grab2go

@SkiJay...so reading between the lines, would you interpret that as the wing CP shifted forward resulting in more tip pressure into the edge change?

@thager That's funny. My PB is on Mid Ride left.

@Than_Bogan Okay, thanks. I usually just keep moving them forward until I get pitched out the front. I know I need to get a RFF fin, but I won't be able to resist taking a few sets before that time.

 

@Than_Bogan Thx. I am not shy about using the front of the ski. I'll start with 31". When I go to the lake, I'll take some shears, a coke can, and some gorilla tape...(maybe I can make the fin less asymmetrical!).

 

Have you put your spikes on yet?

Jeff Hartwig is one of my favorite athletes. He jumped 18-8.25 at the Olympic Trials in 2008. He was a couple of months shy of his 41st birthday!

@Than_Bogan Yes. I would have preferred the correct fin, but didn't want to pass on the opportunity to try the ski. What numbers are you running?

Any intial setup suggestions? I am a 34 mph RFF skier, 6' tall, 185 lbs. Just bought it and hope it gets delivered tomorrow...

when the boat driver has to find my ski.

@Than_Bogan I envy you. Jumping's a seductive mistress.

@Jody_Seal...Wow! What's it like to drive that rig?

That brings back memories. I learned to ski behind a hydrodyne with an outboard in the late 60's.

Invest your time where you get the greatest return per buoy. For me, that would be on the water and not in the water!

@AdamCord I have always been curious about the bond between the upper and lower facesheets on the top edges of a slalom. Is that a butt joint or is there fiber overlap? Is that area designed by combined torsion and bending or damage tolerance?

 

A picture might be worth a 1000 words... In the top picture the wood strips are stacked on top of one another and allowed to slide relative to one another when placed in a 3 point bending test fixture. In the bottom picture they are bonded to together. Notice the difference in the load and deflection of each.

 

 

The Stoker bindings are very, very soft. They are easy to get in and out off, which makes them great for novice skiers who haven't perfected the technique of getting in and out of nonadjustable bindings. I think they are a great option for beginning skiers. If your friend is something other than a novice or occasional skier, I would recommend something stiffer.

Ditto eleeski and DW's comments. The weak link is probably the core and the bond between the core and the skins, provided of course that the ski has not been subjected to other damage or elevated temperatures. A friend of mine rode his 10 year old 9700 at Nationals this year. He skied 3.5 @ 39. It's kind of hard to argue that the life of that ski has expired... I think sometimes we just benefit from switching skis because it forces us to adapt to another ski and we pickup something in the process.

I heard some old dude took a 2nd place finish on a 9700 with 3.5@39. Wished I could ski like that!

When I was in school we had an American Skier that had trouble reaching 36 mph. We had converted a pie shaped pond that a farmer had into our ski site. One end was very shallow and we finally discovered that we had worn an inch off the diameter of the prop. Put a new prop on and we were skiing 36 again.

Not trying to plug Dave, but the powervest has helped me...

I don't like to slow the boat more than 1/2 mph, because the turns feel too different. I feel like I need a bigger ski. If you're running your 22's consistently, sneak up on 28 by adding a 25 off loop on your rope.

Thanks. My daughter is currently on the jr. amigo and running the course at about 19 mph. She handles the wakes pretty well, but I'm wondering when to transition her to a more traditional shaped slalom. She still struggles with deep water starts. I just want to keep it fun for her and help her build her confidence.

This is an old post, but I was wondering if anyone had anything new to add from their experiences with their kids during the past two years.

My daughter is on a jr. amigo and is running the course at about 19 mph. Is the jr vortex a better slalom at this speed? At what speed do I need to transition her to a more traditional shaped slalom?

That's what I need in my boat!

I switch back and forth a couple of times during the year. It just depends on which elbow hurts more as to which grip I use. Getting old stinks!

John, sorry to hear about your injury. Hope you have a speedy and successful recovery. Eighty pounds and 35off is a helluva achievement. Wish you the best.