Will a 179 hellbent float?

E

edd1e

Member
So I have decided on a hellbent as my new pow ski, I will be skiing whistler and want something that is turny, good for trees and some switch riding.

I have the 179 obsethed, 176 dumont and 181 reno rockers (will probably sell these).

I have been on the k2 website and alot of the guys on their team are riding 189 hellbents and alot of them ski a 179 obsethed with a 189 hellbent. I always thought the 189 was a bit of a brute but if their only skiing the obsethed in a 179 it makes me think perhaps I can get away with the 189 in the hellbent. I will probably be centre mounting these which will make a difference.

My question is should I go 179 or 189 I am 5 11 and 145lbs (not a big guy).
 
depends, are you trying to just shred and charge, or spin and jib? if the former, the 89 would be better. if the latter, 79 for sure. they're heavy, and like you said, you're tall but not big.
 
I want them for more jibby stuff for sure. 20ft cliffs max, a few small pow booters, want to try some butters and hand drags with them.

Generally shorter skis have more problems floating at slower speeds,as I wont be charging hard,will the 179 still float in a foot of fresh wet snow?
 
dude im the same height and weight as you, i have the obsethed in 179 and they float well mounted at +5, but im gonna mount them at +6 i rekon for japan.... keep in mind, i put them up against the line EP pro which is 185 and they are exactlly the same height!
 
no only the 189s float, the 179s swim like rocks in deep snow.

yes of course they'll float. they will also be the longest and fattest ski in your quiver (compared to the three skis you listed). mounting them dead center will make them slow but super playful.

also you stated in your other thread that you were heading to whistler. a couple years ago before the hellbent when k2 just had the pontoon out......there was a shop in whistler that had 169,179,189 pontoons for rent. maybe they have all the hellbents now, and then you could try out all of them. i cannot remember the name of the shop. its in the main village base, real close to the whistler gondi. below shane mcconkey's dad's shop...mccoo's or whatever.
 
At 145 lbs the 179s will definitely float. More than that, I doubt you'll ever be able to bury the tips. I don't think I did the 2 days I tried them and I've got at least 30 lbs on you. Hellbent + obSethed + Dumont is a pretty sick quiver btw. You may find at whis you don't use those park skis much though.
 
179 bents do not float, there are old urban legends of people taking them when the mountain forgot to groom and just sinking forever and never coming back up, their bodies were found 3 months later when the snow melted, and all of them, i repeat, all of them, had 179 bents on their feet. you would be a brave soul to attempt to conquer the 179 bents in pow
 
no it's like asking an ornithological forum if birds have wings

or unless you're referring to the kiwi bird...

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I would have to say Id assume so. I dont have experience with the hellbents per-se, but when i found myself floating down a river with some chronic blends and I kicked them off, they started floating away, bindings and all and I had to swim after them. I was rather impressed by the buoyancy, things you may want to take into account is the fiberglass in the hellbent as opposed to the carbon fiber that was in my skis which may effect its ability to float, although the extra wood in the fatter ski should help.
 
I'm not so sure about that, depends on how they're going to be ridden. Im 6'2 180 and I ride the 179 as my only ski park/pow whatever. I would've gone for the 189 if I had a bigger quiver, but I wanted something a bit more nimble. The 179's really measure out to like 184 or so in length, so Im guessing the 189's are around 194.
 
yeah i know what shop your talking about its huge they have so many different kinds of skis you can rent and try out but geez i cant remember the name of this shop too haha
 
I have 60 lbs on you and 5'11 and i rode the 179s all last season and they were so playful all around whistler...i skied 10 days up there and in different conditions and they so close to being bombproof...you won't have any problem being aggresive with the ski at slower speeds...it'll all depend on your skiing ability and what you're trying to get out of the ski. but for the most part...i don't remember ever tip diving...forced wheelies a lot...so don't ride in your seat cause at center mount, you should just stay in your freeski stance, hands in your pockets and just laugh at everyone else.

^^..i remember the season before last when there wasn't a hellbent ski yet and all i saw where guys on pontoons everywhere around blackcomb...
 
pontoons are untouchable in deep deep pow.

but where the hellbents cant touch pontoons in deep deep pow (thicker tail = not as nimble), they make up for by being waaaay more versatile everywhere else (especially groomers). ive ridden both.
 
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