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Dang @Jody_Sealthat is a bit harsh!! But my old 196 with the Jody Seal installed ZO is still going strong!!

This site is not only a great source of entertainment for skiers, but also a wealth of knowledge all thanks to @Horton Your site, your rules and happy to comply with those rules to be able to continue benefiting from the site. Thanks Horton!

THAT is a thing a beauty.

When I first started skiing and driving tournaments with PP, the time tolerances were MUCH wider. ZO, in addition to different pull, ended the wide tolerances making records harder to come by.

No doubt, ZO combined with surepath make records a heck of a lot more difficult than in times past.

Update on the Works 01. Been on the ski now for 7 sets. Each time out, the ski feels better and better. Still on all stock settings with the exception of 7 degrees on the wing rather than 8. The ski reacts to any skier input in a predictable way. Still early in the season and have not skied that much. Ran 2 x 28, 2 x 32, 2 x 35 and then 38 all @ 34 mph. The on-side turn is freaking amazing. Old habits die hard and I still think I am working against the ski rather than with it. You don't need a ton of effort to maintain angle off the buoy. I have always incorrectly tried to gain more angle by leaning or pulling more. Just need to learn there is no need as the ski establishes great angle and speed going to center line. If this ski gets a 67 year old through 38, think what it will do for you young bucks! Love the Works 01.

ok @Hortonand @Mastercrafter I stand corrected. Thanks for not giving me a triple panda for the inquiry. I will NEVER question a tower again. And agree, if it is good enough for @FWinter, it is good enough for anyone!

Beautiful boat. Have to ask why the tower?

Know this thread is about Works 02, but had to convey my experience with the Works 01 differs from that of @Beezer. Have had 5 sets on my new 01 and think it works well front, middle or back. On stock settings think the ski is darn impressive. Wrote a review after my first set here on BOS. Yep, if you need to scramble, slide the tail, need to slow down, get forward, early to the buoy, stay in the middle and have one heck of an awesome turn. Just my experience.

@BGrow76 First ride settings were completely stock: Binder: 30 inches, Length: 6.960 Depth:2,455 DFT: .77 I did change wing to 7 degrees from 8 as I ski 34 mph. Plan to ski a few sets to determine if any changes are needed, but after first ride, feeling pretty darn good.

First ride on the Works 01 today. In a tip of the hat to Syndicate quality control, the ski arrived with perfect factory fin settings. Mounted up the binder at stock recommendation (30 inches). The ski feels very different than my current Omega. Open skied first pass, then 28, 3 x 32 offs, then 35, missed the 6 ball on second 35 as I think I was actually working against the ski rather than working with it. ( too hard behind the boat preventing ski from swinging outbound) Last pass, 5 @ 38 off...just ran out of gas going to 6 ball. The 38 actually felt better than the 35's. Summary: Ultra solid, quick turns with absolutely no loss of speed. Tons of angle out of the turn and maintains that angle. To me, it feels like a lot of tip, but with no loss of speed, space or direction. Pretty cool; ride it out to apex and boom, you are heading cross course with no loss of speed. (need to trust the ski, but the shorter the rope, the better and better it felt) The ski does not dive or pitch you forward, but freaking turns on a dime at apex. Best turning ski that holds speed I have ever ridden. Thanks to Syndicate and the Team for their hard work developing this ski. All the hype is justified. Awesome ski. Would be interested in what others on the 01 are experiencing.

First ride on the new Syndicate Works 01. All the hype is true. This is an amazing ski. The ski is on all factory settings and credit to Syndicate quality control as the ski arrived with perfectly set fin. Binders on at 30 inches. (Ski at 34 mph) Off the dock at Swiss and coming around for the first pass, I thought the boots were way too far forward based on where the water was breaking. Went through the gates at 28 off and going into 1 ball kind of lost the plot and just free skied down the lake. Second pass, ran 28 just checking out the ski. Then 3 x 32 off. With each pass, gained more confidence, but must admit the ski has a feel much different than my Omega....in VERY good ways. With each pass increasingly gained confidence. This ski turns quicker than any ski I have ridden while not losing speed. Offside turn is predictable, solid and quick while the on-side is phenomenal. Ran 35 first try. Missed 6 ball on the second 35. Actually, think I was over-working behind the boat inhibiting the skis performance. Last pass, put it on 38 off, ran 5 but ran out of gas going to 6 ball. The feel of the ski is there is tip pressure, but the ski does not slow, dig in or pitch you forward: it just maintains speed and outbound direction, then a ultra quick turn at apex. It establishes great angle out of the turns and holds cross-course angle. Summary: Ultra solid, lightening quick turns. Maintains speed through the turns and holds angle into the next buoy. The shorter the rope, the better the ski feels. Thanks to Syndicate and all the team skiers for their hard work in developing this ski. The Works 01 is one heck of a ski.

My Syndicate Works 01 arrived yesterday. Will get binders mounted up and report back. Coming off of a 67 Omega. I weigh 183 lbs. ski at 34 mph. Old guy at 67. Ran 5 @38 yesterday at Swiss, so maybe the Works 01 will get me through the pass. (do I qualify as a "prehistory skier" @Horton? )

No need to sand. Liquid caustic (naOH). Not the industrial 50% stuff, but a 5-10% solution and wear gloves. Apply, brush in, rinse and apply teak oil.

The overall length of a 196 is 21' 2" and a 206 is 22' 4" (open bow). Either boat will meet your boat house requirements. For your needs, the 2002 196 seems like a very good option although doubt it is much of a wake board boat. That said, the 196 is still, to this day, considered one heck of a slalom tug. I ski @ 34 mph with a 28 off opener, so cannot address long line wakes. Good luck with your search.

@RichardDoanecurious if the boat is still on the original transmission. For 4000 hours, the boat still looks great. Good luck with the project.

You did far better than I did on my first ride of 2023 after 2 months off. At least you got to the 5 ball!

Had an issue with the tranny on our 2004 196. Same situation...no parts. Had a new series 80 installed and have never looked back.

Opps! Forgot Joel Howley and Jon Travers (when he was a junior).

In tournaments, Karina Nolan, Kristy Overton, Will Asher, T-gas and practice, Andy Mapple and Chris Parrish. What a privilege it was to drive for them.

@Nashotah have not skied any boat at 22 off in a long time so I cannot comment on the wakes at that length at any speed. With respect to a 5.3 in a Ski Nautique, there is not much of a market with that engine for skiers who train for tournaments. Heck, I think I would keep your 6.0 200 over a 5.3 Ski Nautique. Do not see what you gain other than more complexity that can go wrong. OK, better tracking with the Ski Nautique. My opinion is your 6.0 200 is a more desirable boat than a 5.3 Ski Nautique (and it looks better). Just my opinion.

The boats behind which I ski are: 2022 Ski Nautique 6.2, the Nautique 200 6.2, Nautique 200 6.0 and my old 196 5.7. While I certainly agree the pull from each boat is specific to that boat, @ 34 mph and 28 off opener, to me, all these boats provide an almost non-existent wake. No matter which boat I am skiing, the wake is not even a consideration. When I skied behind the new Prostar, same thing; 34 mph @28 off opener, not thought to the wake and the pull felt great.

PM sent.

Have never tried hard-shells, so hope users can enlighten me. Snow ski bindings allow for lateral release at the toe. This avoids twisting knee injuries or spiral fractures. Obviously, rubber binders offer no lateral release, but do these Reflex bindings rotate at the heel allowing for heel lateral release or just upward?

Have the benefit of skiing behind the latest 2022 Ski Nautique, 6.2 liter boat at Swiss (@34 mph). At home, I still ski behind my old 2004 196. It has newer engine with 650 hours and new series 80 transmission along with single puck ZO rev S. I run A2 on the 2022 and to duplicate the pull on my 196, run A2+. (the 6.2 engine does feel firmer than the 5.7 in my 196 hence the A2+) Run the same scores, the pull feels identical and the wake from 28 to 38 feels no different. What would be gained from spending $100K on a new boat? +2 for @bananaron and @Sethro !