K2 hellbent

J

jfrauen

Member
So I'm thinking about getting some hellbent's I'm 6'3 180 lbs and I'm not sure what size to get the 179s or the 189s. What's your thoughts. If you have Ny suggestions on a different ski let me know. I mainly ski west coast from trees to cliffs kickers and everything in between. Let me know what you think

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If you're on the west coast (I'm assuming pnw area because its more of a coastal region than the Rockies), then you'll probably be skiing thicker, heavier snow in addition to light powder, and when you do get into some cement, you won't be too happy with hellbents. Hellbents are a great ski for low speed pow jibbing and generally pussyfooting your way around the mountain when the snow is light and deep. Once the snow gets heavier and/or chopped out, they are simply too soft, with too big a shovel, with too high a splay in both the tip and tail, to be at all stable. They get bounced around HARD in crud, and it feels like you're in molasses any time you hit a patch of heavier deep snow because the high splay slows the ski down so much. They're just kind of exhausting to ride in anything less than ideal conditions, and have a very reachable speed limit, even when conditions are good. Some better, more versatile skis in the same category that you'd probably enjoy more include the 192 atomic bent chetler, the 191 on3p caylor, and the 190 moment bibby pro.
 
Im here in the PNW as well. I'd look at the k2 Pettitors, Atomic Bent Chetlers, or Line Mr. Pollard Opus (This one is softer and more playful)And as far as sizing, Im 6'2" 170 lbs and the 189 Pettitors and 192 Opuses were perfect for me
 
I skied my bents in Oregon for like 3 years and loved every second of it. Super fun skis. Mine were the 122 underfoot kind.

They are for sale if you want em OP. 179s
 
they might not be the best in crud but they kill the nw heavy pow... definately go with the 189. I am 5'11" 150lbs and ski the 189 and am happy I have the length. they absolutely kill it and you can definaely charcge pow tracked or untracked and are super fun and poppy in the deep snow
 
I have definitely looked into the petitor but i can get the 2012 heellbent for like 200 where i am brand new never used. im kind of in a bind with cash so thats why i was considering them

 
I agree with all of this. I have hellbents and when the conditions are right they are bomber but if not they kinda suck. I just picked up some 190 bibbys and I havent gotten to ski them in pow yet but around groomers and hardpack and shitty snow they ski great. Super poppy and you can land just about anything no matter how far backseat you are. Im sure they ski pow great as well.
 
If you check out evo all of the reviews on the pettitor are great (mine too). Some people were talking about using it as their every day ski. Its pretty stiff and can bust crud but works great for butters and skiing switch. Definately #1 on my list followed by the chets
 
well yes and no. There are plenty of days in the pnw where hellbents are a fine tool but there are also many more days where there is a better ski. So i guess it doesnt have to be perfect blower pow but if its super heavy hellbents are the best ski.
 
Im not sure if this was a ski or just the circumstances, but I had a friend with hellbents and when we hit an icy runout the skis literally slipped out from underneath him and he landed on his back
 
its doable. you have to keep kinda of a wider stance, to get from edge to edge. I would not recommend them as your every day ski though.
 
There are plenty of people here in the PNW that ride Hellbents all the time in any condition. I personally think they are a little crazy, but they exist and seem happy enough. I own the 2012 Hellbent but I only ride it in pow. They are questionable in chop and downright unpleasant on ice. Groomers are fine, pow is amazing, but where they really shine is heavy wet snow. On days where other people are leaving what look like good lines because the pow is just too wet and heavy to ski, I love those days because the Hellbents make that sort of snow fun. I've had people actively yell at me from the lift on wet pow days, because I'm about to take a run that is unmanageable in deep wet pow, rainsoaked, etc, only to prove them wrong as I glide by, taking run after run of untouched stuff that will quagmire virtually any other ski. Granted these days don't happen too often, but when they do it makes having a pair of Hellbent's in your quiver completely worth it.

This isn't just my opinion, but the opinion of the 12 other skiers that attended last years k2 expert demo event. We happened to ski on one of those heavy wet pow days (around 2 feet of wet spring snow) and by noon everyone was fighting over who got to ride the Hellbents. One of the older veterans remarked on how much ski technology has changed and how if they encountered snow this thick back in his day they would all just go home. FYI the petitor was the second favorite amongst the group.
 
I have a pair of 2012 bents and I use them every day because I love them to death. I am 5'7" and 140 lbs riding the 189, so I would recommend the 189. Its big for me, but the extra length is nice for steeper runs because of the added stability.
 
At your size, if you're gonna get 'bents, go 189. No doubt about it. I've owned both 179s and 189s and the 189 is a completely different ski, much much more stable.
 
I ride the Hellbent here in Utah as my daily ski anytime I'm outside of the park (which is most days). I'm 6', 180lbs, and ride the 179.
 
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