What's New in 1996 Equipment

If your ski is getting a little tired or your board fell off the 
roof rack last time back from the cottage, rest easy: the ski 
shops have what you need for 1996. Never at a loss for tweaks or 
killer graphics, this year the manufacturers are also providing 
both evolution and revolution (maybe not the common sense kind) 
in their line ups. Read on!

Adjustable Everything

The hot ticket in high-end slalom skis this year is 
adjustability. O'Brien started the trend with their G3 Revenge, 
with its adjustable flex plates front and rear; this year they've 
added the feature (at the front anyway) to three other slalom 
skis in their range, including the new G1 Intruder, a youth-sized 
high performance ski. Not to be outdone, H.O. has responded with 
PowerStix, a dial system at the tip and tail which allows the 
skier to stiffen the ski in the water to custom tune it. Not only 
will the ski "grow" with increasing ability levels, it can be 
used by multiple users and quickly tuned for each. Hmmm...

Among the other makers, Connelly is due to release its new 
Missile slalom ski, and Jobe and Duvall are refining the 
construction of their high-end skis. Nothing stands still for 
long!

Big #@!*! Skis

For 1996 Connelly and O'Brien have gone after a different market 
with some very different skis. O'Brien's BFS (Bilateral Flex 
System? Big Fat Ski?) is a 75" slalom ski adjustable for use by 
(a) very, very big skiers, and (b) anybody who wants a slalom ski 
suitable for rougher water or just easier cruising/starts. But 
where O'Brien went long, Connelly went fat with their 66" Big 
Easy. The Big Easy is a wide slalom type ski ideal for low power 
boats/PWCs or, again, easier starts. 

This seems to represent a recognition on the part of both 
companies that there is recreational market which, instead of 
moving up from a Firebird to a Ferrari, may want more of a 
Cadillac ski. Let's see how they sell.

Boards, Boards, Boards

Well, kneeboards aren't dead but they've certainly been eclipsed 
by wakeboards. In fact, everything's been eclipsed by wakeboards. 
So far only Hydroslide seems to be coming out with a new 
kneeboard- the Xplosion with its improved binding system- and the 
others are mostly changing graphics on their existing line ups.

WaterSki Business reports kneeboard sales down at many U.S. 
retailers, but a lot of people still have the things and judging 
by the response to the OWSAs Wakeboard/Kneeboard Series they like 
to use them...

In wakeboards, 1996 is the year of the twin tip. In other words, 
the symmetrical squarish tip boards outsold the traditional 
pointy-tip/square or notch tail boards in '95, so now every major 
manufacturer has a range of twin tips to choose from. Perfect for 
riding and landing fakie!

This is also the year of the high-end graphite/honeycomb board, 
for those of you after really big air at a really high price. And 
if you're looking for a really low price, Skurfer is coming back 
with a line of boards including a entry-level board under $ 200- 
availability in Canada still unknown.

Oh, and O'Brien claims its Uro-Flex high wrap binding, which is 
debuting on its better wakebaords, it the binding of the future. 
Apparently Uro-Flex, a urethane blended material, is both much 
tougher and much lighter than neoprene, and may well end up on 
all their skis as well some day.

The Other Stuff

In wetsuits, as in skis, niche marketing seems to be the trend in 
'96. Ski Warm is pursuing women with its Helena Kjellander 
series. Intensity has a Micro Light line designed for boarders. 
Bare has a PWC series designed for you-know-who. And so on...

Ditto for gloves, ropes and handles, etc- more specialization.

If Santa passed you by, it's good to know that all this stuff is 
out there!