O'Brien G5 Review

[Horton]

http://www.ballofspray.com/images/2014/g5.JPG

The G5 is O’Brien’s flagship ski for their 50th anniversary in the water ski business. The green and black graphics pay tribute to the great O’Brien skis of the 60s and 70s. The difference is that the O’Brien skis from past decades were never nearly this fast or generated this much angle.

The G5 is best suited to a skier who approaches slalom skiing with more finesse than muscle. A skier who strives to exert less physical effort and rides the center of the ski will find an extremely fast and smooth ski. A skier who is used to getting around 6 balls with aggression and strength will find more angle and load then they can practically manage.

Off Side Turns:http://www.ballofspray.com/images/2014/g5-2.JPG

Off Side turns on the G5 are almost guaranteed to result in massive amounts of angle. Tempered and calm skiing will result in a fast but smooth change in direction and a controllable amount of angle. Abrupt or aggressive moves by the skier to initiate the finish of turn will result in a radical change in direction.

On Side Turns:

On Side Turns are on the G5 as good as any ski tested to date. With the skier’s shoulders high off the water and at least moderate front foot pressure, the G5 seems to automatically backside the ball every time. More than any ski tested to date, the G5 gives the feeling of apexing early, arcing to the ball, and then finishing the turn early. The G5 makes it easy to carry considerable speed back to the center of the course.

As with Off Side turns, calm technical skiing is handsomely rewarded, and clumsy skiing is poorly tolerated. Back foot heavy or impatient On Side turns will result in a stall with the tip high. The ski will still acquire more than enough angle, but the skier will find the resulting rope load to be challenging.

From the wakes to the ball

The G5 is almost guaranteed to draw a path wide and early in front of the ball. Slalom skiing fundamentals, like controlling rope tension from the wakes to the ball, are the key to better skiing, but the G5 will get out wide and early even when those skills are poorly executed. The G5 is legitimately a very fast ski.

From the ball to the wakes

The G5 needs a skier who can take the angle achieved in the turn and then resist the temptation be overly aggressive to the wakes. If the skier simply maintains their stack, the G5 will create more than enough speed to get wide on the other side. For the skier who cannot resist the temptation to be overly aggressive, the G5 may create more than optimal load, which makes the skier vulnerable to mistakes at the next ball.  

Conclusionhttp://www.ballofspray.com/images/2014/g5-3.JPG

Over the course of the review period, I rode the G5 up to my personal all time practice PB numerous times.  In addition, I ran passes near my limit that were as smooth as any I have ever run. On days where I was not well rested or not skiing my best, I found the G5 to be challenging.

For the technical skier who can regulate their aggression, the G5 is one of the best skis available today. For the skier guilty of depending on brute strength to run the course, the G5 may work at longer line lengths but will require an attitude change past 35 off.

[Horton]

^ Photos and editing by "Muffin Sauce"

[Chef23]

Nice write up and great pictures. How was the handle?

[Horton]

The handle is comfy

[Than_Bogan]

Aren't you in Bakersfield in these shots? Even *I* don't wear long sleeves at 100+ degrees.

 

Great review though. Very informative.

[Horton]

Rash guard

[Than_Bogan]

Oh good. So I won't get that rash from you then?

[MattP]

@Than_Bogan‌ diaper rash. He caught it from Buford.

Back on topic. Interesting review @Horton‌ did you ride the ski at 36 during this review?

[Horton]

I did not....

[gjohnson]

@Horton Final settings?

[gregy]

@horton how are the k-palms? You using them with liners?

[Horton]

@gregy‌ no but I only have a few sets with them.

[gmut]

Nice write up! So is anybody out there using the G5 and what are your impressions?

[jwr]

I'm on a 67 endo, which I belive is the same as the 67 G5. It is the best ski I've ever been on. I've only had a chance to ski in three tournaments on it and I've tied my pb and set two new pb's. I think @Horton did a very good job summing up the ski. Be calm and let the ski do the work, and it will put a smile on your face.

[gmut]

anybody out there on the O'brien G5??

[skier2788]

@gmut‌ I have a G5 and have a few rides on it. It skis a lot like my Elite did. Really fast makes a lot of space. Turns well. I just move too much on my offside. I still have an issue with it shutting down and dumping me or breaking me at the waist. Trying different setting but haven't found a solution yet. My uncle rode it the other day. He came off a triumph and runs 28 MPh 15 off on a good day. His comment. I can't keep that thing flat. I laughed and reminded him slalom skis aren't meant to be ridden flat.

[gjohnson]

I'm on it, but having trouble dialing it in. I'll be testing out Horton's settings this week. It's different than the Nano One that I was on.

[gmut]

@horton, I was looking at the obrien website and it shows dft .740 2.510 depth and length 6.740 for the 68 G5. Do you know whether the length is with tips or jaws? What were your final settings?

[Horton]

For the 86

30

9°

2.521

6.853 Tips

.758 slot

 

[Horton]

The stock settings made no sense to me

[SkiJay]

The stock FL settings on O'Brien's website were measured using jaws. Since all caliper jaws are not created equally (jaw length or the depth of the cutouts), a little personalization may be necessary.

[wtrskior]

is this basically the same ski as the endo?

[gmut]

@horton I noticed on the obrien website that the frt binding on the 68.5 was 29 1/4. How did you arrive at 30"? That is a big difference. Did your fin guru suggest it? Based on the location of the inserts 29 1/4 would be challenging at best. I use Wiley bindings and have size 13 feet. Fitting the rear boot on the ski would involve some new holes. 30" works though and actually the ski feels pretty good in the course.

[jayski]

@wtrskior the 68" or 65.5" G5 is not the same as the Endo

[Horton]

@gmut‌ that is where Drew told me place my front boot

[gmut]

@Horton final depth 2.521 not a typo? wing 9 deg screw side up? so far offside has been a challenge.

[gmut]

@gjohnson any luck with the G5?

[Horton]

Try

 

2.513

6.852 tips

.781 slot

9 degrees

30"

[gjohnson]

@gmut I skied most of the season with the bindings too far back. Moving them to 30" helped. Unfortunately, I've only had a few rides on the new binding placement and have to determine if I can make the G5 a go. I've had some good sets & some bad ones. My off sides have been a trouble spot as well. I've found that standing on the right spot of the ski can make a pretty big difference.

 

current settings:

2.511

.750 slot

6.852

7 degrees

30"

[Horton]

If the ski is sticking at exit of offside fin back a tiny bit is a good idea

[Horton]

I just rechecked my final settings

2.525

6.841 (tips)

.7265 head / .7590 slot

Wing 9 degrees

bindings a 301

[DanE]

@Horton Do you get a. 032 difference between head and slot?

[gmut]

Saw Drew Ross run 39 off twice this past Saturday at Little Mountain. The G5 is the real deal.

[jwr]

It was only practice, but ran my first 38 in three years this weekend. Really love this ski.

[jayski]

If anyone is looking for one I have two 67" G5 skis left for a ridiculously low price, brand new never ridden...

[CsSkis]

After reading Horton's initial impressions on the 68" O'Brien G5, I had been trying to lay my hands on one all season. I was finally able to do so, and these are my impressions of the ski.

 

However, first, a little background. I'm a 60+year old, 170lb skier who typically runs mid to deep 28off at 34mph. In past years (on a good day), I could ski into mid 32off, but my back and knees have begun to degenerate and 28off is now my new "normal". The skis that I have ridden this season include a highly modified 67" O'Brien Elite, a full Kevlar (not carbon) soft 67" O'Brien Elite and a few weeks on a 67" 2015 RADAR Vapor Lithium. My best scores have been achieved, until now, on the Kevlar Elite. Each of these skis has demonstrated a particular characteristic that I have really liked, but not a complete package. The highly modified Elite carried huge speed cross-course, the Kevlar Elite turned on a dime, and the Vapor was amazing on the pull-out for the gates and the minimal energy to get from ball to ball. But they all had other, less positive, characteristics that left me wanting for more. They just didn't necessarily suit my style of skiing and the limitations imposed by my "more mature" body.

 

So, back to the G5.

 

To replicate what Horton had skied on, Pete Surrette (O'Brien SeniorVP/GM) provided me with a 68" G5 to try. I set the fin and bindings up with Horton's final settings (front boot at 30", Depth=2.525", Length=6.841" , DFT=0.7265 head, 0.759 slot) and gave it a go. Hmmm..not so good. I was getting a lot of "hunting" on the pull-out for the gates and the turn-in was a matter of catching the ski on the right oscillation. In addition, I was getting a reasonable off-side, but the on-side turn was a real struggle. The ski just didn't want to come around before the line loaded up. So, after contacting Horton's "Yoda" ski set-up master and describing what was going on, the following settings are what I ended up with: Front boot at 29.75", Depth=2.485", Length(tips)=6.885", DFT(stem flat)=0.768"

 

The ski no longer hunted during the pull-out for the gates and I could consistently time the turn-in. In addition, I was now getting very consistent on-side and off-side carving turns. I would finish a turn, edge change, and then be in the next carving turn. There was no sensation of an intermediate cross-course pull. It was just one smooth turn after the next. Unfortunately, unlike Horton, I was finding the 68" to be too big for me. Course width wasn't an issue, it was just that I couldn't get the ski to turn in a tight enough radius. I just ended up later and later for the subsequent buoys.

 

I reported this back to Pete Surrette and his Sales VP Ed Lavin and the next thing I knew Pete was handing me a 66" G5 to try. With a grin, Pete told me that I would probably like this one a whole lot better - and he was right!

 

I took a look at the fin settings that O'Brien had on their website (2.510", 6.730" and 0.735") and tweaked those on the basis of my skiing style and past experience with the O'Brien Elite family of skis. My fin settings ended up being fairly close, but were 2.510", 6.830" and 0.745" respectively. With these fin settings, I equaled my current season PB on my 4th pass. What a revelation. The more committed I was to the pass and the harder I worked the ski, the more I got in return. There wasn't any adjustment required in my (neutral stance) skiing style - unlike other skis that have required more tip pressure at turn initiation, such as the Vapor. In addition, the "communication" between my brain and the ski didn't seem to get filtered - what I wanted to do, the ski responded. And, lastly, I was not getting as much of a "kick" up through my spine and knees on wake crossings as I had been getting with my Elites. (This is a big deal when you have a bad back and knees.) I had been worried about fore/aft sensitivity with the shorter ski, but actually found it to be more stable than the 68".

 

One thing that hasn't been mentioned in other reviews is the improvement in the O'Brien fin block over past versions. The current "Insight" fin block is one of the best that I have encountered in terms of the minimal amount of time to adjust it to a desired setting.

 

Bottom line: I don't want to give the ski back!!

 

If you get a chance, and are close in weight range to me, try a 66" G5. I don't think you will regret it!

 

[swervelake]

I recently got on the O'brien G5, out of the box it took a little fin tweaking to get comfortable. But once I got it dialed in it felt great, its quick side to side seems to create more width than any other ski I have been on. I haven't been as consistent on it as my previous ski but that was a long term relationship with a D3 X5, and I feel with a little more time I can get really dialed in. It has helped me run some of the smoothest 38's I've ever felt.