What Ski do you use?

I was reading some of the posts of people talking about using double bindings and how now the boots have laces. I realized that Mr Z and I are dinosaurs again. Not Dick Pope dinosaurs but we do have old EPs. I have a Stiletto and Z has a Tactic. I am not sure how old they are, maybe 10 years?

Z definitely needs a longer ski since there is more of him to love now. :) I think I would like to see what new technology can do for me since I have celebrated the 16th anniversary of my 30th birthday.

What does everyone use here? Suggestions?

Mrs Z

Ours have dual high wraps too but no laces. How do laces affect skiing? I was wondering what else has changed in the past 10ish years?

Ski now have shaped cuts in them for the novice and intermediate skiers. This really does make it easier to turn. Also, construction materials have changed, which means each different ski (even if it is the same shape/design) can have a different flex. For example, Connelly F1 is their 'best' ski, the F1X is the exact ski with more flex, thus a little easier to ride.
Bindings in skis and wakeboards have come a long way in the last 10 years. Laces allow you a better fit while also making entry easier than before. A couple of newer designs are hinged bindings which accomplish the same thing but provide more support. You can also get shell boots, like snowski bindings. Radar (ho/obrien) now offer bindings that look similar to shoes.
Basically, everything has gotten much much better in the last 10 years.

Z I have a new ski I will be picking up next week I am a big guy so I went with the HO Magnum with double shock boots, I have never used the double boots but am going to trust in them. :lol:

Z,

I went with an Obrien synchro 69" I do alot of open water skiing,( no courses) some chop here and there. Looking at adding the rear boot, never tried it before. I skied on a 165 cm Obrien competitor since i was in my 20's, twenty years later i am a little "Husky" for the green machine.. :lol:

Can't wait to try it out this summer.. I did not believe in the shaped skiis, but I went that direction on my snow skiis and I would never go back. So going give it a whirl on the water ski hopeful of the same results...

PS they brought back the Obrien world team Comp, how cool... :)

Mrs Z - I ski a Connelly F1X w/ dual hi-wraps. Age: 54 Weight: 175 Skied last summer for the first time after a twenty-year sabbatical. (Sold Nautique - graduate school - no money - no boat.) The F1X works fine for me. No plans to upgrade or substitute with another ski this season. Great to hear that you are up and about. Congratulations on the new boat! - Deerfield

The F1x is a fantastic ski for anyone learning the course. I switched from an older (15 year old) O'brien and was blown away by the improvement.

Now my family has an F1x for me (5'10", 180lbs), Concept for my father, and Hook (also know as HP) for my mother and wife.

Also, the Connelly skis all seem to be cheaper than some of the other big name brands but are at least as good.

Phantom Truth 68" with double animal bindings.

Obrien Siege

Double Hi-Wrap

Also been on a sabbatical since 1993, never was a big Slalom skier, just play in the course every once in a while.

Hey Mrs Z, good to see ya on the boards again, your little back problem has got Mrs Sled to thinkin this route she's taken with her back may not be the right one.

On to the ski thing. I also ski a Siege with double contact highwraps. My wife skiis a Rumor Pro with DHW and Dakota has the HO Judge with SHW and RTP.

The lace thing and hinged boots etc all give you a lot easier axcess with in my opion double rigidity. The old soft rubber pull ups were still very low compared to the newer highwraps. As also mentioned earlier, look for softer versions of Tourney skiis. You get the quickness and stability but loose some of the unforgivingness (is that a word?) of a true tourney ski.

For you almost every one is making a lady specific ski now. Might be worth a looksy. Price is usually comparible. Look for factory blems to save some big money. Some classic designs are still great skiis, like Ed G's Kidders. When that ski came out I got one right away and was blown away by it's quickness and real speed across the wake. It's still available today for a reason.

Can't hurt to revisit lengths as well.

Sled,

One think about her neck, she took several x-rays and yes they showed something wrong with one vertebrae. She took an MRI but most doctors we first visited saw did not look at it!!!??? Finally the surgeon who operated on her did review it and showed us the damage to her other vertebrae that did NOT show on the xrays. You might want her to re-consider taking an MRI!
I think MRS. Z is thinking that since I have put on 20lbs (I used to be tall and skinny, now I am just tall) since I bought my current ski a long time ago that we need to review the length issue. I get soooo tired getting up! I even found both skis out in the garage where she was looking at the lengths. I think if I get a new one she would use my old one (67"/170CM). Trouble is in the last 2 weeks she has lost 15lbs and is now so skinny! So her old ski (65"/165CM) will be fine for her now! Shoot just when it looked like I might get a new toy! Another issue is what ever we purchase here it will have to be from the internet, there are no ski shops, only boatersworld and sportsauthority. I am liking the kidder idea, what about RADAR. Is this where Herb O'brien is making his home now? The man is leaving his name or initials everywhere!!!! I have to consider them now as both EP and Majeraha (sp?) are both long gone! Finally what length ski should a 6'2" 190lb person be on?

Z, the length of your ski will depend on your typical speed. Speeds around 34-36 mph will allow you to ski shorter lengths. If you plan to stick around the 30-32 mph range then consider a wide body ski or "Fat Boy" as they are sometimes called. It will make your starts easier, and let your ski longer on the little breath you have left :lol:

A lot of tournament skiers use these skiis in the off season to slow down and work on technique 8)

Sled,

I spoke to the owner of Florida inboards today, he is a tournament qualified driver and a rated slalom skier. Hw ust came back from the Moomba (Austrialia) games where he was pulling the slalom skiers. His son and daughter and also nationally rated slalom skiers. He has several skies he will let me borrow and he is buddies with that shop you mentioned in Orlando!!! He can ask for any ski from them no problem. So seems like I will find a way to try out some skies. Every summer for the past 4 summers I have had some kind of injury during skiing season. Last summer when I finally got my ski out and started to go it was like "WHAT the #@$%?" Man was I out of ski shape!!!! I think that is a great idea to use a fat boy and I know a brother in law that has one sitting around having not been used in the last 3 years, maybe if it just dissappears I can get some time in on a ski!!!!

See Z, for every door that closes in life, two more open :D

But I would seriously try every ski I could

Yeah I plan too! I also spoke to him about our EP's. Ginny has the stilletto and I have a tactic which is the same ski but detuned somewhat. He said that they were ahead of their time and that she might find that it is still a good ski for her. And since she is the same weight as when she bought it if not a little less! He personally knew the guy that designed it and is a buddy of his! I am trying to remember the guys name so that I can Google it and see where he is working.

I have the Connely F1X ski with double high wraps. I think that I might get rid of the boots and get the new hinged boots. The ski is great. I graduated from a HO Mach TRX.

I am going to try out Many skis this summer! I will use all of your suggestions! Thanks!!!!