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Denali C-95, anyone ride one not named Adam?

Jaypro

By Jaypro
in Skis Fins Bindings

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AdamCord Mentor

AdamCord

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@Jaypro We have small teams of ski testers at both Trophy Lakes and Hilltop Lake that we have been abusing over the past few months. Skill sets range from 32mph 22off to 34mph 39off. We've asked those guys to stay tight lipped about what they are experiencing. Skis start shipping to customers in 2 weeks....

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ghutch Community Regular

ghutch

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Got to demo one Sunday. Mid 38 skier at best at 34 mph. 28-35 felt really good first time on it. Didn't think I would try 38 but it felt good enough to give it a shot... Awesome 1 ball turn! Just fell apart after that. Very good and definitely believe I could run some buoys on it. I would have no problem using it in a tournament if we had any more left as is. Ran some nice 35s that I just overdid a little. Seems like if you don't put to much input into it, it will perform pretty well. Turns on a dime and didn't get stuck behind me. Had a couple of the best 1 ball turns at 38 I've ever felt. This ski rocks! Good job again Adams

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ghutch Community Regular

ghutch

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Follow up... 3rd and 4th set today. Switched to a RTP. Why not? I've always wanted to try and go to one, and  its the end of the season.... sooo..... All previous attempts with a RTP were a shit show in a dumpster. First set not too bad... ran a couple 28's after struggling to adjust. Very ugly. Ski still feels amazing.... incredible acceleration, and holy crap does this thing turn!! ... and slows down incredibly well coming into the turn. How? This thing could have some magic sprinkled in it. 2nd set... almost ran my 35's and should have. (4@35 and 5@35) On a RTP! Which has always felt like absolute crap any other time I have tried one. This ski does have some width to it, need to measure it out and see. Absolutely incredible ski. Maybe the builders can chime in on some tech geeky info on why it's so good? @AdamCord  @adamhcaldwell 

Just some thoughts on this ski from an average joe...

Try one.. you won't be disappointed

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mwfillmore Enthusiast

mwfillmore

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I got mine Sept 22nd.  But have been unable to ski it till this week because my priorities are totally backwards.

That being said… I’ve been impressed with how easily the ski gets you early in the course. And how forgiving it seems to be so far.

My personal best in practice is 2 @39 @34mph.  I haven’t skied since Sept 10th and ran a set yesterday on my old ski to knock the cob webs off.  Last night took one set on a new ski pretty much in the dark just to ride it.  Took 3 sets today and ran clean 35’s on each one… took a poke at 38 and ran 4.5.

Im really sore and gonna hurt for a week… but the c-95 blew my mind   Not really sure the words to describe it… you just gotta try one.

 

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Slalom.Steve Rising Star

Slalom.Steve

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22 hours ago, Slalom.Steve said:

@Joebaum15 Not to discredit the Denali at all, but I imagine comparing any new ski to an 8-year old design that uses lower quality materials (Graphite is two levels below the top of the line Radar), you'd find the new ski to be much better.

make that *any new, high-end/performance ski*
New set of combos... no, not so much 😆

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rico Rising Star

rico

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@BlueSki Yes, I have over 10 sets on the ski. I will attempt a mini review, since it is Monday morning and way more attractive that prep for my first meeting of the day.

Unboxing: The ski came nicely packaged and all setup. Similar graphics as the 85 but blue. You can tell the ski was not rushed as the finish is really pretty. It came with a standard non asymmetrical fin.

First Ski Ride: It was a bit of an adjustment from the C-85. Besides the ski, I am also adjusting to the fin. I have been riding a CG fin for the past 4 years. The ski is really really fast, really stable and turns like a Denali.

The Good: Very stable, fast, turns and goes right off the turn. I felt more control on the pull out and gate turn in. 

My Challenges: I am not going to label it "The Bad" because it would not be fair. Like with any new skis, there is an adjustment. I am 220lbs (so heavier than the average skier) and the Denali team has been very supportive to give me feedback and help me adjust the ski. I struggled a bit with my offside (a bit more than with the C-85) and after a bit of trial and error, moving the boots and adjusting the fin... I started feeling really good and trusting the ski more. One issue in my skiing is giving the handle into one too soon. I have been working on keeping the connection longer and holding the handle through pre-turn. When I did that, the ski started to turn even better on my offside. I am 6.3 on a 65" ski and riding over the front boot can be a bit intimidating, however doing so on the C-95 (as you would expect) creates an insane amount of space. 

My take so far: When I try a new ski, my benchmark is that I have to run about my normal buoy count within the first couple of sets, otherwise, it might not be the ski for me. This was the case with the C-95, and with the help of Denali, It is feeling better and better.  I will be honest though. My first set on the ski was in 85F water. My last set this past week end was 65F with a wetsuit. This makes the cold sets a bit more challenging and I feel like I would be running a few more buoys in warmer weather. A few sets in Florida next month will tell.

In conclusion, If you want to try something new and different, get one. I expect for most, the ski will feel fast, stable, turn from a faster speed and go right out of the turn. To be fully transparent, I initially had a few frustrating passes where I expected everything to work like the C-85 which I had been riding for 2 years, but then, I did have a few passes I almost missed because I was giggling like a little girl because how good the ski felt...

 

IMG_158.jpg

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coach3 Collaborator

coach3

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For you experienced Denali skiers, which ski is the most user friendly? I am just a mid 35 off, 32 mph skier; just wanting to smooth out 32 off with more consistency and  enjoy skiing and working out there.

Or...is a Denali more difficult than traditional skis for us less advanced?

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customski Collaborator

customski

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@coach3 I mainly skied d3’s until going to Denali’s when they started production in 16. 
They are just as stable if not more than traditional skis but seem to be able to get you out of trouble better with a late turn and a burst of speed to the next buoy like no other. I’m surprised there’s not more over here in Aus, I guess it’s mainly to do with a lack of demo opportunities. When i have lent mine out I’ve had nothing but positive feedback. 

Dont be afraid to give one a try. 

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ghutch Community Regular

ghutch

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I'll give my 2 cents worth. Tried a 95  at the end of the year and really liked it. Riding a demo one now, a little stiffer, and really like it. Just got back from FL and managed to run into 35. Didn't think that would be possible this early in the year especially after not skiing since mid November. The ski is very stable, fast and I feel will reward you if you are patient on it. Probably not explaining this correctly but just some things I feel on it. A crazy note.... I was told Caldwell, Austin Able and another skier in between their sizes all experimented with the same fin numbers... and skied great. 

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Adam Caldwell Apprentice

Adam Caldwell

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The Small mold is FINALLY done!   Building out the first couple production skis this week for the test team.....So, provided that all goes smoothly,  keep an eye out on the website for build slots for skis the next couple weeks!

I continue to be mind blown at what I'm able to see people do on top of it every time I ride in the boat and watch.   We have a phenomenal set of baseline fin setups and binding positions dialed in for 34 and 32mph and will continue to share updates as things evolve over time.

We have been VERY tight lipped about what we've worked the last few seasons and what has gone into this ski.   But now I think it appropriate to open up and  put more info out about the ski.   

So - If there are specific questions, throw them up here!.  I'm thinking we might do a little video to respond and answer them and explain the reasoning and process behind what we did with the design in a format that easier to digest.

AND GO!

 

Worth noting.....Having spent and insane amount of time on the c95 design the last few years, we worked pretty hard to improve the ski even further over the last 6-8months (mainly for myself and my personal needs at 36/41). However, having taken a couple prototypes down to FL this winter it was obvious I only made it worse for the everyone else other then myself.  Needless to say, I'm at a loss as what we can do to make this ski any better then it already is.  We think this design is opening new doors and possibilities that I'm not sure we have fully come to realize the true potential. So for the first time in a VERY long time I am putting down the bondo, Sawzall,  files,  and sand paper and the all the tools...and just going out to ski.   Should be an exciting year!

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Horton Intergalactic

Horton

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1 hour ago, Adam Caldwell said:

So for the first time in a VERY long time I am putting down the bondo, Sawzall,  files,  and sand paper and the all the tools...and just going out to ski. 

Unless you've joined a 12-step program and are attending meetings on a daily basis, I have trouble believing you. Who's your sponsor? How many days since the last time you modified a ski?

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Drop a dime in the can

 

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Adam Caldwell Apprentice

Adam Caldwell

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@Horton  Lets just say I've put way too much time into about 10 skis (of all sizes) now since sending Cord a Stock c95 and him immediately running 41 last summer.

I've put Cord on a few of those skis over the fall/winter.  After seeing him and a few other guys basically fail to run a clean pass on any of them or have a single good turn, I think it was demoralizing enough that my ego couldn't take it anymore. 😄  

Time to put the tools down, settle on a ZO setting and ski.

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