Connelly GT

[lpskier]

FYI, 67's are in production now. 66's will follow shortly and then 68's. They should be ready to go within the next several weeks. H2OProShop.com is your Connelly connection.

[jjackkrash]

@Horton or @anyone else: anyone have any time in this stick and care to offer a review?

[lpskier]

67" GT is now available. 66" is out soon.

[lpskier]

Saw the new GT in action today. Impressive.

[DanE]

@lpskier Want to share what you saw?

[lpskier]

First set out of the box: Set the fin with numbers similar to the standard set up for the Prophecy. Up the rope to 1@38 on a skier whose PB is 3@38. His comments were that the ski felt lighter and faster, and that it turns very well. As of this afternoon, he has four sets on it (tweaking the fin after each set) and is happy with the way the fin is set. A binding tweak or two and the ski will be ready to go.

 

On the prototype, the top edge in the rear of the ski was shaved off at about a 45 degree angle. On the production ski, the tail of the ski is thinner than the rest of the ski to a center axis width a little wider than the fin block, which is to say the tapered edge is gone and the ski is wider in the center of the aft part of the ski than it is on the sides. The tip of the ski is also remarkably thinner than the body of the ski. The texture of the ski bottom is extremely smooth from about mid ski to the tip and is "rough" (rough being a very relative term) from mid ski aft. I am guessing that the extremely smooth fore body is to create some slowing drag when the tip is engaged, and the texture in the aft of the ski is to promote acceleration.

 

In terms of comfort, it appears that if you liked the Prophecy, the transition to the GT is seamless. If you're not a Connelly skier, in my experience a majority of people who tried the Prophecy liked it, even if they ultimately chose another ski. I expect that the same will be true with the GT, but time will tell.

 

I was skeptical of the graphics when I saw a prototype last fall, but the production ski looks really clean and sharp. It has enough color to have some pizazz, style and flair, but not so much as to be overwhelming or distracting. The ski is neither garish nor boring. I like the appearance of the finished product.

 

There really are a lot of great skis on the market right now. The T1 and T2 look like they will be hits. Andy may have trouble keeping up with demand (not a bad problem). I'm not a Goode fan, but I saw Parrish stroke a 41 on his new ski today. Chris is raving about it, and from an appearance perspective it looks cool. I'm not a big HO fan either, but I've seen some great skiing from Taylor Woolsey, JT and Will this spring on the new V Type. Whether it works well for mere mortals remains to be seen, but it looks like the ski may be a hit. The D3 H2 looks very user friendly and forgiving (I see more Helix/H2's than Quests). If I were forced to recommend a ski other than Connelly for a skier I didn't really know, the H2 is probably the safest recommendation and probably will work well for a large number of skiers with differing styles. For whatever reason, I don't see a lot of folks in my skiing circles on Radar or O'Brien (not to imply that CP, JT or Will are in my skiing circle), so I can't offer any comments.

 

I think I can safely say that at $1299, dollar for dollar the GT looks like it could be the best value available for a high end slalom and I bet we'll see some great scores out of this ski this summer from the likes of Joel Howley at one extreme to the normal class C tournament skiers at the other.

[rfa]

Dear @LPskier... I ski on a Radar Vapor...if for no other reason, you should include me in your"skiing circles"...lol...looking forward to seeing you this summer.

[lpskier]

@rfa Rui, every time I see you I get so distracted by your lovely wife that I didn't recall that you are a Radar skier. And you are certainly in my circle of skiing friends, if not in the "circle of trust." Speaking of your wife, I always chuckle when I recall the first time she and I met. We were at a tournament at Pangaea. I (an attorney) was selling ski gear out of a trailer for H2OProShop and your wife (a physician) was selling tee shirts. All that education to work retail! (Parentheticals obviously not for Rui's benefit.)

[mmosley899]

@lpskier LOL at that last comment... Maybe I need to give the Connelly GT a ride, last time I ran 39 off in a tournament I was on a Connelly... LOL!

[Chef23]

@lpskier the beautiful Susan aside you should be excused from not recalling what @rfa skis on because he was on a different ski in almost every tournament last year.

[adkh2oskier]

@lpskier, John, so I finally upgrade to the Prophecy and now Connelly has a new High end ski out? So I need to upgrade already? When you get back to form are you going to the GT? Will you be at Pangaea with a demo this year?

[lpskier]

@adkh20skier That is the case, Pete. Yes, I expect to switch to the GT, but it will be a month before I can ski, so I'm not in a hurry to get one. Matt Matthews is riding one, and he loves it, but when I ask what he likes about it, I don't get a clear, meaningful answer. Then again, he only has four sets on it.

 

My 2014 Prophecy is a hard ski to beat. While the GT is supposedly an upgrade from the Prophecy (I say "supposedly" because I have yet to ride one), I would be completely happy skiing on the ski I have. Obviously, my relationship with H2OProShop.com encourages me to have current year equipment. But for 2015, my physical limitations - the absence of conditioning and low endurance - will be much bigger factors in how I ski.

 

Sure, I can bring a demo to the Puddle. Fathers Day weekend? 67? Remind me as we get closer to summer. I should be home about June 1. Please eradicate all black flies by then!