Newby Needs "Next Ski" Advice

[srab]

Great site.  Guess I'm late to the party!

I'm 64 yrs old, 5' 7" and 140 lbs, and have many years of bad slalom form/habits to contend with.  I've never tried to ski a course, and, going forward, I don't foresee that opportunity ever presenting itself (I slip my boat on a large public lake).  But, I still enjoy the heck out of +/- aggressive recreational skiing.  Typical speed is 32-34 mph. 

I'm currently skiing a 65" HO Triumph that I've had for about a dozen years.  I still really like that ski, but I'm thinking of upgrading now, leaning towards either an HO Carbon Omni or a Radar Senate Alloy.  

As far as I know, there are no opportunities to demo skis in this area (San Antonio, TX). 

Any other skis I should consider?

Is it likely that a skier at my level would really be able to appreciate the differences offered by the higher-end skis in either the Omni or Senate lines? 

Any reason to not stick with a 65" ski?  

Are there specific bindings I should be looking at, or to maybe avoid altogether?  Radar BOA Vector, or the HO Stance 110, tend to be included in ski packages at several websites; but, HO Animal, or Wiley's, strike me as maybe having more long term durability.

I would appreciate any recommendations.  Thanks.

 

 

 

[jjackkrash]

A 65" Senate should be plenty of ski for you at the listed weight and speed.  My boy uses a Radar Boa Vector and it's a good, light, comfortable binding.  Of the bindings you listed, I'd stick with that one.  My boy is stepping up into a Radar Carbitex hybrid boot this next season, but he's also a relatively accomplished course skier who skis at 36 mph.  I'd give the Boa Vector a shot and see what you think.  I have no idea if you will notice a difference between skis, but having good bindings is better than not and a Senate will be a step up in ski quality from a 10 year old Triumph.  So it sure won't hurt to try a new ski.  I suspect you will really like the Senate/Vector combo.  

[MDB1056]

Check Ski-it Again, lots of good options there.  65 or 66 would be fine at those speeds. If going Senate, I'd vote you go Pro if possible. Usually some great used ones on SIA. Good advice above on the Boa Vectors since you're just free skiing. If you wanted to consider stepping up in a rubber boot, D3 Tfactors are absolutely top of the line. and will deliver great support .  Glad to hear you're getting off that old Triumph. Put it on the wall.       

[alanc]

i am not the best skier but i find the radar lithium senate fun to ride with the vector boots

 

[srab]

Thanks for the suggestions.  I guess I just need to be patient.  

There are quite a few (>30) Vapors on SIA currently.  Senates, not so much (<10), and they're all 67" or 69" lengths.

Are there any Connelly skis that would be worth a look?  Or, do you think Radar is my best bet for my intended purposes?  

[S1Pitts]

Connelly Carbon V

Click on the above link to take you to an ad for a Connelly option. Virtually any ski you pick that has been made in the last 3 yrs will ski better and with so much less effort than your old ski. I wish I could be there for your first ride because your smile will be ear to ear.

I covinced 2 ski buddies to get off their Triumphs and both said they regret not doing it earlier. Both went with the Carbon Omni being HO brand loyal.

Edited February 3, 2023 by S1Pitts

[MitchellM]

Carbon Omni sounds like a good choice.  I ski a Connelly Carbon V with Radar Vector BOA boots.  Just getting into the course at 58 years old, but I love that combination.  The Vector BOA boots are great.

[srab]

I appreciate the advice from all.  I'm about sold on the Vector BOAs based on all of the feedback!    

Perhaps I should just purchase them now and wait a bit to see what ski blanks become available, either on SIA or retail.  If I were to go that route, would the aluminum plate be preferable to the feather frame?  What comes on the newer skis?

Being new to this, aside from Wiley's and Bart's, I don't know which online sites are good and which are sketchy.  Are there any others you might care to recommend?

[jjackkrash]

I'd call Darren at Wiley's; he won't steer you wrong.  I have also found some good closeout deals at wakehouse.com.  There are other site sponsors on here that are very good to deal with if you look at the banner ads.  

Edited February 3, 2023 by jjackkrash

[mike_mapple]

On 2/2/2023 at 7:58 PM, srab said:

Are there specific bindings I should be looking at, or to maybe avoid altogether?  Radar BOA Vector, or the HO Stance 110, tend to be included in ski packages at several websites; but, HO Animal, or Wiley's, strike me as maybe having more long term durability.

I would appreciate any recommendations.  Thanks.

 

 

 

I would love to chat with you if you have any questions on skis, the one thing I will touch on is the rubber boots, can last longer, due to be able to replace parts, instead of the whole boot, however the newer boots, IE Vector, Stance are a bit more comfortable, that being said I know plenty of people still use rubber boots. The cost of Rubber boots however is sky rocketing quick. It does really come down to personal preference, of what you like. We at Performance Ski and Surf have been around since 1989, I have been in the industry my whole life, and been involved in making/RnD of skis for as long as I can remember, but we also want to make sure if you buy from us you are happy. I dont ship demos, but if you were to buy two skis, and can use them for up to 30 days and send the one back you dont like and get a refund*** the only part on this is if the ski is beat up we can prorate a return, but if you want to talk about this please give me a call anytime at the shop 407-859-7544 and if I am not there for some reason / busy Danielle or Joe are two sales staff on the floor that know plenty about skis as well.

 

Or feel free to PM me or shoot me an email, as sometimes I miss PM on the site.

 

 

[connellyskis]

Hi srab, I saw this thread and figured I'd pipe in. Full disclosure, I am the marketing manager for Connelly but so I may be a bit biased 😉. There are some great skis listed here, however, the Carbon V or V would not only be a huge upgrade from your current setup, but they would help you progress the more you ski. Unlike any of the other skis mentioned here, both skis have Versatail, which allows you to ski on a stock tail block or easily switch it out for another shape, allowing you to sit higher or lower in the water based off your preference and the water temperature. The Carbon V Is an excellent ski for progressing skiers who ski in the 32-36 mph range. The Skelecore in the tip makes it extra light and responsive. Lastly, both skis are built in the USA at the Connelly factory in Lynwood, WA. 2023 version are available on our website. We have some 2021 Carbon Vs and Vs still available in our sale section, these were made before we added Versatail in 2022 but are still great skis. 

[aupatking]

My first thought is, what binding are you currently using? Being on the Triumph, my first guess would be the rubber HO Animal. That’s still a great boot. If you are talking about changing both your boot and ski, maybe try that Radar Vector on your old ski. You know how that ski feels, so you’ll get a real feeling of what the boot does differently.

The other route to go is get a ski and use your old boot. Again, you know the feel of one, but you’ll be able to learn the other. 
all 3 skis recommended are great. I have a Vector boot on my ski I use to teach everyone and I love it. I think the Aluminum plate is a stronger build

[srab]

Thanks again to all for the advice.

After giving it a lot of thought, I decided that a ski package, instead of buying ski and bindings separately, was probably my best bet.

Availability of 2022 slalom ski packages with a 65" ski, either HO Carbon Omni or Senate Alloy, seemed to be running a little thin.  Plenty of 2023 packages for $150 or so more.  For better or for worse, I ordered a 2022 Senate Alloy with Vector BOA and RTP.  The Carbon Omni with Animal binding and RTP was tempting for a little bit less, but I decided to go with the Vectors. 

[MDB1056]

You'll be flying and smiling vs your old Triumph......  Enjoy!

[MitchellM]

Great choice!  Enjoy the new setup.

[aupatking]

The Senate is a GREAT ski. My main ski partner will not get off his Senate and we’ve put him on 3 different Vapors. He skis into 38 off at 34mph and won’t ride anything but the Senate.