Radar Strada or RS-1 / Pro Ski Coach Water Ski Forum

SkiSC · #1 Thu, Oct 15, 2009 2:36 AM

So I wanted to know thoughts on these bindings. I have tried numerous Connelly and some HO bindings and just can't seem to find something that I like. I enjoy a tight fit but that usually does not include comfort. I have never skied with bindings like these but I like the way the moldable liner sounds. I ski at 36mph and am looking for something that i can go a full set without my feet cramping up. Thanks.

2gofaster · #2 Thu, Oct 15, 2009 3:00 AM

Yesterday after my 2nd pass of the set it started raining. So I sat in the water in my RS1 bindings for 40 minutes waiting on it to quit raining so I could resume my set. My feet were completely fine. The Strada's will be the same or better with their orthotic insole under the thinner liner. I've got Strada liners and insoles on the way for my RS1 shells now.

SkiSC · #3 Thu, Oct 15, 2009 3:25 AM

Do they take awhile to get used to or are they a fairly seamless transition like a tradition binding?

2gofaster · #4 Thu, Oct 15, 2009 12:51 PM

Took me about 3-4 sets to get used to. The first set, you won't be able to turn the ski. It gets better and better. You do NOT want to tighten the bungees.

GarrettGroller · #5 Thu, Oct 15, 2009 2:34 PM

2gofaster wrote:
Yesterday after my 2nd pass of the set it started raining. So I sat in the water in my RS1 bindings for 40 minutes waiting on it to quit raining so I could resume my set. My feet were completely fine. The Strada's will be the same or better with their orthotic insole under the thinner liner. I've got Strada liners and insoles on the way for my RS1 shells now.

You sat in the water for 40 minutes? You must have been a wrinkled prune by the time you got out of the water.

HO410 · #6 Thu, Oct 15, 2009 2:52 PM

These boots do not use compression to create support. They also do not use compression to keep the liner in the shell. I have run the bungees everywhere between what I consider tight and loose. I could perceive no change in performance so I opt for very loose [no more than 1 1/2" pulled out above the stopper]. Maybe 1 out of every 15 starts, my rear heel will pull up enough that I'll need to shove it down before setting up for the gate. That pulling up does not happen during the course of normal skiing, only in a fall, so there is very little risk of pre-release.

My transition was relatively seamless. My main thing was finding the proper location on the ski, and being careful not to overdo the edge change. Not having your foot in a vice is more a curiosity when your sitting in the water than something you notice when you ski.

Wakes · #7 Thu, Oct 15, 2009 6:01 PM

These bindings are highly regarded all around the net. So I picked up a pair of RS-1's. Unfortunately they didn't arrive before the season ended up here so I can't give my personal opinion. But I can say now is a great time to find deals on RS-1's.

buddy · #8 Thu, Oct 15, 2009 6:23 PM

My RS-1s are super comfortable and give me great control over the ski. I am a little concerned that they may hurt me because they never seem to come off in a crash. I've had a few close calls but no real bad crashes yet.

We have gators in our lake, so we don't sit in the water for 40 minutes! But I agree that my feet would be comfortable if I did...

HO410 · #9 Thu, Oct 15, 2009 6:39 PM

buddy: if you haven't done so already, give the boots a ski with the laces about 1/2 as tight as you currently run them. Over the months that I've been using them, my perception of what having the laces snug has changed greatly. I use somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 of the tension that I used the first time I skied them. The only difference I can perceive is how much I am able to wiggle my heel when I'm sitting in the water. During the course of normal skiing, I've never felt either heel lift.

If you don't like it, you don't like it, but considering how these boot are built it is well worth trying.