Raptor "SFE"

[T_C]

I picked up the Raptor SFE at Nationals this year and I've been playing around with it for the last couple weeks with some surprising and unexpected results. Here's the back ground. I'm LFF, 67 Quest, tournament PB 5@35 ( I known worst score...). I have the worst off side turn on the planet. Breaking into and out of 2-4 or "stalling" and falling out of the turn happens a lot! So I'm always looking for a set up that will help. I have my front Reflex back from stock at 29 5/8 and the fin shorter than stock at 6.915 in an effort to keep the tip from biting.

The SFE comes with three spacers, 3mm, 2mm, 1mm to align it with the side of the ski. Willi told me to use the 3mm spacer on the right side of the ski so it would engage into and out of my offside turn. Right off the bat I could feel the SFE engage as soon as I turned in for the gates and I had way more space before 1 ball which was cool but going into 2 ball I could not stay tall and came out of the turn with my head inches from the front of the ski! For sure not what I needed but I really liked what it did for my gates and one ball. After a number of passes I started to wonder if the ski was breaking me over and the SFE was making it worse or was I jumping on the front in an effort to slow down and was pushing the tip into the water? I decided to try something I have never tried before to see what was happening. I took the SFE off, moved the bindings forward 3/8 inch and moved the fin to 6.940. If the breaking over got worse I would know that it was the ski set up more than me. Actually the ski felt way better, the breaking over and stalling at 2-4 was gone. I was really surprised that after all the years of running bindings back and a short fin I developed the habit of pushing on the front of the ski to get the tip to engage and turn. I then decided to try the SFE again to see if I could get my offside turn even better. I talked to Terry Winter and he told me to use the 1mm spacer so the SFE was closer to the ski. I was totally shocked at what happened. This time I had even more space before one ball and as I changed edges going into two, before I could even think about moving forward on the ski, it had already started to engage the tip so I just stood there and let the ski turn. I did nothing but stand there. The ski finished and I hooked up just as the line got tight... Wide and early to three! It took me a few sets to get used to staying still into 2-4. I had to break the habit of jumping on the front to turn. I have skied seven sets on it this way and I don't feel like I need to change anything. However I did try the SFE on my "good side" or left side of the ski but it gave me way more angle than I could hold on to so for now I'll leave it as it is and enjoy skiing.

With out trying the SFE I don't think I would have ever thought of going the opposite direction with the ski set up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Chef23]

Have you run 35 on it yet?

[T_C]

@chef23 I haven't tried it yet

32 over and over and over...

[Chef23]

@tc you are more disciplined than I am. I usually can't resist taking a crack at the next line length then backing down again.

[T_C]

I've been stuck at 35 for years and now feel it is very doable. At 61 I've figured out that scrapping is no longer an option so I have to figure out how to do it right. The SFE is really helping!