Hazen Passion Pop sequence behind Z3 with VX

[ragboy]

So we have been out for the last 3 days helping Tige Boats on a photo/video shoot with Chase Hazen. The idea was to document the new Convex VX and see what Chase could do on it. On the last day, Chase just really started killing it better than I have seen in a long time, he was just ON. The wake was massive, long, and powerful and he was boosting. The lighting was perfect and the water was glass. Its funny how the smog and the polution in the water make for good pictures. The haze gives the light this soft golden brown hue and the water sheens with the bit of oily content. Leaves a film on your body, but makes for great shots. So we prepared our Tige Z3 which we have been testing and the same we used at the Polar Bear event.

I had to shoot through the pro photographers and made sure I was out of there way. Even though I was behind the bimini, or behind a cameraman at times, the shots came out really fun. Check out a couple.


IMG_8744 by wake9, on Flickr


IMG_8747 by wake9, on Flickr


IMG_8754 by wake9, on Flickr

So we were getting these shots and then the chase boat gets in really tight and at that angle you can see the entire wake. And since we are not up high, using a low direct drive ski boat to chase, we are at the same level as chase and so you can REALLY see how big the wake is. Chase is 6'2" for perspective.


IMG_8771 by wake9, on Flickr


IMG_8774 by wake9, on Flickr

So then we pull out just a bit, not so tight, and Chase is preparing for a big trick so I start shooting a sequence and he throws and lands a Passion Pop. Not only does he land it but he lands switch backside and just chills. No need to pump or hurry the body variel, plenty of room and power to just chill, then he finishes with a variel and keeps going. The funny thing is that I had my head in the view finder, and I didn't even know what I got til I got home. I made a short video of the sequence so I didn't have to post all of the images.



Feel free to check out all of the images in high resolution in our Flickr feed.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wake9/s...57631950643881

[simone]

These are really cool pictures and that wake looks boss!

[jbort]

very nice

[skippabcool]

Very nice. I noticed in the past you have what looks like a 1100# sac in the cabin. Do you have that for this shoot or are you all stock?

[Timmy!]

Very cool pics and amazing riding!

[Joeprunc]

Putting in at Disco Bay and I didn't even get a call to come over and say hello?

[ragboy]

@joe you are going to have to follow us on FB or something, we were posting there where we were, sorry we missed you.

@skippa - No, that 1100 lbs was just an experiment. Tige asked us to weight the boat to show off the device and I wanted to make sure we were using a weight that I would be comfortable doing each time we were out with it and I don't like riding with a 1100 lb sac in the middle of the boat. You know?

A bit over a week ago I got folks together from the Polar Bear (including Dave Rusch and Chris Martinez from this forum) and we went out to see if we could slam the Z3 for the hell of it, and find the perfect weight for the VX, cuz it seems to be ok with more weight. The stock setup is easier to overweight than with the VX.

I am going to step back for a minute for those that may not have followed all we have posted, I know there has been a lot. The Z3 weights SO differently. The Z3 takes a lot more weight, but its because of the fact that it doesn't list much. If you measure the amount of weight you normally stuff in the corner of a boat, just that surf corner, it actually makes a better wake IMHO than most others with less weight. I mean, at the polar bear, the Sanger had about 1300 lbs in the corner, the Enzo about 1600 lbs in the side and corner ( a bit harder to compare with the side quick fill), the Supreme had 1400 lbs in the corner and Rob's supreme adds about 200 more. The Sanger was slammed and taking water on the gas cap and cleats and only a few inches from the upholstery, and the Centurion and Supreme are at the rub rail on the surf side, and Rob's boat runs at our just above the rail.

At the Polar Bear event and our "daily weight" all summer was about 1200 in a custom sac and the 250 lb hard tank underneath on the surf side, so 1450 lbs. The difference is how all of the boats then weight to match this. We then do about 400-500 lbs on the opposite side (depending on people placement) and the front full at 1100 lbs. That makes just under 3k in water ballast, all hidden, and that leaves almost the entire side seat storage available since the custom bags don't go all the way up like traditional custom L shaped sacs. The goofy one barely reaches into the side storage at all, and the regular is a bit longer to compensate for driver weight.

So we set out last weekend to see what it would take to put the rub rail down like I said I would do in the fall. Keep in mind, this was the weekend before halloween, flat conditions and no one on the lake, just an experiment for fun. Our daily weight has been great for us all summer.

We got 5k in the boat by adding 3 400 lb sacs, 2 in the side storage to simulate longer L shaped sacs and then one 400 lb sac up front, then 1100 lb sac in the center like you have seen. Well, we FAILED. We couldn't get the rub rail down, I couldn't believe it. Of course I could if I listed it 15 degrees, but who cares. Majestic took this picture at this setup:



Its long, and you can see the rail is lower than normal and we had a good 1000 lbs + of people in the boat, that's insane. I must admit I don't have the balls to put the rub rail down on the Z3, and I don't want to use lead.

The good news is that it got it out of my system, the wake wasn't better with this amount of weight in it. It was big, and moving a TON of water but it made the curl a bit bigger and super powerful. The curl was grabbing people and sucking them out the back.

So we removed the 1100 lb sac and just went with the hidden water weight, as if 2 longer, more traditional L shaped sacs on the side and it was great. A bit bigger and longer than the daily weight, small curl, super fun, tons of power. Everyone loved it, even Janelle that needs that super smooth transition or she wont like it.

All that to say, that is how we came up with the setup we used for this shoot. All hidden except for when doing shots with almost no people, we had a 400 lb sac in the center floor. This device is better with a bit more weight than the daily weight, but still great with our daily weight. You can see the attitude of the boat in the pictures in the first post. You can't even tell the boat is weighted for surfing. You are barely listed and so high off the water. You can't even tell how big the wake is until you get on it, or ride next to it in a small DD ski boat. That was nuts, the Z3 wake is MASSIVE in a small boat like that.

[Nobody]

This might be a stupid question, but I'm still unsure what "VX" is??? Sorry.

[ragboy]

This might be a stupid question, but I'm still unsure what "VX" is??? Sorry.

Here you go, when we did this video, though, we didn't have a name to go with it.

[Nobody]

Here you go, when we did this video, though, we didn't have a name to go with it.

Got it, thanks Rag.

I couldn't connect the device with the name.

[skippabcool]

Thanks for the extra information Ragboy. One more question, I am guessing that Chase is riding his LF board, is he? If so, has he said how it compares to his Shred Stixx? Feel free to PM me if that is more appropriate.

[ragboy]

His board is still in prototype stage, and he is working through things he still wants to change to make it better for him. RJ rode it, it was fun, but I don't think its ready for prime time quite yet.

[duffymahoney]

Chase's pump is so so strong. That's why his shred stixx customs seem sluggish to other people. But when you really pump them they are a rocket ship. I bet money that his new liquid board is the same way.

[ragboy]

He was struggling a bit first 2 days, still great, but not his best. So he was playing with his fins and asked RJ if he could borrow a couple fins and chase shaved down a couple of canards from his Soulcraft Jetty and chase made them work in his FCS boxes, and so he rode the last day as a Twinzer setup, not a quad, or six fin. Chase said he liked that setup, but not sure how much that affected the drive, had to reduce it a good deal, I would think.

[Timmy!]

Chase's pump is so so strong. That's why his shred stixx customs seem sluggish to other people. But when you really pump them they are a rocket ship. I bet money that his new liquid board is the same way.

That's what I didn't like about it. You are always working on that board but if you pump it, it goes like hell!