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Nine minutes across the whole beginner and intermediate range. Everything below follows the video.
Whether you are buying your first slalom ski or moving on from the one that got you started, this is the full run through the beginner and intermediate range — what each ski is built to do, what sizes it comes in, and who it suits.
How to read this guide
Every ski below is answering the same two questions in a different way: how much width does it have, and where is that width.
More width, carried further back toward the tail — more lift, easier deep water starts, and you can ride at slower boat speeds.
Narrower under the boot, with straighter lines running to the tail — a harder, faster, more traditional slalom turn.
The categories below run roughly from the first to the second. Find where you are on that line and the shortlist gets short quickly.
Speed is the other sorting rule, and it comes up twice in the video: the Union is built for skiing under 32 mph, and the Radar alloy skis are aimed at the 30 to 34 mph range. If you know roughly what speed you pull at, that alone rules a lot in or out.
Oversized skis — the easiest starts
These are the skis that get everyone in the family up. Super wide, with heaps of surface area carried all the way through to the tail, so there is plenty of lift under you.
That lift is what lets you ride at really slow boat speeds. It is also what makes them a good answer if you are a bigger skier and want a straightforward way to get out on the water. And they are a genuinely fun option if you want to do a bit of hot dogging and jump the wake.
HO Hovercraft
Connelly Big Easy
The same idea from Connelly. See the Big Easy.
Wide body skis — lift, with a traditional turn
The thing that separates a wide body from an oversized ski is the hourglass shape. Really wide nose, really wide tail, but it becomes quite narrow at the boot.
You get two things out of that. The big front and forebody still give you plenty of lift for the deep water start, so it is easy to get up out of the water. But the hourglass shaping and the taper at the boot make it turn more aggressively, and more like a traditional slalom ski.
Connelly Big Daddy
One of our most popular sellers. See the Big Daddy.
KD Powercarve and Connelly Outlaw
If you want something that turns a bit harder, these two are the step. Still that hourglass shape, but not quite as wide at the front and narrower through the boot section, with a fuller edge-to-edge concave — that concave is what lets the ski turn more aggressively.
KD Powercarve · Connelly Outlaw
Hybrid width skis — faster, smoother turns
Hybrid width skis are still nice and wide through the forebody, but from the front boot back they run straight, parallel lines to the tail rather than tapering in and back out.
What that gives you is a smooth, fast turn, a ski that is quick through the wakes, and one that carries speed outbound to your next turn.
KD C6
If you remember the old Radar P6, this is the same mould. See the C6.
Radar Session
Carbon fibre with an all-terrain core, plus grip rails that bring the ski through the turn nice and smoothly, and the same parallel lines all the way to the tail.
All-terrain core, defined. It is a polyurethane core with a timber stringer through it. It is what makes those skis forgiving. You will see the term again on the Senate Alloy.
Radar Session · Radar Womens Session
Social carving skis
Relaxed carving, long sessions up the river, and skis that stay easy the whole way.
KD Xenon
A womens ski, and strong value for money. It is the old Radar Theory shape, so it is a little bit narrower than the skis above — a fun, easy, very predictable ski with smooth turns and straight lines through the boots to the fin. See the Xenon.
Connelly Concept and Aspect
Low drag skis. They are a little bit wider at the forebody, which lets you get up over the front of the ski and initiate the turn rather than fighting for it.
Both run the VTEC base for very low drag — that is what makes it effortless to ski sixty-odd turns up the lake or the river without your legs giving out.
See the Concept. The Aspect is not currently listed on the site — give us a call and we will tell you what is actually on the floor rather than guessing from the website.
Radar Union — wide and grippy, under 32 mph
The Union is a wider version of the Senate, and it is the pick if you want something more aggressive but you are still skiing under 32 mph.
It carries a fuller edge-to-edge concave, which is what produces the more aggressive turn. It is a ski that will progress with you.
- Womens — 65″ and 67″. Radar Womens Union
- Mens — 67″, 69″ and a big 71″. Radar Union
HO Omni — the progression ski
The Omni range covers girls, boys, ladies and mens, and it is one of the better answers for a skier who is actively trying to get better — linking more turns, tidying up technique.
The reason is one feature: the clean edge tail.
What the clean edge tail actually does. It gives extra lift in the tail, which makes the ski smooth, fast and predictable. More than that, it almost locks the ski on edge coming out of the back of the turn.
That changes what you have to think about. Instead of managing the ski through the wakes, you can just concentrate on getting your hips up and getting into a stacked position, and let the ski run automatically through the wakes and outbound to the next turn.
There is still that bit of extra width in the front of the ski, so it is confidence inspiring to get up over the front and initiate the turn.
- Kids — two skis, both 65″. Future Omni Girls · Future Omni Boys
- Ladies — 65″ and 67″.
- Mens — 67″, 69″, and a 69″ wide as the extra-large. HO Omni
The ladies Omni is not currently listed on the site. If that is the size and shape you are after, call us before you settle for something else — it is a stock question, not a discontinued one.
KD Krypton and KD Neon — value for money
Neon is the ladies ski, Krypton is the mens. Both are compression moulded — fibreglass over a polyurethane core.
They are balanced and predictable in the most useful sense: you can stand anywhere on them and ski almost any style, and the ski will work with you.
The feature worth knowing about is the brake up the front. It breaks the water ahead of the ski, which keeps drag low and lets the ski run through the tunnel smoothly — and a smooth run through the tunnel is what gives you a smooth, predictable turn.
Radar TRA, Lyric Alloy and Senate Alloy — 30 to 34 mph
These are the skis for a progressing skier who wants something that will grip and rip: upping the speed, getting deeper in the turn, riding more aggressively, and maybe having a go at running some slalom course.
Radar TRA — kids
A proper performance shape for young skiers, in 63″ and 65″. TRA Boys · TRA Girls
Radar Lyric Alloy — womens
63″, 65″ and 67″. See the Lyric Alloy.
Radar Senate Alloy — mens
65″, 67″, 69″ and 71″. This is a brand new shape — faster and more aggressive than it has been before.
What keeps it usable for a progressing skier is the combination underneath: the all-terrain core (polyurethane with a timber stringer) makes it forgiving, and the carbon fibre laminate sets the ratio between playful and aggressive. The point of that core is simple — when you make a mistake, the ski does not bite your head off.
Connelly Bio V — three skis in one
The Bio V runs a bio core, the VTEC base for low drag and smooth arcing turns, and a more aggressive bevel through the tip so it initiates the turn cleanly. It is wide in the forebody — hybrid width — so you still get the stability and the confidence to get up over the ski.
The headline is the Versatile system, which has trickled down from Connelly’s top-end C1. Three interchangeable tail shapes give you three different feels from the same ski:
- Deep and aggressive.
- Fast.
- Something in between.
That makes it a strong option in two situations: you do not yet know what style of ski suits you, or you want one ski that will keep changing as you do. See the Bio V.
KD Cobalt — the top of the kids range
The Cobalt is the highest-performing ski in our kids range. It is a cut-down KD Titanium — Titanium being KD’s top-end ski — built in a fibreglass compression moulded construction.
That combination is the point: a genuinely high-end shape, in a construction that stays forgiving for a young skier. It lets kids who are progressing fast really rip, and have a go at running some course. See the Cobalt.
Getting the size right
Not from the video — this is how we size skis in the shop.
Slalom skis are sized on skier weight and boat speed, not height. The published charts assume a reasonably proficient skier, so if you are still learning, or coming back after time away, going one size longer is a good idea — it will be more stable, easier to start on and more forgiving.
The full chart is on the slalom ski size guide. If you are between sizes or between models, ring us — that conversation takes two minutes and saves a lot of second-guessing.
Common questions
What is the difference between an oversized ski and a wide body ski?
An oversized ski carries its width all the way through to the tail, which gives maximum lift and the easiest starts at slow boat speeds. A wide body ski has an hourglass shape instead - wide nose, wide tail, noticeably narrower at the boot. You keep the lift for the deep water start, but the taper at the boot makes it turn more aggressively and feel more like a traditional slalom ski.
Which slalom ski is easiest to get up on?
The oversized skis - the HO Hovercraft and the Connelly Big Easy. They have the most surface area and carry it furthest back, so there is the most lift under you on a deep water start and you can ride at slower boat speeds.
What size slalom ski do I need?
Slalom skis are sized on skier weight and boat speed. The published charts assume a reasonably proficient skier, so if you are still learning or returning after a break, going one size longer will be more stable, easier to start on and more forgiving.
What is a hybrid width slalom ski?
One that stays wide through the forebody but runs straight, parallel lines from the front boot to the tail rather than tapering. That shape gives a smooth, fast turn, good speed through the wakes and speed carried outbound to the next turn. The KD C6 and the Radar Session are the examples here.
What does the clean edge tail on the HO Omni do?
It adds lift in the tail, which makes the ski smooth, fast and predictable, and it almost locks the ski on edge coming out of the back of the turn. For a progressing skier that means you can concentrate on getting your hips up and into a stacked position and let the ski run through the wakes on its own.
Which slalom ski suits someone skiing under 32 mph?
The Radar Union. It is a wider version of the Senate with a fuller edge-to-edge concave, so it turns more aggressively than a cruising ski while still being designed for speeds under 32 mph. It comes in 65 and 67 inch for women, and 67, 69 and 71 inch for men.
What is an all-terrain core?
A polyurethane core with a timber stringer running through it. Radar use it in the Session and the Senate Alloy, and it is what makes those skis forgiving - it is the reason they stay usable when you make a mistake.
Can I try a slalom ski before I buy it?
Yes. If you are in the Brisbane area, come into the shop at Moorooka and we can tee up a demo and get out on the water together.
Still not sure?
Browse by where you are at: social cruisers, social carvers or performance skis. Or narrow it by rider — womens skis and kids skis.
There is more on how a slalom ski shape works in the slalom ski breakdown, and once yours arrives, the setup guide walks through fin and boot position.
Whatever your speed, size or style, there is a ski in this range that suits. Email us, call the shop, or hit us up on socials — and if you are local to Brisbane, come into the store at Moorooka and tee up a demo so you can try one on the water before you commit.
Or see the full slalom ski range.
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