2012 Radar Vice Review

[Horton]

 

http://www.ballofspray.com/images/stories/RadarVice.jpgThe Radar Vice is perhaps the most overlooked high end ski on the market today. With a list price of $750, who would think that this ski should be considered against skis costing nearly twice as much? I was skeptical, and in the end, I was impressed.
This ski is made from the exact same mold as Radar’s flagship ski the Strada. To put it another way, the shape of the Vice is identical to the Strada. The difference is only materials. The Strada is made from the highest tech and most expensive materials. The Vice is made from materials that are less “cutting edge” and are not as light.
With a blend of carbon fiber and fiberglass, along with a polyurethane core, the Vice has dampening properties that more expensive skis do not. An analogy for a more damp ski is that it rides like a car with softer suspension. Edge change transitions are smoother and slower resulting in a longer and wider path from the wakes to the ball. Speed through the course is more constant. The Vice feels exceptionally comfortable and stable underfoot approaching the ball. http://www.ballofspray.com/images/stories/RadarVice-3.jpg
The trade off is that, after a major mistake, a damp ski like the Vice does not accelerate as fast as an all carbon and PVC ski like the Strada. On a Strada, if you do something ill advised at one ball, you can scramble and recover by three ball. Conversely, on a Vice, if you do something ill advised making up ground is much more difficult. The other side of this argument is that you may make less mistakes on a more stable ski like the Vice.
As with the Strada, the Vice is a very stable ski. Turns on both sides are consistent and even. On side turns are practically automatic and off side turns only require a little patience and a centered stance.
If money is not the issue, perhaps the Strada is better for deep shortline. For longer rope lengths and/or slower speeds, the Vice is an easy choice.

http://www.ballofspray.com/images/stories/RadarVice-2.jpg

[rq0013]

Interesting. I am headed down to ski with Brooks Wilson and he reccomended I try the Vice. Did you know Brooks has been skiing the Vice lately?

[Horton]

Yes I did

 

[Essvar]

Ordered mine today, thanks for the review @Horton

 

[crashman]

great review Horton- been skiing mine every chance I get. I agree fast, stable, forgiving. Only thing you forgot is it looks cool and the ink glows in the dark!

[jefflyman]

Glad I got one! Now we need some warm weather to try it. Horton do you have any measurment set ups to pass on?

[6balls]

Sounds similar to a D3 RCX

[Mateo_Vargas]

@Horton did the ski feel better or worse after you cut your hair?

[Horton]

@6balls I would not say that

 

@mateo I did not cut it

[mkerzie]

I bought the Radar Annex when Radar skis first came out and I believe the name was later changed to the vice as new models were rolled out the Vice? The 'Annex" I bought was advertised as the same Radar MPD (Mapple Edition Ski) but with different material used in the core. It was a great ski and an excellent buy compared to other high end skis.

[Horton]

@mkerzie Not sure about the Annex but the Vice is the Strada shape.

[Lieutenant Dan]

I'm not in the same league as many of you, but I bought a used Vice last year. First time out on it I set a PB (3 at 22 off, 34 mph - 53 years old). I had been skiing on an MPD. My Vice is 67" and I weighed about 185 last year. Struggling with getting the winter weight off so am back on the MPD for a while as it is 68". Can't wait to get back on the Vice.

[mkerzie]

looks like you're skiing at Banana Lake?

[Horton]

@mkerzie Yep

[Horton]

Hey I am going to return that ski to Radar unless someone wants it. I am sure Eddie would rather I sell it. If you are interested send me an email. I am going to ship it somewhere next week...

[JC McCavit]

@Horton What were your personal fin settings after you dialed it in and did you use a wing?

[Horton]

I used the stock stada #s and bindings 3/16 back from stock - no wing.

[JC McCavit]

@Horton stock settings as delivered from the factory? Did you measure them yourself to confirm?

or did you setup the fin using

 

Factory settings from Radar web page

or

Recemmended settings by Rini

or

Recommended settings by Rossi from BallofSpray Forum

 

 

[Horton]

sorry Rossi settings from http://www.perfski.com/Waterskis/Slalom-Skis/2012-Radar-Strada.html

[Essvar]

@Horton Were the Rossi settings significantly different than those the Vice came with from the factory?

[Chef23]

@Essvar you can't rely on the way a ski comes from the factory they don't check each ski with a caliper before sending it out the door. You should always check the fin settings before skiing on a ski.

[Essvar]

@Chef23 I figured that was the answer, I was just hoping I didn't have to touch anything because I have an uncanny ability to mess up the most simplistic tasks. I'll verify and run the Rossi numbers.

[eddie_roberts_jr]

We actually DO check every ski that has an adjustable fin with calipers before it goes into a box and out the door. We have jigs to get the fins close then dial them in with calipers. That being said, it's still not a bad idea to check your fin dimensions before you start adjusting things in case you want to go back to the way the ski came out of the box.

[Chef23]

@eddie roberts jr thanks for correcting me. It is good to know you check every fin. It is good to check it anyway to make sure it didn't get banged around in shipping.

[boarditup]

I have 4 Radar skis. All fins were at factory spec out of the box. Good QA/QC.