Kidder KD3000 Ski

The old, foot out or foot in discussion. When teaching, I always encourage foot out. That's the "proper" protocol. But I have had a few students who have had trouble with that (wife (30 years ago), daughter (17 years ago) and most recently a friend, just getting into slalom skiing) I don't push it if two feet works best for them. If a "student" just cant get up with feet in, I explain that the rear foot in is making it harder. Jim is a friend who was a casual 2 ski skier for 40 years. This year he came to me and said, I am going to become a good slalom skier. Great! He's been coming to the house for 10 years and never showed much interest in skiing, but this year he decided to hit it. He went out and bought a ski (Obrien Sequence, vest, gloves and came over in May) He didnt want to go the drop a ski route, So we went boom, short line, long line and he was getting up pretty quickly. Couldn't do the one foot thing so he learned with and stuck with 2 in. He decided he should try the 1 foot thing because its hard to get steady and balanced for the start with both in. He's tried a few times, but in the interest of time and fatigue has gone back to his two foot start. It's been a fun summer with him because he has really gotten bitten by the bug and calls every week to say when are we heading out. Plus he's got a call into Coble's, which is conveniently about 45 minutes up the road, waiting on a open slot to come up this fall.

Good to know about Dawn. Usually I am skeptical with claims like this without sources. Google provides links to a few sites talking about it, but interesting that each link says the "bad" ingredient is something different. We are a Dr. Bronner's family anyway and we don't use antimicrobial soaps.

the first time on the ski, i just got it wet and put it on like I do with the wb bindings. It's a struggle, but doable.

methylisothiazolinone
Trisoclan
Environmental Working Group
Ingredients from PG website

My wifes '64 3000, '66 4000 and my '68 7000 are just taking up garage space. Let me know if anyone wants one. Rear boots promoting bad habits like not breaking your foot!

I gotta fess-up.   The niece and her mom thing- Total fabrication.

I laughed so hard last nite when every single comment was coming up
: daughter, wife ect....and then you thinking your new purchase was somehow severely gender biased.   I just had to add fuel to the fire. So, I apologize.

Get reacquainted with the Connelly

When was the last time you were up on the Jobe?

A long long time ago, I found the yellow bottom honeycomb Jobe to be the hardest ski to get up on.

Hollywood wrote: You should not be relearning deepwater starts in a double boot ski. You're setting yourself up for pulling something (back muscle, hamstring, arm/shoulder tendon) and wasted time and gas.

I agree. You don't need a double boot to "take it to the next level". Andy mapple always used a rear toe plate, didn't seem to hold him back.

HAHAHAHAHAHA HW. How did I miss that scene when I saw that movie?!?!?! It might be time for a rewatch.

On a hard fall where only the front releases things can get ugly fast, happened to me enough times I went back to a toe plate. After going back to a toe plate it was also clear to me the rear boot did not make me a better skier, way overrated IMO.

On your deep starts, too much throttle can also mess up the skier, hammer down is not always best.

Not sure how you are basing your assessment on possible injury. i'd say i have a higher probability of hurting myself doing tricks on the wakeboard than I do on the single ski.   I am fully capable of skiing once I am up...most of the time I just don't want to practice deep water starts so I either dock start or drop a ski (not an option with the double boot) as to not waste water time. I'll just have to continue to practice until I get the feel. If I want a toe plate, I'll just use my connelly or jobe ski.

My slalom experience has always been recreational and i've never been in a course. I'd like to advance my skills and start carving better turns. Up until last year, never had much opportunity to ride as I didn't own a boat (or know too many people). So it's been close to 20 years (and a few #s heaver) since I've routinely gotten up on slalom, it's not that I've never done it, just haven't done it enough lately. Two skis, wakeboard, ski seat, and kneeboard are not an issue for deep water starts for me.

Brian, I would agree that position is my downfall at this stage. Yesterday I was trying to teach a buddy how to get up on the wakeboard and it's was really easy to tell him what he was doing wrong, but until he incorporated what I was saying he kept struggling. In the end, he got up...but his balance issues made it tough to stay up. I remember back in the days when I was learning to ski/wakeboard for the first time and the struggles, but once you get that "feel", everything just clicks into place. It will take a little practice and patience. I need to heed my own advice :) I will maintain a tighter ball and keep the handle to my shins. If I have to continue to use the shorter ski with toe plate until I get the feel, so be it.

Thanks again for the advice.

Often times, the missing piece of a successful deepwater start is just getting into a ball, and staying there as long as you need to. Trying to stand up too soon will foil attempts.

Gundriver demonstrated a piece of the start at last year's CT Mini that I never specifically thought about before then: You want to make the handle touch your forward shin. In-other-words, be couched enough that your legs fit inside the the area created by your two straight arms and the handle. Lean a little forward or back as required, but don't try to force it, you just have to wait.

Also, have the driver put the boat in gear, so you can get all lined up in balanced, then hit-it from there. Hitting it from a dead stop doesn't always yield the best results.

i noticed that the sole does say HAMMER with REDLINE underneath.

I thankfully got into the boots on just fine. I left my card reader at home, so can't upload any video today. My attempts were not fruitful last night. I guess Ive been away from it too long that I can't seem to find that perfect position/balance to pop out of the water. I'll try some more this weekend.

I ski a Kidder Red Line and it is very predictable, turns great and is stiff for fast wake crossings. I don't know how the Red Line compares to the 3000 but I have similar boots.
I hate needing soap to put them on but they are comfortable once on.
The Kidder works well on soft pulls and on very hard pulls.

That ski won't hold you back..

I'd have to guess the 68 length version would have to be made for a male.

Either that, or for the more full figured lady, LOL

I don't know how well you ski. Most guys over buy. You know that.   I certainly do.

I don't have any real data, but I would guess that the KD 7000 was a bigger seller with guys
because we always think we are better than we are.

My $.02.

BKH