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Chris Parrish & the Syndicate Omega Max (Mark II)
Chris Parrish is synonymous with slalom ski excellence. For those who have seen him ski, his powerful yet fluid position is something to try and emulate. His 6’5” frame gained him the nickname “The Tower” that has followed Chris through his career. CP counts 3 World slalom Records, 5 Moomba Masters Titles, 2 US Open Titles, 2 US Masters Titles and many more titles and records as his major ski accomplishments. For those who have met him though, intimidating is not at all the correct word to describe Chris Parrish. He’s lighthearted, fun loving & funny. Devastated by major neck injuries and the loss of Andy Mapple in 2014, Chris stepped away from the pro ski scene for a while. After a few years away and surgeries to repair his injuries, Chris is back. Although still competitive on the pro tour, CP now relishes his time skiing with friends and students and especially his time training at his stomping grounds on Lake Pickett with his lifelong ski buddy, his dad.
Chris’s now looks for a ski that provides more balance, speed, and efficiency to supplement his extra-large stature to make things easier and less taxing on his body. Now in its 2nd generation(Mark II), with Chris’s feedback we’ve further developed the rocker, bevels, and width properties of the Omega Max.
Now offered in 65”, 66”, 67” * 68” sizes and 2 builds(Syndicate Construction & Carbon Construction), this wider variant of the Omega program provides the acceleration from turn to wakes allowing for the early, tight line skiing skiers’ dream of.
Results already coming in:
Elisha Nelson got dialed in on Women’s Carbon Omega Max quickly, taking one of the first skis out of the mold and setting a new A2 world record of 1.5@32mph at the California Pro-Am.
Chris Parrish has returned to the pro scene in pro form. He ran 2@41’off at 36mph in the Hilltop Pro-Am, demonstrating that the Omega Max Mark II is not only great at slower speeds like 28-32mph, it rips at 34 & 36mph too!
Now live on the 2022 HOSports.com website and hitting stores soon, learn more about the Omega Max program, find out why it may be right for you to elevate your own skiing!
Syndicate Omega Max: https://www.hosports.com/
2022 HO/Syndicate Waterski Line: https://www.hosports.com/
WEST 55k tournament this weekend
Friday Prelims Webcast: https://livestream.com/accounts/24094889/events/9837528
Saturday Qualification Webcast: https://livestream.com/accounts/24094889/events/9295145
Sunday Finals Webcast: https://livestream.com/accounts/24094889/events/9837540
Reflex Zen Origin - Review
General
The Reflex Zen Origin is the latest ski from the historic French ski company. The ski design incorporates very round bevels, firm flex, and a deep tunnel. The result is a ski that makes a lot of speed into the wakes, slows down approaching the ball, and turns hard.
Ball to wakes
Leaving the ball and heading for the first wake the tip of the ski stays down and pulls away from the pylon. The ski creates angle and load automatically.
The ski is noticeably stable through centerline. Skiers who overload at the wakes will find an unexpected level of forgiveness. The wake crossings are my favorite thing about the Zen Origin.
Wakes to ball
The Zen Origin flows out off the second wake and rolls out freely. The ski does not feel loose in terms of roll but it flows away from the centerline enough to initiate the turn early.
Because the ski rides deep in the water it feels stable and sheds speed quickly approaching the ball.
On Side
Riding deep in the water and arcing in early results in flowing fast on side turns. The ski carries plenty of speed through apex and back toward the wakes. If needed the ski will turn very aggressively at on side.
The tail rides deep in the water and the overall flex of the ski is relatively stiff. This means that if the skier tries to force the tail of the ski to slide it will overpressure and the tip will come up.
Off Side
Off Side turns on the Zen Origin are dependable and consistent. The ski can be turned with the skier's weight centered or turned more aggressively with additional front foot pressure.
As with on side it is recommended that the skier refrains from pushing the tail of the ski at apex.
Quirks
The Zen Origin does not make extra speed at gate pull out. Skiers will need to pull out a little later and with more intensity than normal.
The ski can be set up to be ridden with a neutral or back foot bias but these settings do not work past 32 off. The settings used for the bulk of this review required a front foot bias on both sides.
My settings are below. The DFT of .665 seems unusual until you take into account how round the trailing edge of the ski is. In other words, the shape of the back of the ski changes the reference point.
29 7/8 - 2.505 - 6.855 - .665 - 7 Degrees
Click here to demo the Zen Origin https://reflexwaterskiusa.com/demo
2022 Syndicate Omega (Mark II) by HO Sports
The Syndicate Omega Mark II builds upon the intuitive, get-in-position and let-the-ski-do-the-work-for-
A new, narrower, pin tail shape allows the Omega to roll onto edge like narrower skis, giving skiers smooth edge-to-edge transitions. With increased rocker under the back foot, skiers will experience a tighter turn radius than its predecessor. Finishing touches include classic Omega design features like a medium volume concave, Bob LaPoint hand-tuned bevels and a proven, US-made Syndicate quality construction.
The Omega’s design philosophy remains the same, but after 2 years of taking the Omega to limit on the world’s most prestigious and challenging sites, the Syndicate team has elevated the Omega Mark II to the next level.
Shape:
The Omega Mark II ski shape employs a medium width profile with a narrow tail. This allows the ski to roll onto and stay on edge easier. It’s tail is rounded which allows the tail to sit deeper at the finish of the turn for increased hold. The Omega’s base retains a Low Volume Concave. Compared to other Syndicate models, this allows the Omega to maintain skier speed more easily for improved efficiency and less skier effort required. For 2022, the Omega has an improved 4-stage rockerline. The true flat spot located under the skiers front foot allows the ski to move through the wakes and outbound better than any Syndicate ski to date. An additional flat spot in the tail provides more support and helps keep the tip down through the finish of the turn.
Take on your PB with the 2022 Syndicate Omega, available soon…
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