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K2 Hellbents as my only ski?

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nzskierbum
Posts: 7 - Karma: 10

Somebody might be able to tell me is it practicle or possible to have only the hellbents as my only ski for the season? As in if it doesnt snow for a while will i be struggling to ski those bad boys on piste etc? This may sound like a stupid question but it would be good to hear from somebody who has skied them what they are like to carve a few turns on!

Nov 23 2007 8:27PM
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JIB_NISSE
Posts: 833 - Karma: 28
we have a winner
Nov 25 2007 3:48PM
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Valind
Posts: 4358 - Karma: 17
there is a difference between groomers and ice.  I ski with a lot of VERY good skiers at my local ski hill.  They or I wont even use them for just one ski and i live in colorado.
Nov 26 2007 10:16PM
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emopoppins
Posts: 3996 - Karma: 269
and he is andy mahre... you know from IDEA, and kinda of designed/tested the hellbents. he should know what hes talking about.
Nov 26 2007 10:57PM
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Capurnicus
Posts: 9947 - Karma: 1,886
So I finally got my Hellbents mounted up and skied them around on some soft snow (not pow, just soft snow) and some hardpack, and they ripped!! You can notice that it takes a tad longer to go from edge to edge, but they actually carve real nice. The rocker does make them really manueverable, I absolutely love it! Ahhhhbviously, they wouldn't be ideal for technical park applications, but if you're not someone who's going to be 450ing on to shit, you could totally ski them everyday. I want to ride mine all day, cause they're just the most fucking fun skis I've ever been on. I'd reccomend getting the right size though. I usually ski a 175 or so, I'm 5'7" and I got the 169 (actually 174) and I'm really happy with that, it's the perfect amount of ski, cause there's mad surface area. If I had gotten the 179's, I don't think I'd be having nearly as much fun on them cause they'd probably be mad heavy and sluggish, but the 169 feels like god.
Dec 28 2007 10:08PM
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jca
Posts: 4172 - Karma: 6,310

pretty much what i was going to say
except im 5'6 and have the 179s mounted with fks 185s(i measured them to be 72 inches which is 6 feet and 184cms i belive) i can still throw 3s off the ground easily and i did some switch ups on a box
they are easily skiable almost everywhere except for moguls and ice
booyahkasha

Dec 28 2007 10:21PM
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Capurnicus
Posts: 9947 - Karma: 1,886
ahaha yeah bumps were funny, it was soo weird to have to have your feet that wide, didn't work so much.
Dec 28 2007 11:01PM
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skyabamba
Posts: 1144 - Karma: 10
yeah no shit i just bought elizabeths and i love them but  they fucking suck in the pow. it feels like you constantly have to tail butter to keep your tips up, mabye its just the centermount but now im looking for some hellbent as my pow ski because the lizzies are only fun when the snow isnt deep.

How would you rocker your elizabeths
Jan 2 2008 10:39PM
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Microcosm
Posts: 4765 - Karma: 153
I'd love to demo a pair.
Jan 2 2008 10:43PM
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joly.sp
Posts: 2305 - Karma: 585
If you have lots of $$ get hellbents then maybe a used cheaper ski? Maybe invader or fujis for when there is a lack of pow. Much easier to ski on groomers.
Jan 2 2008 10:45PM
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theres_ghosts
Posts: 875 - Karma: 13
heard some guys at jackson complainin about this same issue
Jan 2 2008 10:58PM
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FNJ
Posts: 3026 - Karma: 110
yeah i noticed the dive but mine are centered too sooo... yeah but i don't think i could go through with rockering them. mess up the flex and all that. lizzies will probably be my park ski next year and im def goin with some rockered for pow, no question...
Jan 2 2008 11:07PM
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steezmuffin
Posts: 82 - Karma: 10
I think it's legit bro. just don't get a size too big for you. I planning on getting a pair and I'm making sure to get the 179. To short will definitely feel like snowblades.
Jan 20 2008 7:16PM
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Powforbreakfast.
Posts: 2226 - Karma: 417
i use them everywhere.  i live in WA and it snows a lot.  at least, the snow and hardpack arn't usually icy.  seriously though, if it's not super icy, i ski 'em everywhere.  like was said above, they don't have a tight turning radius, but they hold a really good edge.
Jan 20 2008 7:20PM
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KeithB.
Posts: 608 - Karma: 12
I live in colorado and my Hell Bents are the only skis I have used this year (I also have Gotamas). They are a little funny in moguls and the tips and tails bounce around when you ski fast on the groomers, but all in all I think they are a fine all mountain choice. I do hike and ski a lot of stuff that doesn't see much to any traffic, at least once a day. In powder they absolutely rip!
Jan 20 2008 7:25PM
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OLDFRED
Posts: 194 - Karma: 9
I bought them for strictly POW and have my park quiver also for park/groomers and hardpack days....BUT being a bit nervous to try a reverse cambered ski for the first time, I only waited for the perfect pow day up at Whist..and then I tried them out and FUCK MAN....I haven't even ridden my park skis since....I'm selling them...

I have mine center mounted and ride them all over the mountain...hardpack, softpack, pow, park...switch...kickers...They're are my ONE ski Quiver.
Jan 20 2008 7:41PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,386
um, if you look closely, someone who rides them every day said how they are.
Jan 20 2008 8:05PM
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GL830
Posts: 212 - Karma: 12
to people who've skied them - where would you suggest they be mounted? I'm thinking center, but I want to make sure the sidecut (however much of it there is) will still hook up with them mounted there, because depending on the shape of the ski centre mounts can either be manageable or horrible
Jan 20 2008 9:44PM
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liquidsword
Posts: 566 - Karma: 10
I have them and love them in powder and groomers with fresh sno. but ice on them is the scariest thing ever!!! they are fun in the park but i def would not recomend having them as your only ski.
Jan 20 2008 9:47PM
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OLDFRED
Posts: 194 - Karma: 9
mount them center..dead center..they'll have it on the side of the ski...they ski wicked front or switch..in powder or hard pack..it was meant to be mounted dead center
Jan 20 2008 11:19PM
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GL830
Posts: 212 - Karma: 12
where'd you mount yours?
Jan 20 2008 11:21PM
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GL830
Posts: 212 - Karma: 12
I've heard this is the thing to do, I'm just apprehensive because the other skis I've ridden at centre have skied like crap and not wanted to hook up. Then again, I don't want to be doing constant wheelies on these things.
Jan 20 2008 11:27PM
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OLDFRED
Posts: 194 - Karma: 9
Trust me on this...I have dead center as marked on the ski and they are as close to being symmetrical as you can get. If you're too far back you case on landings...it was meant to be TC..spins would be easier also if you're into that..equal swing weight..

It's a fat ski to ski and you're primarily edge turning on groomers and on soft snow you're just eating up the bumps and then in pow and in trees you just point them where to go...don't even have to sit back ...you  just slay the deep stuff..nose NEVER dives...

BUT what made the ski for me wasn't it's abilities in the POW..We all know that it's going to make you cream your ass because your having so much fun...it's the fact that it's so versatile and that you can take it into the park and take huge kickers...and landing on 122mm x 2 is STABLE as SHiite man...You'll get used to them..took just a day to get used to the rocker...the only hard thing to get used to also was not sitting back to much on the landings ...you'll wheelie but can easily recover because you'll have a larger tail to land on because you'll be center mounted..hope that helps.
Jan 21 2008 3:05AM
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liquidsword
Posts: 566 - Karma: 10
mine are -2 back from true center. unless your plannin on skiing switch a lot in pow you don't need true center.
i love where they are at
Jan 21 2008 11:57AM
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Ar5king
Posts: 413 - Karma: 14
just ask andy and pep
Jan 21 2008 12:17PM
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liquidsword
Posts: 566 - Karma: 10
haha true that would be a great "idea"
Jan 21 2008 12:21PM
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GL830
Posts: 212 - Karma: 12
what would that be on the K2 scale on the side of the ski? I'm guessing +5?
Jan 22 2008 1:55AM
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kyle145698
Posts: 51 - Karma: 11
i have mine in a 179 and i like it. sometimes the snow contac becomes an problem but only on ice really.i love them in the park though. and in pow theyre excellent.
Jan 22 2008 10:44PM
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