67.25 Denali First Rides

[Razorskier1]

So after a lot of testing on the 66.5, I felt like it just wasn't quite big enough. So the Adam's sent me a 67.25 with some settings and I went to work. I only got a couple of rides on the ski before my old dual lock failed and I couldn't keep the bindings on. Ordered some new, still couldn't make it stick (I think I got the wrong kind). Finally got some 3M VHB yesterday and stuck the plate on.

 

In short, I love this ski size! I ran straight up the line to 4 at 38 in a rather nasty crossing head-tail wind this morning on my first real full set on the ski. On better water I'm confident I can stroke the pass. While I can't write a Horton quality review, here's what I'd say. The ski is more mellow feeling and flows from edge to edge more like other skis. However, once you set it onto the inside edge, it is incredibly stable, and continues to cast out wider as you approach the ball. At the ball the ski is predictable and fully under your control. If you want to snap the turn, you can. The ski will turn on a dime, hold angle and run across course. If you want to just sit back and let it flow through the turn, you can do that too. One thing I noticed -- the ski likes it best if you keep your head and shoulders up and level. When I do that it is honestly a joke how fast the ski turns and goes, and how much space you have at the next ball. Finally, it is very easy on the body. I skied six 35s in a row with little effort, and felt very confident in the ski approaching the ball. This was in contrast to my experience on the smaller ski, where it seemed that it wanted to turn hard no matter what. On this ski, I can choose my turn, and choose where to take it. It is extremely easy to literally take the top off the ball.

 

As a test I asked Mitch to take a set on the ski. He has been riding the Mapple 6.0 I gave him two years ago, and is pretty consistent at going straight up to 2-3 at 35 off. He skied a set on his ski and did just that. We switched bindings and he jumped on the Denali. Ran straight up the line to 3 at 35. To me that is a good measure of a new ski. If you can put somebody on it and have them run right up to their best with no fin adjustments, it is probably a pretty darned good stick!

 

For context, I have also skied my old Mapple 6.0 and the Vapor this year. I still feel at home on the Mapple. It felt like home to ride it again for the first time in 2 years -- what fun! It creates tons of space while never feeling fast, and turns unbelievably well. The Vapor is also a good ski and fun to ride. All three get there in different ways, and all three will reward you most for good handle control and level shoulders, but each will let me get away with hammering as well. For now I'm going to spend the next bunch of sets on the Denali. It is an incredibly fun ski to ride -- a much better fit for me in the larger size.

[6balls]

Jim tells me he was just bad wind/water conditions from running 38 on 3 different skis in 3 days. 2 skis in two days still cool, I'm sure we get some calm and the 3rd ski goes through 38, too.

[RazorRoss3]

The skis are great, both of them create lots of space and are really stable under your feet but carve different lines through the course. In the end they both are fun and easy to ride.

[Wish]

@RazorRoss3 that is a good observations about carving different lines.

[ozski]

Interesting comment about the Mapple, space without feeling overly fast means it probably is - fast. I think you learn almost as much about a new ski by getting off it and back on an old ski, for context as you say. Nice write up.

[RazorRoss3]

@ozski, the Mapple is without question extremely fast cross course but you never feel like you're moving fast. The only reason you know you must be is by how early you are to the next buoy. The Denali has the same characteristic but the difference is in how you feel the water beneath you.

[Wish]

Same designer for both...hmmmmm.

[Horton]

@Wish

http://media.tumblr.com/fe497dd337d9af8479bb6398b9565d16/tumblr_inline_mg6n5ltl6X1rxe4lt.gif

 

[Wish]

Wow...wasn't even shootn for a panda. How did that happen? B)

[Razorskier1]

Second day on the ski today. There is nothing that I don't like about this ski. Like the early Denali's, it is extremely fast cross course and, if you get on it, you can make it fly. What is different (and really cool!) is that when you change edges and get ready for the next ball, the ski seems to ride deeper, slow down better, and then it turns on a dime and goes the other direction again. Said differently, it blends aspects of what I think are the best parts of the Denali heritage -- very fast, holds angle, creates tons of space -- with some of the very best characteristics of the best new skis -- smooth transitions, great speed management, incredible turns.

[RazorRoss3]

@Wish, while some of the same people worked on both you would never know it based on how the skis feel. The Mapple is clearly an Andy design, it is built to ski how he did. The Denali is an Adam^2 design and was built to work really well with skiers focusing on the "GUT" theory of skiing, which I think is a fairly accurate model of what the physics are behind the boat and how we should ski given that knowledge.

 

As a side note, I'm pretty sure I could have run -35 at full 36mph speed on either of those skis yesterday, it just didn't happen to be the day.

[Horton]

Cord but he was not involved with the Mapple project when the 6.0 was designed

[mwetskier]

mapple told us the 6.0 was designed 100% on a computer instead of the rough prototype then tweak method of days gone by. a guy ( i think he said ' tim ' ) at radar skis did the computer design work.

[jimbrake]

 

[RazorRoss3]

@jimbrake, if I didn't think that was among the best comedies ever I would nominate you for a Panda ;)

[Razorskier1]

Minor change -- moved the wing to 9 degrees from 7 degrees. Ran super easy straight up the line through 38 to a score of 2 at 39. This ski is an incredibly cool combination of feeling familiar like some other designs, while retaining the speed and space creation of the Denali. I'm looking forward to running some big scores on this one!

[Razorskier1]

Two more 38s. Tailwind no continuation. Headwind clean and out the gates.

[Stevie Boy]

Seeing that there are only two or three manufacturers that produces skis for companies,who is manufacturing the Denali ?

[Wish]

Denali. All in house. Increases quality control dramatically. Helps too that the Adams designm, buildm, and testm.

[wtrskior]

The Denali uses a stud plate bonded to the ski, always has iirc

[Than_Bogan]

They offer a stud plate that can be made to fit almost all existing binding systems.

Personally I have come to prefer Dual-Lock mount. It has some downsides for sure, but also a ton of flexibility -- both literally and in terms of options for adjustment.

[Razorskier1]

Skied in TX on my old Mapple 6.0 while I was down there moving Mitch to Austin. Great ski, no problems running through 35 and half way down 38 despite lack of familiarity and wind.

 

However, skied the Denali again this morning at my place in a crap wind. Southwest wind comes from the big side of the lake into my course. That was my direction, so a crossing head-tail with wind chop. Straight up the line to 3 at 38 in crap conditions. If I wasn't blind at 2 ball with the sun, think I'd have at least gotten 4 and might have run the pass. This ski is a keeper!

[roberto]

Razor, I am having a blast on mine. The speed off the back of the ball is unreal, I have given up loading, holding and pointing is my mantra. All credit to the Adam's.