@bparson I like the 9970 more than the XTR. I'm on a 67", weight 172, and ski 34 mph. I rode several traditionally constructed XTR's since the models release in '17, and also rode an XTR cc for 1 month last fall. I honestly didn't notice a whole lot of difference in how the XTR and XTR cc felt. My 9970 is set up to the exact specs that Goode recommends. This has always worked for me with the many Goodes I have owned. The ski is very sensitive to wing angle adjustments, and I'd made these adjustments due to water temp changes. Cold NH water feels fast in the spring, so I had adjusted the fin to 10 at that time. Goode recommends 9.5 +/- .5. Currently at 9.5. The 9970 cc rides much more level and not as tip high as I felt and also see with most others riding the XTR. Far less drag and work to get wide as compared to the XTR. It turns a sharp but smooth off side that is predictable. For the onside, I can easily adjust the radius of the turn as needed on the fly, and it always finishes well. This ski is great in less than perfect conditions, that being head/tail, light chop, or backwash. It also performs flawlessly when in panic mode. Perhaps this is because the lower side wall making it ride deeper. That said, riding deeper is not at the expense of speed, on the contrary. I judge a ski by how it feels, and not how many buoys I run out of the box. Those come when a ski is a good fit. Speaking for my own skiing currently, it's very consistent. I am somewhat limited to 4 sets weekly, and when I increase that, my body pushes back. I need to ski 6-7 sets weekly to break through to the level that I used to ski at. No fault of the ski. The 9970 is a great fit for me.