vtmecheng

Thank you @liquid d for the heads up on that. This is a worthy cause for sure.

Just trying to get the word out. This is a small circle of people who would ever use a competition adaptive ski so hopefully it turns up. https://www.ksnt.com/news/local-news/handicapped-water-skier-pleads-for-stolen-skis-back/

@scoke I asked a couple of questions and am sorry that I made the 7th grade comment, I should have left it at the questions. You are spending so much energy trying to offend me that you still haven't provided answers. I assure you that my insecurities have no relation to this conversation but your haste in trying to find a nerve and avoid answers tells me a lot about yourself. @Horton that's it, I'll stop now.

@scoke Did I say that your values were wrong, that the representations require additional testing, or that you need peer reviews of the data? Nope. I said that the graphs do not provide labels of what the x-axis and y-axis are or provide a reference to what the extremes mean. I know that those are included in 7th grade science class because my wife teaches middle school science. Does that mean you are a bad engineer? Nope. As an engineer in a national lab I peer and senior review many reports written by good engineers where I have to tell them the graph is inadequate or not understandable. I am blunt and have no problems saying the truth to someone in person so that products are improved. You were so worried about trying to show me up that you didn't answer my questions. Most importantly, what is the x-axis and what are the left and right extremes?

This says that the x-axis start is at the time the skier begins to load the boat, what is the right most point of the x-axis? Is it the next ball, half way between the two balls, or some random point/time after the skier begins to load the boat? I am guessing that "RPM increase" is actually intended to be the label for the y-axis. Whomever made this should take a 7th grade general science class again to learn how to make meaningful graphs.

I only ever ski ZO behind a Prostar and that is the boat used at local tournaments here. To-date I have only ever tried B2 but I'm far from short line. Every driver and observer says that I am on the smoother side, with soft pickups out of the turn and progressive leans. This discussion has me wondering if I'd be better at A2. Maybe I'll give it a try this afternoon for kicks.

Does anyone have the figure that shows differences between settings? I have not been able to find that and any reference to it on BOS was lost in the server transition.

There is no way I would let PB Blaster touch my ski. That stuff is so strong, I’d be worried about what it is doing to the ski materials and how far into foam it could soak and damage.

This seems to make most phones work. Not going to get cinematic quality or anything but it isn’t wavy and I can easily see the hundreds of mistakes that I make. The top and bottom are the ends of PVC pipe caps and the tubing vinyl. I had to play with the tubing length and number so that it stabilized enough but also didn’t shake at 35 off, for others I ski with not me.

@lpskier ask Matteo what he now thinks about using a Wylie rear, even if not tight. He publicly said that a release front and RTP rear would likely have kept him from his recent rear foot Achilles rupture. Also, in my opinion both feet in is not super safe. I skied with two individuals who spiral fractured with both in during a twisting fall using dual rubber boot. No thanks!

I was on Xmax bindings years ago for a couple of seasons and am not a fan with respect to performance or safety. They have a lot of room throughout, meaning that you have to tighten the laces a lot to keep your foot in place. I injured my ankle one time in them because I had the laces tight enough that my foot wouldn't move around but that resulted in my foot staying half way in during a fall. The extra room also makes for too much lateral play, hindering performance. I tried the Xmax laced super tight on a MOB release system and the performance was limited by the boot. Switched to a Vector on the MOB and it was instant improvement. Point being, the binding makes a difference to more thank just safety. I have no experience with the T Factor but a lot of people seem to like them. Definitely spend time early on learning how tight to make the laces so that your foot easily comes out. I hear that the rubber does soften a bit with a few sets, making it more comfortable and release a bit easier. You never said what you use in the back. If you use the the rear toe plate that came with the Xmax, replace it too. I found more comfort and confidence trying both the Radar adjustable toe plate and a traditional rubber one. D3 makes a really nice one too.

@BraceMaker makes valid points. The big concern with a lace style binding is that how you release is dependent on how tight the laces are for that set. If you have a smaller length foot and a normal instep, this may never be a problem because your foot will come out more easily. If you are like me and have a longer foot with small instep, you have to crank the lace tight to hold your foot and foot length results in an angle during release that makes coming out more difficult (how I broke my ankle). That is why I mount the Vector to a MOB release. Whatever you get, make sure that you reliably can always pull your foot out just sitting in the water with a push from your back foot. When it comes to price, remember that all boot styles and release systems cost less than a trip to the ER or even an X-ray (if you live in the USA).

I have no experience with the Obrien options but currently run a Radar Vector BOA and previously used the 2018 Vector. I like how they work and ski. Most find that they release okay when not over tight but my size 13 foot doesn't like to come out of any binding so I use it on a MOB release plate. That means I can run mine as tight as my foot will allow and it's still safe so take my opinion with that in mind.

@jhughes watch some of the Flow Point Method videos about hip flexibility. The only way to get that body position is with really good flexibility in a number of joints. Without really good flexibility, it is impossible to achieve this.

I was on a Siege some years back, it was my first slalom ski. I can easily conclude that it is not a good ski for the weekend lake skier. That ski hunts for an edge, sprays your face with front foot pressure, and is narrow enough that starts behind a I/O or smaller outboard are harder. A Union, base Senate, base Omni, etc. are orders of magnitude better than the Siege for that use. My guess is that O'Brien skis are still around just so customers who still associated it is a great ski brand have something. Just a guess.

Go to an easier pass and forget the buoys. Focus on just getting a solid body position through centerline and then add back in the buoys while I can maintain that position. I get caught up with the shiny object (buoys) and sometimes need that position reset.

Then the question is, why does O’Brien even make a ski beyond recreational models? Wouldn’t it make more sense for them to just leave that the Connelly and HO?

I was strongly considering giving either a Senate or D3 NRG R3 a try this year. Ultimately I decided that my Syndicate Omega Max probably isn't what is holding me back and am instead spending time working on myself and paying for video coaching.

Every turn he reminds me of…

A better way has been ask for and examined but here we are still measuring from the back of bindings.

It’s just photo angles or something. I believe they use the same stuff. InTow is less bulky, that’s what I have currently.

Masterline, HO, InTow, and S-Lines all have models with ski protection. The HO Syndicate Pro handle is a solid product and for sale on some sites for $115.

I have been on an S-Lines since mid to late last year and am impressed with how it has skied and held up. I can not comment on KD skis. There are only so many ways to keep prices lower than the competition: 1) Take a lower profit margin, 2) use lower quality materials, 3) make it somewhere that costs less (usually at the cost of labor practices), 4) lower manufacturing quality control, 5) spend less on marketing and such, and probably a few I am missing. I have absolutely no idea which of these (or combination of these) KD is going with and I have not been on one of their skis yet. I hope that it is just #1 and I am sure that time will tell. It will be interesting because all other companies seem to charge around the same for a ski and it has been argued a few times on BOS that the cost is justified. I really hope that KD is making fantastic skis and that last and continue to only improve each year. That is only good for all of us who spend way too much on this sport already.

Yes! Pressure on the front of your feet. 100%

I don't even like leaving my ski on the open dock for more than a few minutes. UV is bad for composite materials!