K2 Hellbent Mounting Question

QuantumMechanic

QuantumMechanic

Active member
So....I got some 2011 189 Hellbents. I've heard a lot of people say they love to ride these things at core center, and that's been what I've been leaning towards as well. I'm not sure if the rocker is completely symmetrical, but I was just wondering if anybody has different input as far as how to get the most out of the rocker pattern on the ski.

Thanks and +k
 
Hey I have had a couple of pairs of Hellbents and the first ones had schizofrantic bindings, so I could adjust where they were mounted till I found the spot I like best. I go for 2cm back from center. To figure out where you want to mount it, I would suggest evaluating what type of skiing your going to be doing on them. If your going to be doing alot of drops then it is safer to put the mounting position further back, that way your less likely to tommy head over heels down the hill as more shovel will be exposed.
 
Yeah thanks I thought about that but I won't be doing any drops that huge. I thought about schizos too, but I ended up with Dukes cuz I'm getting into sidecountry touring stuff.
 
My 179's are all the way forward on the scale printed on the ski. I think a few people go in front of that, for absolute true center, but unless you're gonna be riding a helluva lot of pow switch I wouldn't go that far. I had my EPs at True Center and dropping into deep pow meant going over the handlebars a LOT unless I landed really backseat.
 
Just so people understand... that little scale indicator on the side of any factory team ski from k2, marks center of the turn radius not center of the ski or "true center". If you want to mount it "true center" you must measure the length of the ski and divide it by half. The only time that indicator on the side of the ski will show true center is on a fully symmetrical ski, i.e. the domain from K2, where the center of the turn radius is the same as the center of the ski.
 
the above being said, in the case of the hellbent, because of how close its sidecut is to symmetrical, the idicator on the side is close to within a couple of mm to true center. With other k2 skis this may not be the case depending on how symmetrical the sidecut is.
 
I have my 189s at -1cm from true center and love it. But I always mount my pow skis at -1cm from true center because that is what I like. You might want something different. There is no way to know without figuring it out yourself by trying different things over time.
 
I have my 179s 2.5 from centre, and they shred. Don't ski switch enough to deem true centre worth while.

2.5 i'm comfortable enough landing switch and doing the odd pow turns switch. and you can still chargeeeeeee.
 
very helpful kind sir. good to know. do you work for k2 or something cuz you know a lot of this crazy stuff that i've never even heard before
 
I have some skis which are pretty similar to Hellbents dimension-wise and I've mounted them at -1cm. Skied them for the first time today and they ripped. Only issues with tips sinking were landing flat in low angle deep pow. If you know how they behave though, you can very easily compensate for stuff like that.
 
I'm 2 back on my 179s. My next pair will be center on 189s. I don't do a lot of switch in the BC, but the center and bigger surface area would feel a lot more playful.
 
Bump, cause I'm in the exact same position. I also just bought 189 2011 Hellbents, and I really wonder where to mount. I always thought Center cause of the crazy rocker, but now I'm slightly worried that if I drop cliffs that I will face-plant. I have last year kung fujas mounted at 3cm back, they where bomb proof for pow, cliffs and pillows, and charging; but doing spins really sucked, and they wherent that playfull.
 
I have a couple hellbents as well. i am not home looking at them right now, but i think i have them at .5 cm back, or +7 or something like that. it's almost center i know that, but they're freakin awesome! i love them, and i would not change my mount position. i get no tip dive at all, and you won't go over the handlebars on cliffs, don't worry bout that! have fun bro
 
mine are center or just back (.5). any more than a couple back from center i think would be kinda dumb. you might as well just buy a different ski. the hellbent is made to be ridin at or near center.
 
Word to that...crazy coincidence that I was pretty much the same way. Kung Fujas, a few back from center, great for drops, but awkward to spin and not too playful. I hope you're getting as much out of this as I am.
 
When I had Jesters on my Hellbents (both old 122mm and new 132mm skis) I had the 130mm Marker brake on them, never had any issues with it at all.

When I re-mounted with FKS on the 132mm skis I just bent the 115mm "XXL" brake to fit. They're a little bit splayed and I can't really clip the 2 skis together by interlocking the brakes like I could with the Jesters but they stop the skis when I come off and they never hang up so I can't complain.
 
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