Raptor Profiled Spoiler unboxing

[Horton]

[KRoundy]

Cool. Could we get a look at that installed on a fin?

[jetpilotg4]

Getting a suspended account message on the raptorwaterskis.com site :-(

[Horton]

@jetpilotg4 try http://www.raptorwaterskis.com

 

 

[Horton]

Bump - More pics and some comments in a few

[mwetskier]

it looks almost identical to a solid type wing that came out maybe 25 years ago with the same way of running the screws through the wing instead of having a right angle mount. i think it was a jobe product.

[brettmainer]

I rode the profiler wing a couple of days ago, mounted on my Goode XT. It is very noticeable and does the two things I expected it to. Namely, make the ski slower and drive the tip down. The XT is already a fairly slow ski, but rides tip high. I was hoping the tradeoff of making the ski even slower and more work would be more than offset by the additional tip pressure and better turns.

 

I started at 9 degrees (same as my normal wing). I could feel the extra drag going around the island, and then the ski dove forward at one, breaking me over and ending the pass. Tried one more time at -32, and it did the same thing at 1 and 3. So, I went back to the dock and reset the profiler to 7 degrees.

 

At 7 degrees, the profiler was much more skiable. Ran two 32s easily, and could definitely feel the additional tip pressure. Tried 35 and it broke me at 1 and 3 again, one of which put a strain to the lower back, so I quit for the day. The next day, I ran my normal wing again and skied like I ski, which made for a good comparison.

 

Summary is that the profiler wing is definitely noticeable and I can see where it could be a benefit to some people. However, those people would probably be riding a very fast and loose ski, whereby the effects of the profiler would be all positive. Maybe something along the lines of a 2016 Vapor. I also do not recommend any steeper than 7 degrees.

[Horton]

 

[Horton]

@brettmainer funny you say that. I rode it on the ARC yesterday and thought it make the ski a touch faster and also increased tip engagement. It for sure did not hurt performance for me. I liked it. I had the freaking best start at 38 and then I started thinking at 4 ball. I do not think I have been that early to 4 at 38 ever before.

 

If I actually did wing reviews I would like to take a bunch of rides going back and forth between the standard wing and the Raptor wing. I might do that later this summer if I can catch up on skis reviews.

 

 

[LeonL]

@mwetskier, yes JOBE made one similar to that. I had one back in the mid eighties. Didn't come on the ski, ordered it later. Didn't use it long, it slowed the ski too much.

[brettmainer]

@Horton, your fin photos are interesting. Your "twin fins" are pointing up. Mine were pointing down. Being as you liked the wing and I did not, it seems I am the jackass who put his wing on upside down. However, I just double checked the mounting instruction sheet Willi gave me and in the instructions, it clearly shows the wing exactly as I mounted it. So, either:

1. You mounted it wrong and are indeed a badass skier worthy of @dirts praise and adulation for having skied so well with an upside down wing, or, more likely,

2. The instruction sheet I was given shows you how to put the wing on upside down. (In this scenario, you can still be worthy of @dirts adulation for being smart enough to ignore the instructions).

 

Looking at the wing closely now without being in a hurry to mount the wing and go so as not to delay my ski partner, it appears that I am indeed a jackass who mounted his wing upside down. That said, Willi may want to recall those instruction sheets before somebody gets hurt.

[DanE]

How do you even measure wing angle on that thing?

[brettmainer]

Measure the line that can be drawn through the two high points.

[Horton]

@brettmainer yes yes I put it on upside down. Following instructions is not one of my strong suits. On the other hand it felt good. I'll try again tomorrow the other side up.

 

I am @Dirt's hero

[brettmainer]

Do so with caution. Looking at the wing and knowing how airplane wings work, I really do think you had it inadvertently correct. The way I skied it was unsafe at 9 degrees and borderline dangerous at 7 degrees. I won't get to ski again until Saturday, but I will flip it over and try it again.

[Horton]

@brettmainer Caution? Nope I am not that smart.

 

Put rope on Green and see what happens. If It goes good put it on Blue and so on.

[brettmainer]

Pretty much what I did. My back is still sore.

 

Make sure to video in case it goes spectacularly wrong and can bring entertainment to the rest of us.

[Ryno]

Any more information on this wing? @brettmainer did you try it the other way around? and if so how did it go?

[brettmainer]

Haven't tried it. I flipped the wing over and found I needed to drill the hole out more to get the wing to the correct angle, but didn't have a drill with me at the time. Since then, I have been busy with other things and have only taken 2 rides in the last 4 weeks. I do intend to try it, but I am running out of season.

[Milford]

I picked up one of these at Nationals and tried it a week after I got home. First set, definitely noticed a difference, just couldn't figure out what the difference was. I went back to my regular wing for the next 4 sets and then tried it again. From that day forward, it has been on my ski ever since. I absolutely love it. It seems to engage more ski during the turn, especially on the offside. The turns seem faster and it holds better. It definitely likes shortline. The benefits really come alive at 38 and 39. I now own 2 of these raptor profiled wings, just to have a back up.

 

I would recommend giving it a try.

 

[brettmainer]

@Milford, are you running the wing "fins up" as Horton did (pics above) or "fins down" as shown on the instructions handed out at nationals?

[Milford]

Fins down, as shown on the instruction sheet. I also matched the wing angle to what I was running before. In my case that was 7 degrees.