New ski? Or stick with what I've got?

[aswinter05]

My skiing obsession is increasing at an exponential rate (I'm sure most of you can relate). This past year I've been skiing on a 2011 HO Triumph (67). I believe HO recommended the ski for speeds between 28 and 32mph. I'm 5'8, 150 lbs. Just experienced a course for my first time this year. Skiing 15 off @ 30. I feel like I've already progressed quite a bit in one year.

 

I wouldn't mind trying to stick with an HO brand ski just so I don't have to drop $250 on a new set of bindings. Plus I absolutely love my basis bindings. They seriously feel like I'm wearing tennis shoes on the water. One thing that concerns me about my triumph is that it doesn't have an adjustable fin. Maybe I don't need to be worrying about fin adjustments yet for my skill level, but I'm constantly hearing other skiers at the club talk about their settings and tweaks, etc.

 

So is it okay to look for a more advanced ski? Or should I wait until I'm skiing faster than 32mph in the course? Will my course abilities progress "slower" if I ski on the Triumph (i.e., will I be held back from improving my course skills)?

 

I should mention that I do like the ski. But I should also mention that I've hardly had anything else to compare it to. Thanks guys.

[aswinter05]

I know I can always replace my fin, but........ ehhh........ Isn't it always more fun to buy a new ski? :)

[bogboy]

As winter, I don't mean to sound like a broken record, but you will notice a significant performance difference between the 2012/2013 triumph, vs. the 2011 and older. I would also strongly recommend to upgrade to the syndicate fine system for the triumph. If you want to upgrade above the triumph, I would recommend going straight to the s2 instead of the co ex. Some people would disagree, but I found the s2 more user friendly than the co ex.

[Patrick]

If you plan on going to Coble's again you can pretty much demo anything in the shop. Might be tough to hold out that long though :)

[aswinter05]

@Patrick, that's a good point. But yes, waiting will be a problem. There will be at least 2 full months of skiing before going back to Coble in May

[andjules]

sorry to threadjack, but @bogboy I'm currently debating between the cox sl and the s2 (and the radar senate-c in 3rd place). Of course I like the price point of the cox sl, but I'd love to hear more of your opinion (sounds like you've skied both). I have a tendency to overturn my onside and get a little too forward on my offside. While I want to learn to be more patient, I tend to be a bit of scrambler and if that changes I think it will change slooowly. While the cox sl sounds a little less stable than the S2, I'm wondering if it still feels nimble enough for a scrambler? Does that make any sense? I'm a 55k, -28/-32 skier.

[bogboy]

And juleps, yes, after making my first full pass on the 2012 triumph in may, and skiing at the bow lake course during the summer, as well as free skiing at a larger lake at home, the upgrade bug hit me.(although it didn't really need to, as I was still improving on the triumph). Anyway, I demoed a co ex sl, and tried to like it, but I just couldn't get through the course nearly as easy as the triumph. Also, it wanted to bite me at times. (Same with free skiing). I then demoed a s2, and it felt like butter. Ran a full pass on my second try, and it skied me down to 26m.p.h., which the co ex didn't do as well. Easier deep water starts than the co ex also; almost as easy as the triumph. My ability is still more matched to the triumph though in all honesty. But I'm trying to get better now on my s2, which I know I will. I gave the new triumph to my wife, and she loves it too. Hope this helps.

[bogboy]

And juleps, yes, I think the s2 is "more nimble for a scrambler" than the coex.

[Waternut]

Is a 67" ski the right size for a 150lb person? Sounds like a really big ski but I know it's a slower speed ski so maybe that's correct. Your bindings should fit pretty much any ski out there so don't let that persuade you towards any particular brand of ski's.

 

Like you, I've got a major course bug and I'm constantly looking to upgrade. My opinion is that people are dumping ski's in favor of the latest and greatest and you pretty much have all winter to look for a good deal so do you really want to stare at a brand new ski all winter?

 

In my experience, a forgiving ski is nice because I'm less likely to screw up. The problem with a forgiving ski is my feedback while doing something right or wrong is less obvious so it's harder for me to improve. If I get in the right pulling position on a high end ski, the acceleration is much more dramatic so when my eyes are the size of golf balls, I understand that's what I'm supposed to be feeling. On the opposite side of the coin, if I make a hard turn and can't hang on or can't make the ski turn, then my form is poor and I need to focus on fixing the problem.

 

To me, it's a lot like golf. When I played with forgiving clubs, I enjoyed it but could never figure out why I was so inconsistent. When I changed clubs, I realized that the clubs were doing all the work and the reason I was inconsistent was because my swing sucked.

[aswinter05]

@jfw432, 67" is the correct size for me. At least that's what April Coble told me last month. She actually told me to not ski on my 65" Co-X SL anymore until I'm ready for the course at 34 mph (since that ski's weight range is based upon a course speed of 34 mph). She said as long as I'm skiing at 28-32mph, I need to ride the 67" Triumph.

 

So I know I've got the right ski length (currently), but that could change in the next year if I start improving and skiing at faster speeds. I'm starting to wonder if a 66.5" A2 or S2 wouldn't be a great fit for me over the next couple/few years?

 

And yes, I won't be purchasing any new skis in the near future. I'm definitely going to wait until the ice is ready to break next year here in Indiana. I'm guessing the price for used skis should drop a little between now and March.

[6balls]

If your asking the question, it's time for a new ski!

[aswinter05]

@6balls, you may be right! I was hoping someone that knew something would get on here and say "Yeah man, if I were you I'd buy a newer Syndicate ski and throw your basis bindings on it. You'll be running short lines by next June."

 

I guess I was looking to see if someone had a legit reason to talk me out of the idea :)

[Chef23]

@aswinter05 I love new stuff and if I had the money (more like could convince the wife) I would likely buy a new stick every year. That said where your current ability level is at the Triumph you have is a great ski and would be a better fit than the CoX because it is wider and would support you better at slower speeds. The S2 likely felt better to @bogboy because it is wider.

 

I don't think a new S2 would have you running short line by next June and there is no reason that you can't ski 34 mph on a Triumph. When I got back into skiing after a bunch of years off I ran into 28 off at 34 mph on an HO Charger which is a 69" wide ride ski.

 

My son (13) who is about 150 lbs is on a 66.5" A2 and starts at 30 mph and runs into 22 off regularly (has made it twice) and the A2 supports him fine. He has good solid fundamentals and body position.

 

If you have your heart set on a new ski I would call April or Chris and talk to them about it. They have seen you ski and are more interested in making sure customers are on the right ski than pushing product. The perfect ski might be a new 2013 Triumph.

 

For the cost of a new ski maybe you could spend an extra week at Coble's. That would likely progress your skiing more than a new ski.

[Chef23]

If you want a 66.5" S2 @Chuck_Dickey has a good deal on one.

[Waternut]

April Coble would probably know way better than any of us on here. However, @6balls is absolutely right. If you're asking, your mind is already made up whether you realize it or not. You want a new ski, you just want our support. You have mine... I always want new gear.

[BraceMaker]

I would not fixate on the fin regardless of ski/fin combo you're running, frankly the adjustable fin box is just a nightmare that you'll start playing with, then finally someone skilled in the art will reset to factory and tell you not to touch any more....

 

And then with your fancy adjustable fin box you'll be buying calipers, and measuring before/after/during sets going, hmm my tip was raising on my offside that run.

 

NIGHTMARE.

 

That said new skis are so fun.

[Brady]

question: what and where is Coble?

[gregy]

N.C.

http://www.cobleskischool.com/

 

[aswinter05]

@Brady, it's in a far away paradise land. Through a time capsule. A place called Utopia. Where slack line doesn't exist and everyone can hit 6 @ 75-off. A place where everything is made of banana pudding and pistachio cake. Coble is where dreams originate from.

[Brady]

Thanks @gregy. I can't believe you can get a family week rate of 750 including lodging!!! Uh, I will be taking the wife and kiddos there this spring!!! @aswinter05, I would pay a lot of money to see 75 off. :) And, banana pudding definitely sounds like 15 off!!!

[Skoot1123]

@brady - spoke with April at the Malibu Open in August. I'll be looking into going there some year......as soon as my youngest is old enough (7 weeks right now). She said the best time to get the kiddo's started is 2 yrs old. Looks like a great site to get too!

[aswinter05]

@Brady and @Skoot1123, you guys would love it and the kids will too. You get to ski 3 sets a day (maybe less when kids are present). It's just you and two professional instructors per boat. April tries to get around to coaching everyone at least twice or more a week. April lets you ride along in the boat with her while she's training for the upcoming weekend tournaments. Food and lodging is all included in the rates (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). 100% homemade meals w/ dessert. There's a video session during the week when April critiques your skiing in slow motion. The ski shop equipment is usually sold pretty close to wholesale cost. There's a hottub waiting for you in between sets. The kids have plenty of things to do when not skiing (water trampoline, surf board thingies, rock climbing water thingy, etc.) I can't say enough about the southern hospitality. One evening after our ski sets and before dinner, two of the instructors took me out barefooting. It was definitely one of the best parts of my trip.

 

Most of what I just described is from Spa Week (adults only). It may be totally different for a kids week. We WILL be going back for one of the Spa week's early in spring. You can't get much closer to a skier's paradise. 10 private ski lakes, glass water, and lodging..... ahhhhh can't wait.

[Than_Bogan]

I concur with Chef and BraceMaker: Triumph is perfectly good and fin adjustments are not a good idea right now. In fact, I believe that only a tiny tiny percentage of skiers really understand how to adjust fins (not including me), and that fin tweaks should anyhow be reserved for folks who are plateaud and have little hope of fixing their problem by simply learning to ski better. (That last group does include me...)

[Chef23]

@aswinter05, @Skoot123 and @Brady we have been regulars at Coble's with kids for quite a few years. I started taking my son when he was 8 or 9 and he has been 8 times now and the past couple of years he has gone twice a season. During the regular camps you get to ski 4 sets on Monday, Wednesday and 3 sets on Tuesday, Thursday. It is plenty of skiing. April can be spread a little thin if there are 38-45 students there but she does make sure that the people that need the attention get it. Personally I have always gotten great coaching from whoever is coaching slalom on lake 2.

 

One year we went with the whole family including my wife who doesn't ski and my wife stayed for free. It is pretty reasonable for a very active vacation and my kids can't wait to go back. After a trip there my wife is comfortable dropping the kids off and letting them stay there on there own which I have done a couple of times when I had to be in the area for work.

 

For super high end skiers there may be better options but for a family ski vacation where you can get good instruction it is hard to beat.

[HO 410]

I'd hold off on making a ski decision until you go to April's and it's easy to demo skis and get good feedback.

 

When you're at April's is when you could look into putting a fully adjustable fin box on your Triumph.

You would not be using it to tinker when you get home, but so that you can get the ski more balanced while you're there.