Gear Review: 2011 K2 Obsethed Ski

I finally got to ski my 2011 Obsethed’s in some proper powder conditions this week so here is my take.  I love them.

I’m 6’2 185 lbs.  I like to ski fast. I am skiing these in the 189 cm length. I’ve mounted them at the traditional mounting point and am glad I did so (Seth Morrison mounts them 4 cm forward!) Until this week I have only had these on hardpack but now the pow abideth.  First day had 15″ new and by day three conditions were mid-thigh to waist depth, low density powder.

Hard Snow: Is this an everyday, all-conditions ski? Well…not quite. The Obsethed jumped from 105 mm underfoot to 117 underfoot this year.  I didn’t really think of the 105 mm version as something I would choose in ALL conditions either, though, the original 98 mm Seth Pistol certainly could be used as such in it’s day. Still, with plenty of traditional camber underfoot, this ski is very quick edge to edge and you can really rail on the groomers with it. But with this much rocker it doesn’t engage quickly enough for hardpack days where it hasn’t snowed for a week and the wide waist won’t do you any favors when the snow has no “give” to it. On softish groomers it is great. The rockered nose does chatter a bit (expectedly) but these aren’t for hardpack anyway so I would say they get an A+ hard snow rating for a fat/rockered ski of this nature.

Soft Snow: This is what they are made for and where they shine.  In the chop these things sail right over the top of everything and in the deep fluff you can let them run and never worry about the tips diving.  They are plenty stout underfoot but soft in the tip and tail due to the rocker.  If you prefer a very stiff powder ski it might not be for you but don’t be fooled by the flex of the tip and tail–the skis have some heft to them.  If you like the old Seth’s or S7’s or similar skis, you’ll probably like these.  I feel like they maintain the same general feel/flex of the older Seth models but with the obvious change in rocker.

You can sail through most conditions at high speed with these skis.  Tip dive is out of the equation.  They are surprisingly nimble and quick turning, even on hardpack.  It isn’t a one-ski-quiver ski but excels in all soft snow conditions.  It is much more maneuverable than something like a K2 Pontoon and with comparable flotation.

–K2 Powder Rocker tip, traditional camber, All-Terrain Rocker tail.

Tip Rocker

Camber

Tail Rocker

Dimensions: 146/117/134

Sizes: 169, 179, 189

Radius: 23m @ 179/Directional Taper

Construction: Twin Tech with Vertical ABS Sidewall

Core: Fir, Aspen

Note: The ski will remain the same for the 2012 winter.  Only the topsheet graphic will be different.

'09/'10 vs. '10/'11 Tip Rocker

"Seth" Genealogy