Looking for a ski for my son

[MarkW]

Great site with lots on information.

 

My 22 year old son is looking for a nice slalom ski. The one he currently uses is a single ski from a combo set. Not a great ski to say the least. I have one from 35 years ago that is "too tippy/too fast" for him. It's a homebuilt back in the days when I was making skis so not a good reference.

 

He is 6'2, weighs about 165 lbs and has a size 11 foot. He is currently, and will be for some time, skiing behind a less than ideal boat (2018 Yamaha AR190). He thinks the tow rope should be on the tower but I keep telling him the rope should be lower - anyway - another discussion. I think he skis around 30mph but am not sure as I guess I haven't checked the speedo when he skis.

 

He is looking for a new ski for Christmas. He will not be doing any course skiing and only skiing on a lake. While he may want the ski for himself, my guess is his buddies will be using the ski as well so I am thinking fixed boots is not the way to go. He is an OK skier but I believe he can do better by learning how to ski better than purchasing a new ski. As I have learned all too often, while equipment does make a difference, if you don't know what to do with the equipment, it will not live up to expectations.

 

From his research he thinks a HO Omni (low end model) is the ski for him. I have also found some O'Brien Siege skis round here locally. From what I have read on the site, the Siege is not the best ski to think about.

 

And, as I'm in MN, there is not many places selling water skis up here right now. Any good places to order online or to get a nice used ski. He doesn't care if it is used or new, just wants a better ski which I understand.

 

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

Mark

[Murrski]

@MarkW - check out ski-it-again.com... pretty much the best site for used water ski's plus a whole lot more boat/ski gear

[TallSkinnyGuy]

Mid-level skis like the Omni, Radar Senate and Connelly V would likely be great skis for your son. Plenty of performance but also quite stable and forgiving.

[Sethski]

I’d have to agree with @TallSkinnyGuy however I have had so many great experiences more specifically with the Connelly V and the Connelly Carbon V. Both carry speed and energy very well, but maintain their predictability. Both skis carve well, but won’t dump you through the turn. Additionally you can easily get the acceleration you need to cross the wakes with little effort. H2OProShop.com is a great resource. But if you are worried about picking the wrong ski, email Austin there first. His email is sales@h2oproshop.com. Perhaps he can set you up on their “try before you buy” program.

[BraceMaker]

@MarkW

 

I would skip the siege regardless, for one Obrien made sieges in one form or another for years and years, and in different levels of performance, a siege could be a plastic with aluminum top tunnel bottom ski or a higher end full concave Mapple siege, could be 20+ years old or as recent as a couple of years old, I think it is discontinued now, but the latest versions were just low end laminations of the Sixam ski. O'Brien has not been really focused on Slalom skis for a number of years and their product offerings are generally now all variants of development in previous years. The. Their high end Mapple Siege years ago I recalled as being Awesome, but I had a chance to ride one last summer and my recollections might be blurry - the ski wore me out in 6 turns.

 

Besides all that, there are so many cool skis out there now. Maybe you guys should go south for a winter trip and do a demo at a ski school ;)

[Joelh]

I ski a 2012 carbon v and all my friends how have skied it like it

[perfski]

Hey @MarkW we have lots of options for you new and used. I know I have Omni's and Alloy and Graphite Senate Closeouts, also might have some demo skis. Message me here if I can help or if you want me to send your email via pm...I can tell you exactly what we have....and at the end of the day...we'll help your son get a ski he loves. What ever I can do I'll help as I can. Best Regards...and Happy Thanksgving. Bill @ Performance

[Lobonator]

I would take a look at a radar union. Same (awesome) shape as the vapor. But is wider and more forgiving. And covers a really wide performance envelope especially if you're gonna have other friends using the ski too. I'm sure the omni is a great option too as others have mentioned.

[MarkW]

Wanted to update everyone what was purchased. Did some internet researching regarding the recommended skis above. Ended up looking for an HO Omni 67" ski with dual bindings. I took up Bill's offer at Performance skis and discussed various options with him. What a gentleman and the wealth of knowledge is vast. He graciously walked me through the options he had available and decided upon the 67 HO Omni with the Radar limited edition Vector boot with an aluminum plate. The boot was an upgrade from the Fremax boot HO offers and I have been told our son should really like it. Where Bill really shined was his offer to make sure the ski works for our son when he gets a chance to try it. Since it is hard water season in MN until April, it is very hard to buy a ski now and hope it works when he gets a chance to ski it.

 

Thank you everyone for the suggestions and special Thanks to Bill for taking the time to help and the promise to get the right ski for our son. I can't wait to watch the smile on Chris's face when he gets the ski for Christmas and really can't wait to watch him become a better skier this summer.

 

Mark

[WaterSkier12]

??????

[perfski]

Mark...my pleasure to help you...and just hope your son loves it....and pretty confident he will. Keep me posted...LOVE helping be a part of people's waterski christmas!!

 

[Rednucleus]

Hey Mark, you sound like a great dad - would you consider adopting a 60 yr old and buying him (me) a new ski too??