gsmith795

@cruznski great story, and helpful insight... I think getting into a course is the best way to determine if a new(er) ski will be a worthwhile investment @Kwoody51 thanks for sharing those pics! What’s the second ski?

@KRoundy i recently shortened the rope to 32’ off because the wake is much more tolerable there behind my 1986 ski nautique. I tried 35’ off the following weekend and thought it was even better. 34mph was also chosen based on how good the wake felt. 36mph feels a bit too intense for me at this point. I’m really hoping to improve my form, stay stacked and on edge through the wakes, and dial in the timing of my turns to both prevent any rope slack and to help with throwing up a nice big wall of water ? My concept is heavy and wide, and was only a few hundred dollars new, so I thought maybe a newer, more aggressive ski could help me continue improving my turns and carve the invisible buoys more aggressively. I’m surprised how quickly the tone changed from 100% yes buy a ski to 100% no it’s not worth it... ?

Haha thanks all, always nice when everyone is in agreement. Although I can’t quite tell if the encouragement to get a new ski is because my current ski is older/inferior or because you all just love the idea of new gear ? I was looking at Radar Senate/Vapor and HO Syndicate models and I’ll keep an eye on SIA to see if I can get a deal.

I’ve been slalom skiing for about 5 years now. Exclusively free skiing. I purchased a Connelly Concept in 2015 and have been using it ever since. I’m at the point where I can cross the wake pretty aggressively, I ski at 32/35 off at 34mph and feel pretty good (probably wouldn’t survive the course, but I don’t have access to one). Would a newer and/or more advanced ski help take me to the next level? Or should I continue progressing on my current ski? Thanks all!

@tjs1295 on my ‘86, yes there was a difference, not sure if there would be as much on your ‘07 but I’m guessing there would be some. On my boat, 22 off is basically right on top of the rooster tail, and 28 off is slightly in front of it. Both lengths are still in the ‘bump’ range where you are hitting a raised wake. 32 off seems to be the start of the ‘trough’ range where the wake dips down instead of protrudes up. And as I mentioned in my previous post, a trough feels more uncomfortable at a slower speed but is easier to cross at a higher speed

Just typed up a really long carefully thought out response and it disappeared... anyway what I said was that I was in the same situation last year, tried 32 off, hit the trough, hated it, went back to 15off. Just tried 32 off again last weekend, only this time I leaned back, stayed on edge, and felt my ski float right across the trough. It was like I truly slalom skiied for the first time and I can’t wait to get out there and try it again. Long story short, 15off is a speed bump, 32 off is a trough, it’s much easier to skim across a trough than a bump. Key is to just go for it at full speed and you’ll feel your ski glide right across the gap.

I was in your exact position a year ago @tjs1295. I’d been free skiing behind my 1986 Ski Nautique for a few years, mostly doing 15off at 32-34 mph and feeling frustrated with the size of the wakes behind my antique ski boat. I skiied behind a 93 Nautique and it didn’t feel much better. I also had the chance to ski behind a 2018 a couple years ago and while it was nice, it didn’t suddenly make me a great skier. My 60 year old neighbor who has been slalom skiing for 30+ years told me that 32 off was the magic line length for my boat that would change my whole experience. I tried 32 off one time last summer. Within 30 seconds I dropped into that huge trough, gave the ‘cut it’ signal to the driver, and had the spotter put me back to 15off. Didn’t try it again for the rest of the summer. Last weekend I decided to try it again, only this time I was getting much better at leaning away from the boat and trying to keep the ski on edge. I discovered that with the right speed and edge I skipped right over the trough and across the wakes. It was like I was finally slalom skiing for the first time. It was definitely one of the high points of my slalom experience. If you take it slow and easy, the trough feels really deep and uncomfortable. If you pull hard and go for it, you’ll float right across and it will be much more satisfying than the speed bumps you get at 15off. Good luck and report back!

@Fast351 is it true a driver should go full throttle on slalom starts? Or is that just in this example with an underpowered boat? My brother and dad usually drive when I’m skiing and then definitely don’t go wide open. I’ve got an ‘86 Ski Nautique, for reference... guessing WOT isn’t necessary for a DD but how much should they use?

Can anyone comment on the differences between a Sunsetter LXI and VXI? There is a VXI for sale near me so I was curious. Also, is it worth waiting for a Sunsetter that is direct drive? The boat near me is a V drive and my primary sport is Slalom (just free skiing) so I would assume it might make sense to wait for a direct drive, but curious to hear other's thoughts... thanks! Edit: just realized that the 'V' is probably to indicate that it's a V-drive.... so my first question is now probably answered

@KRoundy my concept is about 5 years old, not sure if that’s the one you’re thinking of. It’s pretty heavy, but I’m not sure how much a ski’s weight affects your ability. I also have an old D3 Nomad that a neighbor gave me, I think it’s graphite because it’s super light. It has a toe plate instead of a double boot so I don’t use it as much.

I tried 28’ off today but I had the driver maintain about 34mph because the wake felt a bit flatter than at 30 or 32. There’s a much bigger trough compared to 15’ off and it was like my ski bounced off the wake as I crossed. As I forced myself to take a bit more speed into the wake, I was almost able to bounce quickly enough that it didn’t interrupt my progress too much. Am I going in the right direction or should I not be feeling this bouncing sensation? I still think I’m failing to cross the wake ‘on edge’

Hi all - I’m a new member who’s casually browsed the forum for a few years but never posted, been skiing for about 5 years behind my 1986 Ski Nautique 2001 that I purchased in 2015. I’ve got a 68” Connelly Concept with double stoker binding and I typically ski 15’ off at about 32 mph. I don’t have many opportunities to ski with advanced skiers or get coaching, so I guess I’m just looking for advice from the experts on this forum on ways to optimize my setup and my approach to maximize my performance (I.e., the best gear, speed, line length, technique, etc.). I exclusively free ski since I don’t have access to a course and I’m having trouble learning to cross the wakes aggressively. I typically cross with a somewhat flat ski to absorb the impact with my legs. I’ve tried to bring handle to hip, lean away from the boat, and ski on edge, but it’s been minimal improvement these past few summers. Is there a line length and speed that would work best for my older boat? Would a better quality ski help? Or should I improve with my current ski before thinking about upgrading? I keep thinking that a newer boat with a smaller wake would help me get to the next level but then I remind myself that everyone skied behind these boats in the 80’s and I should suck it up. Plus I don’t have the budget for a newer boat :) Thanks in advance!