epyscs

All is pretty much stock. Fin numbers are a hair forward of actual, a fraction extra tip. Cant remember exacts, but its near enough stock. And the ski is a new ski, but feels like its just a fraction out to be awesome. @MattP Ski size is 67" and dead on stock. @Skibug this seems to be all the time. I have only back-to backed 28 off and taken a poke at 32. Fell at 2 ball with the sort of fall away effort after the ball. @AB its not in to the buoy (i.e. preturn), its as you want the ski to sink in and bite to hook up at the bouy. @eleeski Have you seen these Reflex skis - it would be a real shame to get a grinder to it.

Guys, I need a hand with some ski setup thoughts. I have a few of my own, but wanting to test the thinking with some other opinion. So the ski (Reflex) is set up with front boot middle, and rear kicker (HO) back one hole and canted, but still with toes just touching the back of the front boot. The ski feels good and quick, but here are the things it feels like might require an adjustment (in order of priority of issue): - Feels like the ski is running too fast at the hook-up. Now this could be normal on a faster ski, but it means I am falling after the buoy. Its worse on the off-side. Its like a half-arsed fall away from the boat fall. - Off-side, as the tip starts to bite it is notchy - i.e. it feels like I am on little rollers and the tip is coming on & off the bite. - Ski feels like it rolls up early into the on-side (but still carries out really well) so it feels like I do a Nate and edge-change in the air off the 2nd wake. - ski is skittish on the flat / round turn. Its not an issue in course as long as I am active on the gate glide). So what I have done so far... moved the kicker back one hole (to stop toes bashing front boot and put me balanced) and added a fraction of wing. It helped ever so slightly in that I felt better balanced. So - any thoughts?

Hey have you guys seen this re the AM Logo...?

Unfortunately I cant agree on the quality of the FM E-Series. I happen to have a few cuffs sitting here that were made incorrectly and to be honest was never sorted by Paul (my last few emails never got a response). I ended up bastardising the binding to get it releasing consistently on both sides. I often had one side pop open (inside ankle) as the angle on the cut in the shell and the ledge were wrong so I was stuck at the end of the lake trying to get the cuff back together. I have to admit though, i did like the comfort of the FM boot but it was not reliable so I switched to the Reflex option after a season, relegating the FM to locker dust catcher.

They will both have bindings on top and a fin on the bottom? ;o) So whats the difference between a 2011 and 2012 A2 then?

So does anyone know if HO will ship a new blade for the fin for an A2?

Cheers leon - that's really useful... now to find the wileys ones!

Hey Guys - anyone know the dimensions for the hole pattern for HO and / or wileys bindings? Â Cheers!

I am a Euro skier and regularly used to travel around europe either for skiing or work.  Italian coffee... well you said you like it strong! It will be great, unless you are used to the weak sugary mess that comes from many of the US chains. Personally cant stand Starbucks - its good for kids getting into coffee, wannabe coffee drinkers or the mums that lunch crowd. Not much else.  Most coffee places will serve an espresso as standard. Not a Long Black / Americano as mentioned before (unless they are making an assumptions about you... :). Generally italians dont order anything with frothy milk after about 10:30 as these are seen as a 'breakfast' coffee. You will probably find that all the coffee from any decent size coffee place i nthe areas of Europe you are heading will have good coffee - especially compared to other countries.  How do I know... coffee addict here. Currently have a large Long Black sitting in front of me as we type - and will be the first of 3 or 4 today. Did you know it was recently proved that coffee helps reduce muscle damage as a result of sport. (Horton: this thread is now appropriate for the site - unlike trick stuff...)  Cell Service - best bet as said above. Pick up a cheap pay as you go if your handset is 3G. Internet cafes / wifi is real common over there but you are best to look for a sign in a shop / cafe window rather than try google it. For some reason wifi isnt really something that gets listed - its more of an assumption.

Sorry - should have mentioned. I have a similar setup as the air on the current hand ski. The problem is only using one ski for both passes and wanting a higher release tension for hands but lower to allow for a toe release. Happy to go fixed on hands, but not sure how to chop and change for toes or if anyone does?

I use a silveretta release on a toe ski and will be going back to using just one ski soon for both passes. So I have a couple of questions that hopefully someone can answer for me: Firstly, what do people who use 1 ski do about a release system? Go tight on the release so they dont pre-release on hands or have another alternative? (thinking of a strap that can be loosened for toes?) Is it possible to lock a Silveretta for the hand pass, but not for the toes? What is the risk of a Silveretta release in the shin and why does this happen? How can I stop any releases / potential injuries from the hardware? Thoughts and opinions welcome?

You can tow quite happily right down to 3.2l V6's. Seen it done with a MasterCraft and happily pulling at 75-80 mph.

So what is the deal with handle control - is that simply controlling the speed at which you give it back to the boat, ergo maintaining direction slightly longer before rolling onto the inside edge with a little extra pressure on the back shoulder?

Right - quick query but one that probably has a slightly longer answer. I am trying to work out ideas about why i feel narrow in the course (on most passes)? When I first tried a demo of the A1 I had no issues getting width. Along with the width and offside turn being awesome it sold me on the ski... so... Ski is a 67" A1 - fin is as per settings on here (somewhere) with wing upside down @ about 9 degrees. Issues are at all line lengths but kills me at 12 when I barely scrape around the ball, often running short inside the ball. Seems to be both sides of the course, although probably worse on 2-4-6 (offside). Fin never blows out and I feel fairly balanced through the turn. I probably move around a touch too much as I am back a little through the wakes and a little on the tip in the turn but not to the point of the ski ever stalling of breaking me. So I am after ideas for fin adjustment tips or other technique ideas? (i know its a difficult one with no video)

Guys - seems your link to H2oOsmosis is going to reflexworld... And on that note... anyone know why their email addy (osmosis) isnt working?

Unfortunately I got an email from Paul at FM and it looks like the demo programme is limited to the US / Canada. Its a bit of a shame really as the evo looks like it could be good for tricking without the negatives of the silvretta release. I think its a fair wedge to be spending on a binding when I am not able to get enough feedback of others using if for tricking so will not pull the pin on it at the moment. I might have to get on the case and build myself another custom animal again.  Again, thanks for the responses... ski good guys.

well I am considering doing a demo - will speak to FluidMotion and will see what they can do as will be a fairly expensive trial (especially with shipping to this half of the rock). If I do, I will be sure to post an update on here!  Cheers guys.

cheers for the responses on the screw guys... have been soaking the block in CRC Marine since yesterday morning. No luck yet so might crack out a drill bit.  As for the boot... Eric - how does this gatorade lid thing work? The reason I ask about the evo series is I was led to beleive they are fairly new, hence not many people would be riding them yet, whereas the reflex is more widely used as it has been available much longer.  for hands would defo prefer to be lock into the ski as my back foot is well strapped in, however use the same ski for both runs and dont want to change skis for each run (like quantum for both).  Cheers...

hey guys. Has anyone tricked using a FM Evo binding? Looking to givehardshells a go and am not so sure about the silveretta releasesconsistency (and yes I know loads of people use them), butunfortunately I ski in a salt water lake regularly and wouldnt want the'hassles' of lots of maintenance. I figure the evo binding will still release in a similar way to arubber boot (previously only used animals) when needed, howeverconcerned about how much holding force it will have for flip backlandings, ski and toe line tricks? Opinions welcome! Cheers... Oh and any tips on releasing a fin adjustment screw on a new ski...? Locked up solid and need to move fin back a tad.

Right have some numbers for my ski (cant get access to the one I demo'd at the moment). Strangely enough I have moved around and am almost at stock and skiingpretty good. Length is dead on, with DFT at 7.7 and depth at 2.570. Dept was increased for last 2 sets as I was blowing the tail too easilyon both sides. I may try just losing a tad more but have a bad habitof diving on the tip in the turn. So the issue - not much really, just a little too much speed downcourse on my off-side meaning I dont feel 100% in the off-side turn. Ski feels a little too twitchy. Any thoughts? Roberto - no worries on trying the ski. The bindings on the ski idemo'd were approaches, however my old bindings were animals, as arethe ones on my new skis. As for the old-school way, when i startedplaying with fins I watched Will (i think) chopping the back of aschnitz fin off with a hacksaw. Not a caliper in sight.

phantom - think an '01 version. (took a few years off slalom) Generally problems on that were a dodgy off-side (really inconsistent) where the ski sometimes stopped round the ball, i blew out the tail or if i didnt try to crank the turn it just didnt get the angle. Usually made it up with a strong 1,3,5.  Annoyingly I bought the A1 after trying one and had an awesome off-side.

shipping would be more than the calipers...! Have someone bringing a set for me to use tomorrow so should be able to check setup.  Tried going slightly forward of the original settings, wing upside down and again a little more tip. Ski was still a truck on 2,4,6 but on 1,3,5 it was coming around well... just needed to stop jumping on it and blowing the tail out.

On the case with some calipers - know I need to get it measured up, however will do it the old-school way until i get some sorted.  Thank feck the animal is different to the approach bindings. Cant say i was a fan. Way too much movement of the foot in them, however did like the way they reduced the forward / back movement. They (apologies HO) just felt like they would never release in an otf at the ball which i had a bad habit of doing on my offside when I got out of shape.  Tried a set this evening and running 28 btb after adding a very small amount of tip but moving fin back a bit.  The ski was slow in the preturn right through to the hook-up. The turn radius seemed too high, the the point the ski hadnt finished the turn when I had... I was having to force the end of the turn to the point i should really be able to blow out the fin. It is running relatively shallow already, hence doubt it is that.  I suspect that I may have gone the wrong way and need to go forward slightly and in the last set may have mis-interpreted the hook-up as the ski finishing the turn after me.  Thoughts?

Guys - need some tips on ski setup.  Picked up an A1 the other day after skiing on another person's down at the lake. On their ski I nailed deep into 32off feeling good enough to do the same at 35 (didnt try, just back-to backed 32). Fin setup was straight out of the box with wing right way up. Once i got my ski, the first set it just wouldnt turn, then i flipped the wing to upside down (9deg) and the second set was way better... however, the ski would grab on 1,3,5 (on-side) at the end of the turn and was hitching a bit too much (e.g. couldnt hold the angle). Also the ski didnt seem as strong on the off-side, both with a weaker pre-turn and the ski not finishing the turn as strong or with as much angle without me trying to initiate the turn / hook-up (and getting on the tip). As far as I am aware the skis are set up the same - dont have calipers to hand, however going by the markings (yes i know they are not always reliable) and relying on the factory settings they appear to be set-up the same. The only difference is I am running a new animal and the ski i tested was using an approach (cant say i was a fan). Going by the fin markings, the tip is at a fraction over 7 and the tail at 6 (wing 9 degrees).  So any thoughts... oh and also skiing on salt and lake around 20 centigrade. BTW - what change do most of you do when swopping to freshwater?