Mike

@bananaron looks like ya got your answer already...I believe Marty owns “Mountain Water Snow” or MWS in Bend. Straight shooter. Wife and I just moved back to WA from Bend.

"Goo Gone"... get it at most hardware stores like ACE, Home depot etc.

Radar 13" Vapor Boa 1"... I went with the .94 and wear x-large Boa gloves. Have a bit wider paws with slightly long fingers even though I am not that big of guy overall. My thinking on 1" or below for me is where the handle sits cupped in my fingers. If ya have a chance to grab a few different widths you may surprise yourself with what you decide. I was lucky enough to visit Wiley's in Seattle many years back and put a few handles in my hand. I tried fatter ones earlier on but they fatigued my forearms as I remember. If you have access to a pro shop I would wander in. You could also call Performance Ski and surf and see if they would not mind sending you a couple widths with the possibility of sending one back.

Just ordered a new 13" .94 Radar Vapor Bar handle and Radar rope @allycat. Old rope is boxed up and sending to @bananaron … appreciate the input

@Rednucleus stored in my garage and later a storage unit in open air. Were not exposed to sun. I am going to just pitch em. Don't want to get anybody or myself hurt from dry rot that you can't see. (edit) @bananaron feels pretty comfortable using the rope and it will hopefully be safe for him. Will hang onto the 12" .98 Handle just for comparison sake with a Radar .94 13" I just ordered. I will post up when if that .98 12" handle is avail. Just cover postage.

Have an In Tow .98 Handle and Perfect Pass rope that got wet for literally just a few sets. Bought them roughly 9-10 years ago. Returning to the sport after that same time frame. Do I pitch these or keep these?

Looked like an awesome time and great weather today Richard. Wish I could have hung out longer but nice to finally meet you and some of the nice folk. Middle of the night medical condition woke me up please excuse the post time hah.

@keithh2oskier I liked yours...simple clean. This is just Viper and Navy. I know I submitted more than one...couldn't help myself. At least this one has a windshield the last one I posted didn't.

Still under construction hah but you get the idea...my computer does not speak Mastercraft.

Classy...well done

Just keeping the stoke alive. @Brooks and the Radar test crew had a metal flake MC they skied behind that caught my attention. Who's boat was that?

alternatives to the Quest ...66 2013 Strada, 66 2013 Prophecy, or wait for the Vapor in a 66 from Radar. The Quest should be your natural first choice as @ral suggests. I am on the border weight wise and bumped up from a 66 to 67. 5'11 163-164 glad I did. 34 mph or below bump if borderline imo.

@estrom... well I barely experimented with the T-factor 2 passes before I went back to the dock and put my 2013 Strada boot back on and proceeded to run passes. In fairness to the D3 T-factor if I was doing rubber it is significantly more comfortable than any old or new style Animal or Wiley Pro. No cramping with the T-factor but again hard to judge after just 2 passes. Really needed to give the T-factor a 1/2 dozen sets...just didn't. Boots are such a huge thing to change vs a ski imo. Never felt so at home putting my Strada boot back on. I have only used the Strada boot for maybe 8-9 sets. Its really not hard to describe why I like this boot vs the Animal or Wiley but not in this thread. @XR6Hurricane If you are staying with rubber you owe it to yourself to slip on a T-factor and with your foot probably go to a size large.

@XR6Hurricane...I have a confession to make. Looks like I should not have said never going back to rubber. Dropped into Wileys today and and slipped my slightly wide 9.5 foot into a size Large D3 T-factor. I have a bit higher instep too however the T-factor fit soo much better than my old Animal with a way smoother front flex. No bind going forward at all (like my Strada). A couple things that swayed me to make the investment and try these were 1. the tallness or at least feeling of leverage side to side (we will see) and 2. with the laces not being on the back there is no bind and flex's back smoothly giving me the impression of possibly keeping wheelies from a too stiff back from happening if jammin. Again willing to try. Will be skiing my Strada boot first this week as I am transitioning with skis and its what I have been using to start the season. Of course I had moose juice on in the shop and my foot slid out nicely and expect the T-factor to release in a gnarly fall.

@davemac ditto the water not rushin in thing which took some of the shock factor out of jumpin in the water. I'm about 5'11" 165ish 40ish chest 34+/- waist (gravity/chocolate and bein 59) and wider shoulders with long arms. Size large was the ticket. Melissa up at Wiley's locally started stocking some of their stuff. 68 degree water on top lake surface. 6 passes later no burr. The 1mm is silly stretchy on the BlackTec. Actually more charcoal gray than black with green not yellow logo's.

great report @MattP what were the stock settings your Connelly came with? ditto the nice pic's

Both great just different. I am not skier enough at my speed and longer line length to journey too far with this, but have skied both 66 A3 and 2013 Strada in both 66 and 67 lengths. Nuances I will leave for the Horton's and MattP's and Dirt's and Jayski and the other mega ballers. From the few sets on each trying to determine which one of the two I would continue to ski and grow on this summer here goes. A3 rides what feels a bit deeper. An easy fun ride that turns well and gets wide but is a touch more work rolling from pulling edge to pre-turn edge behind the boat...probably just me. Possibly the width on the new A3 don't know but best left to the real guru's to answer. A3 in a 66 seemed very close in length with the 67 Strada at least laying them side by side at a glance. The 66 Strada is an incredibly quick turning ski that because of my inept ability would sometimes stall in the turn where the A3 would keep moving through it. For the guys that are dialed with their technique I can see where it would rock their world. The 67 Strada was instant balance, angle, felt faster and just easy. The A3 was also easy in some aspects. Liked them both but would pick the 67" Strada. It turned like a well controlled 66 with the balance I needed from the flat spot or rocker design. It was less work and the edge change for me was easier. The quick fin measurements with an old Goode dial caliper were .745 dft 2.50 depth and 6.855 length wing 9 Boot 29.25 water temp 68.

Agree with @Zman. My opinion only but the new overlaps and material on the Animal are cheesy, stiff, and cheap. @XR6Hurricane I was a true size medium and had to use a large Animal. Blew my ankle and calf apart in an Animal. Went back to my old one for awhile anyway after I rehabbed and never got back to full flexion but liked the way the Animal skied for me compared to the Wiley. I can fit in a Medium Wiley but with the way the horshoe wraps around the front it cramps after a bit..early season anyway. Comfortable off the dock for a couple passes. Probably break in and just the fact that my duck foot just needed something diff. Use a Radar Strada now and no complaints instant comfort and skis well. The old Connelly's flare out more at the front of the binding without the hardware curving in at the base like on H.O. so the Connelly's were super comfy in the day. For my foot Kidder's D3 Leverage is better if you want to stay in rubber. No harm mixing brands either. Its about comfort and control. Any of the of the open toe newer i.e. Attacks as you mentioned should eliminate fit issues and ski well. Never going back to rubber or Animals myself.

@woolly110 Think a 68 Strada or Vice would be fine if you want to stay with Radar.

good music Richard...kudos to the young gals in the neoprene with the water temp up here. I 'll be starting in a baggy :) 66 Strada on the way (orange :) keep the video's coming!

big.. uh.. air yep.. perfect form

How about we just hear from Nate if he missed?... Soo many awesome hero's out there rippin it up including Marcus but @ShaneH said it already he knew when he missed. Archaic round balls as @Marcus says we probably could all agree with especially if you have been injured by hitting one head on and OTF'ed. But until we change that at a higher level this conversation was about Nate missing his gate.

Yep at 0:05 freeze it.