What's a mock lineup, and why are we doing it? These are my ramblings on each brand and what I think will happen for the upcoming season before we get range releases, along with inklings that I hear around the traps. What benefit are these? Not a lot, it's fun speculation to keep the waterski industry interesting and to see how accurate and tuned I am with the industry, which means I can also be wrong. Still, you will also find little notes about what I think should happen after over 15 years in the industry.
How is this going to work?
We will go through each major category for major brands and guesstimate what we think will change, from shapes to graphics to nothing at all!
If you don't want to read all my ramblings, we have a TL/DR section at the bottom!
Radar Skis Overview
There are many things to consider regarding Radar waterskis, as they have an interesting and precarious position. The reason I say this is based on the past year, they have started to see a slowdown here in Aus, which I'm putting mainly down to economic factors naturally leading to tighter household budgets, combined with a higher price in their line from both skis and boots.
Though this isn't a time to fret, in a perfect world, we would like to see some pricing adjustment, but that isn't the be-all and end-all, as we can expect significant changes throughout the ski line. Every year, we see minor adjustments to the Vapor range, which is always tinkered with after-season discussions with team athletes, though the difference here is how far the changes go. With a potential entire line-change, we could see significant changes across every ski. At the same time, the boot line will have its second-year carryover after the introduction of the featherframe 2.0 baseplate system.
But let's go into it further below
Radar Waterskis
This is a big year for Radar Skis, as the flow-on effect from COVID is finally in the rear view, and they should be able to have a proper run at a full line-wide freshen up on their skis.
At this point, the Vapor gets yearly micro changes to its design in aspects such as the flat spot under the boots and the edge bevel, but after years of this, we should see a completely new design. What remains to be seen upon this predicted change is how extreme it will be. Will they step away from continuous style rockerlines and follow suit of some competitors back to 4-stage setups, or have something completely new? This expected change will then flow throughout the range.
As the Vapor in all three constructions will change, this will then roll down into the Senate range, as they are past due for an update, now filling the role of the ski that gets updated every second year, giving a new shape in that traditional 2/10th of an inch wider profile than the Vapor, this will naturally carry on into the Lyric and the T.R.A range, utilising the similar profile. After this, we suspect it to continue to shift into a wider format in the Union, which hasn't seen a shape update in a few years and is well past due, offering an update to that traditional style, wider profile ski in both men's and women's.
Finally, the hardest one to predict what will happen is the Session. This ski has been a staple of the wide body skis for the last few years for Radar since it replaced the Butterknife. If they wanted to keep the ball rolling, you would naturally think it would change to stay in line, but I think this sits at a 40% chance of a change, with it at a 60% chance of one last year before it gets a replacement.
Radar Boots
This is where everything gets a bit boring, because most waterski companies have become more consistent in carrying their boots over for at least two years. This means all of their boots, Vectors, Lyrics and Prime's, will look exactly the same as last year, after the introduction of the featherframe 2.0 baseplate system which overhauled the feel and fit of their bindings, as well as streamlined the ability to have double boots as opposed to a front boot and and ARTP. While the Vapor at the top end has a 30% chance of getting a refresh, being their top-end tech-heavy boot, which is also quick-release adaptable, chances are it carries with the rest of the range.
Radar Kneeboards
There's only the Mission kneeboard as a fibreglass mainstay in this range, which has carried over the past few years. I expect it to stay the same, though it should get a graphic update.
Radar Pricing
Pricing for Radar has long held them that touch above the rest, but in the last two years, it has started to position them considerably higher than competitors, all to their detriment. When you set yourself a few hundred dollars price-wise, no matter how much better technology you add into a waterski, a brand with just as much history and continual innovation that comes in at a cheaper price and looks of value will win out every day.
So many factors come into play in how products are priced. How many hands it goes through, the value of the US dollar, the cost of international freight, now potentially US tariffs, the list goes on, and that's what makes price changes so difficult to predict. Should Radar pricing come down? Absolutely, for the matter of helping to build brand recognition. Do I think it will? As I said, so many factors play into the economic climate in this wild, wild world, which means it most likely won't.
TL/DR
Radar Waterskis
Vapor Probuild - Same Construction, new shape as per near yearly updates now.
Vapor Lithium - Same Construction, new shape as per near-yearly updates now.
Vapor Graphite - Same Construction, new shape as per near-yearly updates now.
Senate Probuild - Due for an update after a few years, and should get it
Senate Lithium - Due for an update after a few years, and should get it
Senate Graphite/ Lyric Graphite - Due for an update after a few years, and should get it
Senate Alloy/Lyric - Due for an update after a few years, and should get it
Union/Women's Union - Due for an update after a few years, and should get it
Session/Women's Session - Due for an update after a few years, and is a 40/60 chance
T.R.A - Due for an update after a few years, and should get it
Graviton - Same, Same, but new graphic
Radar Boots
Vapor - Most Likely a Carryover, as it's a tech-heavy boot, there's a 30% chance of an update though.
Vector Carbitex - Straight Carryover.
Vector Boa - Straight Carryover.
Prime - Straight Carryover.
Lyric Boa - Straight Carryover.
ARTP's - Will stay in line with the front boots.
Radar Pricing
Pricing needs to come down, but it's more likely to stay the same due to worldwide market conditions.