68 MPD set up again / Pro Ski Coach Water Ski Forum

35 in the bag · #1 Thu, Jul 10, 2008 7:45 PM

Chris/Wade,

Need to re set-up my MPD. I've got it all screwed up. My numbers are way out of wack. So today, I've read much of what's posted here but still am not clear as to the recomended settings given that I have a Gold Fin.

68”MPD purchased (and skied on) at 06’ nationals.
180# - 6’-0” 45 yrs old (55k) (mid 38 off skier running a few each year……. 35’s almost every time). Now I can’t get through 35 consistently.

Southern Michigan water.

Front boot RS-1 (size 10) custom mounted on HO plate. HO RTP
Gold fin.

The numbers on the Ski Set-Up page look like they are based on the black fin. I saw a note from Chris somewhere that the gold should be set at .010 less in length.

I'm going to try the stock numbers which I believe are (for the gold):

30", 6.840 tips, 2.500, .800, 9 deg.

What might you suggest at a distance to rear (bare) heal?

Thanks a Ton,

John M.

slalomdude · #2 Thu, Jul 10, 2008 9:35 PM

Hey John,
Sorry this is off topic, but you are the only guy I have seen with the RS1 and a RTP. I was thinking of going that route, can you summerize how the set up feels/ works. Any issues with not releasing.
Thanks

35 in the bag · #3 Fri, Jul 11, 2008 2:46 PM

Slalomdude,

I am hesitant to write this response, especially on this forum, because I don’t want to cast any negative light on the Radar Team Products. These guys are great…..taking on the risk of innovation and product development/delivery to the market……all to our (the skier’s) benefit. The RS1 boot system is a truly innovative concept which has many merits. Bearing in mind that product development is a process as it moves towards perfection for its intended purpose, and, having arrived at a system tweak which has helped the RS1’s usefulness and safety for me, I will share what I have done in the hope it will help others and maybe even aid the Radar Team in the development process.

About the RS1/RTP, it has been a process and taken modifications to get the set-up right for me.......

Wearing 10.5 shoes, I was directed to try the size 11 RS1 which I heat molded to my foot per the instructions. First set (6 weeks ago) it was just way too loose. My foot was moving all around in the boot and I did not feel I had proper control/contact with the ski. I exchanged the 11 for a 10 which I did not heat mold to my foot. Running both sets of laces quite loose, I found my big toe was being pushed into the front of the boot causing some pain and a bit of bruising under the nail. So I really cinched down the front laces and kept the top laces quit loose. The boot was performing great as far as ski control is concerned.....maybe lacking a little upper ankle lateral support from what I was used to w/ my Connelly Vision high wrap. Over the period of a week I took three normal type falls (32/35 off), all released, but two of them I felt a slight top of foot/ankle tweak. The sort of thing I had only felt a couple of times in three years of skiing the high wraps. Enough to scare me into thinking that this may not be the system for me ......So.......

I was about to trash the experiment. But upon studying the binding....and what I felt was happening, I decided to try something.

I took the lower set of laces out of their respective top set of "eyelets", effectively lowering how far up the instep it grabs my foot. This was a great improvement for me. It no longer "hung up" at that partially out release position and I am able to really tighten down the front laces to get good contact with the ski and prevent my foot from moving around under high load. I am running the top bungee laces quite loose. Tightening them only to the point that they do not unduly restrict the release process. In fact at this point I am not even hooking the upper laces around the top lace catches.

Several OTF's later, everything is working great. The releases are clean as a whistle. I now have no fear what-so-ever about the safety of the system as it is now set it up for myself. I am just to the point in my season where I am starting to work on my max pass (38off). So I haven't fully concluded whether lateral support is an issue yet. I have several ideas for improvement which I will implement if this becomes an issue for me.

I can tell you this………. I have since switched back and forth between the high wrap and the modified RS1 several times, even during the same set. I will not be going back to the high wrap because the RS1, when compared back to back, has noticeably more control, and significant sensed increase of ski responsiveness, and places me in a more balanced, slightly front knee forward skiing position consistent with maintaining more speed at the finish of the turn, among lots of other benefits.

So Slalomdude, buy an RS1 and go forth to rip it up!

John Miller - Michigan

35 in the bag · #4 Fri, Jul 11, 2008 3:37 PM

Ok, the numbers I used above have me back in the game…….but some tweaking may be necessary.
Because of my binding mounting system (mounted to a standard HO plate), I could not put the RS1 @ 30” exactly.

At 30 3/16”, w/ RTP one hole forward and exactly 6.840/2.500/9 deg and DFT .800 close as possible:
Ski was stable and predictable, w/very slight hesitation during the toe-side hook-up (35 off 55k very windy-almost white caps).

Tried bindings back one hole……29 7/8, RTP @ back hole:
Ski was under turning both sides……. Significant slack (35 off 55k very windy).

Move front binding forward again: 30 3/16”, w/RTP back hole
Ski was better but still under turning the toe-side…Ski was still not as good as initial setup (35 off 55k very windy).

Back to original set-up 30 3/16”, w/RTP one hole forward
Ski was again quite good (by far best this year) (sweet 35 off 55k calm conditions). Slight hesitation at hook-up on toe side. At 38 off the toe-side hook-up hesitation (2-4 ball) was more pronounced, effectively ending the buoy count, however I kept skiing, picking up later buoys as possible, to try to get more of a sense of what was happening with me/the ski. The several 1 balls were almost perfect. Never, during any of this skiing, did the ski bite or stop on the toe side. Just a very late (and hard) hook-up.

I’m thinking of going forward with the fin to eliminate the hesitation. But additional length might be warranted instead….or also.

Comments?

John Miller - Michigan