2016 Denali Review

[FLeboeuf]

I think you just need the right fin and binding setting. I got mine in May and the settings were way off of where I am now. Boots and fin were back. The fin was at 0,760 dft which is a normal stock dft compared to many skis and the front boot at 29,25. It still skied well but not like it does now. I dont know if the Adams found a "stock setting " yet but with what I ve been reading on the Denali forum and in my experience I think the bindings and fin should go very foward compared to other skis, especially the fin. I started running some 38s at 36 mph when I put my binding around 29,75 and the fin in the 0,900s dft and I am on the 65". Since then I ran 2 pb in the same tournament, the last one I went to and ran more 38s than my last 2 skis also, in the last month. I found the right settings a little more than a month ago and that because the Adams were trying foward setups and figured that they were really working well at about that time so.. I tried over 25 settings which is a lot for me. It became obvious to many people, on the denali forum, that the foward settings were the way to go on this ski about maybe 2 months ago max I think. I would recommend to try these setting on the Denali if you havent. It is a fun ski but I think that it can also help boost your skiing.

I really dont think you need any special mindset or skills for this ski, just the right setup which is everything foward (front boot around 30" and fin at 0,900s dft) I started running 38 2 years ago with Seth Stisher who tought me how to transition properly. Then last year I lost or forgot that proper way to transition because I did not get through 38 once. And this year still not having super transitions,though recently found how to make it better but not quite where I want it to be, but still manage to get through 38 so I believe its the ski helping me, at least 50%. I understand the COM foward and everything but I dont go crazy with it.

You need to know that its a freaky fast ski but you also have to make it turn and it turns best with fin and boot foward.

 

[LeonL]

Good set of questions @wart. With all due accolades to both Adams, and tireless effort from Cord, to manage skill set number 1 for me, I lack skill set number 2. That seems to have rendered the ski "too much" for me.

[Wish]

@wart to your last question..probably not..haha. All of what you said is very true. Especially the COM part..dang that is hard to do when you've been a tail rider as long as I have. Interesting to hear lots of skis are now liking more forward. My point...and it was way way to long winded..was that skiers without the above skills have found success. Me included early on. I look back at tape when I first rode it and wondered how I made any 38s..but made lots. COM was soooo far back but the ski just ran. The 3.1 was/is sensitive to fin moves. The 3.4 does not seem to be nearly as sensitive.

[Wish]

38 on the tail COM back on a Denali. Ski still worked. Just not all that efficient. Trying to change that and it is not easy. Work in progress B)

[The_MS]

Need to get up higher on your pull out

[Wish]

@MS among other things...many things. Workn on it. haha..

[Than_Bogan]

This may sound strange, but I agree with almost everything said in this thread, even in some cases where that's a little contradictory.

 

You have to understand what this ski about, and that it's made by a tiny company. If both of those get a thumbs up from you, then you will have an absolute blast on the ski, just like @Wish and I have. If not, stick with the established names.

[The_MS]

looked like you were in control, nice pass.

[Chef23]

@Wish nice skiing. Any time you get out the exit gates at 38 it is good.

[Wish]

@Chef23 thanks. Happy that the back half of the ski worked that well. Skiing more on the front of it now. Better.

[Booze]

@wart - acronym humor

[Cam]

I am not one of the most technical skiers around, I have been on my Denali since mid June and am really getting to like it now.

I am starting to find what @Wish and @Than_Bogan have been saying about being easy on the body is true and am finding the less I do the better the ski performs.

In our last competition of the year last weekend I scored 1 & 1.5 @ 32 off, the first time I have ran 28 off in a competition since 2008 when zero off came on the scene and I managed it in consecutive rounds.

[Cam]

Update on the 3.4, I turn 65 next month and thought I would try 32mph in preparation for next year, I had never been past 3 ball at 32 off 32mph before but got 3.5 first attempt and ran it on the second and managed 1 at 35 off a couple of times, so something is working B)

[Cam]

I tried a Mapple 6.0 and a T3 over the past two weekends, after 2 sets on the 6.0 my legs felt heavy and after 3 sets on the T3 this weekend I can feel every muscle in my upper back complaining, I felt I skied well on the Mapples but definitely not as easy on the body as my Denali.