Senates and the difference.

[Wish]

Had a friend ski on a much much older Senate and it worked exceptionally well for him. 15 off 30-32mph. But it was not his ski and not for sale. I see a few on SIA but there's diff models..Alloy, Graphite for example. So what's the diff? And which may be close to the one he rode. Pic of the graphic below . @Chris Rossi @brooks

 

 

[MJE]

That's a 2008 Senate C (carbon version with PU core). The more recent models in that build are the Senate "graphite".

[A_B]

That is a good ski. I rode that through 35 off at 34 mph years ago.

[TallSkinnyGuy]

This topic (difference between Senates) has been discussed quite a bit in the last couple years, but I'm too lazy to look for the threads. Ultimately, my takeaway from the discussions (and comments from people you tagged in the first post) is that it mostly comes down to how much you want to spend. Someone skiing 15off at 30-32mph will enjoy any of the versions, so if funds are limited get the Alloy, if price doesn't matter then go for the top version or something in between. The Graphite is not going to get a skier at this level more balls than an Alloy, but it will feel slightly different. If skiing a course I highly recommending putting a Vapor boot on the front. This was a much bigger, noticeable upgrade for me than moving from an Alloy to a Graphite.

[A_B]

Weight has a LOT to do with it. A 69" or 71" is going to be one heavy mutha, so the all carbon and Pro Build skis will weigh a lot less.

 

The other lesser issue is the core material. The higher end skis have a different "better" core material that they say recovers faster. Reality, if you had two identical skis, flex, etc. and the only difference was core material, and sent 10 skiers out to tell which is which, it would be like flipping a coin in my opinion.

[Chris Rossi]

The quick quick is that the Senate platform is based off the high end ski shape (Vapor) and then surface area is added by widening the ski 0.2". The extra surface area gives the ski more float/support while retaining the majority of the high end characteristics of the Vapor. The Senate line of skis are extremely fun to ride and are capable of skiing very short rope in the course at 34mph and below. Radar offers different "builds" to accommodate a wide range of skiers wanting the ski. The idea here is that the different construction materials of the different builds offer a performance enhancement much like would be found in different mountain bike builds for the same frame. The higher end materials that are added, the more responsive the ski becomes, while at the same time shedding weight, making the ski more efficient, reducing physical fatigue for the skier (sorry for the run on sentence). More is not always the better choice depending on typical conditions the ski will be used in. The Alloy (base model) is a great skiing ski that will perform extremely well in all conditions and will manage skiing through chop and rollers especially well due to its more robust construction. It sort of pained me to call the Alloy the "base" model so I'd like to clarify this by saying that Radar's "base" model would be like buying a base model BMW. It still is a driving machine just with slightly less upside. Then there is the Graphite line which offers an upgrade in materials that is noticeable as soon as you pick the ski up to go to the boat (lighter) and its benefits are felt at the finish of the first turn with faster acceleration off the buoy and less fatigue on the body. This will be the theme just heightened as we continue up to the Senate Lithium which has the same construction as a lot of the high end skis offered today from Radar's competitors. Shedding even more weight and adding a higher level of acceleration and responsiveness out of the turns. Finally we arrive at the flagship Senate, the Senate Pro, which is built with Radars highest level of construction (Vapor Pro Build) while being held to the strictest of tolerances during the build phase. Think 0.2" wider version of the industry leading high end ski. This is a ski capable of setting the world record at 34mph or be used to absolutely slay a glass calm open body of water. In most cases, I recommend going with the highest build level you can afford. I would also recommend buying the most recent year of the ski possible. The Senate line evolves with the newest Vapor shapes, thus the newer the ski, the more evolved the shape is. This provides you with the best performing, most predictable, best skiing Senate possible. Hope this helps clarify the Senate line of skis.

[ForrestGump]

That custom 2010 carbon Senate that Sully built me with the carbon weave top was my favorite ski of all time. "Hey Sully, I'm a nobody but can you build me a custom ski?" The answer was "Sure, what dealer do you want it sent to?" A month later that dealer was calling me that it arrived. I should have never gotten rid of that thing. Man, I wonder who has it now. That thing took me from 22 into 32 in one season and was Darth Vader cool.

[UWSkier]

I went from a Vapor Pro (previous shape) 69" to a Senate Lithium (2019) 71". My Vapor is for sale and I LOVE that f'n ski. Love it. That's all you should need to know.

[Wish]

@Chris Rossi thank you for chiming in. He picked up and Senate Graphite. A bit of an upgrade from his EP ski.

[Chris Rossi]

@Wish glad to help!

[skihard]

The boys at Radar are always ready to jump up and help their riders out!

Going that extra step - well done all of you! :)