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Hellbents

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-JaH-
Posts: 22 - Karma: 10
Since I've seen so many out there and heard so little, I wanted to know how this ski is? Does it ride well on park and groomers, obviously apart from shredding bottomless pow?

Thanks
Jan 27 2009 1:31PM
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B_Hubbell
Posts: 112 - Karma: 11
dude those skis are bent like fucking bananas.  they are THE SOFTEST ski i've ever seen (well, the bacon and elizabeth are pretty much exactly the same ski made in the same factory as the hellbent).  definitely not for anything but deep stuff.  wouldn't be very fun on eastcoast groomers.
Jan 27 2009 1:37PM
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waterfordsam
Posts: 172 - Karma: 11
It all depends on what you can do, and how you do it. They are obviously not race skis, so carving is a little more difficult, and they don't have any pop, so you won't absolutely kill it in the park, but it is manageable. When I rode them though, I had so much fun and you look like an absolute badass in the park. Obviously, they were made for powder, so if you are thinking about getting them and you won't spend at least 80% in the backcountry in powder, I would hold off. But all in all, they are sick.
Jan 27 2009 2:09PM
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Krook3d
Posts: 240 - Karma: 21

Depending on how big you are and what size you get the softness really differs. Im around 5' 10" and 150 pounds and i have them in a 179 and they are a big ski to handle,buttering and doing presses is a bit of work but it only took me about 3 days on them to control them. And yes they are one of the softest skis out there, but you have to think of how many skis out their are like hellbents,not too many.

Jan 27 2009 2:33PM
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EClay46
Posts: 2499 - Karma: 69
this guy is completely wrong. hellbents are a stiff ski, while they are soft in the tip and tail underfoot is very stiff and completely solid. sure the tip and tail are soft but they arent even on the snow so it doesnt matter. bacon and elizabeth are completely different skis, the bacon is nearly 10mm narrower and has no rocker at all. these skis while not the greatest for carving and park they can still hold there own
Jan 27 2009 2:54PM
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blindside
Posts: 5619 - Karma: 1,201
I'm 5 11 and have 179 bents center mounted. I can honestly tell you that I have never had a better time in the park then on my bents. They're are pretty much the only ski I ever ride now and I live on the east and only ski park. They are soo amazing to butter and are just great for rails,boxes and nice floaty big airs. I can pretzel them and the rocker makes switch ups quite easy. Once you get used to the size you can do pretty much all rail tricks..oh and presses go great with them too. Anyway I love these skis in the park and everywhere else on the mountain.
Jan 27 2009 6:36PM
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P-trees
Posts: 306 - Karma: 12
You must be autistic, I have Hellbents and the are not stiff at all.
Jan 27 2009 9:07PM
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ErthwurmpRevenge
Posts: 82 - Karma: 48

just get JJ's...

Jan 28 2009 12:25AM
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Literature
Posts: 13673 - Karma: 3,085
Then grab them, flex them, and tell me where you see the flex occurring.

As a whole, the Hellbent is very noodlely, but it all comes from the flex in the tips, the area around the binding is very solid.

My 189s are part of a quiver, and I use them for powder. That's what they are best at, and they do it really really well. They are decent on groomers, nasty on bumps, and heavy and cumbersome for jibbing around and in the park, but that's not what they are meant to do, which is shred pow.

Some people like them in the park, I'm not a fan of their performance there because a lightweight jib stick requires so much less effort to ski.

Bottom line: great pow ski, but they don't do a whole lot else very well.
Jan 28 2009 2:02AM
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EClay46
Posts: 2499 - Karma: 69
thanks for having my back there man!

although they are quite cumbersome they do great in other conditions, compared to other skis in the same category. while they arent your gs ski, or jib specific ski you can still ride park and groomers on them. in the park they are good for chill days, mellow rails and small spins as i see it. they are great for big jumps you just have to be spot on with your landings, but they are amazing in the air, all the weight keeps you so stable its rediculous
Jan 28 2009 3:43AM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,273
they are in no means a stiff ski, they are solid underfoot but overall they're quite soft because of how noodley the tips and tails are. i agree that they aren't that soft underfoot but they aren't a stiff ski
Jan 28 2009 9:02AM
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EClay46
Posts: 2499 - Karma: 69
they are stiff underfoot, which is the only part you are skiing on so they are a stiff ski
Jan 28 2009 12:06PM
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wolvy
Posts: 39 - Karma: 10

The K2 Hellbent are sick and very cool!

I'm 150 pounds and bindings are set to +5. 1,79m Really nice on hardpack at speed. 1,79m for K2 means 1,85m for othersbevause they are longer than others skis. Also an Eastern skier (Quebec City).

The tail is soft so you can do wheelies on flat. Put your arms on side. This is very fun too! You can't do it with others. The softer skis are Line EP Pro.

For bumps (and park maybe?) you better try the  1,69m. It would be the best choice. My next step for 2010 for sure.

At first I thought to sale the 1,79m right away. Too long. Then on hardpack it was a miracle. Fabulous!

Jan 28 2009 5:24PM
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skyabamba
Posts: 1144 - Karma: 10
shut up already. they are NOT stiff!!! i think theres alot of people who will love to argue with you about that. have you even skied them?
Mar 20 2009 8:40PM
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coolhandluke
Posts: 4465 - Karma: 153
they are super awkward to hike with.
Mar 20 2009 8:53PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
very true. hiking with bents/EPs is not a fun thing
Mar 20 2009 8:58PM
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ShadyHillGroup
Posts: 2881 - Karma: 213
have you? they are, as so many people have said in this thread, noodles in the tips but relatively stiff underfoot. That being said you can call it what ever you want; noodles, stiff, i could give two shits. What he has said however, is completely correct. You do not notice how soft they are on groomers, besides the tip/tail chatter. You can carve them as hard as you want and you will not push through them, I have skied a lot softer skis. In the pow the soft tip and tail are just an advantage. The only place that I would consider this skis flex to hold you back is in chopped up snow, they deflect all over the place. 
Mar 20 2009 8:59PM
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skyabamba
Posts: 1144 - Karma: 10
get a dakine backpack
Mar 21 2009 12:29AM
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Willard
Posts: 5117 - Karma: 429
its not to bad and i feel like im in the movie idea
Mar 21 2009 1:03AM
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IanAvery-Leaf
Posts: 9931 - Karma: 9,400
Hellbents in park is sick, to bad I see no1 like that
Mar 21 2009 5:42PM
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skiP.E.I.
Posts: 7825 - Karma: 21,869
I used a pair of 169 demo Hellbents today for a comp (long and complicated story). I could not land any jump tricks, try as I might (if they were the right length for me (I'm 6', 180 lbs), and if I was good at park, I would undoubtedly have fared better with them.) They were pretty sick on rails, super easy to balance because they are so wide, and the rocker makes it harder to catch an edge, even with very sharp edges, plus butters/presses were oh so fun. Spinning on and off they were a bit slow. On the icy east coast groomers, they were decent, or they felt that way because the edges were so sharp. In the trees (short length definitely helped with the tight trees) and the little nooks of crusty powder I was able to find, they were amazing.
One strange phenomenon I noticed was the bindings (demo Salomon S912s, DIN at 9) would continually pop out if I did a really aggressive turn, or if I landed a jump on my edges a little bit. My boot bottoms are very worn, and I think the width of the ski may cause more force to be applied to the bindings when the skis are on edge on a hard surface.
Mar 21 2009 7:20PM
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SV420
Posts: 242 - Karma: 10
The Hellbents have many flaws and I think it would probably be best in the park, as long as you are into that kind of thing. In varying conditions the soft tips and tails are horrible, and the stiffer flex underfoot does help that, but you can't throw them around the way you should be able to throw a rockered ski, because the tips and tails chatter like mad. This means the best way to ski varying conditions is by arcing GS turns, but still they don't charge over stuff, they chatter like crazy and you have to really hold the turn but not push through it.

Also, they were designed for powder but they have way too much sidecut I think the actual dimensions are 156-122-146, so they do not slice through powder at all, and if you want to arc huge turns it is kind of hard, because they want to either go straight or turn sharp (and this is in the 189). Also the slight camber underfoot greatly decreases the slarvability of them.

However, they are a decent low speed jib ski, which may be why they have such a following.

I currently only use them for the deepest days, but I am looking forward to replacing them with Praxis powder Boards, so I can bring the bents into the park, even though I think the Chopsticks would be better because they have more pop, are reverse camber, and are stiffer.
Mar 21 2009 7:30PM
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Willard
Posts: 5117 - Karma: 429
were you dropping acid when you rode them my bents love big turns and pow and i stay out of the park with them
Mar 21 2009 7:40PM
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SV420
Posts: 242 - Karma: 10
They can do it and you get used to it, but compared to other skis they are not that good and just too make sure I mean huge turns like you make one turn down a huge face.
Mar 21 2009 7:50PM
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Deletedtoday
Posts: 4060 - Karma: 398
i love my bentz everywhere but maybe that cause im lacking a good park ski
Mar 21 2009 9:49PM
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brenker
Posts: 3188 - Karma: 71
sucks that you had s912s on your demos....when i rode them at stratton they had griffons and life was great.
Mar 21 2009 10:02PM
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Clifford996
Posts: 1288 - Karma: 28
everyone skis differently... especially when it comes to a ski like the hellbent, the only way to know if you will like them is to try them and see for your self...


but to clear up any confusion... all rocker'd skis are soft in the tip and tail because thats the point, but the 75-100cms of edge that actually touch snow have a surprisingly solid flex
Mar 22 2009 3:30AM
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skisquaw@420
Posts: 1802 - Karma: 13
my 202 DPS Lotus 138 flex 3s beg to differ. they also told me you have your head up your ass.
Mar 22 2009 7:13PM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,273
swing and a miss

bents are soft, yes, but they aren't brutally soft. the tips and tails are quite soft but underfoot is pretty damn solid. and yes, they're made in the same factory as bacons and lizzies but that does NOT make them similar skis, bacons are much stiffer, not rockered, and better on groomers

my bents are fine on groomers, they carve okay once you get used to them and they're super fun and buttery in the park they're just a little heavy and clunky. in bottomless pow they are truly beautiful, the only thing i'd say they really suck in is crud because they're so poppy that instead of blasting through the ruts they go down into each hole and shoot you back out so it gets incredibly bumpy and your tips wanna cross. i rode a full day of heavy crud on bents and it was the most work i'd ever done skiing, my legs were dead. i love taking mine out and just playing around on them on groomers and park but definitely don't take them out in crud, that's just my word of advice
Mar 22 2009 7:27PM
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Clifford996
Posts: 1288 - Karma: 28
well im not talking about your fuckin 202 DPS lotus bullshit gay fag boy skis am i
Mar 24 2009 12:59PM
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snow123
Posts: 27 - Karma: 8

these skis are great!!!

for all the powder skiers out there you must have this ski.

but make sure you first have a pair of wicked bindings to go with them.

Mar 24 2009 4:04PM
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SV420
Posts: 242 - Karma: 10
Are you really that dumb? You said all rockered skis are soft, so that means that you were talking about, them because they are rockered. Also have you ever heard of the Spatula, the first reverse camber skis, those are stiff skis so what makes you say that soft tips is the point of rocker, it is really just that most rockered skis now have soft tips.
Mar 25 2009 8:18PM
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