K2 Hardside AT skis...

Thinking about picking up a pair of these.. Toying around with jumping on a BC trip but I was to use AT skis and gear since it's going to be all skiers and tele'rs..

Anybody ever ski on the Hardsides? They come really recommended.. Probably going to get the 181.

http://k2skis.com/skis/adventure/hardside

I purchased them with Marker Barons and have 4 days on them so far. I was going to post a review but I wanted to do an AT day or 2 first. Haven't done that yet.

I'm 5'11", just shy of 180 lbs. I'm skiing the 174s. Folks on Epicski would undoubtably say I went too short but I had eastern trees in mind.

It's my first time skiing with a rockered tip, which I found unnerving on day 1 because I was on alot of scratchy stuff that day and the tips just don't engage on that terrain. After I changed my expectations of where the ski should hook up I became pretty comfortable.

Turn initiation is very easy, and you don't feel strictly committed to one kind of turn. I quickly forgot I was on a ski with a 98 waist. If you're going for maximum length, I think I would have been fine on the 181. If you have the room and want to ski big turns down a groomer they feel very stable, at least at the speeds I consider fast. The tip flap that people attribute to rockered tips isn't very apparent.

They are stiff, which you can feel is helping to bite into the hardpack, but not that stiff. I did alot of firmish low angle bumpy terrain at Bretton Woods yesterday and they were easy to work with. I found the stiffness on par with the Dynastar Sutlan 85s I demoed last year.

I've also had them in a few inches of fresh and huge whales of manmade powder and they come alive nicely. The tips start hooking up and the ski is very competent here.

My other skis are the Legend 8000 and the K2 PE. I haven't touched those since I started on the Hardside and I don't plan to. It's a very smooth and powerful ski. A nice surprise.

thanks!!! Stoked... I'm ready to pull the trigger... they come recommended by Mike Hattrup via a friend..

hmmmmmm.... it's going to be a learning curve - the trip is in March...

I think you will find a rocker ski pretty easy to get the hang of..they are very forgiving in anything but ice...I like mine (rossi s3's ) as they have reverse camber in the tip and tail to bite into the hardpack when you need it..they don't feel like a rocker when you do that...and get the longest ones they make as they ski much shortet due to the rockers, although the k2 has only rocker tips..

kingslug said:

I think you will find a rocker ski pretty easy to get the hang of..they are very forgiving in anything but ice...I like mine (rossi s3's ) as they have reverse camber in the tip and tail to bite into the hardpack when you need it..they don't feel like a rocker when you do that...and get the longest ones they make as they ski much shortet due to the rockers, although the k2 has only rocker tips..

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How does that translate to skinning?

dmc said:

How does that translate to skinning?

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Shouldn't matter too much..my 186's actualy have a surface area of a 168 but I don't think any length will matter..its mostly about weight and the type of binding you use. i went with black Diamond fritchi pros as they are lighter than the barons and have an adjustable walk angle..you can set the rear latch in different positions as the angle of climb increases. the Bd's are a few pounds lighter than the Markers and the heel can be released without taking off the ski..which really only matters in deep snow..but still makes sense...but you still have to remove the ski to attach the skins...my friends in Utah recommended the fritchis..mostly about the weight.

If you're recommending a touring binding based on weight it has to be dynafits. Fritchis are nice since you can use a regular alpine boot (but again, heavy!). The stack height and slop in the flex can also be significant deterrents.

dmc said:

thanks!!! Stoked... I'm ready to pull the trigger... they come recommended by Mike Hattrup via a friend..

hmmmmmm.... it's going to be a learning curve - the trip is in March...

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Of course Mike Hattrup recommends those skis, he probably was part of the design team since he works in K2's Tele/AT division. I have no experience with the skis personally but the new K2 lineup seems to be generating a lot of buzz.

riverc0il said:

Of course Mike Hattrup recommends those skis, he probably was part of the design team since he works in K2's Tele/AT division. I have no experience with the skis personally but the new K2 lineup seems to be generating a lot of buzz.

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My friend knows him - has used him s a guide. If I go on this trip he'll be the guide.

psyched...

roark said:

If you're recommending a touring binding based on weight it has to be dynafits. Fritchis are nice since you can use a regular alpine boot (but again, heavy!). The stack height and slop in the flex can also be significant deterrents.

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I'm used to tele bindings so I think I need to be closer to the ski.... maybe not though..

just picked up dynafits, my first day on them will be tomorrow- probly a tour up grizzly gulch. SO EXCITED. I've been teleing for a while but finally made the switch to AT due exactly to some of the other poster's concerns: weight. I went from a 23 pound setup to a 15 pound setup (boots, bindings, skis, skins). Shaved off 8 pounds!! and they say a pound on your feet is like 7 in your pack...

you go the tele route, what bindings will you use?

ps the Hardsides are great from what I hear from friends in the industry.

redalienx11 said:

just picked up dynafits, my first day on them will be tomorrow- probly a tour up grizzly gulch. SO EXCITED. I've been teleing for a while but finally made the switch to AT due exactly to some of the other poster's concerns: weight. I went from a 23 pound setup to a 15 pound setup (boots, bindings, skis, skins). Shaved off 8 pounds!! and they say a pound on your feet is like 7 in your pack...

you go the tele route, what bindings will you use?

ps the Hardsides are great from what I hear from friends in the industry.

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I'm going to AT because I'm way better at Alpine the Tele...

Let me know how the Dynafits work out..

15 lbs total!!! my skis weigh 15.....

kingslug said:

15 lbs total!!! my skis weigh 15.....

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yeah my regular setup weighs a ton too, but for ski mountaineering/touring i just finished putting together a nice lightweight package- BD Primes, BD Aspects, and dynafits. I didn't get lighter skins though (yet) ....hmmm...

and maybe thinner socks.

and once I clip my toenails i'll save a few more grams!!

but seriously today will be my first day on the light setup. I will be skiing with a buddy who I just found out rides the darksides w/ Fritschis- I'll report back on that.

sorry dmc, i was mistaken-- my buddy is on the darksides not the hardsides. both seem to be great skis.
and dynafits....WOW. it really is amazing how much of a difference there is skinning with an AT setup compared to a heavy non-free-pivot tele setup.

Tagging along here, redalienx11 let me know how you like you're Primes, and particularly how they perform on the down plus on groomers if you're using them there too.
I picked up a pair too, haven't used them yet.
Was going to get the Qudrants for double duty on groomers until a knowledgeable employee at a local ski shop told me not to worry about needing the stiffer flex. I weight ~135lbs @5'7" and am often told i'm too light to flex X,Y or Z ski i read about so i listened to the guy. I figure he knows what he's talking about as he steered me away from the shops only AT line, Salomon Quest and didn't make a sale that day. They're a good shop so another time on something else.

Took these things skinning this morning using the pre-cut K2 skins. Had zero issues with the skins...pretty slick, I thought. It's difficult to recommend them over other skins, however, since it was the first time I've ever been skinning.