Ntq206

@horton - oooh I really like this. This thought process resonates well with me. I can visualize this. I just finished my last set of the weekend, but I'm going to definitely try to apply this next time on the water.

@Horton - no it isn't the 3/8 - the ski had the size decal missing a so it 'should' be a 67 but wanted to confirm it actually is.

Hey all, I am wanting to confirm ski length measurement on the Strada. It's a 67" - when I measure the ski from the tail all the way along the bottom of the ski (following rocker) I get something like 67 3/8". Is this correct for a 67? Or the right way to measure?

Such an amazing skier. Just watch his backwards pass, and he somehow maintains so much angle out of the ball without sticking the rear tip in and catching a digger. ;)

Looks to be the same as this on on SIA. Smokin deal. http://www.ski-it-again.com/php/skiitagain.php?topic=Search&category=Slalom&postid=19058

I have no plans at all to change anything from stock in terms - just the wing was the only variable that was in question. When I first got the ski, I didn't closely check the settings. I only measured after a few runs that the DFT was much closer to the tail than stock, and it just didn't feel right for me and that's what drew me to attention of the settings. I probably should have checked that everything was absolutely dead on stock even before my first run on it - oh well. Lots of season left. As long as in my mind I know it's set to stock, I can spend 100% of my mental energy working on the dude the ski is strapped to. :)

Cool run man. Maybe it's just my perspective, but it looks like that ski sliiiiiddes through the turns!

OK - so the concensus on the wing is to remove it and set it to 7-9 degrees.. :)

OK - a bit confused on the wing setting now.. @RichardDoane - Richard, you mention to set it to 9 deg stock @ShaneH - Recommend taking it off entirely. For 15 off level, which is the right way to go? Thanks guys - it's cool having a vast resource of knowledge here.

OK, at the risk of looking like a fool - not knowing any better, I had pulled the wing off my HO ski (since this one didn't come with a wing) and had put it on the ski. Seeing some recent photos of fins today, I realized I might have also had the wing upside down?!?!.... but this is the way my old HO came. I snapped a photo of how mine is currently on there. @ShaneH - yep you read it right (sheepishly admitting it) - I will remove it, but wanted to make sure for future which is the right way up.

OK, I'll probably just pull off the wing for next time out. I figured at least I wouldn't lose the little thing. I have no plans to adjust further - as long as it's set up to stock as designed, it's going to be more than good enough for me.

I skied behind a PS205 for a while - I can also attest - the 15 off wakes are very tall and hard. My favorite 15 off wake is still the 196 by a considerable margin.

Color me shocked.... and impressed. So, it was my 3rd outing on my new-to-me Strada. First time out, I was really just taking it easy getting my legs back under me again. 2nd time out, just starting pushing it a bit, but felt I couldn't get the ski to accelerate or come around properly. Couldn't even get decent width on the pullout - just seemed to be slow or something. Like a ton of work. Hmmmm.... bugged me all night after that. Was it me? Did I get the wrong ski? Settings??..... Well, decided that first I should double check the fin & binding settings. Everything checked out OK except DFT was almost .080 too far back according to Rossi's settings for the 67. Also wing was set to 5 Deg. Figured I should just set that to 0 for now. Thanks to a couple guys on here (@MS & @AB) for helping me out on how to adjust it. So, made the adjustment and went out again this afternoon. WOW!! What a difference!!! The ski is like a rocket ship now. I noticed it immediately from the pullout. Immediately skied 100 times better. Being a 15 off skier, I honestly thought that what is the equivalent of about 2mm DFT would be un-noticeable at my level. I was shocked at how much difference it made. (Now, maybe some of it is due to the wing, but I've tweaked those before without dramatic difference to me unless I set it to some stupid angle.) I guess my point to this post is that for all you 15 off'ers out there who might not think to check your fin because you feel it's only for advanced skiers - not so. I came from that last ski just grinning from ear to ear. I really love this Strada. Stable, fast and I'm really starting to feel like it's going to get me to the next level really fast.

Awesome. Thanks @MS & @AB. Made a HUGE difference. Color me shocked.

Hi everyone, I am currently trying to verify stock fin settings on my new-to-me 67 Strada. When measuring DFT, do I measure from the bottom bevel of the ski or top? That will make a huge difference and want to know what is used with reference to stock numbers. Also (beginner question) to move my fin fore or aft, do I just loosen the three hex screws on the side of the fin box and then adjust the rear hex set screw as needed? The threads on the three screws mounted sideways look to have some kind of epoxy on them. Maybe just factory? Hope someone can confirm and set me straight. Thanks!

@brody - Yup - I remember seeing the clip of Robyn Regehr slalom skiing on Sportsnet. Skip ahead to about 1:35 for the skiing part.

For me, it'll be drysuit until water is around 55, then spring wetsuit until about 63 or so - then just shorts from there on. Lake reaches a maximum of around 80 during summer.

I'll second the 206. The Air 206 might fit the bill. I've had the chance to ski many different boats LL to compare over the past couple years. Not a fan of the Sunsetter longline. Deep troughs at LL. X7 and 206 have similar feeling LL ski wakes to me - but totally different to look at. Short line 206 is much better - similar to 196. Wakeboard wakes - tough call. Tough to do both well.

So, @Horton now having gone back to -15 - how would you shape the advice for this level (my) of skiing?

Wow - scary story. You could probably count me in as drowned in that situation. I don't think I would have been able to hold my composure like you were able.

@ntx - I agree to some point, but if the instruction is simply to tell beginners to get their hips up - it doesn't always work. In reality, it's not that simple. I believe it takes different approaches for different skiers to figure out exactly the elements that prevent them from getting their hips up. I do believe time on the water is critical. Speaking for my own experience, there was a period of time that it took to gain "confidence of balance" throughout many movements and positions behind the boat before I truly started to feel comfortable enough to apply the instruction. If there is any sub-conscious "un-certainty of balance", we are somewhat psychologically impeded to really apply it - and this slows progress. Its easy to forget how much that confidence of balance affects us. I remember watching a youtube video of Krista Rogers skiing on a wood plank. Besides the video being pretty entertaining, it was also a evidence of how this obvious uncertainty of balance was a bit like rolling back a tape to the beginning of learning slalom where the 'un-certainty of balance' was forcing her body into those familiar traits we try not to do. This is obviously an extreme (and perhaps unfair) example, but you can kind of see how it relates and messes with our heads to do things we know we shouldn't do. (Although her position was pretty good considering..) I think this is where time on the water is simply gate-admission to progress.

To finally run my -43's back to back........ Just kidding. Actually this year I just want to be able to consistently get a strong and leveraged position behind the boat - stacked.

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@Horton you need a bigger box opening knife.

@MS - Dude!! 15 to 35 in a year! You must have a secret kryptonite stash somewhere. My new goal!