Rev 6 - a Goode learning experience (?)

[Deep11]

Hoping for some help here. Like many I treated myself to a new ski this year hoping for a bit of improvement with the technical advances I have been hearing about.

We don't have the opportunity to "try before you buy" so after much investigation and advice from "coaches" I ponied up $2000 for a Rev6 68 + postage.

As the ski seen most on the big dawg podium I was expecting Goode things.

I have spent the last 6 weeks in it (approx 30-40 sets) and am struggling. I have tried every setting posted on BOS and a lot more radical ones - short and deep upto long and shallow. Boots all the way forward to all the way back.

Bottom line at my home site before the rev6 my 13m was a given with 6-7/7 in most conditions, on the rev6 it's down to 2-3/7 and to be honest I'm just excited to make a 13. This time last year I working on Me and 11m. Right now I'm stuck on working how to run 13 again.

Last week I got back on my Mapple 6 and ran 3x13 and 2x12 off the dock. I dont even try 12 on the Rev6 as its a waste of time.

 

I had been thinking it was me not the ski given the weight of approval for it (and having bought it i am limited in my options (out of warranty now I guess too).

 

To make things more interesting when on holiday and skiing behind a nautique 200 6l 13 & 12 were easy - with relatively poor form???

 

What I have been feeling is that I just can't make it accelerate. If I load just right I can get out wide, but if I'm slightly off I'm shooting straight at the bouy.

If I get into trouble where previously just locking in and loading hard got me back init - not a chance on the Rev. When I look at and compare videos to last year (on the Mapple 6 and a flex tail ) I am just that much faster cross course.

 

In measurable terms doing a one handed gate I need to pull out 2 boat lengths later to be able to turn in at the same point - just shuts down in the glide. I have had to switch to a two handed gate to be able to get the speed I need.

I also need to load through both wakes and out the white water when previously I load into the first wake and ride the ski out.

 

At a recent comp I had the opportunity to discuss this with other skiers and compared the Rev6 to an Arc and a vapour - and the Mapple 6- (all 68s).

From the front of the front binding to the back of the back heel the Rev6 is on average 4mm narrower(1/4inch) .

This seems to me like quite a difference in surface area just where I need the support.

 

So I reckon I have learnt quite a bit this summer (rather than wasting it):

I am quite sure the rev6 is a great ski - behind the 200 i felt at home - but when choosing a ski you need to also bear in mind not only the ski but your weight, speed you are skiing at, power of the boat, and skiing style you want to work on.

I am 195lb, ski at 34mph behind an old Malibu with a soft pull. (Im already at C3 so nowhere else to go) and aim to ski wide and early rather than bouy to bouy.

 

If anyone has any ideas on how to make the rev6 feel and act like a wider plank then please let me know. Otherwise if any of you guys are skiing at 36mph, have big engined boats or weigh about 170 I have a just the ski for you at a bargain price (and I'll pay postage from the UK!)

 

 

 

[Than_Bogan]

There's plenty of evidence that the Rev6 is a great ski for some skiers. But clearly the ski you have doesn't suit you at all. Sell it and move on.

[ski6jones]

I rode the Rev6 for a set and felt the same things. Also coming off a Mapple. I'm demo'ing skis now and have realized how well the Mapples glide compared to most other skis I've tried. As you say the Goode clearly works well for many skiers, but requires different inputs.

[Chef23]

I agree with @Than_Bogan. Not every ski fits everyone. Move on from the Goode as painful as it is. I would try a new Mapple if I was you.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

The fundamental rule of trying new skis is "Is the new ski better than your old one?" Usually you can answer that question within a few sets. Many skiers, myself included, have learned the hard way - the new ski has really good characteristics, but just needs to be tweaked to make it "perfect" - and spend way too long trying to adjust when it just didn't fit that skier's fundamental style.

 

You confirmed what ski you should be on when you went back to your Mapple.

[Razorskier1]

I have tested a lot of skis the last two years. Struggled to get consistent at 38 on all of them. Back on my Mapple 6.0 and ran straight up the line to 1 at 39 two sets in a row. Going to stay on it for now

[liquid d]

the Mapple is bigger/wider/more surface area than you think. The more comparable Goode would be the mid ride/xtm, if you want to stick with Goode.

[Deep11]

Thanks guys - I do of course agree with you. Unfortunately a new ski will need to wait until I can find someone interested in buying this one. Until then it becomes a garage ornament which is why I was wondering if there was anything I could do to "big it up".

Interestingly I have just looked at the Goode web site and they have released a rev6+ for those bigger skiers struggling with cross course performance - I swear I had not read that before posting!

Perhaps I can swap the fin clamp out on mine but suspect for the additional time and cost it may be too marginal a change - "when in a hole stop digging".

 

Thanks anyway and I hope the information is useful for others looking to "buy before they try".

[Deep11]

 

[Chef23]

Call Good and see if they will work out some sort of swap.

[scoke]

 

The Rev6 is one of the most stable skis on the market. It's also VERY efficient spray to spray BUT it's not designed to be ridden on the tail/fin block.

 

If you've rolled through that many settings and boot placement, you are probably standing/riding the tail very heavy. Especially on the gate, turn in and your overall stance. Hard to tell without some video.

 

Call them up and try and switch it out for an XTM. Probably a 65" ski. You'll easily run 13m and have a higher chance of running 12m. That ski is designed for less acceleration but more forgiveness if your balance point is not correct.

 

If you can run 14.25m, you should be running 13m 90% of the time or MORE.

 

If you don't want to evolve your technique, fall back to the Mapple :)

[chris55]

If you feel so comfortable on the Mapple 6.0 I would definitely try to test the Mapple T2 or even a T3 if you can. I am sure you will have a smile on your face.....

[Deep11]

Hi @scoke - take your point, very difficult to comment without context. I don't really miss 14s. The video below is probably one of the better 13s, far from being what ii want but I Don't think I'm a real "tail rider". Fwiw the reason I've stuck with it so long was to see if I could evolve my technique to work with it.

Thanks for the comments.

 

Link

[Razorskier1]

@scoke - if you ask the coaches or ski partners I ski with they will tell you I'm always working on my technique. That makes every ski work better. When I ski my best, I can run my shortest passes on a number of skis. The difference with the Mapple is that if I make a mistake, I can still use the ski to get out of the pass. I'll still always work on running it clean, but I also want a ski that will get me a score in a pinch

[RazorRoss3]

I am also on the Mapple 6 and wouldn't give it up for any other ski. I've run into -38 at two tournaments recently at 36mph. It ski great when I'm skiing right and works with me after a mistake.

[JackQ]

Different skis work better for different skier, there is no best ski. I think the key is finding a ski that complements or at least tolerates your week points. I also tried the rev6, coming from a XT and I struggled. After three weeks the best I could do was mid 38s on the Rev6, but jumping to my XT I would run mid 39. As they say "your mileage may vary" I do not necessarily agree that it is because you are back on the ski, I tend to engage the tip more than most skiers, and the rev6 did not work for me. Apparently my style lends it self to the NanoOne shape, I have done well on the NanoOne, the XT the NanoOne flex tail, but not the rev6, the non-NanoOne flex tail or the T1 or T2 mapples's

[Razorskier1]

@JackQ -- interestingly I skied lights out on the Mapple 6.0 two seasons ago. Skied with Andy and got a T2, which felt great on test day. However, I never got consistent at running 38 on that ski.

 

I haven't tried any Goode's but the Flextail. I could put up scores on that ski and it felt really cool, but the scores were almost universally "ugly" skiing. With an unlimited budget and more than 5 months of ski time a year, I'd probably try several other skis. As you noted, different skis work better for different skiers, and I don't know if there is something else that could be better. A lot of guys put up really big scores on Goode's -- I'm not going to say they don't work!

[Chef23]

I do believe that not every ski works for everyone. I am not as good as many here but a couple of years ago I was skiing on a 9960 Mid consistently running deep 35. Over the winter in a fit of boredom I traded that ski for a Nano 1 which I was never consistent on. I struggled to run 32 off consistently and missed some 28s in tournaments. Moved off that to a Helix then a Blue Vapor which I never quite got sorted. I switched back to a Mid this summer and while I haven't been completely healthy it feels much more comfortable to me.

 

A few years ago I tried 3 different skis over a summer and skied to my average on all of them but the experiment over the past 2 years was frustrating. I will never sell/trade my primary ski until I really get comfortable on the new ski.

 

If you have spent a month plus on the new ski and it doesn't work it is time to move on. Horton appears to be able to ski on anything but not everyone can.

[Horton]

@Chef23 I can ski on almost anything but I can not ski good on anything. Skis really are not all the same. I see people ski extremely well on skis that I struggled with. I see people struggling on skis that I think are crazy easy to ski on. The trick is to know what your strengths and weaknesses are and find a ski that caters to the way you ski.

 

I think with the current batch of skis there's really very few choices for a skier who is not front foot heavy on both sides of the course.

[Deanoski]

@Horton Interesting I'm very front foot heavy! I always run my boots back farther back then most

[Deanoski]

@ what skis are best for front heavy skier IYO?

[Booze]

@Deep11 - I would send video to Martin at Goode and ask for feedback.

I think the general consensus is that the Rev6 is a slower ski that doesn't glide as easily as others...like the 6.0 evidently. It takes a more conscious effort (with back arm pressure and later release) to maintain outward direction....o.k.a. width and being early. The reward is a overall easy stable platform to ride, and one that doesn't do odd, bad things at the bouy.

I've demoed/bought/tried more skis in the last 12 months than ever, in the same time span.

I wasn't skiing particularly well on anything this summer and ended up strapping on a Rev6 in between rounds at a tourney. Literally first time on the ski had the best 1 ball at 38 in maybe 2 years. I freaked out at being too early at 2 ball and fell.

But anyway, looking at the video, I think you would benefit from placing a bit more bias of weight/stance/hips forward on the ski, to get more centered. I would also work on protecting the angle and outward momentum you worked to achieve, by keeping back arm pressure (tension) in the spray, and roll the ski onto edge with that tension, and with both hands closer to your body/waist. Particularly approaching 1-ball, you appear to release early and reach out and back in to the buoy with your hands. Also, from 1 to 2, I don't see much back arm pressure at the 2nd wake....which will put you on a path straight to the buoy.

Sorry, I don't mean to over-critique. These are things I struggle with myself. But I do believe that ski would work much better if you implement those things.

 

* as an aside, I am surprised how many people still really like the 6.0 I would like to try one myself.

 

[PatM]

All this talk about the 6.0 makes me reluctant to get off of mine. I've been thinking about what's next but as long as this ski stays solid I'm sticking with it.

[Deep11]

@booze thanks for the comments - re: the back arm pressure, believe it or not that pass was all about back arm pressure off the second wake. That's the only way I've found to get the ski to swing out, so it's interesting that that is your advice for it (albeit more than I am doing). The thing is that I am used to having sufficient speed off the second to not have to keep loading the back arm. It does seem to be a quirk with this ski. As others have said before (think I've got the message ) if it's not feeling right after a barrel full of sets (and settings) it's time to move on. I did think however that the fact the performance is so different with a more powerful boat was interesting - and that the rev6 is narrower than all the other high end skis out there (which must have a performance effect.)

Thanks for the critique though - spot on!

[skiboyny]

I can tell the same story as you only in reverse! The REV 6 has been all but a miracle for me. I had been on a different ski for almost a year. It seemed to do everything well but I never could put it all together. Hit and miss was my best description. I was so discouraged I thought that age had gotten the better of me and considered packing it in. I demoed the REV and from the first cut my skiing went back to the days of my very best. I run up to my best pretty much every time I'm out. It's the most consistent ski I've ever been on. It's hard to believe a ski could make that much difference. If that's what's happening with you dump that ski. I am now of the belief that a ski that fits you does so in the first set. I've been on a bunch there was one before the REV that I put in the same camp and It fit on the first set. I can't say enough good about the REV but for you move on....

[The_MS]

Ski flex, fin and binding set up play a huge roll in how a ski performs for skiers. You have to know how you can correct issues that you feel are holding you back. @SkiJay Fin book is a great start but nothing can compare to the experience of trial and error. Log each move and its effects to the problem you are trying to solve.

[SkiJay]

@Deep11 Some skis are more willing to be "bigged up" than others. I've tried setting up Nano One, XT, and a Nano One Flex Tail to ski bigger, and none of them liked it. The width of the ski is just one indicator of support. Bevels can make a wide ski ride deep and vice versa. Rocker is another issue.

 

I watched your video and sure you may be able to engage more tip into and around the ball, but that's not the issue here. To my eye, you look like you are right on the sweet spot while accelerating. Nice skiing by the way.

 

It takes a little extra aggression behind the boat to make most of the new Goodes really shine, including the Rev 6. Although everyone can improve their skiing, you have really nice technique now, and changing technique is hard. Changing skis is easy. If it were another ski, I'd give you some tips on making it ski bigger, but in this case, I don't think you'd find what you're looking for.

[Jordan]

@Deep11 Any video of you skiing on the Mapple? It would be interesting to see the difference.

[Deep11]

thanks guys like I said this season has been a learning experience. really appreciate @skijay chiming in on this. i have tried a lot of settings (and logged them) like he says nothing is has made it feel any faster. time to move on.

on the "half full" side of things - i have a new ski to buy :)

@Jordan always a nervous moment sticking video up, but here is a 13m and 12m on the Mapple. I think it might show what I am used to.

 

Kevin

 

Link to Video

[DanE]

@Deep11 If I had your skiing style I'd be putting up video all the time.

You sure look much more at home on the 6.0 (wich could very well be the best Mapple ski ever), I have one that I looked to replace this season with something newer. Not an easy task I discovered but finally the 2016 Vapor nudged it out by the smallest of margin (would not be surprised if the 6.0 still shines if I slap the boots on and tried it).

[Cam]

I have watched @Deep11 on his last 3 skis and always admired how early he hit the buoy line which I think shows in the 12m pass on his 6.0 above, the picture below was taken at 13m on his Rev 6 and shows a radical difference in his line through the course.

 

All this talk about the 6.0 is making me think about taking mine back from my wife if I am brave enough.

 

 

[Razorskier1]

@DanE -- the Vapor is a great ski. Very fast, very low effort, very consistent. However, it is my second favorite ski now that I found a 6.0 on ski-it-again. I plan to keep it and ski it sometimes. The difference for me is that I know exactly what the 6.0 will do, and how to get out of a pass even if I'm in trouble. I can't do that as well on anything else.

 

@Cam -- I would never be able to pry my old 6.0 out of my son's hands. He's been killing it ever since he got the ski. I felt fortunate to land one just like it on ski-it-again!

[Cent]

I recognize that as far as bout counts the Mapple ski is producing better results; at least when skiing behind boats other than the referenced zero off SN200. However it appears to me that in the videos the techniques is better on the Rev 6. Am I missing something about technique? Is technique simply not earning bouys on that ski? Perhaps an example of why they brought out the Rev 6 plus?

[jhughes]

The Rev 6 is the easiest to ride, most predictable, most ridiculously forgiving ski I've ever skied, and I went from a Quest to a 16 Vapor to the Rev 6. I pulled it out of the box, threw bindings on it, and skied right up to my general PB territory on the first set. I'm frankly shocked that anyone would have a hard time with this ski.

[Than_Bogan]

@jhughes You've just been confronted with the fundamental fact that skis have a real style to them, and the degree of match to your style can greatly influence your success.

[ski6jones]

I've ridden 5 new to me skis in the last month and agree 100% with @Than_Bogan. Never really ridden this many skis over such a short time but I was surprised how different they all felt. Some felt pretty good and some really felt terrible.

[Chef23]

@jhughes I am interested in your perception of the 16 Vapor to the Rev 6. I never got completely comfortable on the Vapor and struggled to run -28 consistently. I went back to a Goode Mid and was running deep 32 consistently with very limited sets on the year.

 

I think I may have gotten the Vapor to work for me but I didn't want to spend the time fiddling with it because I am not skiing that much. I did learn a valuable lesson over the past 2 years of struggling with skis that not every ski fits every skier and more importantly don't get rid of your old ski until you are sure the new ski is better.

[jimbrake]

I tried four skis earlier this year - both D3 ARCs, the Rev 6, and the Connelly GT. All at the same time. Which was a mistake, but a good learning experience nonetheless. I was by far most excited to try the Rev 6. Late last season I spent a couple of days with Greg Badal trying both flex tails. I really, really liked the regular (not the N1) flextail and in hind sight, would have done well to just go ahead and get one of those. But, I just wasn't ready to pull the trigger on my Visa. So, THIS YEAR I was and I was frothing over the Rev 6. Such a disappointment - I struggled to find the sweet spot with my bindings big time. Was surprised to find going forward with my bindings sped it up (for me), but it still wasn't "right". The Rev 6 felt to me like Goode tried to find a compromise between the speed and crazy quick turns of the original Flextail and the I-can't-screw-up-a-turn-but-I-have-to-pull-my-guts-out-to-the-next-ball N1FT. Ultimately I settled on a yellow ARC because it did everything I wanted immediately. But, I think the Rev 6 might've been OK if I spent another few weeks tweaking the setup. Don't get me started on the GT.

[jhughes]

@Chef23 Rev6 is slower off the ball, more work in general. More tactile, more predicable, more stable than the Vapor IMO. I could go with either ski and be happy but I chose stability and predictability in my case over effortless speed.

[Drago]

@jimbrake , you didn't " settle "on the ARC, you picked the best ski!

[MrJones]

Drago.

"Settled on" doesn't mean "settled for".

[jimbrake]

@MrJones - eggzakly. Settled on. @Drago - I should've come up with a better phrase because it really was love at first onside turn with the yellow ARC. That and the amazing gas pedal it has.