'13 Connelly Prophecy is the real deal

[ForrestGump]

I was intrigued with the 2013 Connelly Prophecy after spending 9 days with Horton on our tour of Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. Everyone along the 1700 miles commented on how well the ski was working for him. So I got my hands on one Thursday. Had a 3 round tournament yesterday so after the 2nd round, I pulled the bindings off my regular ski, mounted em to the Connelly, and took a practice set on the north lake. Horton isn't kidding. This thing is WAY under rated. Ran right up to my practice average on first set. Then went over to the slalom lake for my 3rd round and proceeded to match my earlier round score on my regular ski. I'm really impressed with it. The boat judge immediately keyed in on how well it came under the rope on my offside. It just changes direction and moves through under the rope with a LOT of angle, but not a lot of load. I'll have to work on not overdoing my counter on my onside, as when I did the tip dove in and turned 90 degrees. But for me to jump on it and feel that confident says something. I honestly feel like I can set a new personal best on it right now.

 

I ran it with the following settings for a 67:

L 6.830

D 2.515

DFT .755

Wing 7

Front Binding 29 3/8

 

The interesting thing I heard from people whenever Horton would ski and yesterday when I pulled the ski out was "Connelly used to be the leader. Other ski companies weren't even close back in the day." They'd then go on to tell of when they got their first Concept or Rocket back in the 80s and early 90s. I'd venture to say that the '13 Prophecy has the ability to return Connelly to that lofty position.

 

 

[Horton]

I upped my all-time practice PB on mine today. Who knew?

[MrJones]

This fall...

[Texas6]

Congrats @Horton!, great skiing!! Can I ask what the all time practice PB is?

[ForrestGump]

@Horton set new pb of 3@39 1/2 off.

 

[Texas6]

Wow..that's freaking fantastic

[gregy]

I skied a Connelly Hp late 80s. Connellys ruled the tournament seen back then. They had tricks and jumpers as well.

[Horton]

I won a bunch of regional jump titles and got a national silver on Connelly jump skis. (80s and 90s)

[Dirt]

I agree. Great ski. Imagine how much higher your pb would be if you (horton) listened to me and set it up correctly.

I liked your settings but it was even better with the numbers I posted in the other thread.

[Horton]

I stopped listening to you a long time ago

[MattP]

@horton @dirt is open rated and you're not... I'm torn on who's settings to use.

[D-Law]

I have been telling people for years that Connelly puts out some of the best and most reliable and durable slalom skis on the market. It perplexes me why the Prophecy does not get more love.

 

[Horton]

@MattP I started with Joel's #s and mellowed them...

[teammalibu]

@shane that ski might not be in your truck when you leave cottonwood on sunday!! I wana ride that thing!! I think I still hold the record for out the front distance on my old connelly rocket! I watched horton ride that ski several rounds while you guys were on tour and although he was still kinda funny looking the ski looked great!

[ForrestGump]

@teammalibu The ski really surprised me. I instantly felt comfortable. The perplexing thing was the turns. The first time I stood over the middle at 2 and 4, it changed direction so quickly I said "Whoah!" Best way I can describe it is not to say it turns. It changes directions. You're going that way one second, and a millisecond later you're going this other way.

[Horton]

with some skill it does carve

[acmx]

@Horton..... Review?

[MattP]

@horton I know. Giving you a hard time. I think my numbers need a tweak.

[Horton]

@acmx yea.... soon then on to the next ski.

 

:-(

[Dirt]

I liked the ski with Joel Howleys settings but it did not have the same effortless outbound at the edge change. With the numbers I posted, the handle was just in and down with the ski going outbound as opposed to down course.

I think Joel's settings may be better at 36 but at 34 were not as good for me.

[gregy]

There's a 67" 2013 that just showed up on ski-it-again for $860.

[TWB]

What size Prophecy would be best for 175lbs., 34mph skier? I'm on a 66" A3 right now.

[Jordan]

@Horton...we need some Prophecy video!!!!

[Horton]

yep. I will try to shoot some next weekend

[Dirt]

@TWB I am 183 and the 67 feels great.

 

We have been playing with setup. The water is 78 degrees. With Horton's settings:

 

Binding (29 3/8) feels like it is in a good place.

 

Not enough length. Off side turn stalling, (6.830) moved to 6.848 and feels much better.

 

Depth (2.515) was a good call. The added depth stabilizes the ski across the wakes. (it had a tendency to take off like a rocket if I leaned away too hard)

 

DFT (.755) the ski was not carrying out well enough into the onside turn. We moved it forward to .780

 

I posted this in case anyone else is playing with the setup. Please post your numbers and thoughts if you are on this ski or have ridden it.

 

[ForrestGump]

Skied it again last night. This might be the most fun ski I've been on. It goes from the apex back to where I'm on the handle faster than anything I've been on. But even if I do something stupid off the 2nd wake like throw the handle at the boat and lose the line, I don't feel like I'm going to fall back or inside. It just stays with me til the rope comes tight. It feels like I have time to think about what I should be doing in the approach to the buoy. Maybe that's because I feel confident that it's with me.

 

I would like to slow down 1/3/5(on side) a bit. Trying to decide between depth or length to do this. We found with Horton that depth was a way to speed up one side and slow down the other. With him, it was the offside that came under him too quickly so we took depth out. Might add .005 and see what happens.

[MattP]

@Dirt I'm trying your settings from the ither thread here in 5min.

6.861

2.493

.78ish

Will report back

[TWB]

Thanks @Dirt. 67 inch is on the way. The first ski I ever bought was a Connelly 26 years ago. I still have it. It's the only Connelly I've ever had until this one, and I'm really looking forward to it.

[Dirt]

Two friends rode the 67" ski today and really liked it at:

29 3/8 front binding

6.848 tips

2.515

.788 flat

7 degrees wing for the 34 mph skier

9 degrees for the 36 mph skier

 

@MattP how did it go?

@TWB I think you will like it.

[ForrestGump]

Couple of things notice by two elite skiers while watching me. One was that the attitude of the ski is the same no matter where I'm at in the course. So in the pulling phase, the ski attitude isn't one way and in the turn it's another. Instead the water breaks at the exact same spot from pullout to exiting the course. The other is that it consistently stays in the same spot underneath me. It never goes out front or behind. Just right there where I want it to be.

 

I played around with the pullout and gate glide this weekend at Cottonwood. I found the ski doesn't like to glide with weight on my front foot. So over the course of the weekend, I moved the pullout 1/2 a boat length later in relation to the 55s and gradually moved my weight distribution and shoulders back. Once I found the spot it liked, I felt super comfortable in the passes.

[MattP]

@Dirt I am liking the settings. I think I am going to go a little deeper and I have gone a bit far forward. I think I am at .80 something. I am running 8°

These settings really make the ski feel balanced in both turns. Off side on this ski is awesome to begin with.

 

I agree @ShaneH I never have felt like the ski was out in from our behind me. It always seems to be exactly where I need it. I am having some trouble staying balanced in my glide but I think it is just me not focusing on it.

[Horton]

I ran two 38s yesterday on the Connelly that were so much easier than ever before.

[ForrestGump]

Right now I'm at 6.845, 2.515, .780, 7 degrees. Only have one round on that setting. Need a few more sets to determine if it's better than less length and further back. I did come within 1 buoy of my previous tournament personal best(and my best score since the first tournament in 2012) in the last of 6 rounds at Cottonwood yesterday and I was plumb worn out. First time in 6 years of tournament skiing that I stood up a buoy rather than going for the next one, but that was all my body had in it.

[Dirt]

We have not been able to find a setting that does not work on this ski. I think that is how you know it is a really good ski design. With radically different binding placement and fin settings, it still works. I think set up on this ski will come down to personal preference.

[skibug]

@ Dirt, I found that to be true on the 2012 as well. Really surprising.

[ForrestGump]

@Mattp The glide is where I was having issues. It wanted to hunt for an edge, and then I found myself falling over into too much lean when I initiated the turn in. Everything else felt super comfortable. For me, the more I moved my shoulders back over the ball of the back foot rather than the ball of the front foot, the better it got.

[A_B]

Is this ski wider than "normal" or just standard width up front?

[Horton]

normal

[ForrestGump]

@AB I'd say it's pretty standard. In comparison to my Mapple, it's about .100 narrower from the rear toe to the front toe and about .200 narrower 10 inches forward of the front toe.