SDNAH2OSKIER

I should add that @horton recommended I steer some of the cash I am willing to burn on equipment to a coach or clinic, best advice I have received on this board.

I am on a V. I doubt I can be of much help but here is what I have found. I am on a 68 and its a physically large ski. It is very easy to deep water start, it is very stable and predictable. I used it in the course for the first time this week and it can definitely get through the buoys but it does require you to turn it. I thought it did really well and I am confident that if I keep skiing it I will improve. My problem is that I skied on a prophecy and for me, that ski is much more agile and intuitive and seems like it would be easier to ski hard. I still really like the V, to be honest I haven't even sorted out my bindings just so you know I haven't exactly explored all of my options with the V. If I am stuck with the V, I think I am pretty good shape. I would like to try to ski a little faster, I ski at 31 at 15 off and think the ski might wake up with a little more speed, even 32. Horton has a good review on the ski and there are some vids of guys flogging it through the buoys so I know at this point I am the weak link. And its a Connelly, you may never need another ski. : )

I am with @MS, I think I may well just buy a Fusion, A2 and Prophecy and ditch the ones I dont use. I figure I'd spend $1500 on a new ski, I can probably buy 2 of them second hand for 650-750 each. After horse trading in and out of the ones I dont like I bet I wind up with a winner for around $1000. And if money really were no issue, I would be at the Malibu store at 10a sharpish. : )

Well if I liked the 2011, sounds like the 2012 is even mo betta.

I knew I would make myself crazy with this but for fun, would anyone ditch their current stick for something else that you would rather have but wont buy because $1200 is stupid money for a water ski????? Or $1200 +++ for hardshells or other boots??? +++ tax, shipping, bag........ I am just curious if all of these skis were say $500 what would you be riding?

I agree in theory, but the reality is that I will never ski the way those guys (you) ski, but, I know that having a kick ass stick can make my skiing better. My bank account would like me to narrow the choices and find one that I can ride for a few years. But I am not against throwing down 2k for a nano twist either if its that goode. : )

I bought the V not REALLY understanding what ski I should be on. I think it is a good ski, it is certainly enough for me right now and I am torn between working on my fundamentals on a ski that may be a better fit for me at this point in time or is it ok to leap frog to a faster more agile ski and play catch up to the ski????

My bad, I recalled it incorrectly, there is a chart on page 65 of waterskimag May 2012. Its the Top ten elite men/women who's on what? Goode Men 4 Women 3 HO 2 3 Obrien 1 2 Radar 1 1 D3 1 1 Connelly 1 0 But, both men and women #1 are on radar, mens' world record and world champ on Goode, womens world record on goode, womens world champ on radar and big dawg on Goode. So for as far as elite of the elite, only Radar and Goode are represented.

@Horton Top 20 K-9 midget mini course pro-am.

@bogboy I cant ski that slow. Anything below 28 is way to much work. The ski just plows. And the S2 is on my radar no pun intended. @than we tried mounting it on the ski, facing forward, back, up, down and you are right, nothing much to see other than the sound of the ski cutting through the water which is cool. I can just have the spotter do hand held.

@richarddoane No, I dont think that is something I will do anytime soon. I am just looking to become a better skier. If I get to a point where a tournament is part of that process I will consider. I am a free rider at heart, time will tell if the adrenaline keeps pumping on the course : ) I will say, as sore as I am, I am already itching to go back with the go-pro for some serious criticism though.

@crashman thanks for the link, funny thread. The ski is working, the above pic is operator error. It turns hard and accelerates/decelerates well and the pic is a result of me decelerating through the buoy and getting pulled out over the front of the ski, i would say I finished the turn late??? The ski actually did what it was supposed to, I just didnt do my part.

Both of my ski buddies are significantly better than me, both have been on the course many times and both have been to schools/clinics. They are both excellent free riders, smooth and consistent and all three of us were stoked to be on the course and will be going back.

I am at 15 off and 28 mph, I have taken the foil OFF of my fin, I am guessing you will tell me to put it back on. I lost it coming off of the second buoy, I was way out over the front of the ski and lost control trying to recover coming over the wake. My rear foot came out (RTP) and I did in fact plant my ass on the back end of the ski.

BTW, can anyone give me some feedback on what I am doing wrong here.

@skimech Speaking of the podium/rankings, I saw a listing that showed the top 20 and what they skied and 50% were on Radar or Goode. I think 1 person was on an HO.

I am modifying my ski to mount the boots transversely and ski like I skateboard, video to follow.

I am keeping my eye on the S2, based on what I have read that may be a good fit for me. Soooo many options though.

Both the responses I ski behind are open bows, 99 and and a 2006, the 06 being a notably larger boat. But I am with @lieutenantDan that the sunsetter is a good choice and can be found for 15K in good to great condition.

I am sooooo sore I can barely type. Just a quick note to say that I have been infinitely humbled but have clearly found the path to higher learning. I am 200lbs on a 2011 68 Connelly V 15 off and 31mph. On my first pass I got the 1 and 2 balls and realized I needed to rethink what I was doing. I slowed down to 28 and worked on the mini course and did pretty well getting 5 balls and finding some rhythm. I came away overloaded with feedback and realizing that freeriding all this time I have given ZERO thought to what was happening to me, what I was doing mechanically, what my ski was doing. After today I realized my V is actually a very good ski, I can go a long way on it before I jump to a faster ski. I skied harder today than I had since I was 15-16yo and realized I can still ski well and with some regular trips to the course I may regain some of my former glory. Great day, weather here (SD) is simply fantastic, water temp is 75, air was 65 when we launched and climber to 72 while we were on the water.

@sunvalleylaw We have a cabin on cottonwood bay on the southend of the lake. Its nice enough in the morning to ski in the bay however as we progressed we would run across the channnel and up the CDA river that dumps into the lake right next to Harrison and there are several lakes, blue, black, Anderson along the river that we would pull into and literally have to ourselves.

Sup newb, I was shredding on the south end of CDA at the same time you were working out in Tacoma. In San Diego now but still make it up to CDA every year. My story is pretty similar, fell of for a long while raising kids and doing the life thing, finally realizing skiing IS the life thing. : )

Thats some mad ass skiing right thar. : )

I have a girlfriend who has had one for years and it is a nice all around boat. I am partial to the two response's I ski behind but ditto what swc says, it would meet your needs better than a somewhat single purpose tow boat like the response is. While I like them, if I had to "hang out" a 205 would be a better float.

@footloose, I agree, the 2011 prophecy was awesome and not sure I would readily notice a difference on the 2012 but I am hoping this might be the last ski I buy and with that in mind am ok with paying a fari price for I I would gladly buy a used ski or a previous model year though if in fact it were still the same ski. The A2 or least the S2 got the stepped bottom like my V, I am slightly more interested in the A as it is advertised or marketed as the angle v. the speed. I am not a fast skier. I am skiing at 31 and looking to get up to 32+ this year on a smaller ski (for me) the V is a pretty big ski. I am also going out on the course for the first time ever tomorrow.