2023 Radar Vapor Pro Build unboxing

[Horton]

[Broussard]

New graphics look slick!

[Slalom.Steve]

Gorgeous. You doin' a full review or just for fun?

[Horton]

@SlalomSteve Review starts this week.

[skierjp]

@Horton So is this year a major revision?

[Broussard]

@skierjp No, this ski is the same shape as the 2022 Vapor with a different flex layup. The tip on the 2023 is softer than the 2022.

[hemlock]

Looking forward to the review, I'm considering an upgrade to my 2017 Vapor.

[Horton]

It was terrible but I let @Mateo_Vargas ride the new Vapor today. I was going to cry because he rode it before I did. He was nice to it and handed it back in one piece so I guess it will be ok.

 

I will ride it Tuesday.

 

If @dirt asks to ride it tell him I will ship it to him overnight.

[Mose]

How is the workmanship compared to a Connelly or HO or any other high end ski?

[Killer]

@mose as good or better

[Than_Bogan]

@Mose From your profile you may live very far from where Radar is headquartered, but anyhow Radar has been one of the top ski manufacturers for decades now. No need to worry about quality.

[KRoundy]

Radar quality and customer support is top-notch all around.

[brettmainer]

@Horton and @Mateo_Vargas should have redone their regionals runoff first set on the new radar.

[Mateo_Vargas]

I probably would have won since I'm apparently not very good at setting fin depth.

[Horton]

I will never again loan a ski to @dirt and I will never again let @Mateo_Vargas adjust a fin.

[Dirt]

@Horton send me the XTR Team so I can review it for the next few years. Let @Mateo_Vargas set the fin.

[Mateo_Vargas]

I set the fin on the Vogue for @Dirt and he liked it

[dave2ball]

@Horton your first mistake was giving Mateo Vargas a brand new ski to be the first to try. 2nd mistake was allowing him to adjust a perfectly good factory set up ski.

[coach3]

@Horton Mid review video possible? Can you feel the softer tip?

[C5Quest]

Exactly my question...

[Horton]

@coach3 I do not have any rides on the 22 so I can not compare. I am 3 rides in and had to adjust because my off side turns were too big. So yes it rocks.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

I had a chance to ride a 67" 2023 model last week. It is considerably softer than prior years, but on the water the "softness" is not really noticeable in and of itself. Its just one piece of the ski design puzzle. Overall the ski turns very symmetric and smoother than prior years. Even though the 67" is small for me (195 lbs), I skied right up to "normal" buoy count. The vapor is definitely one of the best skis out there.

[C5Quest]

@Horton What was your adjustment for "big" offside turns?

 

@Bruce_Butterfield Did you ride the 22 prior as well? The 22 Vapor to me is a point and shoot type ski. Sounds like the softer tip smoothed it out a bit?

[Horton]

@C5Quest I was getting more angle out of offside that I wanted. Unfortunately I tend to be a little too aggressive especially at one ball ( RFF). To compensate I moved the bindings a 10th of an inch forward. This move just gives the tail the ski a little bit more grip and smoothed things out for me.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

@C5Quest I rode the 2018 and 2020 Vapors, both in 68", but have been on other skis the last 3 seasons. The new 67 is a ski my son is trying out and it was easy for me to put my bindings on and give it a shot. But being on the small side for me and my old man's back, it was only planned as a 1 set ride and a cursory opinion.

[C5Quest]

@Horton Basically what I did. I’m using Cole G’s #s and moved Bf forward from 29 1/4 to 29 3/8 on my 66. Working for most part. Really the broken part is me.

[rq0013]

I have a handful of sets on my 23. I agree that the ski feels smooth over my 22. I played around with long and shallow settings but went back to short and deep. Need more sets to see if I notice anything else.

[Horton]

[C5Quest]

@Horton. Are you running stock settings with the new Vapor boots? Im on the same set up but just recently dropped the back boot for a home made rear toe kicker with added heel cup. Dropping the weight and drag off the rear has really changed the ski for me. Fast as snot with less effort. Running Cole G's 2022 numbers and digging it. I don't notice too much difference on the 23, but I would support previous comments about it being slightly smoother.

[coach3]

@Horton ,1/3 looks fantastic, 2/4 seems to have a hitch, then go. I suppose that is part of the review process to work on stuff.

[Horton]

@coach3 yeah my 1/3 will always be better no matter what ski I'm on. When I'm not working on a review I'm working on my 2/4.

@C5Quest I run a radar boot in front & reflex r style in the back.

My settings are something like what is listed below. With these settings 32 and 35 are wicked smooth & light. I'm going to really try to get down some 38s Wednesday. I'm a little nervous that with these settings I get too much angle out of 1/3 so I may go to different settings for ultimate high score.

30"2.4706.9400.755

[C5Quest]

@Horton so you’re running basically long/shallow #’s except 1/4 forward on the boots. I’m running somewhere in between S/D and L/S at 29 3/8s (On a 66). I’ve enjoyed Cole Gs numbers but may slide Bf back a touch.

[Horton]

@C5Quest yeah those numbers came from Rossi. I think I had the boots forward the 10th from some other standard. I don't know it feels great. Like I said when I start trying to get down 38 I might need some more fin.

[markchilcutt]

The speed your creating out of 135 is impressive @Horton. That 35 off looks so easy for you!

[lefty]

This may be a bit random but I’ve been reading reviews on skis by as many sources as possible since it is so hard ie impossible to ride them all before buying. How would the vapour compare to the XTR team in terms of general characteristics?

[Horton]

Here is a 35 with bone stock settings

[MJE]

@Horton bone stock l/s or s/d?

[whitem71]

Stock is short/deep was the only setting on the ‘22 but they added back in the l/s as an option for the ‘23. My 66 ‘22 Vapor felt instantly so much softer/smoother/longer than my 2017. I’ve experimented with l/s and s/d and found benefits to both but for me s/d suits me better (I was in l/s on my ‘17) as it’s less aggressive and doesn’t pull me out of position as much. But I’m light (150lbs) and run a rear kicker so have less weight over the fin. I’ve settled at 29.5, 6.870, 2.476, 0.765, 9 and the extra DFT helped my offside quite a bit.

[Horton]

29.756.8602.485.760

[Horton]

@whitem71 the first video above is with a version of long shallow that @Chris Rossi gave me. Those settings are AMAZING when I am calm but as soon as a push the ski makes too much angle. With the s/d stock settings in the second video I have much more latitude to make my mistakes and keep going. If I was a more prefect skier I would go long shallow but I am not that guy.

[whitem71]

@Horton I agree, and I think your onside looks smoother on stock (rears up slightly/stalls bit on the Rossi l/s settings) and offside less aggressive but I guess you’ll need more angle for 38 and beyond which the l/s gives? I also found (for me) that l/s favours warm / flat water but when I’m tired or move around too much and the water is rough the s/d just feels smoother and easier. Still stalls for me on my onside though unless I push on the tail so I might drop the fin back a bit.

[Horton]

@whitem71 I never need more angle. I need more forgiveness. For me that is why s/d is better. I can always push for more speed and angle but I can not always create more control.

[mbabiash]

Try Really deep.2.5126.835I absolutely love these numbers and boots back 1/8Trent runs something close to this.

[mbabiash]

They are really good on new senate pro too.

[Mastercrafter]

Random… but does anyone else’s 2022+ Vapor screech/bark at them if they dig deep in a turn? I guess it’s a nice reminder that I’m skiing a late line and need to get my act together.

[Horton]

@mbabiash I tried those settings. not for me.

[mbabiash]

Yeah. They are way differentIt took a couple sets for me but I can push hard without being punished.Probably not a good thing but I’ve been doing it so long it’s tough to tone it down.

[Horton]

@mbabiash I confess I am second guessing.... I might try those settings again later but I almost ran my first 38 on the ski today with the bone stock settings. There is for sure some thing good there.

[mbabiash]

I found that with the deep settings from Trent. Boots are important. Shout out to mikrojust. Just 1/16 boot move went from way too much angle and tail washing through to complete connection throughout turn.I didn’t like the 2.512 settings on previous vapors but on this model they rock.

[Horton]

Yep! Mikro-Just!