brettmainer

Just registered for Nationals. First time in several years. $160 per skier. Seems like it used to be $110. Hopefully the goodie bag has some nice stuff in it. (I originally typed "good", but the autocorrect changed it to "Goode". Must be on a skiing website). I remember $110 per entry. I hope I run enough passes to burn at least $2 worth of gas.

Which is why you should do a blind taste test and go with whatever feels the best.

A panda pox upon you all. This spring for fun, I asked the driver to randomly set the ZO to one of the 9 settings until I tried all 9, 2 passes each. I ran one -32 and one -35 with each. Told driver and observer what I liked better (optometrist style, better like this or like that). Ended up back with the same C2 I've used for years.

I miss the daily posting of results on the awsawest website. Here we are a day after the conclusion of be event and I can't find any results from the final day. MM, OM, M5?

@tbrenchley, the M3 bylaws do allow you to sacrifice your body at Nationals. I would like to see that stretch to 6 ball from you at -39 at nationals. Congrats on the M3 regional slalom title.

Steve Grubbs and I managed to combine for the rare and embarrassing double Rico. Congratulations to M3 newbie Tylor Brenchley, who is too young to know you shouldn't, as an old man, throw your ski outside of 6 for 5.25. It worked out well for him though, but sets a dangerous example for old men skiing girls speed who can get hurt doing stuff like that.

Right foot forward skier here. I skied "wrong" until I was 20 or so and into 32'. Switching was easy and definitely helped. Then I got tendonitis in my elbow really bad and switched back to "wrong" just so I could ski. No big deal. Did that for almost a year until I discovered the benefits of the radius handle, which completely cured the tendonitis. Switched back. A few takeaways here: Switching back and forth is easy. For a right foot forward skier, the right way is definitely better than the wrong way. I would expect it to be the same for lefties, but I am not a lefty and will defer to others there. Lastly, use a bent handle if you start to get tendonitis.

If you wait for the wisdom of a M4 skier, you must also wait for his aged body. Pretty sure that is an ancient Chinese proverb.

Not sure if it would fit, but a 6.2L in a 196 would be a lot of fun to drive.

The above comments are all true, but you got a good 6 ball and that is the key to running any pass.

But drama is exciting and keeps chiropractors employed.

Once a year = 300-400hrs on our club boat. The only time we have ever had fuel filter issues is when it has been 400+ hours since a change. It may be that 50hrs is recommended, but I can honestly say I've never changed mine that frequently.

In line fuel filter. Should be replaced every 300-400hrs.

Married with children and living in France

I was living at Bell Acqua and skiing with Champion and Parades quite a bit '97-'99. Both were just super skiers. So cool to see a video of them skiing. Paredes would still make my all time top 5 skiers I enjoyed watching. Somewhere around the time of the '99 Moomba I drove the two of them in a "who can spin and run the most 38s in a row contest". I have forgotten who won, but both ran somewhere between 8 and 10 passes without dropping. It was hard enough to drive in that rough a water, let alone ski it when completely fatigued. They both did have the excellent "hold the handle between your legs like a jumper" technique from finishing one pass to pulling out for another so as to rest the upper body for 20 seconds. Along the same lines, Parades was also the best trick slalom (tralom) skier I ever saw.

If the photo sequence went a couple of frames longer, there would probably be a good example of "dropping the hammer" behind the boat. On a sobering note, that photo sequence also shows how it is possible to put one's head through the handle with fatal results. Terry being Terry saved it and probably got to the next buoy, but almost anybody else would have somersaulted headfirst in the vicinity of the handle.

That makes sense. Thank you. I will take some out and give it a try, probably tomorrow night if Southwest Airlines can get me back to Sacramento on time.

29.75 2.46 6.96 0.750 9 I am more a fin babbler than a fin whisperer, but it does feel like the ski is rolling half way out, but then flattens and points straight at the ball half way through the reach. As a fin babbler, that seems like the fin is too deep. However, this is coming from someone who once road his Goode 9500 for 6 years without adjusting the fin.

Thank you @ToddL Assuming this video posts correctly, I was hoping to get feedback on what to do to get the ski to continue rolling out away from me as I approach 2. As with everything, there is no doubt that there is much the skier could have done better, but I believe there is some ski set up factor at work as well. I put my bindings back on the XT for the final round of the tournament and the approach to 2 ball and the resulting turn felt normal. Of course I still missed 38 anyways...for the 6th time in 6 tournament rides this year. One thing that I did notice switching back to the XT for a ride was how much more work it was. When I dropped at the end, I was winded like I had skied an 8 ball course. The Vapor is definitely less work than the XT, I just need it to be more reliable on my onside.

Well, I am getting the "file not allowed" message, so apparently there will be no video accompanying the last post. 14 second iPad video...not sure what is not allowed. That was my first attempt at posting a pic or video on this site.

I could use some more help with mine. The video below shows my typical 38 on this ski. Early to two, carrying the handle pretty well, but the ski flattens approaching the ball and I get slack at 2. The overturn / head tilt at 1 is a standard problem of mine on every ski, but the slack out of the good side turn is unique to the Vapor. Suggestions?

You are not going to ride the Radar in the Radar event this weekend?

You are not going to ride the Radar in the Radar event this weekend?

I also just switched from the XT to the Vapor. Along the same lines as "carrying the handle", I find the Vapor to be far less forgiving of pulling too long. I tend to get over aggressive and load/unload too hard or get lean locked. The XT would still allow for an ugly tip high pivot turn and a successful if unsightly complete pass. The Vapor doesn't rescue me from those mistakes. I also think I have gotten lost in the fin and binding moving/testing process. I ran 38 every set the first few days, but missed it 3 times in one set last Thurs and missed it all 3 rounds at a tournament last weekend held in perfect conditions. I think maybe I need to slot the rear holes in the Reflex plate to allow for less than 5/16" binding increments. Is there a consensus thought as to binding / fin placement for a 180lb RFF skier on a 67" who is trying to make 38 consistently and then maybe get past 3 at 39?

I also just switched from the XT to the Vapor. Along the same lines as "carrying the handle", I find the Vapor to be far less forgiving of pulling too long. I tend to get over aggressive and load/unload too hard or get lean locked. The XT would still allow for an ugly tip high pivot turn and a successful if unsightly complete pass. The Vapor doesn't rescue me from those mistakes. I also think I have gotten lost in the fin and binding moving/testing process. I ran 38 every set the first few days, but missed it 3 times in one set last Thurs and missed it all 3 rounds at a tournament last weekend held in perfect conditions. I think maybe I need to slot the rear holes in the Reflex plate to allow for less than 5/16" binding increments. Is there a consensus thought as to binding / fin placement for a 180lb RFF skier on a 67" who is trying to make 38 consistently and then maybe get past 3 at 39?