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Kristin
HO introduces its new generation of skis.
CONCEPT
Two years in the making, the first-born of the new Syndicate line was conceived by passion, science and high-end design software. Bob LaPoint wouldn't have it any other way. Stemming from the popular Monza design, the Syndicate A1 steps away from the original design and overcomes its cousin's shortcomings. “It was time to evolve and get to the next level,” says LaPoint, the artist and mastermind behind HO's newest offspring. “We just revisited some of the old details I knew worked — some of the old combinations, bevel sizes, roundness, rockers — and we applied it to the new technology, and it's really working.”
WHAT'S DIFFERENT?
It's more like, what isn't different? With a totally different concave, a signifi cantly thinner and lower tip, a shorter flat spot, new design software, a new engineering approach and size-specific tailored widths, it's obvious the Syndicate A1 is a whole new generation of ski by HO. “This is the Syndicate line and there are a couple of ideals behind it,” says Dave Wingerter, brand manager at HO. “You're only going to get what you need to be the best skier on your lake and nothing more. This is the real deal – what the elite skiers are riding. The concave of the ski combined with the placing of the rail along the edge creates more angle and maintains it better than an edge-to-edge ski. And everyone knows that more angle makes a better skier.”
HOW'S THE RIDE?
“Coming from the Monza, it's known as being an onside ski,” says Will Asher, tester extraordinaire for the new ski. “With this ski, it's not the opposite, necessarily, but it's like we have this offside turn that feels like the onside turn of the Monza. You feel it pull all the way through the turn, and you still feel it pulling off the second wake, gaining width and direction. It's a natural turn, almost like a pendulum swing. And it definitely has a shorter fl at spot, but it's about the location of it. The Monza has a really long flat spot and positioned toward the tip. This flat spot is located from the heel of your front foot forward. It's a real stable platform to stand on. This ski is definitely going to make my job easier.”
