A Holeshot is a product of convenience and doesn’t offer you any protection or safety and so there is nothing wrong with a used one.
#Water ski race gear free#
Put simply though it is a device specific to our sport which you load your ropes into prior to the race, it is attached to the back of the boat and allows your ropes to run out tangle free at the start. ‘Holeshot’ is a word you may have never heard before entering the world of ski racing. Harnesses are customised by the skier to suit their body shape, height and stance and so you may have to adjust the front handle position if you find yourself a good second hand harness. If you can find a used harness in good condition with no frays or signs of wear, it will be fine to use second hand. Used race rope is great for social skiing and so it will never go to waste. In the grand scheme of things rope is relatively inexpensive and a roll of rope (SkiFast $115 – $150) has enough length for team of skiers to make up their race ropes and all their extensions. This will cut the cost of your bindings in half and offer a much more comfortable ride at slower speeds. If you are racing in a speed restricted class or in any junior class where speeds have not yet met 70mph, you can use a set of double high wrap social bindings rather than race bindings. Most skiers in expert classes use specialised race bindings but these too are expensive. We keep a range of good used skis in stock at Zig’s Marine and before we on-sell any of these we give them a service, replace the ski tips if needed and add a ZMR fin to ensure they are safe to race on. If you see any fractures in the bottom laminate, structural timber damage, or a bent fin you should seek the opinion of an expert. When looking at used skis, you can expect to see some general wear and tear. Skis are expensive and as a ski racing newbie you won’t know exactly what you like until you have raced for at least a season. Most ski racing wetsuits are custom made and you want this to ensure the suit fits your body as snuggly as possible reducing the chance of any water entering your suit in case of a fall.įor wetsuits try Wizard, Wing, Shyside or Rubber Jungle.
It will not only float you in case of a fall but protect your body against injury on impact with the water and should most definitely be respected. This piece of gear along with your helmet is designed to keep you safe. A new and more buoyant suit will also help you with your starts as it floats you and holds you up higher in the water, and the start is where a lot of new ski racer’s need help. Even a wetsuit that appears to be in good condition but is more than a few seasons old may have had its buoyancy compromised, with age the material inside the wetsuit starts to absorb water, rather than re-pell it which means the older suit will not float as well as a new suit. The carbon fibre option also has the benefit of using an adjustable liner, allowing the helmet to grow with the junior skier’s head. If you have made the commitment to race long term and do lots of it then you can justify the second option. If you are entering the sport in a speed restricted class and are looking to only run a few races a year then the first option would suit you. The difference between the two in terms of comfort and strength is vast, as is the price. You have two options for skiers helmets, the first is a plastic surfing helmet (Gath $179), the second is a carbon fibre sky diving helmet (Bonehead $430). Unfortunately this required colour fades easily, we do offer a re-painting service, however you won’t know how much life is left in the paint on a used helmet. You don’t know the history of a used helmet, and the rule states that skiers helmets must be fluorescent orange to increase the visibility of your helmet when you are in the water.
#Water ski race gear professional#
Buying a new helmet from a professional will ensure that you are properly fitted. Your helmet is a vital piece of safety equipment and should be respected. There is no problem using an older or second hand helmet for training runs, but in race conditions I recommend that you invest in a new skier’s helmet. Your safety is paramount and all the advice contained in this article focuses on that. We’ll cover what you should look for when buying second hand and what gear really needs to be bought new. This month, Zig’s Tips is dedicated to ski racing’s new skiers but also anyone else who is in the market for race gear. At Zig’s Marine we have had quite a few calls from these newbies seeking advice on what gear they need and what is safe to buy used rather than new.
With the launch of Ski Racing Australia’s “Get Out on the Water” recruitment campaign we are welcoming many new members to the sport.
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