Advice on new slalom ski

I actually haven't had a "fall" technically in a long, long time but on the big ones which might come once a year, yes. I'm out totally 100%.

I used to be a double boot skier also and it allowed me to get buoys I probably should have, completely out of control. The falls were spectacular.

A fall is a fall, I don't think anyone chooses their back binding based on an anticipated fall. The back foot shouldn't be doing too much anyway, a rear boot is a band-aid if you can't keep it in a fruit loop. Every see a one legged slalom skier? Some are pretty dang good!

I haven't rounded a buoy in a few years, these are just my opinions. Ski however you feel comfortable, keep the tubes on the beach!

TRBenj wrote: Andy mapple uses a rtp, Alan... What kind of skiing would you say he does?

So do Will Asher, Nate Smith, Thomas Degaspari, Corey Humburg, etc. (to bring it up a couple decades). FWIW I always come out of the ski completely with my RTP setup.

Andy mapple uses a rtp, Alan... What kind of skiing would you say he does?

I can do a slalom run with dry hair doing a foot drag deepwater start, no matter how slow the pull out. Put the time into it, trust your core, your body will figure it out and you'll see for yourself. This is a must if you are taxing the boat (multiple skiers) or starting in 1-2' of water.

Bri892001 wrote: Also, as Quinner said, it's sometimes easier to start one foot out.

Sometimes? All the time!

Be careful getting too aggressive of a ski expecting to grow right in to it, it will actually retard your progression. Nothing wrong with flipping skis as you get better, if you're not buying off the shelf you won't lose too much and you'll be having much more fun.

Agreed. Check out The House of Boards. they have a good selection of slalom skis. They also give you binding choices as well on the same skis. Connelly does have good bindings IMO. I like the adjustable rear toe plate. It accomodates different foot sizes instead of the standard L or XL. Look for ART. Free shipping right now and a free tow rope.

Thanks for the tips on the double boots vs toe plate! That definitely helps a lot. I was really debating that part back and forth in my head the last few days!

What CBass said for sure.
You want to try a 68" or 69" ski, depending on the level of ski. Don't be afraid of an advanced ski, does not have to be the top dog in the lineup, one or two down the scale, depending on MFR. If you are good starting with 1 foot in, don't change, 2 feet in just drags you more on the start. I would also say don't bother with the double boots as it most likely won't make you a better skier. If buying new spend the bucks for a good binding, it can be used on another ski later if you change.

I would look at the closeout ski's also, could save you some big bucks.

If you are OK with used and know what you want, definitely look at the Ski-It-Again site.

Good Luck

Lake Gage is up in Angola right? Go to "Ride the Wave" watersports shop, or if you're up for a little road trip, go visit Barts in North Webster. I'm sure both would let you try some skis on the water if you were serious about buying.

Hey guys. This is the 2nd summer I have been learning how to slalom ski. I started with an Obrien Performer set of combo skis that I used to slalom with the rear toe plate. I started by dropping one, then I got proficient at deep water starts by dragging a foot, but now I've started getting the deep water starts down with both feet in. So with that in mind, I think I'm ready to step up to an intermediate slalom ski.

The lake I ski on (Lake Gage in Indiana) does not have a slalom course, so I only free ski. However, I'd like to start honing some fundamentals over time so that I can start to learn how to ski the course on another lake. I ski right now at 30-32 MPH, 15 off. I'm 6'2", 190 lbs.

Any suggestions on a good intermediate ski?

Thanks for your time!!