K2 pressing skis in the good ole USA again

[L8APX]

Seems newsworthy that K2 just released a limited 50 units run of mindbenders made in WA at their ARC.

https://k2snow.com/en-us/p/mindbender-106-ti-usa-skis

[waveshello]

Wow I love my MBs but not to the tune of $1200.

Glad to hear they're making skis in WA again though--anyone know if these are being made on vashon?

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[PhishingME]

Wow I love my MBs but not to the tune of $1200.

Glad to hear they're making skis in WA again though--anyone know if these are being made on vashon?

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I bought my daughter a pair of the Pinnacle Jr. and they had the worst finish I've ever seen on a pair of skis. Never. Again.

What's the deal with the hybrid cap/sidewall construction? Atomic does it as well, but seems odd.

[gregL]

What's the deal with the hybrid cap/sidewall construction? Atomic does it as well, but seems odd.

Lots of companies do it. Sidewall underfoot for edge hold, cap at the tips and tails for topsheet durability. K2 doesn't make anything on Vashon anymore, all the presses are on the mainland, south of Seattle. They've always prototyped in the US, you just haven't been able to buy them.

[mtdurk]

Why is it a 106 rather than 108ti? Different ski?


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[mr_pretzel]

Why is it a 106 rather than 108ti? Different ski?


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I’m also wondering this.

Also can we have the 116ti now?

[SirVicSmasher]

I’m also wondering this.

Also can we have the 116ti now?

Preach!

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[MD12]

Lots of companies do it. Sidewall underfoot for edge hold, cap at the tips and tails for topsheet durability. K2 doesn't make anything on Vashon anymore, all the presses are on the mainland, south of Seattle. They've always prototyped in the US, you just haven't been able to buy them.

Kastle fx95 hp is same semi cap at tips. Best built ski I’ve been on. And total badass ski.

[waveshello]

Why is it a 106 rather than 108ti? Different ski?


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Yeah wondering where it falls in the weight continuum, if it's heavier than the 108ti like the 99ti is.

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[AEV]

TBH, I'd probably pay $900ish retail for some USA made Shreditor 112s or the 118mm Obsetheds, with beefy quality materials. I'd buy BOTH those. You hear me K2! F this Reckoner noise, too light for me inbounds.

[SirVicSmasher]

TBH, I'd probably pay $900ish retail for some USA made Shreditor 112s or the 118mm Obsetheds, with beefy quality materials. I'd buy BOTH those. You hear me K2! F this Reckoner noise, too light for me inbounds.

Nothing wrong with the reckoners.

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[tuco]

K2 lost me yrs ago, way before china production.
K2 has never used beefy quality materials.
I wouldn't mind skiing them, but I'm not forkin' over hard earned duckets for 'em

[HukuTa_KydecHuk]

K2 lost me yrs ago, way before china production.
K2 has never used beefy quality materials.
I wouldn't mind skiing them, but I'm not forkin' over hard earned duckets for 'em

Well, recently they changed. Don't know about quality of wood or epoxy, but I saw K2 is using 2.5 edges and 1.8mm base for some skis, which is the same as ON3P does. Even Moment is using thinner edges and base.

[L8APX]

Everyone loves a good comeback story. I really don’t have a opinion on price add for made in the USA but there is a clear market for it. I like my mindbenders which were the first K2’s I have owned since my SLC’s in 1995 maybe? Good for them for making decisions based on what skiers want not what the boardroom wants.

Looks like the 106ti is 1800 ish grams vs 2200 grams for the 108ti in the 186

[tuco]

Well, recently they changed. Don't know about quality of wood or epoxy, but I saw K2 is using 2.5 edges and 1.8mm base for some skis, which is the same as ON3P does. Even Moment is using thinner edges and base.

K2's from my experience have super soft sidewalls(unless finally changed) meaning minor little bent edge compressions.
If you want to bring in ON3P to this, at least the 3P's are 2/3's the price

[glademaster]

K2's from my experience have super soft sidewalls(unless finally changed) meaning minor little bent edge compressions.
If you want to bring in ON3P to this, at least the 3P's are 2/3's the price

2/3's the price for 1/2 the performance!

[tuco]

On your feet, I don't doubt that

[tuco]

Everyone loves a good comeback story. I really don’t have a opinion on price add for made in the USA but there is a clear market for it. I like my mindbenders which were the first K2’s I have owned since my SLC’s in 1995 maybe? Good for them for making decisions based on what skiers want not what the boardroom wants.

Looks like the 106ti is 1800 ish grams vs 2200 grams for the 108ti in the 186

Yeah, I do wish them well.

[Quandary]

When I was young I skied K2s, we are talking K2 3s, 4s, Comps. They were made in the US and were a leading edge brand. They were acquired and it was all down hill from there. They were acquired again and a couple of years ago Jed Yeiser was hired as lead ski designer. It seems to me their new skis are very good from a design standpoint. The Mindbender 108 TI that I have been skiing for two years has held up quite well and is a great ski. It will be interesting to if they continue down the road to a return to respectability .

[kathleenturneroverdrive]

It's so strange that people think K2 built in the USA = quality. When K2 was still building on Vashon the only good thing about their freeride skis was that they were so easy to delaminate you could buy one pair and warranty the broken ones for years. That worked even after they added rivets (you could still delaminate them between the rivets). Of course, construction is different now so these will certainly be better, but the whole USA made = stronger/better is a total myth.

[nickwm21]

I think we will see a few Asian made brands experiment with domestic manufacturing in the next 12mos... I imagine there will be some learning curves....


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[waxman]

It's so strange that people think K2 built in the USA = quality. When K2 was still building on Vashon the only good thing about their freeride skis was that they were so easy to delaminate you could buy one pair and warranty the broken ones for years. That worked even after they added rivets (you could still delaminate them between the rivets). Of course, construction is different now so these will certainly be better, but the whole USA made = stronger/better is a total myth.

I was thinking the same thing. The warranty rate on the USA made skis was astronomical, quality actually went up when they moved to china. Can't say they skied any better but the warranty rate went way down.

[PhishingME]

Kastle fx95 hp is same semi cap at tips. Best built ski I’ve been on. And total badass ski.

Interesting. Do they utilize that construction for stuff out of the race room?

Guess I'm old school as I like my full sidewalls. Must be cheaper to do hybrid than change the core materials?

[XXX-er]

It's so strange that people think K2 built in the USA = quality. When K2 was still building on Vashon the only good thing about their freeride skis was that they were so easy to delaminate you could buy one pair and warranty the broken ones for years. That worked even after they added rivets (you could still delaminate them between the rivets). Of course, construction is different now so these will certainly be better, but the whole USA made = stronger/better is a total myth.

This ^^ anything you can make in the USA can be made somewhere else in the world, just as well, probably cheaper

including COVID

[Sessiøn]

2/3's the price for 1/2 the performance!

Show me on the doll where they hurt you.