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K2 hellbent vs. volkl chopstick

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Z_rob
Posts: 3076 - Karma: 152
Both the same price on sierraskis.com
so price is not apart of the discussion
but which will get the most bang for my buck

I ski stevens pass (Pacific Northwest or WA)
I want a really good and fun ski in the powder but I want to be able to take it in the trees, groomers and park when the powder gets tracked out at noon.

so Hellbent or Chopstick
comparisons.
thanks
Mar 26 2009 1:19PM
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Z_rob
Posts: 3076 - Karma: 152
to all mods:
Delete this thread

i just realized i could of posted this in one of my other threads

sorry for wasting space on this forum
Mar 26 2009 1:26PM
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schmies
Posts: 2032 - Karma: 511
The negative thing of the Chopstick is that it is full rocker, meaning when you put your skis base to base, they have only a few inches of area they touch. A ski like that skis well in deep snow, slush and pow, but you will find it a bit funny in the park. Groomers are fine if you are on edge. I had a pair of Made'Ns with that same camber and they were a fun ski, just not ultra versatile when it came to park or transition.
Mar 26 2009 4:36PM
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the-big-lepowski
Posts: 1212 - Karma: 541
I don't mean to raise a wannabe dead thread, but I'm curious.  You say the Made'Ns had full rocker?   strange, because a friend of mine has the AK enemys and they're fat, but cambered.  What's up?
Mar 26 2009 7:39PM
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ReetsAdeets
Posts: 1531 - Karma: 611
Ok, i live in Preston, so same type of terrain.  I demoed Chopsticks, and they are super fun, but they are really heavy.   I own Hellbents, and i love them. they are mounted +4 (3.5back from center) and they still land switch with ease.  The Chopsticks that i demoed were centermounted, and from my experience, the hellbents land switch as easy or easier, even 3.5 back from center.  So i would get the Hellbents.  They are a super fun ski.  They are much much much easier to spin on than the chopsticks, and they float just as well.  They have super cool graphics also.  Another good thing about the Hellbents is that the base is practically bombproof.  Too top it off, i have seen a fair amount of people riding Hellbents in the park, but i have never ever seen Chopsticks in the park, probably because theyre so difficult to spin on.  Get the 'Bents--You wont regret it.
Mar 26 2009 8:39PM
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B-runge
Posts: 16558 - Karma: 361
he works/ makes all the graphics for k2
so he can have anything he wants
Mar 26 2009 8:56PM
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Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
I think they were some pre hellbent pro only thing. Watch the beginning of Idea, they are using rockered Madens.
Mar 26 2009 11:01PM
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SV420
Posts: 242 - Karma: 10
Maybe you should try not bashing other companies skis, because I personally love the all-mountain performance of the full rocker on the chopsticks, it is much more maneuverable and playful than the camber underfoot on the hellbent. I would much rather use my chopsticks in the park than my bents because they are more playful, more poppy, and they have a much more solid flex. So you talked about this stuff as though it was fact, but no it is your opinion and it is obvious that you would not talk up Volkl so maybe you should have just talked up the bents or something.

Also, I would like to know if you were talking about a mad'n that was pressed with full reverse camber or not. If it was pressed special than this is still a bad comparison because i am sure it was still a very different ski than the chopstick, and only a few select people will actually know how those skis will actually compare. If they were just a beat and bent pair of mad'ns then that is just sad because I also own mad'ns and they are noodles compared to the chopstick.

I should add that I only use my hellbents when it is ridiculously deep, because they have very poor performance outside of powder due to the noodly tips and tails. Even so I greatly dislike the powder performance because they have camber and the actual dimensions are like 156-122-146, and that is after they had been tuned a few times. Recently I have been using my spatulas when it is not very appropriate because it is too deep for them, so i am planning on getting a pair of praxis powder boards next year. Also I rode my chopsticks as my everyday ski and loved them in the beginning of the year, but now that I have spatulas and I am digging the reverse sidecut, but If you want a normal sidecut rockered ski that handles all conditions I would greatly suggest the chopstick because it has a more solid flex.

Lastly sorry Schmies, because now I am sure that you hate me, but I dislike the hellbents more and more each time I ride them and I love the chopsticks so I was very unhappy to see you of all people trashing them.

To the Mods: please do not delete this thread, Schmies has misspoken as many people have done before, but people need to learn and take responsibility for their words and actions.
Mar 26 2009 11:16PM
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B-runge
Posts: 16558 - Karma: 361
you should sell me your bents for like 100 bucks
since they suck sooo many balls/ no one likes them/ and the most loved pow ski by freeskiers the chopsticks(not) is also in your possession.
Mar 26 2009 11:21PM
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Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
First, Schmies was never bashing on another company. He was stating an opinion, of course it will be somewhat biased since he works for K2 but I have NEVER seen him rip on another company.

There are alot more things I would like to pick apart in your post but I really dont have the time. This one caught my attention though
"Even so I greatly dislike the powder performance because they have camber and the actual dimensions are like 156-122-146, and that is after they had been tuned a few times." Can you explain to me how tuning affects the skis dimensions?
Mar 26 2009 11:27PM
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SV420
Posts: 242 - Karma: 10
Maybe you should reread that post so that you can realize that that is my opinion.

I will sell you the bents for $850 so I can buy the Praxis, otherwise I will use them as a park ski for the less than 30 days i ride park next year, even though I would rather ski the chopsticks in the park I am not going to trash them on rails, because park is lame.
Mar 26 2009 11:30PM
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SV420
Posts: 242 - Karma: 10
Yes read my post it was his opinion, but he stated it as fact.
Mar 26 2009 11:34PM
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skisquaw@420
Posts: 1802 - Karma: 13
Step 1: find a belt sander

Step 2: turn on said belt sander

Step 3: put your hand, palm down, on said belt sander

Step 4: move hand back and forth, to get it completely smooth (and raw)

Step 5: remove hand and notice how much material (skin) has been removed

Step 6: slap yourself in the face with the bloody excuse you call a hand

Step 7: if you still do not understand, return to step 1 and repeat

given standard edges range from .5 to 2.5mm thick, it is entirely possible for ski dimensions to fluctuate a couple mm during their useful life


Mar 26 2009 11:40PM
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Z_rob
Posts: 3076 - Karma: 152
all i can say to your reply is wtf?

i dont think schmies was bashing anyone at all, he gave me some helpful advice.
Mar 27 2009 12:16AM
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Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
OK, beveling the side of your edges a few times isn't going to make a noticable difference.
Mar 27 2009 12:17AM
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schmies
Posts: 2032 - Karma: 511
Easy tweaker. Holy shit. The dude that started the post was speaking about taking the skis on groomers and in the park. How many people ski Chopsticks in the park or pipe? I have never seen one....either on the mountain, in videos, edits or on the web. Maybe somebody is doing it, it just isn't as ideal as some other rockered skis on the market that have either a flat spot underfoot or slight camber.

The Made'Ns I had were full rocker, ie no flat spot. Meaning they were rad in pow, as the Chopsticks would be with the same construction, but not that rad off jumps or in pipe as you had to land staggered or direct on the feet. Even Volkl athletes have felt the same way, so relax. I have skied Chopsticks all over the mountain too.

Why would I 'hate' you? Because you don't like your HellBents? That is fine and dandy, no one ski is the end all be all. Ski what you need to ski man, I mispoke on nothing and ALWAYS take responsibility for what I write on here. Have a great day and go make turns for Shane.


Mar 27 2009 12:44PM
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SEABURN
Posts: 4859 - Karma: 2,762
i broke my anthems midseason and have ridden my hellbents every day since. killer fun ski all the time. I rode some chopsticks, I thought they were heavy and clunky. I actually like the floppy tip/ tail... in a few inches of crud you can feel the whole ski absorbing and rebounding, and it makes reacting to terrain that much easier. plus riding them this often has made me way better at butters, also now when I ride a normal ski, it is such a breeze. skiing 189 hellbents 70+ days can make a man out of ya.
Mar 27 2009 1:31PM
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Z_rob
Posts: 3076 - Karma: 152
nearly perfect response to your ignorance (whomever was flipping schmies shit earlier)
Mar 27 2009 1:39PM
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Aaaron.
Posts: 11817 - Karma: 903
owned.
Mar 27 2009 2:06PM
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SV420
Posts: 242 - Karma: 10
Well for starters I have seen people in the park with Chopsticks. The problem was that you stated your opinion with things like "the Negative" and "you will" and you never started to lead onto that it might depend on the skier, and that some people could find a full rocker ski to be more fun, because its kind of like the bents in the park, It's just not for everyone. I would not have cared so much if it had been coming from just some random dude on NS, but it wasn't, it was someone who worked for K2 and that kind of advertising pisses me off. Also, I have taken lots of air on the chopsticks and have not had to land staggered, and I feel that the stiffer flex and smoother rocker make them pretty similar, but that is for me.

And come on calling me a tweaker, even though I hate the bents I have been a big fan of K2 for a while and I still dig my Made'ns in the park, but I don't appreciate that bullshit.

Also, if people take a long negative post as anger that is not necessarily so, I just am high and start typing.

Lastly, of course I skied for Shane and I threw in some big spread eagles, I thought about poaching the Hallfpipe comp naked on my spatulas, but seriously I got pretty emotional when I saw the picture of him at the bottom of KT.
Mar 27 2009 8:29PM
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bikerocker
Posts: 1427 - Karma: 461
DASH LONGE
Mar 27 2009 10:14PM
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