slalom ski purchase?opinions,advice,etc

[cmd]

i'm in the process of trying to figure out the best ski to buy for my father and i to share.let me first start by saying my dads a **** of a skier, one of those die hard,old school run watcha brung kinda a guy.he could make saloming on a 2x4 look easy.he's been skiing for almost 40 yrs and has always used what ever was laying around,and skiing behind what ever POS boats been around.so needless to say he loves the nautique and i'm anxious to see what he could really do with a real slalom.he's 5'9 165 lbs.i'm 5'11 and about 185,depending on the time of the year!we will never be skiing a course and he's small enough that he rarely wants to pulled above 32-34 or so.i'm not near the skier he is,but am not that far off..or atleast thats what i tell myself.i've been looking and looking and am clueless.there's i nice obrien mapp. 68 on ccfn i think i could get for a reasonable price, but was planning on buying new.let me also state that i'd prefer a rear toe strap,not a binding. what about the obrien big daddy,its looks like fun.also any rope lengths and spds. combos would be great too.-cody

[east tx skier]

Take a look at a 67" CDX. Might be a tad short for you and slightly less long for him. The mapple tends to hunt a bit and can be a little sensitive to fin settings. Throw a wiley boot with a toe plate on it and you'll be in business. I was on a mapple for a while, then switched to the CDX for several years before going with the monza. All were great skis, but were very different.

[cmd]

thanks east tx skier

not to sound stupid....but who makes the 67 cdx.i've been looking at ho,conn.,and obrien.i've always been kinda partial to obrien,always had good luck out of there products.

[NCH2oSki]

RE: thanks east tx skier

If you like Obrien then consider a 66" syncro, or a Connely F1x in a 67. Both are nice skis and will serve you well on the open water, or in the slalom course. I'm a not a fan of the cdx, unless you really favor a tail riding ski.

[Fast351]

RE: thanks east tx skier

I like the HO Triumph skis. I have a 69 myself. I'm a mediocre skier, and my neighbor is an ex course junky. We both like the ski a lot. This time of the year some good closeout deals are to be found.

I bought mine for less than 1/2 of retail at this place: http://www.adrenalinewatersports.com...ID=68&pg=1

[M3Fan]

RE: thanks east tx skier

Connelly F1X gets my vote for an outstanding intermediate/advanced slalom ski. I put it up against the Triumph and the Synchro on my website and the F1X was heads above the others for my style of skiing.

[east tx skier]

Re: thanks east tx skier

not to sound stupid....but who makes the 67 cdx.i've been looking at ho,conn.,and obrien.i've always been kinda partial to obrien,always had good luck out of there products.

Sorry, it's an older HO that is still produced in limited numbers.

www.wileyski.com

Again, check out the Wiley bindings as well. They're great!

[jjackkrash]

I currently ride a Connelly F1 and love it, but have heard really good things about the F1x. But you should also try a Connelly Concept. Its a little cheaper but very forgiving and a great all around intermediate to expert ski. I'd still be on mine but it got ripped off.

[Quinner]

The HO Nitro (FKA Vengance) is also a very nice ski, it is relatively easy to get up on and holds an edge on rough water. Have also skied the F1X which is very comparable to the Nitro. The Mapple you mentioned is a pretty advanced ski and unless you are skiing in a course it would probably be more than you need. Another user friendly ski which is not overly advanced is the Kidder KD7000.

Check out www.ski-it-again.com and www.skifly.com for used gear.

[magene]

You may want to check out the ski reviews at

http://www.waterskitests.com/2007/RecTest/Intro.htm

I bought the Triumph and it was love at first ride.

[brodie]

The O'brien Mapple/Sixam is a great ski, and very easy to ride for all abilities. I think a 67 would suit you better though. I have a Sixam-1 that is phenominal. My brother in-law has a CDX-1 and is not a course skier, and he likes my ski better and his ability seems equivalent to yours. As far as the rear toe plate goes, I will say that once you get used to a rear high wrap, you will wonder how you ever skied with out it.

[bkhallpass]

As far as the rear toe plate goes, I will say that once you get used to a rear high wrap, you will wonder how you ever skied with out it.

Brodie, not singling you out, because I hear this all the time, from all levels of skiers. However, every time I hear it, I still chuckle. Andy Mapple seems to do just fine with an RTP.

BKH

[jjackkrash]

As far as the rear toe plate goes, I will say that once you get used to a rear high wrap, you will wonder how you ever skied with out it.

Brodie, not singling you out, because I hear this all the time, from all levels of skiers. However, every time I hear it, I still chuckle. Andy Mapple seems to do just fine with an RTP.

BKH

I have skiied with a few shortliners who prefer RPT, but I sure do like my double highwraps and don't think I would go back. I think its just a matter of preference (or maybe its just better for us not-so-shortliners). I will say, however, the RTP is certainly easier for dock starts.

[Quinner]

I am going to agree 100% with BKH on the Boot vs. Toe plate. I learned open toe then went to double boot, skied 2 boots for 15+ yrs, 2 yrs ago went back to open toe and never looked back. Made no difference nor had any effect on my performance and I like the option of starting 1 or 2 feet in.

[brodie]

As far as the rear toe plate goes, I will say that once you get used to a rear high wrap, you will wonder how you ever skied with out it.

Brodie, not singling you out, because I hear this all the time, from all levels of skiers. However, every time I hear it, I still chuckle. Andy Mapple seems to do just fine with an RTP.

BKH

If I could ski like Mapple, it probably wouldn't matter. I have skied with dbl boots for 20 years now, and I feel I have a lot more control with the rear boot. It is totally personal preference though, and if you are just free-skiing, and you are sharing the ski, then the rtp is probably the way to go.