K2 ski length vs Black Diamond ski length

[pruitt]

Just wondering if anyone knew how K2 ski lengths compare to black diamond.

For instance. A 181 k2 compared to a 180 black diamond. About the same? K2 a good bit longer? Which is what I find with most manufacturers but never compared them side by side to black diamond skis.

Thanks

[GeezerSteve]

Last time I checked, a 181 K2 is like everyone else's 184 or 185.

[skimaxpower]

Last time I checked, a 181 K2 is like everyone else's 184 or 185.

Yup. K2s are longer than they say on the side.

[toast2266]

BD's seem to run more or less true to size. As noted above, K2 runs long by ~3cm.

[bbense]

I just think of the numbers as S,M,L,XL. Nobody measures skis the same way, so there really is no way to compare between manufacturers.

[pruitt]

So I will answer my own question. And I'm actually pretty surprised. I have a 174 K2 Wayback, 181 K2 Anti Piste, and a recently purchased BD Amp 184.

Based on all that I had read I expected the amp to be very close to my 181 Anti Piste. Not the case.

As you can see from the picture the are measuring about the same. The 181 is about 3 cm shorter than the 184 amp.

Just thought I would pass it along since it was pretty different from everything else I had read.

[XXX-er]

I just happen to be mounting some gigawatts and the 185's are actualy 186, some old 180 verdicts are a little over 180

try measuring the actual base running length as oposed to a tip to tip measurment

[old goat]

181 sidestashes equal everybody elses 185's

[LC]

Old K2s measure true, or more than true to the stated length. From what I gather, 12/13 K2 measure like most other brands; about 2cm shorter than the stated length.

[Scottish_Skier]

K2 measure long...
Personally I blame Glen Plake!

However apparently the real answer is that some firms give ski length before they are pressed and the tips and tails are upturned. Other firms, such as K2, use the actual running length.

Long skis truck, short skis suck

[whyturn]

How far is "down yonder"?

[Shorty_J]

So I will answer my own question. And I'm actually pretty surprised. I have a 174 K2 Wayback, 181 K2 Anti Piste, and a recently purchased BD Amp 184.

Based on all that I had read I expected the amp to be very close to my 181 Anti Piste. Not the case.

As you can see from the picture the are measuring about the same. The 181 is about 3 cm shorter than the 184 amp.

Just thought I would pass it along since it was pretty different from everything else I had read.

Did you do actual tip to tail measurements on these?

I think the Anti-piste should probably run a bit long (183-184, right?), so is the 184 BD ski more like a 187 in a straight tape pull?

[MC Slayer]

A straight pull from the tail on my BD Zealots measures at 193cm. They're marked as 192. My experience is that k2 and BD actually measure pretty close to each other.

[pruitt]

I guess that was my point a few posts up. Here are the straight pull on the skis I have.

K2 Wayback 174 - Actuall Length 175
K2 Anti Piste 181 - Actuall Length 182
Black Diamond Amperage 185 - Actuall length 186

So to me if people thiink K2s "measure long" compared to other brands, I would say Black Diamonds are in the same boat...

I guess the info I am missing is another ski brand to compare...Atomic, Rossignol, ect

[auvgeek]

Rumor has it that K2s now measure more true to length than in days of yore. pruitt's findings confirm this. But maybe I'm just spreading gossip...