K2 Sidestash Review

[jasonsalvo]

Got back last week from 7 nights at Icefall Lodge (http://www.icefall.ca/) north of Golden BC where I got to try out my new touring setup - a 181 Sidestash with Dynafits. In short, the skis are a perfect Northwest touring ski and exactly what I was looking for.

The Details:

Me: 5'11" 165 lbs, expert skier. 25-30 resort days and 15-20 touring days a year. Formerly touring on 181 Mt. Bakers and resort skiing on 05/06 190 Gotamas (best ski ever). Garmont Radium touring boot.

The Week: 30 cm new the night before we arrived. Bluebird or partly cloudy and no precip for the week. Bomber snowpack above treeline. Touchy 2.5' top layer that was easily sliding on a buried hoar frost layer below treeline, especially on S-facing slopes. Lots of cliffs. Pillow lines were off the hook. All aspects held phenomenal powder all week, but N-facing aspects were ridiculous.

The Ski: I like long turn-radius, moderately stiff, skis that like to go straight. Love my Gotamas, loved the Czar, hate my Mt. Bakers (too turny, too much deflection), found the S7 too turny.

Now, the grain of salt you'll have to take with this review is that we had hero snow all week, and I probably would have enjoyed skiing on 2x4s.

However, we skied lots of tight tree runs, some moderately sun-affected thickening powder, and I occasionally even skied through tracked up snow. Here's the skinny on the ski - it loves to go fast but the rockered tip makes it feel super loose and turnable. Unlike the S7, which is too loose and too turny, the Sidestash doesn't want to turn. It just can, at a moment's notice, if you so desire.

The pillow lines at this place were everywhere and we skied every one we found. What I liked about this ski was its ability to slash a quick speed-check turn on top of a small, crumbling pillow. Likewise, airing out various features, its looseness made high-speed exits feel safer because it felt like you could slow down quickly and easily if necessary (it rarely was).

I haven't yet gotten to ski it in our thick, Northwest chowder but I suspect that its relatively wide waist and easy turning will make it pretty dope out here in the PNW. More to come once the weather improves.

[old goat]

I'm 6' 175 59 y/o --demo'd the 181 sidestashes one day at Squaw--about 8 inches of heavy fresh with icy bumps under the fresh, especially on the steeper lines where the snow was slid off. The ski was easy to turn in the fresh--about like my Mantras, but with much better edge hold in the tails on the firm. Tore through the crud with ease. I'm not the skier the previous reviewer is so this sounds like a ski that would work for different ability levels.

[Jim S]

I'm 6' 175 59 y/o --demo'd the 181 sidestashes one day at Squaw--about 8 inches of heavy fresh with icy bumps under the fresh, especially on the steeper lines where the snow was slid off. The ski was easy to turn in the fresh--about like my Mantras, but with much better edge hold in the tails on the firm. Tore through the crud with ease. I'm not the skier the previous reviewer is so this sounds like a ski that would work for different ability levels.

At 6' you didn't try the 188s? I may have to poney up and try these at Squaw too. I tend not too like skis with tips that are stiff but.....what the heck.

[buttahflake]

Rocker tip, not stiff. Wicked easy turn initiation. 5'11" 175lbs i love the 181. Flat tail with rocker tip is the best set up going today. Easy start with strong finish.

[Stikki]

I have about 6 days on a pair of 181's (5'9" 175). The range of these skis is incredible, a dream in soft snow, quick enough for trees and bumps, burly enough for higher speeds and crud busting, and great edge hold for billygoating and cranking gs turns on the groomed. It's like the Coomba's more athletic steroided-out older brother.

[skinnyskier]

No doubt they were excellent pwder tools. Two questions-how did you find them skinning hardpack? I'm guessing there were some icy bits getting up to La Clytte Glacier, Portal, Crampon Col etc. And, were the pillows in question on the N facing ridge in between Shark's Gate and Portal Pass? That looked like a total awesome mini-golf zone.

[counterfeitfake]

What are the dimensions and turning radius? Do you know the weight?

[XavierD]

meh, I found them boring. Yes, they are stupidly easy to ski, and can go somewhat fast with out bending in half. However edge hold was nothing to write home about. Skied back to back with the Blizzard Answer and there was no comparison in any category, the Sidestash lost in all categories other then the un-fun one.

[oftpiste]

Why do am I just not interested in K2 products since....oh, the eighties?

Don't know why.

[GeezerSteve]

In short, the skis are a perfect Northwest touring ski and exactly what I was looking for.

Seems like a cool ski, but I don't get how 9-1/2 lb. skis can be deemed "perfect touring skis," especially for a guy OP's size. If I were 165 lbs. (I haven't been that light since 7th grade), I'd be touring on Trabs or Manaslus.

[maxtrax]

Seems like a cool ski, but I don't get how 9-1/2 lb. skis can be deemed "perfect touring skis," especially for a guy OP's size. If I were 165 lbs. (I haven't been that light since 7th grade), I'd be touring on Trabs or Manaslus.

I think it's all relative... I'm 5'8" 165 lbs and spent 5 days touring on 175 BD Justice's mounted with O1's this season and had a complete blast. Sure they are 9lb/pair before bindings but I had a lot more fun on the way down than when I was skiing 167 Shuksans with lightweight 3-buckle boots.

I still have a featherweight setup but it is reserved for ski mountaineering/winter climb approaches when skiing is just the mode of transportation rather than the sole activity for having fun. Particularly in the PNW chunder that I ski 90% of the time, having a ski that is more downhill oriented is more worth it to me than saving a few oz or even lbs on the way up. (And this is coming from a guy who counts grams when climbing or backpacking.)

[GeezerSteve]

maxtrax, I've spent a bit of time touring in PNW snow over the past 20 years.

My post was directed to OP's use of the term "perfect Northwest touring ski." Deeming any gear as "perfect" is a bold claim, and invites scrutiny. The "perfect" touring skis for a serious PNW 160 lb. skier weigh closer to 6 lbs. Or maybe perfect touring skis don't yet exist.

If the term "perfect" is to have any real meaning, claims of perfection should not be defended as relativistic.

[maxtrax]

My point was that "perfect" is relative based on the user's intents, ability, fitness, etc. The "perfect" ski for 5 days of hut skiing (Justice in my case) is different than the "perfect" ski for spring corn on the Muir (Baker SL for me) which is different than the "perfect" ski for skiing Liberty Ridge (which I'll never know because I don't have the balls or ability to ski with Sky).

For me, having 4 years of skiing experience compared to your 20+ I prefer something that will do more of the work for me and doesn't get bounced around as much as something in the 6lb range, thus my favorite every day/quiver of one type skis are old Verdicts and new Kilowatts. That said if I hadn't just bought 2 pairs of boots I would be in the shop tenderly waxing my new pair of Justices rather than spraying on the internet ... who knows maybe I'll just eat pb and rice for the next month in order to buy a pair - they were that fun for me.

[Jim S]

The perfect ski will morph into a buxom blonde who can hold her breath and blow you at the end of the day in the hot tub.

[jasonsalvo]

Update:

Did I say "perfect NW touring ski?" Well.... sure, nothing is perfect. The skis are pretty ugly. They aren't light. And they certainly can't morph into a buxom blonde. But those flaws aside, they do get the job done.

Since my trip to BC, I've skied them in the shittiest of shitty conditions and in the nicest of conditions. For what it's worth, they are pretty right for the NW. Unlike other rockered skis I've skied (and unlike my perception of these skis after skiing light BC powder with them) they aren't as loose as I had thought. I'd say, they aren't even as loose as my Gotamas. The tail is moderately stiff and when the snow gets crappy, grabby, crusty, etc, they like to be driven. This is not a bad thing, but definitely a thing.

But, they are fun. They like to go fast and they do turn easily. And they are about the right size for a non-summertime touring ski for around here.

So there. Yeah. They are the prefect NW touring ski. Or a pretty great one anyway.

[GeezerSteve]

. . . "perfect" is relative. . . .

Gee, and for decades I've operated with the understanding that perfection was an ideal standard, free from relativistic tempering. When did they change the definition?

Gee thee to a philosophy class.

[CTR]

I also skied 181 Sidestashes (tele with T1 boots and Voile free pivot bindings) at Campbell Icefield Chalet Feb 20th.......I have skied lots of other heavier and lighter skis in the backcountry.........for their size relatively light IMHO.....handled everything well and very fun....they were fine for traversing and held an edge well enough when needed to on firm/slick stuff......no they are NOT my favorite inbounds ski if it is hardpack.....I am 6'2" and 200# and was plenty happy with 181....no desire for longer for extra weight.......there is no "six pound ski" in near these dimensions that I could enjoy overall in the backcountry if pow is involved.....purely skinning up with a toothpic is fine, but I want to enjoy the down.........significant part of the reason for purchase was a good price (sure didn't pay list), but I like the ski for the backcountry if it includes powder and junk........for spring skimountaineering with only firm and corn, I will ski something narrower (and a little lighter).....CTR

[hop]

Gee, and for decades I've operated with the understanding that perfection was an ideal standard, free from relativistic tempering. When did they change the definition?

Gee thee to a philosophy class.

Ever think that if someone says a ski is perfect and you say it's not, that means that there is something wrong with you?

[GeezerSteve]

No. I am already well aware that there's plenty wrong with me.

Over the past 20 years, I've witnessed the word extreme eroding to the point of meaninglessness. The terms perfect and perfection seem to be well on their way.

[wildskizer]

No. I am already well aware that there's plenty wrong with me.

Over the past 20 years, I've witnessed the word extreme eroding to the point of meaninglessness. The terms perfect and perfection seem to be well on their way.

Now that's cause for "celebration time, COME ON!"
Cheers

[stuckathuntermtn]

So with a shop in town doing free demos, I got to take a pair of these out. Unfortunately, it was in far less than ideal conditions, but that's a better test for a ski anyway. I had the 181's which look to be about 183-185 in actually length standing up. They appeared to have a really good tune on them. Especially considering what a big box store they came from (Bob Ward's).

A 185 Nordica Enforcer is my everyday ski.

The short: These skis are scary fast, but mount them 1-2 cms back of the line and really detune if you want the tails to release ever.

I'm 6' 180 or so. Decent skier, I guess. Never raced. I like power, trees, etc. I've been skiing from a very centered stance, but I've been trying to lean forward more, because I also start to tailgun too easily.

Conditions were skied off powder, bumps, bumpy trees with a few inches of fresh, fresh corduroy, and the sun was out for a change.

These skis are fast. Scary fast. And do not get in the back seat. My first impression was that short turns and skids in moguls and trees were nearly impossible. They have a 25m turn radius, and that's what they want to do. I thought the ski looked like it had a little too much tail, and it skied that way, too. Pressuring my heals could not make them skid over moguls or slarve through fresh.

One thing I noticed right away, was that even being a little too forward, the rocker and geometry of the tip will not let it sink. You can drive forward, headlong into a soft mogul, and the ski will go up over it in stead of getting stuck or deflected.

With no new snow, and a weekend, there was some grooming going on, and these skis were incredibly fun. You can ski incredibly fast, doing perfect GS turns way high on your edges. They actually had a practice course set up for the kids ski team (open to the public) and they railed it.

I went through the trees of Nutcracker, and they were pretty fun. Again, retarded fast. Because of their seeming inability to do short turns, I found myself hesitant to pick lines that required tight turns and threading the needle. Not cool. Riding the gully out of the trees, you can't really turn. The skis rocketed forward, and I found myself hanging on for dear life. Hit the bank, tumbled while hooking a sapling, and almost blew my knee. I felt my ACL streeetch. It hurt.
So this brings me to a tangent: Marker Griffons. They fucking suck. I've been skiing with 912's at a 9, and they do fine a guess. Not only did I not release (and they seem to have no elastic travel), but since the Griffons are really hard to click in and out of, I couldn't get my ski to release while I was laying there all tangled. Makes me scared of what would happen head first into a tree well.

Ok, so back up to the ski partol shack. Turned down the DIN, moved the bindings back a bit, and just sat for a minute. The fall really freaked me out.

Went out, skied a little more, but dialed it back. Stopped in again to move the bindings back so I was at least 1cm behind midsole. It might have been more. Detuned hard.

Vous la! At lower speeds, but still with some work, I could skid the tails. The skis still didn't respond well to being pressed in the heal, which is how I'm used to skiing powder. I wish I could have skied some deeper stuff to see what skiing powder way forward on the balls of your feat is like. They like to be leaned forward into, and up on their edges. My inner east coast child was very happy they way they railed groomers, way up on their edge, without a hint of losing grip, or chattering.

They are light, and can be thrown around. Sudden changes of direction at high speed my require a jump turn.

Some things I didn't like (besides the Griffon, and the skis' need to go mach 12): Being rockered tips, they flap at high speed, but you don't feel it, and you don't see it unless you look straight down. They are not forgiving in the slightest. Picking up speed over skied out bowls, you start to get bounced around. They take a lot of work to slow down, and to ski moguls and tight trees. It was a lot better once I moved the bindings back and detuned.

Another weird thing, and this may have been the tune:
As you slide down the icy side of a mogul, they can't decide of they want to grip or slide. It seams like because of the rockered, and softish tips, they can't quite grab (remember, at this point you're throwing them sideways, setting up for the next turn), yet the under foot and tail sections of the ski are sharpened and really grabby. This created a painful and exhausting buffeting. I think maybe something could be done with the tune to let them slide, without giving up too much edge hold. Yeah, moguls were definitely work, and I'm not a great mogul skier.

Stomping small airs is definitely cushioned by how big they are, but I mean really small airs. Like a foot or two. I mostly keep it on the snow.

They're great skis, but I don't think they suited me. I have a big vag so I can't charge hard every second I'm on the ski, especially when everything's all bumped up. Perhaps with a different tune, ( like 1 and 1 base/side, vigorous detuning) they would have been easier to throw around, idk.
I really wanted to try the Elan Olympus Mons, but they only had a 176. I'd really like to try something bigger, but just as easy to ski as the Enforcers. Just more stability and float in pow. Anyone have some Helixes?

Anyway, if you still reading this, congratulations, you must really be a gear nerd. I hope I have provided useful information here.
Even though it's nuking right now, I think I'm gonna go to class tomorrow. That thing with my knee really scared me, and it hurts.

[hiplainsdrifter]

^ very good review. I am amazed that the 181 was giving you so much trouble. I am the same size as you and was considering the 188s for quite a while. I ended up going with 186 Viciks and had a similar but not quite as dramatic experience as you- they love speed and a forward stance, and don't like quick movements or backseat riding at all. I have noticed that both Viciks and Sidestashes have gotten a lot of rave reviews- all from bigger dudes, like over 200 lbs. Perhaps these skis are just better for heavier riders? Scott is making me some soft Viciks right now, I hope they are the ticket. Oh, and when your knee stops aching, you should really go ride- as BB is on the Top Snowfall list, and dumping more right now...

[stuckathuntermtn]

thanks dude. Yeah, it was a lot of ski. Me knee is fine, had a great afternoon. It's mostly mental. Are you in Bozeman or Missoula? I'd love to try some Viciks.
It's funny, at first my Enforcers, which are no slouches, felt like twigs. Maybe it's the silly twin tip, but their definitely ok with backseat driving, and I found myself getting too far back in all the deep blower, but you could skid around a mogul, and thread the needle through 2 trees. I think I said in another thread that my boots are too soft.

Anyone have a 186 Helix in the Missoula area? I'm a 315 BSL.

For some weird reason, I also think 1010's or Olympus Mons's would be more smear able.

If I were bigger/more athletic/skied them today I would probably love them, but I can't just charge everything anytime.