Frustrating Times

[Stevie Boy]

I am starting to dislike my ski, I am not the best when it comes to skiing technically correct , but have had skis that I have been confortable on, just lately my techniques has improved a small amount and I realise my ski maybe not helping me a great deal, I can achieve amazing or ok offside turns with fin adjustment, Stock or Fwd, but the onside either partially crushes me or breaks me in half unless I restrict my reach to a quarter.

Everybody tells me that the ski that I am on was a dog, I think that is a bit strong, but I am beginning to think it's not making life easy.

Do I keep fiddling or give up on it and buy something different ?

 

I am not really wanting to get into discussing the manufacturer, it's my problem not theirs

2017 PMI Core 67" enough said.

 

 

[bigskieridaho]

I understand your frustration. I had the same experience on my ski before the one I have now. Honestly I just tried a couple different ones and ended up buying a different ski which was a game changer. IMO demo a couple different ones and get rid of the one you have. The ski should make you life easier not harder, and most of the new skis are pretty forgiving.

[Horton]

@Stevie Boy so you're skiing badly and you're on one of the most popular best-selling most successful skis in the sport and it's the skis fault?

[gregy]

I liked the 2016 better. But you probably need to work on settings some. Maybe move the leading edge back some. It took me months to get the 2018 dialed in, it was doing the same but I've got it smoothed out now.

[Andre]

In my case,the problem has always been ''ON'' the ski.

What speed and lenght ?

[eleeski]

It's definitely not the ski. But sometimes a new ski is needed to get you back on track. It will have different characteristics that you will need to learn to control. That alone can improve your skiing.

 

It's just money.

 

Eric

[swc5150]

Agree that you should demo some other skis. I've owned a couple of skis over the years that just didn't work for me too.

[jhughes]

I think every skier needs a "latest and greatest magic" ski and a "true north" ski they can bounce back and fourth between if they are in a funk. This summer I've been bouncing back and fourth between a 19 Radar Vapor PB and my "true north" venerable ARC-S. I can run the same buoys on both skis but the skis feel very different. I know the D3 is always going to ski a certain reliable way on both sides with reliable move-out and glide characteristics in many conditions and water temps. I also know the latest and greatest ski is more lively and could possibly give me more if dialed in and if I'm skiing it well. If I get in a funk, I switch, then switch back.

[ColeGiacopuzzi]

@Stevie Boy Whats your fin settings at? Maybe I can help you out in that department. Sounds like you have been moving it around a bit.

[bigskieridaho]

@Stevie Boy addition to my comment... if “it” is a Radar then I am not sure it is the ski either... I am on my 3rd pro build and they are wonderful. Fin settings are magic.

[unksskis]

Sounds like it's the one before the Pro Build?

[jcamp]

@horton I'm not sure I understand your comment. Are saying that if a lot of people like a ski everyone should like that ski? Surely some skis are not for some skiers and are better suited (or not) for certain styles.

[rq0013]

PMI core is ProBuild. PVC core is Lithium

[Than_Bogan]

@eleeski hit the nail on the head. The ski is not the primary problem, but so what!? Trying something else may knock you out of a rut anyhow!

[UWSkier]

How often are you skiing? One thing I've noticed over the years (noticing it right now) is that there's such a thing as too much skiing. Sometimes a 10 day break is all I need to get me really rocking again when I'm feeling like things aren't working right.

 

I was on that shape and core for 3.5 seasons and had consistency issues at first. Really loved it the past 2.5+ years though. I ran some very wacky numbers and binding settings but they worked great for me and my style.

 

What works for others might not work for you and vice versa, but take up the offers from the experts to help dial you in.

[Cent]

If it were me I would change skis. I find it can be like a reset and lead to improvement and increased enjoyment. .

 

Finally not everyone loves Radar skis in my experience, and that is true fir other brands as well.

[jayski]

it's the ski...get rid of it, get another..or two..keep the ski industry in business..between @teammalibu and I any help is appreciated...we can't keep them all afloat on our own :D

[DaveD]

You might as well get a brand new boat because that could be causing the issue too. Try new bindings too because that always helps. ?

 

Do you have access to good coaching? That’s where I’d start.

[roberto]

Stevie, analyse what you are saying or feeling. At a best guess sounds like it is over turning on the onside? There are fin adjustment 'solutions', but most likely its you and you need a keen eye to pick up an embedded habit that's stopping you progressing. Don't mean to be harsh. See if you can get a friend to video and slow mo it.

 

If its any consolation, I run a 2016 vapor in UK water. I have got use to its 2 stage turn on the onside, I have smoothed this out a bit with a CG fin that I had lying about! If I reach to the pylon its cool, gives me everything I want, reach further forward (climb over the front)and it will be a handful, it will break me in half with too much angle too soon.

 

Matt Southam (Xtreme-gene, spain) is a radar skier. Take a cheap and cheerful flight to Spain for a few days, he will sort you out. I have just been out there for 4 days and had a blast, but most of all he sorted some subtle issues that I was not aware of. (See the pic on the website, *Rob ...........*)

 

I also like retail therapy, in the last xx years ... CR7, sixam 2 pt, sixam ss, HO A3, D3 Q45, Denali 3.4, Denali c65, Vapor 2016. Sometimes a new purchase re-boots the system ! All of the above I have run into 12m bar the C65 which I never made friends with. Sixam 2pt I ran 12 and had a futile attempt at 11.25. I bought the vapor off e-bay last year just because of frustration with the last purchase.

 

It will take you most of the season to adjust to the new stick, and find you still have the same problem! Concentrate on you and you will ride this out.

[Chef23]

@Stevie Boy I don't recall what level you ski at but maybe something a bit more forgiving might be better for you. Back when everyone was crushing it on the Nano 1 I got one and couldn't make it work. It was the first ski I really struggled on. I went back to the Goode Mid I had been on and everything got better.

 

Generally I agree it is the indian not the arrow but sometimes one ski fits our flaws better than another.

[Booze]

All the top-of-the-line skis have personalities. It's important to try other skis and see what works or feels right.

[SkiSam]

@Booze Couldn't agree more. Have had some people at the shop I worked at try a Pro Build or a Syndicate Pro or whatever else, hated one but loved the other. All about finding a good match to how you ski.

[Stevie Boy]

Hey Guy,s 75% the indian, I am running stock numbers but have tinkered with the dft, I ski several different lakes but one in particular is very different from the others.

@Horton I am glad somebody thinks it,s a good ski, but I have had a good half dozen people tell me they could not get it to work for them and I should get off of it, they are far better skiers than me, I was reasonably happy with it battling away, but recently I have been making efforts with some help to get a bit more technique on the go, which has thrown up some issues regarding how the ski feels, if I go hard and heavy obviuosly you are not going to get a lot of feel, just lately I have been trying to do a lot less and change my stance on the ski, so I am a lot more aware of the ski when it swings around the turn or doesn,t .

It doesn,t help if people tell you the ski looks rubbish halfway through your set.

I can ski well, but various comments have got into my head , I do jot want to go into fin fiddling mode, I just want to ski.

[gmut]

@Stevie Boy What size ski and what fin and binding settings?

[ColeGiacopuzzi]

@Stevie Boy if you are running stock long and shallow, give these a try and see what you think.

 

29 3/4

6.865

2.510

.765

9

[ski6jones]

Having riden a bunch of skis over the last year I've discovered i definitely have a ski type. Try a few others, you might strike gold.

[Stevie Boy]

Thanks Guy,s you are all awsome, going to try and reset, will give ColeGiacopuzzi numbers a go, I am getting old and trying to make change is hard, if you look at various Pro Skiers and then look at F Winter, I am way way below their level, but my style is more F Winter, as I get older I realise there is no longetivity in that style, but Hey I am still skiing so I can be thankful for that.

The Indian in this case who knows he,s not so good compared with others , but is still giving it a go, has got to know when a ski feels good and when there is something not quite right, I could have thrown the towel in years ago, but I have a goal and I am not going away until I have got there and even then I will probably try for more.

I know skiers that have terrible body position and look like they going to crash at any moment but get beyond 35 off , but they obviously have a ski that is working for them, one of those people is the father of a pro skier currently ranked in the the top ten, must be in the Genes.

Looking forward to getting wet this weekend, I would rather waterski than be a couch potato

[Cam]

@Stevie Boy I remember reading that you have just changed to skiing at 32mph, I did this a couple of years ago (67 now) and it is a very frustrating time as my average scores were mid 13 at 34mph and first year they were mid 13 at 32mph, now into my 3rd year high 14 is my average.

I have been told we need to ski 32mph differently, some have embraced it like Jonathan Cohen others including me have struggled with it.

Skis do make a difference as my Denali 3.4 was great at 13 and I ran it quite a few times before the ski broke, went back on my Mapple 6.0 and am struggling at 32mph.

Age has probably got something to do with it but I am now trying some 68" skis and am finding them easier on my body and am hoping this is the way forward.

[Stevie Boy]

@Cam, Johnathon Cohen Ha Ha ! the man is a beast @ 6'10" arms like a urangatan and wearing clinchers he dosen't know how to let go or can't, when you drive him he feels like he is going to pull the pole out of the boat, so much leverage, but again that style of skiing has given him some fairly bad injuries requiring surgery, I think his back is creaking a fair bit as well.

 

Tip for drivers when Johnathon skis wear a helmet that handle is like a jet propelled missle when it comes in the boat.

 

No Offence Johnathon but you do ski hard, very hard indeed.

 

@Cam on the ski front I had a interesting chat with Paul Crawford he was suggesting that the EVO-S could be a good choice for 32mph as it is less likely to stall in the turn, softer flex in the front would keep the ski moving.

I am not sure if that was just sales talk or fact, it sort of makes sense.

[addkerr]

@Stevie Boy I work with a couple of 32mph skiers. Number one issue is maintaining speed. As soon as you slow down, the ass of that ski is going to sink, only way out of that hole is massive upper body shoulder movement, guess what happens then. ZO kicks off like a child with a tantrum. Straight at the next ball after getting pulled up. Speed is your friend at 32. Don't glide long on your gate and maintain way more speed for your turn in. Keeps the tail higher and you moving with the boat, not against it.

 

On another note, you looking for Demo's in the UK Hit me up.

 

[A_B]

Great skis don’t always come out of the mold great. Most get caught in QC but not all.

 

A friend bought one of the most expensive skis on the market a few years ago. Skied great for a couple weeks and then couldn’t run anything on it. (This is an into 38 skier).

 

We flex tested it and was fine. Ski looked fine. We thought it was the torsional flex that went south but no way to test. manufacturer wouldn’t replace. Got on old ski and ran back up the rope. Still a costly mystery to this day.

 

[Stevie Boy]

@addkerr you are spot on, I am short stocky with powerful shoulders, strength is my enemy, which is why I am working on doing less but being more efficient, maintaning the speed on setup is proving difficult at 32mph the window seems to be a lot shorter , making timing critical at most line lengths at the higher speeds the window gives you a little more lee way unless you are a Pro into 10.25 where the margin is practically zero

[lpskier]

@Stevie Boy Out of curiosity, did you recently travel with your ski?

[JackQ]

There is no best ski. I often ski on something others do not like, and I don't ski well on what they ski well on. The art is finding a ski that will forgive your weakness not one that helps your strengths.

 

I have inconsistent/marginal turns, but have good body position/pulls and hang on to handle long. So a ski that turns well, but is relatively slow works well for me, but is a dog for others. I loved my ICONN years ago, but many hated it.

 

Same for using some Pro's fins settings, maybe a starting point, but you are not them nor is it likely you ski like them. Find what works for you.

[jimski]

Sounds like you have a little to much fun depth to me shorten it up a bit

 

[Dirt]

The "Frustrating times" title of this thread sums up slalom skiing.

As stated above, just because everyone else loves a ski does not mean you will. Radars are excellent skis and have outstanding customer service. I can ride them but I still favor my ski.

If you like your current ski and especially if you loved it at one time, you should never buy a ski if you can't afford to keep your old one as a backup.

[JackQ]

Dirt, Great point "should never buy a ski if you can't afford to keep your old one as a backup." I made that mistake and regretted it. I now always keep my last ski, and sell my 2nd to last ski. This removes the crisis, when your current ski breaks in half.

[Stevie Boy]

So here,s a thing before things started to go pear shaped, I had stripped the threads on one of the clamping screws on the fin block and replaced the screw/bolt with a longer one, When I received a new block and fin I chose to change the whole thing as the fin had some wear.

I have since discovered that the new fin has a different profile to the old one, grinder and file in hand I

re-profiled the new fin to the shape of the old one.

I am now back in busines with a tweak of the fin and a small movement back on the front binding and I seem to be back in the game.

Another lesson learnt check your new fin against the old one before fitment, assume absoulutely nothing.

[Than_Bogan]

Wait, WHAT!? You somehow got a fin with a different shape? And then you just modified its profile with a grinder? Surely I misunderstand.

[paul413ski]

Doh :p

[Than_Bogan]

Btw, for future reference (to all!), if you suddenly enter a slump after changing something, you might want to consider that as a possible cause.

[VONMAN]

If you want help, how about some info. Ski model, year, length and fin settings. Your weight, speed, normal pass lengths and video.

The season is to short to waist on a bad ski

[Horton]

@Stevie Boy

 

try

9°

2.503

6.830

.766

29 7/8

[baja]

@Stevie Boy I recommend using a very fine grit grinding wheel or file to make sure you can get Horton's fin settings accurate.

[Stevie Boy]

@baja Ho ! Ho ! Ho!