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How does the Union compare to the Katana?

Ha. Yes--HO is not going to tell you the measurements of their latest design... Ski shape is perhaps the most important factor in ski performance. Thus all the Ski Companies have their own shapes that they are always trying to enhance.

I'd disagree, but I am a life-long skier that has never skied the course or been to a live tournament. I think a large population of rec skiers feeds into a competition setting, not the other way around. Take a look at other sports. Downhill skiing--how many people race the Downhill event vs rec skiing. Almost none. How many people wake-surf in competitions vs recreational on any lake? Almost none. Golf is an interesting study--we are seeing a decline in rec golfers and rounds played. Has this affected the ad revenue with Golf Magazines and the Golf Channel on TV? (yes). Related to Waterski Mag, that is a reflection of the print market dying and the rise of Ball of Spray et al. Plus the sharing of the lake with other water activities.

Intuition liners are warm and you get better circulation through better fit. Hot-Tronic or Thermic are awesome except the already mentioned chairlift damage. Boot gloves are the cheapest and are surprisingly effective. Also look kinda dumb. Forget the little chemical heaters. Good for hands, not for boots. Get the hot-tronics. They are worth it. $250 is cheap for saving your experiences on the hill.

I have a Katana. I like it. Now, as far as your previous ski, you said something interesting--that it was part of a set. If you are used to skiing a combo ski, then yes, this might be a little tougher to get up on. Combo skis are built for easy-up, not really for slalom skiing. (They just bolt a RTP on a combo ski so it looks like a slalom ski.) Here are two things to consider: 1, Get a bigger ski like the Butterknife. Easier to get up because it has more surface area, especially in the tail. 2, Adjust your position when trying to get up. Many people learn with combo skis vertical in the water--basically a 90 degree angle to the boat. Slalom skis need a more angle, otherwise you are simple a brake. Tuck the tail of the ski under your butt. This way you rise up out of the water a bit and the boat can accelerate easier.

Surfing and Skiing are on opposite sides or the spectrum, boat-wise. The boat will never ski like a DD. But, if you are willing to give up that point, shop the GS20, the NXT 20, XT20 and XT21, and the Malibu VTX and '17 VLX21. These all have the ability to do what you ask for, aside from the money thing..., and the being really good at anything. Cheapest is probably NXT20 with extra ballast added, or Moomba Mondo.

Agree on the hands! Cannot emphasize this enough.

Radar butter knife or ho free ride.

I skied the Radar Theory for years and liked it. I skied the new Radar Katana and was pretty impressed. Very easy to ski, quick across the wakes. It looks like they put a layer of carbon under the bindings to keep it stiff on edge. Are you in a course or free skiing? I'm purely open water.

I always chuckle when people get upset about the cost of a ski or a pair of sunglasses. Those are pretty cheap items in the great scheme of our hobbies.

I always chuckle when people get upset about the cost of a ski or a pair of sunglasses. Those are pretty cheap items in the great scheme of our hobbies.

TX is the old Triumph basically.

Sounds like you are riding too flat across the wakes. Like previous poster said, try to edge across the wakes.

I'd say that the old appeal of snowboarding as edgy and anti-establishment has disappeared. With that social/marketing gone, kids are not flocking to SB as they once were. The second part of the equation is modern ski design, which has stolen many of the positive aspects of snowboarding. Fatter, softer, easy to turn skis provide a nice experience, especially in the side-terrain that many resort skiers can access easily. Skiing is still easier for your first time down the hill. It's easier to deal with catwalks etc as well. Anecdotally I see more young kids getting into skis vs. boards. (I have 8 & 10 year-old skiers.)] As far as wake boarding is concerned, I see surfing taking over the boat/lifestyle market.

I skied for years behind an outboard. Second the bridle idea. Also, a cheap upgrade is a slightly narrower ski that is easier to edge through the wake. Picking up speed is fine too, but you will sit pretty high at 32 on that ski. Bottom line, the wakes won't be like a ski boat, but a lightweight outboard actually has pretty decent wakes for the money.

I think the boat is intended for a salt water environment. And overseas, where outboards are everywhere.

Another note: anyone see a DD/V-Drive Dealer selling these? My guess is these companies have a no-no clause in the dealer agreement. No dealer at the Minneapolis Boat Show. The local Bryant dealer said no thanks.

The surf boats ten to draft 30-36 inches.

The forward drive is made PURELY to compete with surf boats. Bryant, Regal, Cobalt, and FourWinns are marketing pretty big boats with lots of standard items--nice stereos, etc. They also have trim tabs and ballast. For the most part, they are competing with Axis, Moomba, the cheap Tige, etc. I think they miss the mark a bit, as one main benefit of a stern drive is trimming the props up near or above the hull depth for beaching or shoal areas. These wont trim up in the same fashion. That said, the low-speed maneuvering with the duoprop set up is pretty awesome.

I think we need to highlight the overall market and how it supports competition. In 1988, the overall ski-market was huge, and that was the feeder for course skiing. It supplied young skiiers and money. The downhill world is a good comparison; Plake and other Freeskiers help keep the ski market going--it's not the racers. The general ski population helps support racing with young skiiers and money. Waterskis like the Freeride and Katana are a huge part of building the future organically. We can't just throw money at the top of the pyramid and expect it to flourish. Even getting young kids into the course is just a part. Pro soccer in the US has dealt with a similar issue. (Note I am a former downhill racer and later skied professionally, so I have seen the alpine world go through some ups and downs.)

I always liked the old Ferraris. I wonder if the designers at MC thought the same thing?

Also they are wider, since you are going slower, so you need more surface area to stay up. This means they are often slower going edge to edge.

Skis for slow speeds don't need to be as stiff. You speed up and they get funny in the turns and wakes.

Same ski. Now discontinued.

Seadek is peel and stick.