All new 2016 Vapor

[MrJones]

Not everyone likes forward. I've tried it and prefer fin back-binding back. Seems that it swings easier on the edge change and still turns.

(29 5/8" and 0.738. YMMV)

[markchilcutt]

Went to .755 last night and felt the best offside turn ever at -22 -28 however once we got to -32 -35 my onside suffered and it was a struggle to run 32. I felt like I had to much tip pressure coming off the bouy and through the wakes at the shorter lines. Going back to .750 tonight.

[BlueSki]

With new 2017 graphics looming at Nationals, it will be interesting to see the final one-year numbers on what has to be the longest, and most read thread in BOS history. In the spirit of keeping it alive until the new graphics are released, I'll promote it a bit more. On my 2016 Vapor, I jumped up four buoys in my tournament PB about ten days ago, then last weekend, another 6 on top of the four. Two weeks, ten buoys. #Lessropemorebuoys, Radar Love.

[ColeGiacopuzzi]

the 2017 is an awesome ski and has some SICK graphics to come with it!! Stoked for everyone to see it at Nationals! @BlueSki

[skier2788]

Looks like the 17 is going to be pretty cool. Orange bottom with windows... interesting

 

[skidawg]

Don't think that is the new graphics!!!!

[skidawg]

congrats on the great skiing @BlueSki

[UWSkier]

New graphics? What were Brooks and K.C. on in Horton's pics from Crescent Bar?

[Ralph Lee]

There are pictures of the 2017 graphics floating around on the internet if you dig hard enough

[ironhorse]

Like a few others, it took me a few pulls to get used to the new ski. Once you get used to the feel, it is by far the best ski I have been on! I came from a Strada as well.

[parkerc2112]

Me(.5@35)and my ski partner(.5@32) both topped our pb's yesterday on 16' lithium.

[Horton]

We are weeks away from the 2017 Radar colors and whatever. How many views will we have before this thread is 1 year old?

[Texas6]

This season I've gone from stuck somewhere at 35 to running several 35's and several shots at 38....Ski is a big reason for that....

[BlueSki]

How about some more first year success stories to see how far this goes in the next few weeks?

[ToddL]

I've run more -28's on the 2016 Vapor than all of my skiing life combined.

[Chuck_Dickey]

Just got my 2016 and love it!

[Hockdog]

Ok, time for me to chime in on first impressions, I just ran my first two sets on it and I am very, very impressed with it. It builds a lot of speed off the ball and has a load of glide out to the ball instead of shutting done and stalling narrow at the ball. I've been on several D3's, a V-Type, Goode FT and none of them had the glide and speed the Vapor Lithium has.

 

My brief biography: My weight is in the low 170's, M5 skier, PB was 3@39 off in several tournaments back in the mid 2000's, and I ski on a 68" ski. Got burned out around 2007 and quit cold turkey, sold everything and came back to the sport 2 years ago because I just love making turns. It took two years of trials and tribulations on lots of different skis looking for the Holy Grail of skis, and I just found it in a 68" Vapor Lithium. Lots of speed, lots of glide, and this thing can rip a turn and still have some speed on the backside of the ball.

 

More to come......

[Booze]

Low 170's and a 68"... interesting

[MrJones]

Agreed. I'm 175 lbs. on the 67" and it doesn't feel close to small. If you get a chance to try a 67" vs. the 68" give it a try.

[6balls]

67 arrived yesterday, Rossi numbers stock, bindings 29 7/8ths where skidawg is running them.

 

Took an absolute yard sale 2 weeks ago and had not skied since still feeling the effects. Thought I maybe felt good enough to give a set of openers a "go".

 

Ran eight 28 off passes over two sets trying to keep sets short. Conditions were not the best...head/tail/cross thing a bit hairy at the one end of the course.

 

First impressions:

 

--if I were only allowed one word: "smooth"

 

--super tight radius turns that finish smooth...like a nice single malt. Pretty symmetric and runs out of the balls so there's no tug at the finish just a buttery hook-up.

 

--off-side turn is particularly cool. Had some amazing 1,3,5 balls that for a split second seemed like "oops too much" but it wasn't. No stall, no tug, lots of angle and gone. This would seem to be another signature characteristic.

 

--never felt like I would slam-dunk my onside which is a bad habit for me especially when early... and killer off-sides do set that up for a skier on the Vapor.

 

--smooth thru the wakes.

 

--creates plenty of space and width with good handle control. Give it up too early and it may engage and want to come in before desired. Thankfully this resulted in some silly backsides today on the first and second pass before I figured things out a bit and was more reassured that my spine would not fall apart.

 

--cross course it is more work than the Denali I was on...but then the Denali may just be the fastest ski I've ever ridden. It's not that the Vapor is slow or high load...it's faster than average and probably more like normal load. I had gotten used to very light load, stupid fast and a crazy amount of space and width. It remains to be seen if I give it hell behind the boat if I get an extra squirt...will need to trust my spine and work down the line where there's some more swing from the boat to know. I get the sense that on this ski handle control will be more important for me.

 

--it's only a bunch of 28's...will report back after some experience but would seem has some nice potential here.

 

 

[34mph]

might be a dumb ? but is it worth the up grade from my green vapor ?

[Chuck_Dickey]

@34mph both the 2015 Blue and the 2016 are different than the 2014 green. I just can off the 2015 blue and can feel a difference.

[buoyboy1]

@34mph I came off the green 2014 and the 2016 is MUCH better. You will not regret it.

[jdarwin]

@34mph - 2016 is night and day difference. @skidawg can hook you up!!

[MattP]

I'm predicting 85k+ Views

 

I can't wait to get on the new stick!

[34mph]

thanks, maybe I should ride some others too , GT? Is the 2017 worth the wait maybe ?

 

[Chuck_Dickey]

I think the 2017 is just a graphics change but @eddie_roberts_jr is the man to ask.

[Texas6]

@34mph, I came off the Green Vapor - and while I made a lot of progress on that ski, this ski is a major improvement. It still has a similar feel, so its not a huge departure from your Green ski, but it is a major refinement in almost every way. This is hands down, my favorite ski I have owned to date - and I've had a few

[swc5150]

@34mph If you love your greenie, call @skidawg today and get a '16 in the mail. You'll save $$ and have zero regrets.

[6balls]

Cheapest high end ski out there. Ran some 32 off today on good water that jumped 10 degrees from first set on it to 87 degrees.

 

For me a crescendo lean to max at second wake then decrescendo produced an awesome kick to wide and space. Just holding a constant lean from the ball like on the Denali was not as good. Tried varying pull length, varying intensity, depth of pull etc but the real magic was progressive lean.

 

Created laugh out loud passes at 32. As my injuries improve look forward to pushing this ski down the line. Was so wide at 32 that 35 should be golden. 38 we will have to see as regardless of ski that's my challenge pass.

[Ralph Lee]

My son demoed the Vapor today, on his first set he beat his PB by 3 buoys!! Great boat driving by @Eddie Roberts

[Ralph Lee]

That's @eddie_roberts_jr

[Ralph Lee]

@OB1, I believe it's 200 over. Took a look at all the new graphics today, looks pretty cool

[Horton]

200 - 400 Vapors? those are extremely low guesses

[6balls]

My ski has number #1894 on it.

[rockdog]

@horton 200-400 OVER total initial guesstimates.

[Than_Bogan]

@Horton That's your second panda-worthy post this month. But believe me I remember having a very young kid, so I am sympathetic!

[6balls]

33.5 loop felt good on the Vapor today, but storm hit us hard and my set cut short before first blue line on this ski. Lots of width/time on the 33.5 so 35's should be no problem.

 

So far I like the set-up...can't see any reason to tinker yet.

 

Finding that sticking with tension off the wash and handle control is important to get kick to wide/high/early at the desired pace. It doesn't require God's own handle control, it just works better if you don't come off the wash, release and pose. You can pose and be narrow because it turns so tight. You can also squeeze too hard on the pull and be fast/wide/early it turns tight radius from fast as well. Somewhere in between those two spots is the magic area.

 

You can jump all over this ski, front/back/tall/deep without much penalty. It's difficult to make the tip rise out of a turn which is great. The tight radius of the turn on both sides and ability to hold angle is fantastic. If you are a skier that likes a crap-load of angle and tons of load behind the boat...it does that just fine, too. The turn will finish smooth as butter and you can get on it big time behind the boat if you want.

 

Overall very smooth, very forgiving ski thus far that does just about everything well. Deceptively quick, tight turns, no wierd quirks. Seems to be a well thought-out/vetted design.

 

I'm still getting used to skiing it, but I can't say there is much I would say "I wish it did X". This is a shoe that probably fits a lot of skiers. The Denali felt more like a Lotus. The Vapor feels more like an M3. They are different ways to reach very similar performance numbers. One is super quick, feels light, doesn't need as much power, mobile, just amazes you at times at what just happened. The other is just impressively good in a more relaxed/refined fashion that doesn't so often amaze but is just so good. Looking forward to pushing the Vapor a bit in the coming weeks thru blue and some shots at purple.

 

I have no doubts it's a keeper...the box can go in the recycle bin.

 

 

[thager]

I am waiting for mine to arrive from @SkiDawg. Looking forward to seeing how it skis!

[ALPJr]

100k is reachable

[Razorskier1]

I would echo Dave's thoughts. I spent a couple weeks on the Vapor in between Denali's (I'm now testing the 67.25 inch size) and it is a very good ski. The better I control my handle, the better I like the Vapor. The only downside for me is that I can't press the tip on the offside the way I can with some other skis. Not enough tip lift. If I press it too hard, I stop the ski in its tracks. If I control my handle, that doesn't happen and it is really fun to ride.

[Horton]

@Razorskier1 you can fix that with fin / bindings adjust

[Razorskier1]

@Horton - not sure. Overall really like the way it skis. If I keep my shoulders level in the turn it is extremely good. Only when I'm in trouble and using my last resort move of jumping the tip do I have an issue. I wouldn't want to lose anything it does well adjusting for that one issue.

[Deltaslayer]

Been on my Vapor for about 20 sets,, love this ski, my ball count is up and I am loving this ski. Great job to the guys at Radar! Vapor rocks!

 

[Razorskier1]

I like the Vapor a lot -- many good things to recommend it including the fact that I ran straight up the line thru 38 off on it yesterday. Like all of the skis I've tried this year, a very good ski! Also like all of them, it took me a while to master 38 off. Still, it feels great - nothing but good things to say.

[kc]

Anyone else ran into different fin blocks on the Vapor? Just received a 66" today to try. My son and I both have 67" Vapors also. The fin block is a bit different on the 66" ski that arrived today from the factory, than what's on our 67" skis. Set screws on the side and top don't go flush into the fin block. They also require a lot more torque to move.

[Gloersen]

I'm not sure what you mean by "they require a lot more torque to move". The 2 set screws (length/depth) will be snug when the clamp is set tight upon the fin as they should be. However when adjusting the fin and the 3 clamp allen bolts are "loose" the 2 set screws should be "free": and easy to turn to make adjustments.

 

Square One distribution manufactures both Radar and the T series skis; more T -series to come :)

 

It appears they have selected the Mapple style fin block for all their skis; it's a better fin block imho

[gavski]

Not sure i agree about being a better fin block.... It took me over 1hr to dial in the latest Rossi numbers on a friends 66"...normally takes me about 10mins....

It wasn't so much the finblock, but the combination of the weird fin design....i couldn't set the dtf without it throwing all the other numbers out...when i pulled the fin out, it had a notch cut out for the dft screw, but this didn't line up at all when the correct fin depth was set...In the end, i had to set the fin up by hand...

 

[Gloersen]

hmmm... often times the DFT set screw needs to be "retracted" a bit back first when making big changes to depth, especially shallower, otherwise it will impede easy adjustments. Set depth/length then fine tune DFT, then re-confirm length/depth, yada...

 

It's an art; not for the faint of heart.

[bigtex2011]

The new fin block is on the newer skis.