Radar Vapor Gets a Thinner Fin

The new Vapor Pro Build has a thinner fin than last year’s Vapor. Yes, it will feel slightly faster than the old fin, but the bigger story is in how nice it makes the ski “feel” overall. The ski feels smoother and more composed than ever, especially in the way the ski finishes turns. And along with this softer feel comes some concrete benefits. The thinner fin allows the ski to roll slightly more without sacrificing how deep the tail rides. More roll leads to more angle, quicker acceleration, and more space in the course. It’s all good.

There is, however, a minor issue with some of the earlier fins released. I say the “earlier” fins because Radar Brand Manager, Brooks Wilson, has assured me that this issue has recently been addressed. Approximately 25% of the early fins have little nibs protruding upwards from the two top landings where the adjustment screws contact the fin within the fin block. These nibs can make getting your fin set to your intended numbers quite challenging. But this is no big deal. Simply file the nibs flat before setting up your ski. They serve no useful purpose.

The only way to tell if your fin has these nibs is to remove the fin from the fin block. And since you now have the fin out of your ski, inspect the fin’s adjustment screw landings for set screw damage as shown below:

If your fin has these gouges cut into it by the sharp leading edges of the adjustment screws, you can easily file them out. When filing these adjustment screw landings, however, take care not to cut into the rounded corners with the sharp, square edge of your file. These rounded corners make the fin stronger, protecting it from cracks that will tend to radiate out from sharp corners over time.

These two file-fixes will make it WAY easier to hit your target setup numbers.

SkiJay