2007 Connelly F1X - 8/13/2007
Well Seth, wrap it up- I'm taking it home. Finally got a chance to ride the 2007 Connelly F1X. Of the 3 widebody skis I've tested so far (HO Triumph, O'Brien Synchro, and the F1X) this ski was the easiest for me to ride right out of the box. Having never ridden the ski before, even braving rollers from public lake traffic, I bagged all 6 bouys on the 3rd try at 30mph. Seth was happy to send the ski out to me for this review and my experience with buying from them has been great so far- quick shipping and great service. H2Osmosis offers a try-before-you-buy program where they will ship you a ski to try out for two weeks as long as you place a deposit and pay a small demo fee. I've added several pictures of this ski in the gallery section of this site.
Physically this ski jumps out at you as being the "Cadillac" of the group, which is no surprise as this is the most expensive of the three. The ski is lightweight and the fit and finish is top-notch. It has an Crayola-inspired theme to it which looks very cool, albeit absract. Peeking out from behind the graphics is a very neat looking woven-roving fiberglass pattern that really pops out at you. The bottom features a no-nonsense Connelly logo down the front half of the ski.
This ski comes with a very nice looking, low-profile adjustable fin clamp, which is a unique feature amongst the 3 skis I've tested. It also came with a plastic wing which I promptly removed before testing. The fin box was nice and precisely cut out of the ski (as seen on the Triumph and the Synchro, but not on my CDX where the slot seemed molded in rather than cut). The bottom features an edge-to-edge concave and a very modest rocker. It could be the photography, but it seems like this ski has the least dramatic and most gradual rocker of the three by far. The front binding hole pattern fit my HO plates perfectly, but I did have to request a Connelly toe plate from H2Osmosis in order to test the ski as the rear hole pattern is different than HO's.
The ski rides high and light in the water. It seems to edge on rails, happily darting from side to side with only the slightest nudge. This ski is definitely the sportscar of the group, without a doubt. This is what really jumped out at me about this ski relative to the others, and I can't stress it enough. It just wants to "go" at all times. Quick, light, and agile, like mercury on the water. I've read reviews on this ski that described it as quirky and unpredictable- I couldn't disagree more. This ski had a huge sweet spot for me. I took it through turns that I thought were surely going to end up as yard-sales with ease. It hung on, taking back foot pressure, front foot pressure, and whatever else I could throw at it in style. On-side and off-side turns were natural and achieved whether I was focusing on good form or just hanging on for one more ball with little control. I felt great across the wake on this ski as well. So far, it's a winner. More to come as it develops.
8/18/07 Update:Rode this ski again in the course today. This ski is MONEY. Simply outstanding. I would never have even thought about trying a Connelly and I'm so glad I did. This ski is the best ski of the lot by LEAPS AND BOUNDS. It's no contest.
Comments:
Blain, 9/18/2007: I've been on the F1X for 2 seasons now and I agree, this ski is phenomenal. I'm at the same level 15 off at 30mph. I did replace the plastic wing with an aluminum set to a very low angle. Do you suggest just removing it? Thanks for the site, keep it up!Joel, 9/19/2007: I see no reason to use the wing at this level. The ski performs very well without it. I'd say give it a try without.
Dan, 9/21/2007: Thanks for the real world reviews Jason. Sorry if I missed it elswhere but can you list the size (length) of each of the skis you reviewed as well as your size? I think it would be helpful for those of us shopping. Thanks.
Joel, 9/25/2007: The Triumph and F1X were 67s, the Synchro was a 66
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