Buyers Guide: Ski-Doc Slalom Ski Accessories

Reuben runs through the Ski-Doc range in store. Everything below follows the video, with the current sizes and options checked against stock.

Ski-Doc make the small stuff that decides whether a slalom ski is actually set up properly — the gauges, the workstations, the fin tools — plus a pylon camera mount built for filming your own sets. This is the whole range and what each piece is for.

If you are still working out what to change on your ski rather than how to measure it, start with the slalom ski setup guide instead and come back here for the tools.

Filming: the Orbit camera mount

The camera mount is the new one, and it is a complete redesign. It attaches to your centre ski pylon, which makes it the answer for filming your sets when there is nobody in the boat to film you — in the course or free skiing.

See the Orbit camera mount.

Mounting your camera — check what you need

The mount takes three kinds of camera, but two of the three need an adaptor, and the adaptors are separate items. Worth knowing before you order.

• Phone — needs the Ski-Doc smart phone adaptor.
• GoPro — needs the Ski-Doc GoPro adaptor.
• Mirrorless or DSLR — no adaptor needed. The mount has a quarter-inch bolt, so the camera threads straight on.

Check your pylon before you order

The mount clamps to the pylon, and pylon diameter is not standard across boats. The Orbit clamp is available in three sizes:

• 2″ — the standard, and what most newer tournament ski boats run.
• 2.5″ — Ski Nautique, 1992 to 2001.
• 1⅜″ — MasterCraft, 1990 to 1996.

Setting the ski up: the 10-4 Workstation

The workstation is the one to have if you are setting your ski up at the dock rather than on a bench at home.

It gives you the full range of motion — flat, and through multiple angles — so you can work on:

• Fin settings.
• Wing angles.
• Boot positioning.

See the 10-4 Workstation.

Workstation Lift

Not in the video, but worth knowing about if you own a workstation. The Workstation Lift raises the tail of the ski while you are working on the fin. It slides into the ski slot and fits all the desktop workstations.

Fin and wing angles: the gauges

Wing gauges are the set and forget tool for your fin wing angle. Rather than setting it by eye, you drop the gauge in, set the wing against it, and you have the angle.

There are two sets, and the difference is the range and how quickly you can find the one you want.

• Wing Gauge Set — precision cut, in half-degree steps from 6° to 10.5°. Comes in a carry case.
• Rainbow Wing Gauge Set — the same idea with a wider range, 6° to 11.5° in half-degree steps, and colour coded so you can grab the angle you want without reading every gauge.

Saving a setup: the Fin Recorder

This is the one that stops you losing a good setup.

You preset your favourite slalom ski fin settings on the recorder and keep it. Next time the fin has moved, or you have been experimenting and want to go back, put the recorder on the ski and it dials the fin back in — no measuring, no guessing which numbers you were on.

See the Fin Recorder.

Stance: the Kicker Lift

Also new, and aimed at skiers chasing a bit more out of their slalom performance.

See the Kicker Lift.

On the road: the Traveller Workstation

Slalom skiers travel a lot — different comp sites, different lakes — and a full workstation does not go in the car.

The Traveller Slalom Ski Workstation is the answer: nice and compact to pack, but it extends out far enough to work on your longest ski. You are not stuck making do with whatever surface is available when you get there.

Protecting the fin

A knock in transit moves the fin, and a moved fin means the setup you spent the season dialling in is gone. The Fin Protector guards the fin from damage and keeps those settings where you left them.

Common questions

How does the Ski-Doc Orbit camera mount work?

It clamps to your centre ski pylon and has two arms with your rope running between them, and that is what keeps the camera on you as you move across the wakes rather than filming one patch of water. It is built for filming your own sets when there is nobody in the boat to hold a camera.

Do I need an adaptor to mount my camera?

For a phone or a GoPro, yes - the smart phone adaptor and the GoPro adaptor are separate items. A mirrorless or DSLR camera does not need one, because the mount has a quarter-inch bolt the camera threads straight onto.

What size clamp do I need for my boat?

Pylon diameter varies. The 2 inch clamp is the standard and suits most newer tournament ski boats. Ski Nautiques from 1992 to 2001 take the 2.5 inch, and MasterCrafts from 1990 to 1996 take the 1 and 3/8 inch. Check yours before you order, and note the clamp is sold separately as a replacement.

What is a wing gauge for?

Setting the wing angle on your slalom ski fin accurately and repeatably. You drop the gauge in and set the wing against it, rather than measuring by eye. It is a set-and-forget tool.

What is the difference between the Wing Gauge Set and the Rainbow Wing Gauge Set?

Range and speed. The standard set runs 6 to 10.5 degrees in half-degree steps and comes in a carry case. The Rainbow set runs 6 to 11.5 degrees in half-degree steps and is colour coded, so you can pick the angle you want without reading each gauge.

What does the Fin Recorder do?

It saves a fin setup so you can return to it. You preset your favourite fin settings on the recorder, and when the fin has moved or you have been experimenting, you put the recorder on the ski and it dials the fin straight back in.

What is a kicker lift and do I need one?

It raises your RTP, or your rear boot, to the same height as your front boot. Levelling the two puts you further over the front of the ski with better hip position. It is aimed at skiers looking for a bit extra out of their slalom skiing.

Why does a fin protector matter?

The fin is the most important thing on a slalom ski, and it is exposed. A knock in transit or in storage moves it, and your whole setup goes with it. A fin protector guards the fin and keeps the settings where you left them.

Where to find it

The full Ski-Doc range sits in ski accessories, in store and online.

If you are working out what to change rather than how to measure it, the slalom ski setup guide covers fin and boot position, and the slalom ski breakdown explains what the shape is doing underneath you. Shopping for the ski itself? The beginner and intermediate slalom ski guide runs through the range.

Not sure which tool solves your problem? Come into the shop at Moorooka in Brisbane, give us a call or send an email — tell us what you are trying to fix and we will point you at the right one.

Waterskiers World — Australia's dedicated towed water sports retailer, family-run for over 20 years from our Brisbane store at 1106 Ipswich Road, Moorooka, and online.