vtmecheng

As with everything, it’s up to the user to decide what makes them comfortable. The MOB isn’t a new system and I can attest to it working when needed (having “tested” it more times than I like to admit). Again, to each their own. On weight, it is heavy compared to other options. That said, I use a rear toe plate and figure some double boot setups aren’t much different. I’m also not going to 39-41 off so that little weight isn’t going to be the defining factor. On boot type, that’s 100% personal preference. Some love the classic Reflex (like @Horton), a different Reflex, the Vapor, or a classic rubber. You will see many here say that you can pry their Tfactor out of their cold dead hands. My foot and body structure aren’t like anyone else’s and that plays a big part. It’s a lot like snow skiing in that you have no idea what you like until you try it and almost no one lets you demo the higher end options. Sorry it isn’t easier.

My vote is Vapor with release. addition: I like the Vapor with the MOB. It is comfortable and easy to adjust while being higher performance. I don’t know of a way to test bindings.

I think there are more Nautique events, which means more opportunities since most want to get a WR behind their sponsor boat.

Coming from a ski boots, I definitely understand the benefits of a tight fit. In snow skiing, too much boot volume is a horrible thing and many end up going down a size because of this. I am currently using a Radar Vapor boot and just ordered a size down to try for this specific reason. I wasn’t sure if Joel uses a sock for a tighter fit or because he just likes the style. I would think that a thin neoprene sock would be better for performance than a standard nylon but haven’t compared personally.

The real question everyone wants to know. What’s up with the sock on his front foot?

Terry is clearly a good guy and a great coach. I firmly believe that matching the coach to the skier is important and not all coaches work for all skiers. I personally went through a few real good coaches that just didn’t convey information to me in the way that my brain could really act on. It wasn’t until one specific coach that things started to click into place. That skier-coach match made a big difference to me.

That explains your opinion of them.

@Than_Bogan I said it is a hypothesis to test, not that it would be a positive test. The problem with the easy approach alone is that you can’t know if the measured change (or no change) is caused by the ski changing or poorly controlled measurement techniques. I believe the first step is to conduct controlled experiments in order to determine if the hypothesis is true. If true, then determine if a simplified measurement technique can be used.

I’ll start by saying that I have no interest in going down this rabbit hole, it’s too close to my career and I just want to ski. Someone else can have this “fun.” The hypothesis, as I understand it, is that ski use results in changes to the natural frequency of the ski. There are a couple of potential ways that I can think of to test this hypothesis. 1) Hold the ski in a support that is firm and consistent. It cannot change between tests. The frequency of the test setup must be designed so that it is well outside of the primary modes of the ski in the clamped configuration. Mount an accelerator to the ski. It must be hard mounted or the mount should provide consistent transfer of motion (I’d probably start with screwing into a binding insert). Hit the ski at a consistent location away from the support and acquire the acceleration for modal analysis of the frequency spectrum. Do this though out the ski’s life and see if the prominent powers change frequencies. 2) Clamp the ski to a vibration table with an accelerometer, following all the stipulations above for clamping and gauge mounting. Perform a vibration sweep, recording input and output accelerations. The transmissibility is calculated and the results compared though out ski use. There may be other ways to test as well, these are just my first thoughts without really spending time on it. I can see some potential challenges. Consistent setup and measurements are critical. The data acquisition needs to be done correctly, with proper sampling rates and anti-aliasing filter applied. The clamp may not be strong enough to keep from creating its own frequency mode and not damage the ski. Also, the sensitivity of changes in frequency with wear may be too small for capture in these methods. Maybe both are no big deal. I like the idea of seeing if something like this provides useful info. I have used modal changes during “large input” dynamic shock tests in order to determine the time that plastic strain begins to accumulate (waterfall frequency spectra are great for that). Again, this is too much like work for me and I just want to ski. More power to whomever does something with this.

@Sedge any progress on adding ski protection after the V?

I use Radar screws and still have one or two that always come loose. Been the front RTP screws this whole season.

I have a couple screws that I have to tighten a touch before every set. I’ve tried new screws and no difference. Others I ski with find the same. Luckily we all check screws before each set.

You are not bringing your ski but are considering your boat? What am I missing?

I have no knowledge on how fast a ski degrades. It makes sense that it would have to simply by the forces applied and flexing it goes through during every pass and the materials of construction. The bending results in tensile and compressive stresses that have to be high, along with shear stresses at the laminate interfaces. This is a funny topic where I ski because of a guy who used to ski with us. He loved telling other skiers that their ski brand is crap and already broken down, no matter the age. I got a new ski once and on my second set he told me it was broken down already because that brand is crap. Now, whenever someone PBs we inevitably say, "you would have gotten through that pass but your ski is just broken down." Makes for a good laugh.

I’ve had good luck first messaging the prospective coach on Instagram or sending an email, if the person has a website. Motivated coaches often respond to those messages quickly and will know to look for the video.