It has way over 150 sets on it and needed to go on the shelf. It's one of a kind and cool to have, but you never know when these kind of skis will just snap on you. It was time for a change.

[JoelHowley]

hey Matt... I finally got myself a US lap top. Thought I would post the message I sent you for all to see just in case someone is interested...

 

Edge change looks great, your exits out of 135 are sic and its nice to see that you can pull it back when things go bad.

 

I would say that into 246 you have plenty of speed and you seem very capable of using it to get the width you need however when it's time to exit the turn and start accelerating your are having to add more body lean in order get to your cutting position (which looks strong). It's almost like the timing of when your outside hand gets back to the handle determines the amount lean you have away from the boat.

 

You actually seem to have this timing pretty good but I would like to see you carry much more body lean into 246. I Don't want you to lean away from the boat any less at the exit of the turn but I would like to see you try and carry the same lean into the turn as you wish to take out of the turn.

 

With your edge change you won't loose outbound trajectory, and try not to be afraid of turning before the buoy or skipping the ski out. The ski has insane amounts of grip so it won't slide out and although it moves back under the line super fast it actually take a slightly larger movement to initiate the turn than most other sticks so it shouldn't ever turn in before you tell it to.

 

If you can manage to carry some more lean into 246...

the ski will break a little harder (which should help at 35)

You will be artificially giving yourself a longer rope (may not need as much arm extension as you normally do) - until your at 35.

 

Exiting the turn you will have nothing to do but collect the handle as you ski back to it.

Go hard, have fun, let me know if this helps you through 35. I would suggest working on this lean stuff really hard until you get to 35. At 35 just trust that what you were practicing on 32 will say with you a bit and try to run the pass at all costs.

[MrJones]

Are the fin number recommendations for the '13 the same as the '12 for the 67".

[MrJones]

Hmmm. Don't see the edit thing. I saw the 2013 recommendation thread. What I am asking is are these much different than the 2012, and if so what was recommended for the '12.

[JoelHowley]

This is what I got with my 67 2012.

 

I run the same settings on my 67 2013 with my boots 4mm (0.15748inches) further forward.

 

Heel of my front foot on my 2013 is 74.8cm (29.4488inches) from the tail.

[rq0013]

Are your boots touching or seperated haha. Joel did you find a car yet?

[MattP]

Hey y'all I'm so behind on getting you stuff and replying I'm sorry. Been busy with training, AllStars and now Masters and ProAm. I will get on it when it's all done.