2016 Syndicate V Type-R Review

[Horton]

http://www.ballofspray.com/images/2016/vtr-2-2.JPG

Intro
The Syndicate V Type-R is the all new high end slalom ski from HO for 2016. The V Type-R is a reflection of the state of the art in terms of slalom theory. A careful examination of the ski will show a very deliberate design approach. From the shape of the tail to the texture of the bottom to the flex pattern, the V Type-R is different.

General Feel
The V Type-R is a ski that some skiers may take a few rides to get accustomed to. The shape and flex of this ski are designed for a skier who has the discipline to apply less aggression at the ball and from the ball to the wakes. The ski can be pushed, but the V Type-R simply performs best when the skier does less. The V Type-R is a ski for skiers who have embraced the concepts of “light on the line” or “hiding from the ZO”.

Toe Side (Off Side) Turn
The Off Side turn on the V Type-R is simply a joy. The tip stays down and the ski flows back to the inside with very little skier input. The relatively soft flex of the ski contributes to the feeling that the front of the ski is pulling itself under the line and making angle.

Skiers who cannot resist the temptation to be aggressive with their upper body will likely find turns to be unnecessarily aggressive and messy.

http://www.ballofspray.com/images/2016/vtr-3.JPG

Heel Side (On Side) Turn
If the skier can keep their shoulders level, head up and weight centered the V Type-R will flow out and then carve a fast arc under the rope and carry speed back to the inside. On Side turns are perhaps slightly faster and a smaller radius than Off Side turns. The smoothness and ease of the on side turn makes it easier for the skier to be in good position on the way to the wakes.

The ski’s forgiveness to errors is moderate compared to other current year high end skis . If the skier drops their head and shoulders to the inside, the ski may turn harder and faster than expected.

From Ball to Second Wake
The V Type-R does not make speed as much as it maintains speed. As with the turns, the secret to riding this ski is to not do more than you have to. The ski performs best when the skier takes the angle created in the turn and works just hard enough to maintain that angle. When ridden in this fashion, the V Type-R makes more than enough speed to be wide and early at the next ball.

If the ski has one clear fault it is that, after the skier makes a mistake, the ski does not make a lot of extra speed in panic mode.

From Second Wake to Ball
The V Type-R flows away from the second wake predictably and easily draws a path wide and early in front of the ball. As noted above, the ski performs best if the skier keeps their head up, shoulders level, and weight centered.

Conclusion
Up until my hardest pass, the V Type-R is my favorite HO since the A1. Once you adjust to how this ski needs to be ridden, it is one of the smoothest and flowiest skis in recent memory. As the rope gets short and I start making more errors, the ski degrades from a great ski to a good ski. It never does anything unexpected or radical, but it lacks a emergency afterburner mode I needed to get one or two more balls on my hardest pass.

As the review period ends, I am left with the feeling that I could have gotten more from the ski and wish I could spend more time with it.

http://www.ballofspray.com/images/2016/vtr-6.JPG

 

 

[Ralph Lee]

Great review @Horton! I've been waiting for this one.

[skiboyny]

Sounds much like the V-Type.

Good review!

 

[Booze]

@Horton - Did you ride that one out?

[Garn]

What settings did you end up with?

[ALPJr]

Stoked that I have one of the most advanced designs on the water. @Horton your review pretty much lines up with my thoughts, although I'm a far less accomplished competative skier. At this point in my skiing life, after 40 years of slalom and a lot of yanking on the rope, I'm very happy to run my first four passes with a focus on being balanced, aligned and handling the line with an easier on the body, solid touch. On good days I'll do a couple back to backs too. This ski definitely rewards that now that I'm getting the fin dialed in. On really good days when I'm feeling strong, the air is hot and the water is calm I'll take a few trys at my hardest passes, but still with the easier on the body, not going crazy for an extra buoy or two approach. To me this ski flows in an effortless way when I'm doing the right stuff. My first impressions were... I can't believe I felt so strong today, and... It's a lot less work. Part ski, part skier style which works perfectly for me.

[MrJones]

That sounds about right from my time on the ski. Good work!

[parkerc2112]

I completely agree with @Horton review. My demo came to same conclusions

[MarkTimm]

@Horton I saw the 2017 V Type or whatever it will be called at the Hill Top Pro AM.

To my eye it is a entirely new ski, that is radically different from the 2016. According to Will Asher it will be released at the Nationals.

[Horton]

@MarkTimm I know that VTR is unchanged for 2017

[Ilivetoski]

HO just posted a photo with the new VTX...

[ISP6ball]

@parkerc2112 Did you end up buying one?

[parkerc2112]

No, bought a 2016 vapor lithium.

[SkiRV]

VTX? Didn't HO have a ski called that back in the mid 90's

[ALPJr]

Venturi Tunnel Xtreme - whistled in the turns some times

[UWSkier]

Everything old is new again. VTX is back!

 

Wonder if HO is doing that thing again like with the A1 and S1 where they had two high-end skis.

[savaiusini]

Yes, we are going to be offering two different Syndicate models for 2017. VTR will have a new graphic and VTX is an all-new shape in every aspect.

[fox197]

@savaiusini judging that Asher has been on the vtx then I gather it is the premium ski like the a2 was above the s line

[DGravelle]

I have the original vtx bought it when i was 14 or 15 it mostly just sits in my ski rack in shed as I have different ski now but I might be awfully tempted to get the new one as I loved the old one I'm sure it ski's the same just a whole lot better lol

 

[Garn]

So @Horton, what settings dead you end up using?

[Horton]

@Garn sorry for delay. I never got to triple check but i was very close to the below old school settings. It is a lot of fin but the ski turns great on both sides. At the end of the review i was thinking about trying less depth.

 

6.900

2.500

.735

8

29.5

 

[bigtex2011]

wow. That's a lot of surface area on those fin numbers

[savaiusini]

@horton would've run his 38 if he had taken some depth away...

[Horton]

I confess those were starting numbers that I got from HO and I am pretty sure I did take away some depth but I need to remeasure when I get back from Atlanta. I swear those are not prank settings. If I was not exactly there I was really close.

 

[ALPJr]

@savaiusini can we look forward to a Flowpoint video about the making of the new ski :)

[Ilivetoski]

Last few weeks I started skiing a lot "lighter" especially on my gates. This ski definitely likes that a lot. Take what you can in the turns and just hold it. Don't add anything. Before this year I've never been past 2 ball @35 off. Few days ago I got 3 and today I got 2.5. Could have gotten 3 but it was practice and I was lazy and just didn't take the extra effort to get back to the wake. Guy who was coaching is a deep 38 skier who said I was running it, I just told myself that and didn't pull to 3 ball

[ALPJr]

Bump for latest settings 67 and 68.

[BVGbelgium]

@savaiusini do you know if there are coming more syndicates then the pro for 2018 or colours? like vtx,vtr and vtr women for 2017, 3 colour v-type R 2016,... The pro is a beautiful ski but if you fall and your ski clicks off, its harder to find black back in dark water.

[savaiusini]

For 2018, VTX returns with the same graphics as 2017. Syndicate PRO is one color; all blacked-out carbon!

[ShererSkier]

@ALPJr I'm still on the factory settings but have been thinking of decreasing depth and increasing length.

 

What settings are you on?

[ALPJr]

A skosh long and shallow from factory.