I need a new ski

[Gharvin]

I am looking at buying a new ski, i have slalomed in years past but always rode other peoples skis. I am 6'0" 215lbs level is novice i would like a ski i can grow into as far as ability goes. I am looking at a HO Comp/Freeride and a Connelly Outlaw I can not make up my mind and there is no one in my area to demo the connelly. any help is appreciated.

[JoeTechie]

Connelly does a great job with shaped and wide-body skis. I have an FX and though I normally ski my Concept, The FX is so easy to get up on that at the end of the day, I sometimes take a joy ride on it! The Outlaw is the replacement for the FX - slightly smoother lines for sharper edging and faster lines, so it sounds perfect for you.

-J

[tazz3069]

I also have the connelly FX ski. I like it because you can adjust the rear fin for your style of skiing. After a few runs with mine, I dialed it in perfect for my type of skiing. I also had the HO Mack TRX ski. It was a great ski also. I like the Connelly better.
TAzz

[TimGT3]

I have the HO Charger which is the 69" Comp/Freeride. Bought it at clearance price to get off of the 15 year old O'brien combo ski that I had been using. The Comp/Freeride has many great features for a novice slalom skier: Easy to get up on, very forgiving, and slow acceleration out of the turns. However, if you are looking to advance in your abilities, you may find that you outgrow the Comp/Freeride rather quickly - I did. Since it is an all-round beginner to intermediate ski, it may have a tendency to allow you to develop some bad habits that you will have to break later down the road if you ever get on a real competition ski.

As a transition from a combo or from low-end slalom skis, the Comp/Freeride is great. If you're looking to get technical and progress with hardcore cuts and attacking the wake, maybe no so.

Side note: I took the HO bindings off of my Comp/Freeride and put them on a Kidder that I picked up from Play-It-Again for $45... I'm skiing better than ever this season!

[Sled491]

I normally ski a Obrien Seige but last summer while working in Florida I was skiing at a ski park that had high end rentals. I tried the FX that the others are talking about. After getting the size figured out and tuning the fin I found it to be a real nice ride. Easy to get up on and a slower pull speed (30-32mph). According to the guy in the pro shop this is the ski the pros use in the off season to work on form and technique without haveing to ski full out.

If your looking for a ski to grow with and not interested in a tournament level ski it think the FX with double high wraps is the way to go.

[BensonWdby]

I am with Joe - I like the Concept. I have been on mine for about 6 years and it is a great ski. Everyone who skis it likes it. I am 5'10'" 210 and am on a 68 inch Concept. I am now skiing regularly at 28 off at 34 MPH (free skiing). But I skied it at 15 off at 30 MPH for a long time. Very dependable.

I would never ride anything named 'FreeRide'. Sounds too much like a freestyle ski, which brings back bad memories of an old O'Brien I once had.

I have been on Connelly for almost 20 years and always happy. The new world record was just set on an F1, 2@43off, by Jamie B.

[Gharvin]

well i bought the 69" connelly outlaw with dual stoker plates, it is the replacement for the fx. Bad part is it will not be here for 2 weeks. I would like to move on to the concept later on but think i will give this one a go for a while. I also looked at the ho comp/freeride but suna and ski would not let me demo it so it was a no go.