K2 Dispatch series

[shank]

Rens are a bit heavy, bmt122 are out of production. Faction La Machine Max seems like it ticks a lot of the same boxes?


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[griffinmyers]

so what happened with Snowcountry ? they had you send back your pair ?

Nothing yet, just told them to forward my info to K2, now waiting to hear from them.

I'd like to hold onto the D120 and use it for day tours around the Wasatch. At the same time, want something with a reputation for durability for longer trips into huts.

[MoeSnow]

Selling 120s in the gear swap page for $300 flat. My touring quiver is small and something going wrong with a pair mid-season would be a big bummer for me. If someone wants to risk it for the biscuit and pick up a pair for cheap I think $300 is an okay bargain.

[arild]

So, where do we go from here?

I'll take obvious interest when K2 gets the Dispatch series back out, but in the meantime what are some good options for touring skis that are:

* Directional
* Powder-specific (~120)
* Damp
* Reverse camber
* Not too heavy

?

Not 120mm, but my Heritage C113s are reasonably damp for their weight.

support the raddest project going: http://heritagelabskis.com

[altacoup]

I own the 120, renegades and faction la machine. Haven’t skied my 120s yet. But the shape looks dialed. La machine is awesome but I did mount them something like +4 to make them feel more like a renegade. Don’t think I’d like them on the line.

[Shorty_J]

Rens are a bit heavy, bmt122 are out of production. Faction La Machine Max seems like it ticks a lot of the same boxes?


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Bmt 122 can still be found.

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[griffinmyers]

After the initial email from Snowcountry.eu and three requests directly to K2 for clarity, I still haven't heard a peep from K2. Not a great look.

Anyone heard directly from them?

[tompietrowski]

After the initial email from Snowcountry.eu and three requests directly to K2 for clarity, I still haven't heard a peep from K2. Not a great look.

Anyone heard directly from them?

I’m not fully up to speed with the dispatch ski issues but I ll try to help if I can. Who did you reach out to a k2? Have you contacted the shop you originally purchased the skis from? As o understand you will be able to return the skis there and get an exchanged product directly from the retailer.

[MoeSnow]

Had some excellent early season laps on my Dispatch 101s yesterday. I hope whatever the root-cause of the durability issue gets fixed this season, still a big fan.

[griffinmyers]

Who did you reach out to a k2? Have you contacted the shop you originally purchased the skis from?

I bought via snowcountry.eu; they were who originally informed me of some sort of issue. When I didn't hear from K2, I just submitted tickets through their customer support form.

[tompietrowski]

I bought via snowcountry.eu; they were who originally informed me of some sort of issue. When I didn't hear from K2, I just submitted tickets through their customer support form.

I would start by going back to snowcountry. They will be able to help you switch the skis out.

[kid-kapow]

the guy I sold my Dispatch120s to took them out for his first outing today, and this was the result - lap three.



The main culprit is likely that the titanal puts too much stress on the core making it explode, seeing that the new bioresin is supposedly a lot stronger than what they used before.

So yeah, the construction seemingly needs some tweaks... This is hardly the first pair that has exploded.

[griffinmyers]

So yeah, the construction seemingly needs some tweaks... This is hardly the first pair that has exploded.

Yikes.

On the phone the K2 rep suggested it's unclear if this ski will ever come back.

Two alternatives I'm looking at at the moment:

* Faction La Machine Max
* Moment Wildcat Tour 118 (at 190)

Can anyone offer any points of comparison? People love the WC Tour; as a directional skier I hadn't looked at it seriously, but some reviewers suggest it can be driven that way.

[XavierD]

I don’t believe there is much desire within K2 to bring these ski back. It sounds like it’s a more significant issue than finding some different epoxy.

Spending money to bring back a small market niche model with a serious flaw in its DNA probably ranks really low when you’re more worried about profitability. Capital is expensive and a perfectly executed Dispatch 2.0 probably won’t save K2 if they can’t figure out why the mindbenders aren’t selling that well (hint the graphics continue to suck).

[kid-kapow]

Yikes.

On the phone the K2 rep suggested it's unclear if this ski will ever come back.

Two alternatives I'm looking at at the moment:

* Faction La Machine Max
* Moment Wildcat Tour 118 (at 190)

Can anyone offer any points of comparison? People love the WC Tour; as a directional skier I hadn't looked at it seriously, but some reviewers suggest it can be driven that way.

I would also add ON3P BillyGoat Tour (weights at the bottom of this page) to that list. They can be used fairly similarly, to slash and pivot your way down the hill. 4FRNT Renegade and Inthaynes also come to mind (even if they weigh slightly more), as does SGN's Togga Carbon. The new take on the QST 118 called QST X (116mm ski with slight tweaks to the shape and given the same construction as the QST Echo) also seems like a good contender. So lots of good options imho.

I don’t believe there is much desire within K2 to bring these ski back. It sounds like it’s a more significant issue than finding some different epoxy.

Spending money to bring back a small market niche model with a serious flaw in its DNA probably ranks really low when you’re more worried about profitability. Capital is expensive and a perfectly executed Dispatch 2.0 probably won’t save K2 if they can’t figure out why the mindbenders aren’t selling that well (hint the graphics continue to suck).

yeah, you are probably right. The graphics are doing them no favors, yet I think they are making a lot skis that seem really good (on paper at least). It could be that they look better on snow, but most of their graphics seem very bland re



Wrt to Dispatches: I am guessing the terrain specific metal construction was a step too far. I wonder if changing the metal into separate parts would help reduce the forces acting on the core. I would imagine that the most important parts are the segments in the tips and the tails - the skis are very stout underfoot as is and will never slay hard snow regardless of there being any metal or not - so perhaps by keeping them and nixing the central chord and central segment (that has huge cutout) the design might actually work. I would imagine that they cut through the snow as a function of their shape, not due to the titanal providing strength / quiet things down front to back - but where the titanal up front / out back gives them more stability at speed. I would love for them to reintroduce D120 in a beefier construction or without the metal - that ski absolutely slays soft snow. Cue MOP.

[altacoup]

I’ve been skiing my 120s inbounds a few days. In pure untracked snow they’re great (and that’s definitely what they’re made for). However they feel a little too locked in and I’m thinking of remounting them forward. That said the tail of the ski is pretty stout. For those who’ve skied it mounted forward of recommended, did you find the tail to stiff mounted forward? I’m thinking of going +2


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[mr_pretzel]

I’ve been skiing my 120s inbounds a few days. In pure untracked snow they’re great (and that’s definitely what they’re made for). However they feel a little too locked in and I’m thinking of remounting them forward. That said the tail of the ski is pretty stout. For those who’ve skied it mounted forward of recommended, did you find the tail to stiff mounted forward? I’m thinking of going +2


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I’d probably avoid too many holes in them just to help them last a bit longer before exploding

[altacoup]

That thought has crossed my mind. But I’m also thinking that there’s a big disparity in construction (most likely epoxy). The skis that have a bad layup explode where as others survive. I know a few guys with a full season on dispatch 110 and 120 with no issues. I do think that k2 would be better off taking this shape and using the reckoner construction, which has an excellent on snow feel. Metal is overrated in skis (some of the all time stiffest charger skis were just wood and fiberglass), but is an excellent marketing point.

I’m also notorious at breaking skis. Since last January I’ve destroyed Salomon qst 118 and 106, og white room renegades, line blade optics and on3p wrens. So if they’ve survived so far I feel alright.

[jacob_dbu]

I re-mounted my 110s +1.5cm. I’d say they are better suited overall there but I haven’t skied that many days with them there yet. Maybe +1cm would be a sweet spot?

I agree they are too stiff for no reason. In untracked they are amazing, but in cut up snow I actually find them pretty awful. They hook up awkwardly and get bounced around without a nice plush suspension.

[kid-kapow]

I’ve been skiing my 120s inbounds a few days. In pure untracked snow they’re great (and that’s definitely what they’re made for). However they feel a little too locked in and I’m thinking of remounting them forward. That said the tail of the ski is pretty stout. For those who’ve skied it mounted forward of recommended, did you find the tail to stiff mounted forward? I’m thinking of going +2.

I mounted my pair at +2. I am not sure that really did much good to be honest - the tails felt kinda long / too present in the shit snow I skied them in. I never got to try them in dry, deep snow before moving them on mounted +2 though. The demos I skied at rec in proper conditions skied amazingly. My pair also had pivots on them, not Markers - so they were bound to feel a bit different.

Have you checked the tune aft of the contact points or the widest points of the ski? It could be that they are still overly sharp after a slight section of detuned edge right after the contact points / widest points (how a pair of mindbender 116cs I just mounted were finished by K2). If so, I would take a file to the edges and just round them off / detune the shit out of them. It could make for a surprisingly large difference in ride feel.

Metal is overrated in skis (some of the all time stiffest charger skis were just wood and fiberglass), but is an excellent marketing point.

metal adds torsional rigidity and quiets a ski down. But as you say, there are other ways to skin the cat that yields favorable outcomes other than metal.

impressive that your pair is still going strong - knock on wood. They are awesome skis in soft snow.

[kid-kapow]

Here are some closeups of the broken ski. The issue seems to be that the core has exploded, not delaminated due to the layers seperating.

[upallnight]

Here are some closeups of the broken ski. The issue seems to be that the core has exploded, not delaminated due to the layers seperating.

^^
Wow. That's astonishing!

Is this happening with the whole series?

I have been riding a pair of the Dispatch 120s last season + this year. I've found them to be a pretty phenomenal, directional ski for Teton-area powder. Quite light for their size, holding a powerful edge (for their width) and maintaining easy maneuverability in any new snow.

How widespread an issue is this? Got an email saying there was an issue and asking for contact info but did not hear back any further. I'd really not like to give these up (esp if there is no direct replacement). On the other hand, I do get to some reasonably remote places where ripping out a binding would be more than annoying.

In general, over many, many years of skiing (touring) and biking I have noticed I tend to have fewer issues than some others experience (e.g., skied the Fritschis & Scarpa Denalis (including on Denali) many years when they were the "best" option.

Did the above failure happen from just skiing on soft snow? Taking air? Backseat landing or stomp? Railing turns on hardback or in mixed conditions? Any crash or "just skiing along"?

Thanks!

[MoeSnow]

Wow, thanks for the pics Kid-Kapow.

I have a pair of 101s and 120s that make up my entire touring quiver. I think I will retire both in two seasons or so, getting back to the car on one ski would suck.

Curious if these issues are more common on the 120s than thinner models?

[kid-kapow]

I do not think that the issues are that wide spread, but that they happen more often than they should making K2 act proactively do prevent tourers being caught out or cause more bad press than they need to. K2 is seemingly asking more of the core than it can handle in some cases, but other than that - the 120 is def dialed.

The ski exploded on the third run of the day, doing a smaller drop into soft snow. So not outside of what they are designed to do imho.

I would be surprised if they do not re-introduce the 120 - it is a freaking amazing soft snow ski. Perhaps they only have to make the titanal be in the tips / tails to quiet them down a bit, not go tip to tail but. Or introduce flax.

[CHAIR_97]

The one I saw firsthand core separated similar to the picture above. Looks like pretty young wood

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