Radar Vapor - New to slalom

[treylewis0814]

I've been slowly learning how to slalom for the past three summers on my dad's I/O Tahoe and haven't made much progress due to lack of understanding and I don't have a good coach or decent slalom ski. I was talking to one gentleman who said to find a 65" Vapor Alloy that's a few years old so I don't break the bank for a starter ski. I'm 140 lbs, 5' 9" and boat on pretty choppy water. Any information or offers would be very appreciated as I am very new to this community!

[UWSkier]

I'd say go for a Senate Alloy or Graphite instead of a Vapor. The Vapor is the high-end, 36 MPH tournament shape. The Senate is based on the same DNA but is designed to run at a max of 34 MPH.

[BlueSki]

Welcome to the ski world. Chris Sullivan pointed to the alloy Vapor when one of my kids was skiing through the upper-20 mph passes and it worked great for him. There is 45ish guy I know that has been using one at similar speeds and into the 30s with success. Odds are, both the alloy Senate and the alloy Vapor would work well and the alloy will help dampen the rough water. See what you can find on Ski It Agiain. At your weight and a slower speed, a 66” might also work well.

[buechsr]

I'm going to contradict the other posters, but I don't think you're best served with a Vapor of any iteration, nor Senate. They are both advanced designs, require appropriate weight distribution, react instantly, and will bite off turns and angle much more aggressively than someone learning to ski should want (or need). If we're talking Radar, At "most" I'd suggest a Union so you could ski it down to 26, but I'd look for a katana or butterknife. Both are much wider, softer, more forgiving, and provide a much more "fun" experience learning the basics while going slower. Bonus, both are relatively cheap as far as skis go, and will be a much more forgiving ride in rougher water.