Radar Butter Knife

[rodecon]

So I have a good friend of mine that is getting back into slalom skiing after a long hiatus (marriage, kids, career etc) and he is asking me if a Radar Butter Knife is a good choice? I have no experience with that ski and would love some advice.

 

Here is a little history:

 

My buddy used to be a fantastic free skier and the first double boot tournament ski I was ever on was his back in the 90's

 

He will mostly be free skiing but I will prob drag him into the course periodically

 

My gut tells me a Senate might be more suited to him as he was always on more high performance skis back in the day.......what say you?

[Chef23]

I would go Katana. I have a 67” Katana and ski it in the course at 30 mph and have skied it at 32. Another option might be the Union. I think the Butter Knife is too wide to ski the course faster than 26 or 28 mph.

[Jetsetr]

Have a Butterknife and a Senate...

Butterknife is an awesome, easy to ride ski...

However, I think your friend will be bored with it soon...Union, Katana or Senate would be my choices. If just REALLY wants an easy ski to get up on and free ski with it’s a great choice....

[Jerry44]

Katana is a great ski for free skiing or learning the course. The design of the ski keeps you from getting too far forward or too far back on the ski.

[escmanaze]

If you think he's going to be getting right back into being a "fantastic freeskier" then you might consider getting him a vapor. However, if he's going to be trying to learn a course, then the vapor would not be the right choice. I wrote a position paper this weekend that might very well apply to him.

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-NiENHZt0sC7WDBaeVk6QK9OJzQ4-DYISGE1h_PPjPI/edit?usp=sharing

 

For now, just throw him on your ski or on his old ski and get some video of freeskiing and/or in the course. With video, the recommendations here will be of much higher quality.

[APB]

I ski on a vapor... but I took a 69 butter knife out for a rip in the chop the other day and it was so fun. Different but for first turns, stability and time behind the boat it was great.

[rodecon]

Thank you for all the comments! After these recommendations I might steer him towards a Katana or Senate, I don't know anything about the Union....will have to check it out

 

Sounds like the Butterknife is a great ski, I just think he will want something a bit more high performance

 

Many thanks

[Chef23]

@rodecon the Union is a slightly wider version of the Senate using the same shape. The Katana has a bit different shape. Not sure what the different design objectives were. @Brooks could probably comment.

[rodecon]

Thank you @Chef23

 

@brooks any advise?

[Jerry44]

Check out this product review:

 

 

[Chef23]

@Jerry44 good video. I will agree that the Katana is super easy to get up on, turns well and is fun in the course. I have been skiing it for the past two seasons at 30 mph from 22 off to 35 off (only a few buoys and few times) and it turns hard and is a lot of fun. I think the upper speed limit is 32 mph probably.

 

@rodecon I think it depends on what speed your friend is ultimately looking to ski. It might make sense to start out on a Katana (which are fairly inexpensive) then upgrade. The Katana makes a great boat ski later on.

[Jerry44]

Last summer after being out of course skiing for a lot of years I was trying to run the course on my Senate C at 30 mph without a lot of success.

 

Around September 1, I bought a Katana and was running the course successfully at 24 mph. (Up to 27 mph now).

 

That's the great thing about the Katana - you can ski 24 mph and it won't wear you out like higher performance skis.

 

Also, it keeps me from doing stupid stuff like getting too far forward on the ski, as I am prone to do.

[jimski]

@brooks

[brooks]

Hey @rodecon! I think your friend is going to be best suited on a Katana or like many here said the Union. Deciding between the two will depend most on how often he's going to ski. If it's less than 20 I would go Katana and any more that that I would go Union.

[rodecon]

Many thanks for the advice @brooks

 

My buddy is currently looking for a Katana, but I will tell him to look at the Union as well!