pregom

true, and also why is this question asked in the context of a comparison of 2019 models when now we have 2021 models?

I have been wondering about the rope rubbing in the eyelets of the carbon barlock, @WIRiverRat - the custom barlock seems like a better design, but it doesn't have the spectra rope. I'm also thinking about pros and cons of different lengths and diameters of the handle. It's mostly a matter of personal preference, I get that, but I'm wondering if there are general rules of thumb that can be extrapolated from those preferences. For instance, smaller hands => 12" length and smaller diameter vs bigger hands => 13" length and bigger diameter? Topic for another thread, probably.

Hmm, with current design, does the ski width change with different lengths? or is it the same across the whole Vapor line?

I currently have a 12" Radar handle (whatever their top of the line was 2-3 years ago) that I pretty much stopped using because it was rubbing raw my left pinky (I'm right palm up). I'm not sure if it's the 12" size or the 3mm gap between the tubing and the ends of the handle. Most of the times now I've been using friends' ML or IT handles out of convenience as they already there on the pilon, but I'm thinking of getting my own handle for consistency.

I knew Masterline and In-Tow are made in the US and, yes, Brenda is great. I didn't know about (or think of) the mass production aspect of the others. If the quality is there, though, the price will be a factor I'll consider before deciding which way to go. Thank you all.

Most ballers here seem to gravitate towards In-Tow or Masterline handles. What do you think about the handles from Radar? On their website there seem to be 2 new handles: the Vapor Carbon Barlock and the Vapor Custom Barlock. They are quite a bit cheaper than handles from the other two manufacturers and I'd like to hear how they stack up against them.

Here is Brooks introducing the Vapor line and the Senate line. Based on these videos, it seems that the answer to your question is yes, @Jmoski.

I'd like to try Skydio drones. Supposedly their Skydio Autonomy technology can follow a person really well.

Use your hips to initiate a turn, not the back of the ski. That's something I really need to work on, @Fast351

I like the heavy duty industrial lift! :smile:

Overall it’s probably best to leave things as they are. Like in basketball, it’s 10 feet and it’s too bad if you are vertically challenged.

I don't follow you, @Dysco - for weight lifting there are classes. Wouldn't a 155 lb person be in a different class than a 200 lb person? I like your idea of adjusting rope length by height.

@ballsohard, Lawson's is strictly in Vermont, I believe. Alchemist and Fiddlehead started to be available outside of VT - I can find them in Massachusetts, where I am. You could try calling them.

@ballsohard how far are you from Vermont? Three excellent breweries there are The Alchemist, Lawson's and

will they ever come to the NorthEast?

I totally agree, @BraceMaker. This morning my Senate was ok, not sluggish. It’s what rides on top of the senate that needs to have a big tune up, especially for the offside cuts. I think I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I hope it’s not an incoming train, as they say :smile:

In my first post replying to @BraceMaker I had not watched the video yet. I was just focused on the ski size chart by speed. Now I watched it - very impressive to see what @twhisper can do!

I free skied behind a Sanger barefoot boat, not sure what kind but the owner was a national barefoot champion a few years ago. The wake was ok for slaloming at 15 off 32 mph. My boat mates skied at 28 off 34 mph. Nice run was had by all of us.

oh, and by the way, @"Keith Menard", I like how you chose the category of this post: "Technique & Theory" - technique: how to get a ski on a tree; theory: skis can climb trees. The proof of this theory is left as an easy exercise for the readers (as they used to say in all the math classes I took...)

@shoeskiman yes, please, and thank you.

I get your point @BraceMaker, thanks. Another factor to consider is probably the kind of boat pulling you. I usually ski behind a 1997 MC Prostar or a similar vintage Gekko GTS. This morning I didn't switch back to my Vapor. I had a couple of decent (by my standards) sets on my Senate, minus a fall with a run-away ski that @"Keith Menard" documented in the other thread about skis climbing trees :smile:

Thanks, @"Keith Menard", this would go well with your other post about ensuing hilarity! As for the story behind this, @thager, let's just say that I need to work on my offside turns. I'm LFF. What you see is the result of the ski making it around ball 3 (and then some!) while I did a cartwheel behind an OTF...

@BraceMaker because I don't think I would stand a chance of doing anything good in the course at a faster speed? I'm trying to balance what you said with what Horton said before plunking money for some other ski (new or used). What follows should probably be in a separate thread. Last year I skied almost exclusively just in the course on weekends on my vapor at 28 mph and I was able to get around the 3 ball with some consistency and take a good look at the 4 ball. This year I've been free skiing at 32 mph on weekday and in the course on weekends at 26 and 28 mph, first on my vapor and lately on my senate. The results so far are worse than last year. Why did I switch to the senate? because I felt I've been making progress with my stance and technique while free skiing, but in the course I can't do almost anything right.

Interesting perspective, @Horton. This morning I skied on my senate 15 off @ 28 mph. Let's just say it was not pretty. I think tomorrow I'll try my vapor again, @28 or possibly 26 mph.

Makes sense, thanks @BraceMaker . My senate is 67” and I am 173-5, 6’1”. Some of my friends say that at a slow speed (and at my height) a 68” stick would be better - to your point of the charts geared to 32-34 mph skiing. Slightly off topic, I realize, apologies in advance.