K2 SideSeth Skis 2013

Comments about K2 SideSeth Skis 2013:

First off I am 6-3 220 and this review is for the 188. I picked these up towards the end of the 12-13 season and have skied on them maybe 6-7 times, and unfortunately not in any deep freshies. I have skied hard snow, hard frozen snow, packed cold snow (if in the Rockies it would be packed powder, but the PNW always seems to have too much moisture so the snow seems to set up more) corn, corn with crust, corn with wet snow sluffs, new snow that got warm, that got a frozen crust on it and then more new snow, etc.
The rocker tip is great, it eases turn-in for steeper, tight lines, and also in crud, so you are not catching the tip when initiating turns in crud and mank snow.
The turned up tail proved itself on tight chute lines, as advertised.
I have skied Braindamage, Powder Bowl, Grubstake, Elk Chutes, Adrenaline et al and even in the 188 is easy to get around on the steeps.
You can go pretty fast on the groomers, the harder and more frozen the groomers the more it sucks, the softer and more trenchable the more fun you will have, pretty much like many wide skis. At about 50 MPH (GPS) you really need to be paying attention on the groomers. Stay on the middle/middle rear and you can lay down some good carves. But with all that said, if you don't view groomers as something to get you somewhere to ski then you may want to rethink SideSeths.
Where this ski really shines (so far remember I have not skied deep fresh yet) is on chopped up/crud. Very stable, easy turn initiation and confidence inspiring. Though you can maneuver these skis around in tight spaces because of the rocker tip, they really comes alive as you ratchet up the speed, hence the not for the faint of heart title. If you are comfortable going a bit faster these puppies deliver.
The first full on session I had with the SS was ~10" new partially skied out, sun warmed with 1/2-1" suncrust, with another couple inches of new. This was on Meister,Eisfallen, Dom at Alpental night skiing and SS cut it up, blew throught the sun crust and was very stable. No one else was sking it, it was a mank fest I was loving it. Immediately felt very confident on this ski.
One other aspect I like and is fun, and I think in part because of the camber it the tail is the confidence to throw these things sideways at any time to scrub speed if needed.
For airtime, stable platform all around.
So all in, these are now, and will be in 13-14 my everyday go-to boards regardless of conditions.

Comments about K2 SideSeth Skis 2013:

I demoed a bunch of different skis, looking for something that allows me to float in powder, is stable enough at speed, quick enough in the trees and doesn't get thrown around in the chop and crud. The SideSeth was the best I found.

Armada JJ is nimble and easy, but has a definite speed limit. Blizzard Bodacious is a stable tank, but it doesn't like to turn. The Line Opus and Atomic Automatic just didn't feel right. Volkl Shiro felt intuitive and has awesome edge grip, but didn't float as well and seemed to have a problem with hooking tips. Salomon Rocker2 115 is similar to the SideSeth. It's a bit lighter and turnier, but not quite as stable.

The SideSeth is super stiff and stable, floats with ease on its huge shovel, turns easily in the trees and has no problem handling the chop. Awesome ski.

Comments about K2 SideSeth Skis 2013:

Having skied for 40 years on just about everything, this is hands down the best ski I have ever skied. Does everything very well. Powder, crud, groomers, trees, even bumps. I really wanted to like the modern twin tip centered style like the DPS Wailer or the JJ, but the tail on this ski let's you do everything. Very stable at speed yet quick when needed. If you don't ski backwards (I don't) this is a brilliant all-mountain ski.

Comments about K2 SideSeth Skis 2013:

This ski is a great all around ski. we skied about 2 ft of dense pow. The rocker in the tip was super helpful staying on top. It was quick in the trees and the tails released like a regular ski. If you are looking for a good all mountain ski great in pow and groomers this is it. Great compliment to a huge pow ski.

Comments about K2 SideSeth Skis 2013:

I really liked the SideSeth in a 188. I've alwasy found that the ObSethed is a great ski all-around and the SideStash was to difficult to release in the tail due to the extended camber and 2 sheets of metal. Personally I don't like the feel of a metal ski. For charging hard I like a stiffer ski, but find that metal doesn't have enough flex. The beauty of the SideSeth is that is still quite stiff because of the carbon (instead of titanium) in it, which allows it flex some but with a lot of snap and rebound. This is a great ski for someone who likes a lot of tip rocker for float with a little bit of tail rocker for tail release, but who prefers a directional ski.

Comments about K2 SideSeth Skis 2013:

Love these Skis.
Over the winter I demo'd 8 different skis in this category, but kept coming back to the Sideseths. Far and away the best experience I had.
Predictable, fun, really improved my confidence in powder and on steeps.
They are surprisingly good on groomers and very stable at speed.

Comments about K2 SideSeth Skis 2013:

If you have shopping for the latest Seth ski take note, it's a bigger beefier ski than the Pistol, Vicious and Obsethed of yesteryear. The Longer camber profile and flatter tail give the ski a powerful snap from one turn to the next. It has lost some forgiveness from his previous signature skis especially in the shorter swing turns. They can be done be done on this ski, it just takes a bit more effort and finess. And if you like opening it up, you will love the increased stabilty at high speeds in anything from variable to blower.

Comments about K2 SideSeth Skis 2013:

Skied the 188 Sideseths and it handles the deep very well. This ski has great float and a ton of power. The firm tail with a little rocker give the ski strong feel at the end of the turn. Made for strong skiers. Also handles the groomer with ease.

Comments about K2 SideSeth Skis 2013:

Smooth & predictable, and noticeably light for its 118mm width. Preferred groopmed surfaces and mix conditions to thick untracked snow. Could be a good choice for someone in the market for a wide touring ski.

Comments about K2 SideSeth Skis 2013:

If you love charging and want something that makes you feel comfortable at high speeds these skis are for you. They perform best at high speeds and in wide open spaces. Not super responsive at slower speeds and aren't the best for tree skiing but get the job done. These skis perform best for what they are designed for which is touring/mountaineering and shredding sick lines. Not the lightest setup but durable, reliable, and blast through anything. Also hold there own on groomers, making fat Super G turns. These things rip, I love them.

Comments about K2 SideSeth Skis 2013:

In cut up or less snow it was firm and strong for long powerful turns, in the heavy deep snow, the Sideseth found the bottom layer of snow (sometimes 2ft under!) I found it hard to maintain turns since it was digging so deep. It felt more at home once up to full speed making GS turns where it could stay on top.