2023 Radar Vapor Lithium Water Ski

The 2023 Radar Vapor Lithium Water Ski is a pinnacle of performance and control, engineered for slalom skiers who demand power, precision, and fluidity. Designed to feel effortless from the moment you engage the edge, this ski creates a seamless connection between skier and water. It delivers an unmatched sense of balance and flow, making every pass feel intuitive—even when you're pushing your limits. Whether you're skiing wide open or deep into shortline, the Vapor Lithium responds with lightning-fast turns and side-to-side acceleration, helping you recover from mistakes and stay on line with confidence.

This ski is built from the same elite mold as the Radar Pro Build Vapor, yet features a more approachable construction for competitive and advanced recreational skiers. At its heart is a high-performance PVC core that offers proven responsiveness and durability, wrapped in advanced carbon fiber and eco-conscious resin for maximum strength and feedback. The 2023 Vapor Lithium is designed for course skiing between 30–36 MPH and is fully capable of handling everything from 15 off to 41 off with exceptional precision. Whether you're working on consistency or chasing new personal bests, this ski gives you the tools to rip and repeat like never before.

Key Features:

• PVC Core – Tested and proven response. The lightweight, closed-cell PVC core has long been the industry standard for high-end water skis, offering excellent energy return and structural stability. It delivers a clean, connected ride and consistent flex that helps skiers generate speed effortlessly while maintaining smooth edge transitions.
• Sigmatex Carbon – Consistent flex every time. This premium carbon weave enhances torsional rigidity and strength while reducing overall weight. The result is a responsive platform that maintains its shape under pressure, delivering uniform flex and explosive rebound through the wakes and out of the turns.
• Bio Resin – Plant based and better. Radar’s environmentally friendly resin system offers enhanced bonding and vibration dampening without sacrificing durability. It reduces the ski’s carbon footprint while contributing to a smoother, more stable ride.
• Race Base – Earlier lines and easier turns. Engineered for elite slalom performance, the Race Base provides minimal drag and superior glide. It allows the ski to accelerate more easily across the wakes while enabling tighter, more forgiving turns for faster edge-to-edge transitions.
• Enduro Tip/Tail – Built for speed. Reinforced tip and tail construction enhances durability and directional control, allowing the ski to maintain its line and carry momentum through aggressive, high-load turns without compromising stability or edge grip.
• Radar Lab Made – Thanks Herb.

  Shape

  The wide spot on the ski has moved forward and width has been added from the middle of the ski through the tip. This gives the ski a more tip to tail taper and more support through the front part of the ski. The increase in taper presents the ski with a slightly more tip-up riding attitude and allows the ski to pull through the turn in a more connected, powerful way. The result is less body movement needed to get tight radius turns. The new ski also has slightly less volume in the tail. By reducing this surface area, the tail of the ski is able to smear outward while also staying planted in the water. Ultimately, the updates in shape help it to ride much closer to the ideal line for any given speed and rope length.

  Rocker

  The tip rocker on the new Vapor starts just after the wide spot. This relieves tip pressure and increases forgiveness, allowing a skier to have a bigger platform to stand on coming into the turn. This also helps keep the ski keep moving outbound in the transition and makes the ski incredibly more predictable in the turns it creates. Moving back from the wide spot, the rocker lines are all new. These new lines create a ski with increased tail rocker which softens the way the ski rotates or carves through the turn. The result is a feeling of increased angle from a wider place with an instant acceleration.

  Concave

  The additional concave depth running throughout the bottom of the ski is one of the most noticeable differences in this new shape. This channels more water directionally from tip to tail, resulting in significantly more side-to-side drive and holding power. More drive and hold allow a skier to be faster as they near centerline which results in a more up-course path. Another result from an increased concave is increased pressure on the bevels, allowing the ski to feel extremely connected to the water. This gives a skier the freedom to control the path of the ski with more ease.

  Bevels

  The front of the ski carries a sharper, more angular bevel design to harness the increased water flow from the new concave design. This gives the skier more ability to feel how the water interacts with the tip of the ski to create sharper, more predictable turns. In the tail of the ski, the bevel is softened, allowing the water to wrap around the bevel easier. The tip of the ski pulls harder through the turn while at the same time, the tail is able to smear while staying planted in the water. This feathered approach makes the turns feel much more natural and less forced.

  Thickness

  Sidewall height carries constant to provide balance for the increased lift created by adding width. In an effort to keep the ski nimble, sidewall thickness is reduced to produce the connected, tight turning radius of the ski.

  Edge Angle

  The Vapor width allows the ski to achieve maximum edge angle both in the turn and while cutting. This width sets the precedent in our line as the pinnacle of performance both in the course and while free skiing.