HO Water Skis
It is always a pleasure to talk with Joe Sassenrath at the Utah Boat Show. This year was no exception. Joe took me through some of the ways HO is working to make water skiing more accessible and easier for people at all levels. Despite the amazing things at the top of the line this year, I was more impressed hearing about HO’s commitment to grow skiing at the entry level rather than accepting that surfing and boarding are dominating the industry right now.
Syndicate VTX
HO’s top-of-the-line ski this year is a work of art. From the spining along the boot area, to the pencil-thin tail area. They’ve taken out every bit of ski that’s not necessary and slimmed it to a razor’s edge. Joe and I talked about the reasons behind this design. Oh, and did you notice that the name is an homage to their top ski from a couple of decades ago?
Freeride EVO
Maybe HO’s most exciting ski for the masses this year is the EVO. This is a ski that HO has designed specifically to run behind the larger boats being sold for surfing, and behind more traditional stern-drive boats with larger wakes. The ski is built to flex more and absorb rough water and wakes easier than almost anything else on the water. You an flex the tail by pushing the ski down. And this isn’t just I think I see a few millimeters of movement. No. This is I saw that ski bend several inches while Joe pushed on it flex. HO says this makes the ski very forgiving and easy to ride. While most skis on the market have a foam core, this ski uses a wood core, similar to those found in most snow skis.
Syndicate Hardshell Boot
Getting back to the high end of the line, HO has partnered with Reflex to bring out a new Syndicate Hardshell boot system. They are using Refex’s release mechanism paired with a more stylish toe connection. Underneath that, HO has created a footbed that cradles the boot to eliminate any slop between your foot and the ski. With this, any movement you put into your foot moves directly to the ski.
Links
HO Water Sports
Syndicate VTX
Freeride EVO
Syndicate Hardshell Boot System
 
Background Music
Path of No Return by Lobo Loco on freemusicarchive.org or directly from their site at https://www.musikbrause.de/