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Surface new life vs k2 hellbent

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ALaw
Posts: 2616 - Karma: 1,552
So here's the jist of it. I'm lookin for a playful powder jib ski that I can also take touring. I am 6' 160 lbs and am looking at either the 179 hellbent or the 184 new life. My main concerns are if the hellbent will be to heavy, and if the new life will be too stiff. Thanks for the help and +++++K for answers!
Aug 3 2010 1:15PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
your main concern shouldnt be the weight, it should be the fact that you want to tour on skis with massive amounts of rocker...
Aug 3 2010 1:17PM
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ALaw
Posts: 2616 - Karma: 1,552
Well I'm not going to be touring a lot, it will mainly be after storms near my resort. A couple of my friends have toured on hellbents before, and said that the rocker wasn't to bad on em. It's not like I'm making epic journeys into antarctica, I'm just looking for something that will get me up the hill ok, and be a lot of fun on the way down
Aug 3 2010 1:24PM
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ALaw
Posts: 2616 - Karma: 1,552
And I forgot to mention, I'm talking about the 09/10 hellbents
Aug 3 2010 1:25PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
honestly if you want a ski you can tour on but still be playful as well, on3p Billy goats or armada JJs. While neither is that great at riding switch(which you should do with touring bindings anyway...), they are still great skis in the trees and tour quite well
Aug 3 2010 1:26PM
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ALaw
Posts: 2616 - Karma: 1,552
Ok. The main reason I was considering fatter skis is because I live out west, and these skis will be my only pow skis. Also I already have a pair of marker dukes to mount on what I choose, and those will be pretty bombproof for riding switch I think.
Aug 3 2010 1:35PM
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mrsmith
Posts: 93 - Karma: 10
Bents are awesome. Ive skinned with them before and it wasn't that bad. Totally worth it to have the width and rocker for the way down. Probably going to buy the new seths and some k2 skins. Their new skin setup is so ill, no trimming and super simple attachments.
Aug 3 2010 2:05PM
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ALaw
Posts: 2616 - Karma: 1,552
thanks for the replies, any other opinions will be greatly appreciated!
Aug 3 2010 2:41PM
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powfoka
Posts: 2709 - Karma: 160
The new life is quite a bit lighter and is going to be much more stable at speed especially in-bounds when you cant ride untracked all day everyday!
Aug 3 2010 3:03PM
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Chaka
Posts: 424 - Karma: 79
Not really... Unless you want to ruin your your 400$ AT bindings... Have you ever toured before or is this your first attempt and your are just trying to get to some slackcounrty? Because I have seen a ton of kids buy dukes and slap them on skis like the hellbent and new lifes and spend the money on skins and use regular boots only to find out that it is hell to go more than 100 yards with them. Im not saying it isn't possible to do this but in my opinion it just isn't worth it at all. If you are going to invest in a set up like this and actually try to learn how to tour I suggest you do what mrtskier said and buy a more tour oriented ski, forget about skiing switch, invest in touring boots, and go the while 9 yards or else you are fucked. You can also use dukes but they wont take you much further than day hikes. If you are set on getting hellbents and touring... save yourself some money and buy regular bindings and then buy skins and inserts. It will cost you lots but it will let you use your skis the way you want to. Oh and please take at least some form of avalanche training if you haven't already. To many stupid people out there these days.
Aug 3 2010 4:18PM
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ruff_ruff
Posts: 172 - Karma: 37
surface man way more rad
Aug 3 2010 4:20PM
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K_FRANK
Posts: 513 - Karma: 277
^ what he said man surface=win over k2 anyday
Aug 3 2010 4:26PM
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ALaw
Posts: 2616 - Karma: 1,552
I realize that this setup isn't going to be a super light, summiting ski or anything. I am reall only using this for slackcountry and small day trips. I am more worried about going down, and can make the sacrifice of adding a little weight to make that much more enjoyable. And also yes, I have had quite a bit of avalanche training, and know how to work all of my avalanche gear efficiently.
Aug 3 2010 5:03PM
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Chaka
Posts: 424 - Karma: 79
Thats good. You seem like you know what your doing. The most important thing is to have a setup that lets you do what you want.

Oh and I would say new lifes look like a better choice. They are a fun ski and a little more manageable in my opinion than the hellbent.
Aug 3 2010 5:14PM
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ALaw
Posts: 2616 - Karma: 1,552
Thanks for the help, +k to you!
Aug 3 2010 5:17PM
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.nasty
Posts: 10581 - Karma: 11,151
my bents are my best friend. get em!
Aug 3 2010 5:40PM
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DHogg
Posts: 3462 - Karma: 237
I would not recommend bents. They are a fun ski, but there are way better skis in variable snow (which you can run alot into when touring). They are also way too heavy. Bents were an industry revolution, but I think that there are better skis out now both for deep pow, and for a sidecountry ski.

I think you should be looking at an Armada JJ, ON3P Billy Goat, or Moment Bibby. They are all MUCH better than bents in everything except super deep untracked pow.

115 is so is plenty underfoot for pow, and you'll appreciate them being lighter and more versatile.
Aug 3 2010 5:41PM
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ALaw
Posts: 2616 - Karma: 1,552
so i should be looking for something stiffer, lighter, and 115-120 for touring? thanks for the help +K
Aug 3 2010 5:45PM
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DHogg
Posts: 3462 - Karma: 237
Yep.If I were in your situation, I would be looking for something on the lighter side of pow skis, about 115mm under foot, and a stiff enough flex to perform in shitty snow conditions as well as pow.

Snow can get variable when touring. A lot of good snow, but you can pass through shitty patches where you want something solid underfoot too. Well thats my experience of it.

All the skis I mentioned are almost as good as bents in pow, but better everywhere else.

Aug 3 2010 5:59PM
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ALaw
Posts: 2616 - Karma: 1,552
Thanks!
Aug 3 2010 6:48PM
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Chompo.
Posts: 4952 - Karma: 88
i would get atomic bentchetlers if i were in your situation...
Aug 3 2010 10:26PM
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.nasty
Posts: 10581 - Karma: 11,151
blah blah, people say hellbents are too heavy. maybe comparable to other skis but still not heavy if you actually have leg muscle.
Aug 3 2010 10:34PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
i never mentioned weight, what i did mention was the massive tip/tail rocker. have you ever skinned before? with such little contact with the snow, your skis wont have alot of contact either, making it much harder to grip, its just such a pain compared to a less rockered ski
Aug 3 2010 11:52PM
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ndye
Posts: 3756 - Karma: 7,094
Hellbents much more reliable and i was talking to a skier who was formerly sponsored by SURFACE and he left them to ski on K2 skis.  He said he would never pay for a pair of surface skis. he slayed and that was enough to move me away from them. Plus Surface skis are apparently really fragile? not my personal experience just what iv heard.
Aug 4 2010 12:18AM
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.nasty
Posts: 10581 - Karma: 11,151
I agree, I would never use mine to tour. It's just every time a hellbent discussion arises everyone just complains about the weight.
Aug 4 2010 12:30AM
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remove
Posts: 2566 - Karma: 1,026
if you're trying to give advice give it off personal experience. I've owned 2 pairs of surface skis and am about to purchase the one lifes. I've never thought they were fragile and have always have found the skis to be good quality in the 2 pairs i've had.
Aug 4 2010 12:01PM
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K_FRANK
Posts: 513 - Karma: 277
the only pair of surface skis that ive come across that are fragile are the nine lifes. surface makes legit skis for sure
Aug 4 2010 2:43PM
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curator
Posts: 86 - Karma: 11
I would go with a bigger size of hellents if you go with them. they have a ton of rocker. A 179 would pry ski like a 170 
Aug 4 2010 5:27PM
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harmoon
Posts: 210 - Karma: 57
if i were you i would go with new life's. my freind has a pair and says they are like a hellbent with everything fixed. but your other option would be 2011 obsethed, or an EHP. i think both those skis would be a little better for what you want.
Sep 2 2010 10:57PM
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shortdawg
Posts: 1359 - Karma: 19
I love my hellbents but even I can admit they'd be a shitty touring ski
Sep 2 2010 11:38PM
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GNARBARSTAR
Posts: 639 - Karma: 16
I've skied both, the new life is my favorite ski, I found it more versatile in different types of snow condition, lighter both in mass and in swing weight. and more enjoyable skiing switch due to the symetrical build of the ski. even though they are mounted dead center i can lean forward and still charge on the deepest pow days, I ski them nearly every day now, including laps threw the park.  my slack country set up is ep's and naxos, If you don't get agitated easy you won't mind slack country on the new life, I tended to slip alot while in well packed  steep switch backs, and found myself getting out of the skin line and breaking my own trail, which adds to your total energy exertion on the up, the extra weight of the super fat ski, breaking your own trail in steep sections, and the slipping and frustration of that. If you don't mind all that then do it up. i can tell you i bought that set up for the same reason you are describing, if you are skining for more then half a day, all that fun you think you will be having on the way down is all a  dream, your legs will be burning so bad from the slog up you will wish you had some lighter and  more specific gear, if you are ducking ropes and skinning under an hour, i think the new life with dukes would be a great choice for you. hope that helps
Sep 2 2010 11:46PM
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