Baller eleeski Posted May 4, 2012 Baller Share Posted May 4, 2012 Looking at the surfboard hanging from my shop inspired (?) me. So I added a couple of fins on the side of the tail and built a smaller area fin. The ski was totally loose. Made 6 turns but never made a pass. So I droped the fin as deep as I could. Actually it was deeper than I could as it pulled out of the fin box crossing the wake and is now halfway out to one ball at the bottom of the lake at Imperial. Note that the ski still felt loose on the couple out of course turns I tried. Test 1: failure. The fin in the photo is a reconstruction of the aluminum fin I tried (since I couldn't find the real one - I really wanted my oversize orange wing back). Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller eleeski Posted May 4, 2012 Author Baller Share Posted May 4, 2012 So I put my "normal" fin back on with the wings. The ski turned OK - actually my onside was really good. I ran my 22 off opener. Missed 28 - but I've been doing that a lot ever since Horton put that BallOf Spray sticker on my ski. So I ramped up the intensity a bit and attacked the course. Coming into 2 ball nice and early but a little fast, the tail of the ski exploded out of the water. It was like the fin cavitated or unported to violently and unexpectedly jump out of the water. Test 2: failure. It was a pretty nasty high energy fall. I stayed in both bindings but tweaked my ankle. I should be OK (the finger points to where it hurts and is a bit swollen) but the test is over. The extra fins are out of the ski and I can't get to the lake for a while anyhow. Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller DW Posted May 4, 2012 Baller Share Posted May 4, 2012 Since water is not compressible, I wonder if the issue was due to a lack of ability to get enough water to pass through the "box" between the wing and bottom of ski? Maybe try tips on the wing instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller ForrestGump Posted May 4, 2012 Baller Share Posted May 4, 2012 I'll be the one to say it so Horton doesn't have to. Were you drunk? If not, you should probably tell people you were Eric. You are crazy! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller 9400 Posted May 4, 2012 Baller Share Posted May 4, 2012 I guess somebody's got to try stuff like that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Horton Posted May 4, 2012 Administrators Share Posted May 4, 2012 @eleeski I can not believe you are so irresponsible! What were you thinking? It is appalling! You should never ever test crazy stuff like this without video. This story and pictures of your foot are entertaining but a video of the whole thing would have been intertube GOLD. Now go get your camera and try it again. Support BallOfSpray by supporting the companies that support BallOfSpray California Ski Ranch ★ Connelly ★ Denali ★ Goode ★ KD Skis ★ MasterCraft ★ MasterLine ★ PerfSki ★ Radar ★ Reflex ★ S Lines ★ Stokes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dthate Posted May 4, 2012 Members Share Posted May 4, 2012 I agree, Eric you should not give up that is a very cool looking setup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crashman Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 don't give up man- I'm sure the first guy who said "i'm going to stand on this piece of wood as a boat pulls me across the top of this lake" seemed pretty crazy. I, however, am going to stick with my factory setup on my vice this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAD11 Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 With 3 fins you could easily utilize at least 9 ventral wings. Hard to believe you missed that option. Try it and I will bet it works! And yes, please do video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller thager Posted May 5, 2012 Baller Share Posted May 5, 2012 Get rid of the middle fin and bend those outsiders outward to 45 degrees. Shorten those suckers up too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller eleeski Posted May 5, 2012 Author Baller Share Posted May 5, 2012 @ShaneH Is being "drunk" worse than being "Eric"? @DW You probably have the right technical idea for the failure of the fin to stay in the water. From the feel of the ski, fancy fins are not relevant. It is possible to make a ski feel very loose with tight turns or quite stable through fin adjustments. Choose an adjustment that is a good compromise. Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScaredOfCorbets Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 I thought about tri-fins as well. I think it would work much better if the catamaran fins were much smaller and curvier, like surfboard ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScaredOfCorbets Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Oh yeah, don't forget video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ham_Wallace Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Eric, you have reached the terminal velocity of bored! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The_MS Posted May 5, 2012 Members Share Posted May 5, 2012 The sport needs innovators like Eric. Thanks for taking one for the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Horton Posted May 5, 2012 Administrators Share Posted May 5, 2012 @MS is "Innovator" the right word? Support BallOfSpray by supporting the companies that support BallOfSpray California Ski Ranch ★ Connelly ★ Denali ★ Goode ★ KD Skis ★ MasterCraft ★ MasterLine ★ PerfSki ★ Radar ★ Reflex ★ S Lines ★ Stokes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SkiJay Posted May 5, 2012 Members Share Posted May 5, 2012 @eleeski You've either got to be a test pilot or a crash test dummy at your day job! Either way, you are my hero man! I'm with @DW on the non-compressibility of water thing. The "ball of pressure" created by this wing-between-fins complex would naturally migrate towards lower pressure i.e. the surface. You'd likely overcome this issue by simply removing the wing. Lord knows there must already be enough drag to haul Frankenski down to cornering speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Horton Posted May 5, 2012 Administrators Share Posted May 5, 2012 Please stop discouraging Eric. We need more fins and some video. Support BallOfSpray by supporting the companies that support BallOfSpray California Ski Ranch ★ Connelly ★ Denali ★ Goode ★ KD Skis ★ MasterCraft ★ MasterLine ★ PerfSki ★ Radar ★ Reflex ★ S Lines ★ Stokes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller eleeski Posted May 5, 2012 Author Baller Share Posted May 5, 2012 Triple fins suck. Too much interference, complexity and undesirable side effects. Maybe on a trick ski set up for slalom (or an ultra wide ride?) but not on my skinny tailed skis. The results have me thinking.... Maybe a giant wing? Ventrals added wing area. Add that area into one wing. At least if that fails I can grind the experiment down to the dimensions of my lost oversize orange wing. If I survive the testing. Er Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Horton Posted May 6, 2012 Administrators Share Posted May 6, 2012 PLEASE SHOOT VIDEO! Support BallOfSpray by supporting the companies that support BallOfSpray California Ski Ranch ★ Connelly ★ Denali ★ Goode ★ KD Skis ★ MasterCraft ★ MasterLine ★ PerfSki ★ Radar ★ Reflex ★ S Lines ★ Stokes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller 9400 Posted May 7, 2012 Baller Share Posted May 7, 2012 I'm with Horton, the more fins the better....multiple camera angles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Not_The_Pug Posted May 7, 2012 Baller Share Posted May 7, 2012 Eric, Maybe you need tracking fins in the center of the ski. And yes please use some of the 50 trick camera's you have all in the name of science. When are you comeing up to ski with us? Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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