Slalom ski for a cable park ?

Mo2204 · August 2015

Hey Ballers,

My friend lives near a cable park and since he does not get to ski behind a boat too often he decided to visit the cable park to get at least a bit of training at lower speeds. He wants to get his own ski but has no clue on what to buy. So I told him that I would ask you guys for him.

Apparently he is quite an advanced free skier and I thought about recommending the HO CX or even TX but I really do not know if those two ski can be driven at lower speed too.

The cable park runs at only 20-22 mph most of the time. Which ski would you guys recommend ? Or are the CX and TX suited for those speeds aswell ?

wtrskior · August 2015

TX is wider, so better at slower speeds. freeride or radar satori may be better suited for a park setting though.

Chef23 · August 2015

I would go wider than a TX I would go Freeride or something like the Radar.

gt2003 · August 2015

What's his weight? I've got an 69" Obrien Synchro that is quite wide and can be skied at slow speeds. I've skied it at 26 mph when I was weighing 220 lbs without any problem. I just bought a newer ski and would be willing to part with the Synchro provided I like the newer ski.

Mo2204 · August 2015

His weight is around 165 lbs that is why i thought that the CX or TX could still be possible at that speed. And it would also be quite good if they would work since he wants to use the same ski to ride behind the boat (that is also why he wants to have a 67" ).
So I guess the CX is not suited for speeds around 20-22 ? Then my next ski I could think of are either the TX or the HO Freeride ...

@gt2003 we are both living in Germany that would make it a bit complicated to buy your ski

gt2003 · August 2015

Yes it would! Good luck finding him something that works!

Mo2204 · August 2015

ok going towards the TX or Freeride then since ski like the CX or Connelly V are probably not good for both ( behind a boat at normal speeds and cable park at around 20-22 mph ) ?!
Still open for advice ^^'

lpskier · August 2015

Just my opinion, but slaloming at 20-22 doesn't sound like much fun. If your buddy wants to have fun and improve at that slow a speed, I would consider jump skis or even a trick ski. You'd be surprised what you can learn about slalom at slow speeds on jumpers or a trick ski. Does the cable park have a slalom course?

If the cable occasionally goes 26 or a little faster, try a Connelly Aspect. Great wide body ski at a friendly price. I ran -35 @ 30 mph on it. I was about 200 lbs. at the time and have a 67.

FYI there are cable tournaments. Occasionally I'll see USA Water Ski looking for people for a cable world championship. If your buddy gets good enough, he could have some tournament fun.

Intheday · August 2015

Try a trick ski, I think the speed will be to slow for slalom. I have seen some amazing doubles skiing on cable so don't rule that out.

skialex · August 2015

Tell him to try wakeboarding!

Edbrazil · August 2015

You could see if they can/will run the cable faster at times. I used to ski a good bit on the cable
at Quiet Waters Park in Southern Florida, and they would do that. They even had a regulation
jump there. These days, with the popularity of wakeboard, it has probably all changed. I have
supervised putting in a SL course at a cable site. Good bit simplified, since boatgates are not
needed!
One obstacle to a SL course, other than not many wanting it, would be the obstacles that are
now in place at cable parks: sliders, kickers, etc.

Mo2204 · August 2015

Thanks everyone.
The thing is simply that he is skiing behind the boat too and wants to hit the slalom course but just not as often. So thats why he is looking for a ski that is good for slalom behind the boat but can also be used at the slow speeds of the cable park without riding too low therefore making it unskiable.
Would it make a difference if the ski is lighter ? For example choosing a wide and light ski ( maybe going for the superlite TX instead of the normal version ).

Edit : There is no slalom course in that cable park he is justgoing there to practice his position on the ski and all that stuff like for example he is trying to make turns leaning as deep as possible.

gsm_peter · August 2015

I do not think it is feasible to have one ski that runs well in 20 and also in 30 mph.
Plus on the trick ski.
He will then get the best combination.

eddie_roberts_jr · August 2015

We have a new ski to replace the P6 for 2016 that I think would be just the ticket for both cable and boat skiing. It's called the Butter Knife. It has a wide tip and tail with a long inside radius sidecut. At 165 lb. a 67" would work just fine at the slower cable speeds and would also work well behind the boat. It has more surface area than a conventional slalom so there is plenty of support and it has deep grooves on the bottom that really help pull it through the turns. We also have another new slalom to replace the Theory for 2016 - The Katana. Same shape as the Butter Knife only narrower. These all new skis are a ton of fun, both in the course, where they are very capable and out on open water.

Mo2204 · August 2015

@eddie_roberts_jr sounds like a good alternative for him ... do you maybe already have a pdf for the 2016 product line like it was posted for HO in one of the discussions here ?

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Slalom ski for a cable park ?

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