 Poster: A snowHead
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My brother-in-law has a pair of K2 Moto Cross 06/07. They were recommended to him by an instructor and by the way he skis the piste on them, they seam to be great fun! However, until today, i'd never heard of K2 (shoot me now if necessary).
So, what are they like? Do K2 make good skis? Anyone got a pair?
Cheers
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's a big hill in the Himalayas 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Apache Recons are prob the most popular x mountain ski, they are pretty good
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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k2's are massive in the park world and wannabe all mountaineers but then that includes me too, so i cant say anything!!!
the best ski was prob the Public Enemy which has now been superceeded with the extreme, exactly the same except the top sheet is supposed to be harder wearing, which was a problem on the old ones, I think K2 have a reasonable ladies line also.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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They've been around for years. My first 'owned' skis were K2 TR Comp, 195cm with Salomon 957 Composite bindings - GS skis I think they were. Bought them in 1989 and only binned them about three years ago when clearing out the garage. OH would not let me ski on them in recent years.
Almost invested in some Apache Recons a couple of years ago but went for Atomic GS9's instead.
They were (are?) great skis though.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Wed 17-12-08 10:26; edited 1 time in total
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while you're at it can you tell me if salomon, volkl, atomic and rossignol are any good? 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I can vouch for the Atomics - love mine. Not sure how they'd cope off-piste though (I'm strictly a piste man!) - depends on what you want.
Don't know about the others, but I'm sure someone will be along soon....
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K2 are a mainstream major ski brand, been around for donkeys years. First pair of K2 skis I owned date back to the early 80s.
Surprised you've never heard of them really. Most shops stock them.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I had the same as Jon.L green K2 logos all over, they were a superb ski. They are an American brand.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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used to be great, went through a sticky patch re quality, now back on form again. I has a pair of 8.3 Extreme years ago, loved them.
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Thanks for the info. shoogly, seriously no fishing going on here ...
Ok so it really looks like I should have know about K2's.  Until recently when i've started to look into buying skis, I normally walk into a ski shop, look at all the nice colours on the skis ... and walk out thinking one day i'll have enough cash.
Right, next step ... which one's for me. The Recon as an all mountain ski as suggested above me thinks. However, I know I can get a new pair of the Moto Cross' my brother-in-law has for 299€.
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You know it makes sense.
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what kind of skiing do you do?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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shoogly, i'm happy on nearly all pistes, not great on bumps and not really got a clue about off piste but would like to venture out there. For my skiing right now, a good carving ski like the K2 Crossfire would be great but I think it would eventually limit what I want to do because they seam too narrow underfoot for off piste. That's why I thought about the Apache Recon.
What do you reckon? A safe bet?
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Poster: A snowHead
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... oh and i'm unlikely to buy skis in the next few months until i've been to the Alps and tested some. I want to make sure that if I went with something like the K2 Recon it is the right ski for me. At the moment, i'm just getting an idea of models I maybe interested in.
Cheers
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Why not buy them before you go? If you've got a good local retailer, although you may not be able to try them but they should give you some sort of satisfaction guarantee so if you don't like them you can return them at no more than the cost of the rental you will incur, particularly with the euro situation at present......!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Great kit if it is good enough for Doug Coombes it is good enough for me!!! Had a pair of public Enemies and can only say good things about them. I know that the Recons,the Tornados, magfires, and Nomads are all great all mountain skis.
K2 do have good kit and the Coombes are meant to be awsome.
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| Kersh wrote: |
uktrailmonster, i've had a look at quite a few other brands. I was looking at the Volkl AC30 today but I think it maybe too agressive for me.
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Had a very quick demo on AC30s a couple of years ago. Quite stiff and powerful from what I remember, but decided they weren't quite what I wanted for mainly soft pistes and powder. Prefer Head Monster iM82s, which are very good at most things.
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uktrailmonster, thanks for the info. In that case i'll give the AC30 a wide berth as I don't think my skiing is up to that.
Cheers
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Kersh, If you want something capable, but more laid back, then Rossi Bandit SC80s might be a good choice. Haven't tried them personally, but the older B2s were an easy ride and quite versatile.
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I own a pair of 2007 Crossfires, 167cm, they're the best skis I've ever tried. I remember they were scarily quick on my first couple of weeks on them, but this may be to do with me always hiring skis before and these were brand new without any scarring or dents.
The quickest I rented were a crazy pair of 172cm Volkls in 2006, a bit long for me I thought (I'm 185cm tall) but the hire guy said give them a go. I went like the clappers down the Combe de Saulire in Courchevel a couple of times and I was hooked.
I think the Crossfires carve better though, and I'm predominately a piste skier anyway. My mate last year on my recommendation when he was with me in Meribel rented a pair of Recons, and he loved them. There's an extra couple of cms of width along the ski, especially under the binding area, and it seemed to have given him extra oomph in the deep stuff when we skiied through a blizzard above Mottaret. But then again he is Swedish and has been skiing for around 20 years since a nipper.
I'd suggest you try out the Recons for a day or two if you're not sure, and then maybe make an offer on them in a hire/purchase deal if you can? My mate took two days to get used to them, it took me longer to get used to my Crossfires but I love them now.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Kersh, agree with tommy10pages, on the Crossfires - bought them a couple of years ago and are fantastic. Bought them after Daily Mail Ski mag rated them as one of the best skis of the year
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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tommy10pages, thanks for the info. Sounds like I should add both the Recon and the Crossfire to my list to test and see how I get on.
If I bought a pair of all mountain skis, should I learn off piste first so I can then test the all mountain ski properly? At the moment as i've said, i'm not an off piste skier. It's on my wish list of things to do so when I test skis this year, it will be on the piste. I therefore assume i'll like the Crossfire more than the Recon because I like carving. I'm a bit worried that i'll end up not liking the all mountain ski as much as the piste ski but buying it anyway ... so I can ski somewhere I can't currently ski.
Is this a sensible move or am I just thinking about it too much? 
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Kersh, You can ski off-piste on just about anything. Don't let the marketing of all-mountain skis put you off too much. It's true that wider skis make it easier to ski off-piste, but most modern recreational "piste" skis cope reasonably well too.
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You know it makes sense.
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Kersh, My mate was fine on the corduroy with the Recons, as quick as my Crossfires. But he was better in the fluff, by a little bit. It's up to you, either ski has its pluses and minuses. I'd try them out with a view to buying.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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fwiw, i've skied the recon, crossfire and xplorer (and now have the xplorer).
I'd say the xplorer is just as quick turning as the recon and actually a wee bit more forgiving... that's what i felt anyway. Both skis are capable of high speed carving as well and the xplorer actually has a larger sidecut, but with a slightly different shape which makes it easier to ski in soft snow. It's more stable and more fun and just as turny as the recon so i don't really see why you'd get the recon over the xplorer. All personal though so others might have different thoughts.
The crossfire is a different beast all together, imo. On piste it's absolutely phenomenal. Put the power into it and it's very quick but very smooth. It's like a train on piste and quick turns at speed are easy peasy, as long as you don't get in the back seat or let the ski overpower you. I only skied a small amount in softer/deeper snow and wouldn't want to go anywhere more serious than that with them off-piste. Just not stable enough in those conditions.
Now, i'll add another couple of skis into the equation for you 
I had, as did another couple of snowheads, the Fischer AMC79. Brilliant ski that could ski the whole mountain. It was a bit lighter than the K2s, but not where near as smooth (damp). they were really fast and gripped better on the groomers more than most other skis i've been on. They've been replaced this year but they are available heavily discounted as they're now last seasons models. The AMC73 has a deeper sidecut and shorter turn radius but are still wider than the K2 Crossfire underfoot. I've not skied the 73 but have spent time with a mate who has them and he loves them for most all mountain conditions.
As has been said though, there's loads of skis out there - go try them then buy the ones that make you happiest.
oh... and with all of these skis, it is possible to carve off piste as well
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Poster: A snowHead
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| shoogly wrote: |
| The crossfire is a different beast all together, imo. On piste it's absolutely phenomenal. Put the power into it and it's very quick but very smooth. It's like a train on piste and quick turns at speed are easy peasy, as long as you don't get in the back seat or let the ski overpower you. I only skied a small amount in softer/deeper snow and wouldn't want to go anywhere more serious than that with them off-piste. Just not stable enough in those conditions. |
Agree with all of that. The first ski on them after I bought them, it was like I'd just got my driving test in a Focus, then jumped into a Ferrari. I've got used to them now but on piste there was way too much horsepower when I first skiied them. The only way to keep in control is to get up over them and definitely avoid the back seat, they've been good for my stance.
They are quite average in powder, but then so am I!
K2 say in the blurb that Crossfires are 80% piste, 20% off, which is about right.
Perhaps the OP should be looking at something a bit fatter than these.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| tommy10pages wrote: |
Perhaps the OP should be looking at something a bit fatter than these. |
A good candidate for Rossi Bandits I reckon
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I have the Elan Magfire and really like it. You can generally get them pretty cheap off ebay as they aren't as popular in the Uk, definately worth a look
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Kersh, By mid-March there will be a few sales started and perhaps a few returns from early season skiers. Leave it till the last minute, I reckon.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Kersh, Think the newer Crossfires have a wider waste that the ones I've got (06/07) so would possibly be mroe adaptable to off piste?????
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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If you're going to be in Munich, and if you have transport, you could take a drive to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and pay a visit to Sport Conrad. They have very good prices all year round and are well known as a good place to go for discounted skis. If you're lucky, you could also ski there.
http://www.sport-conrad.com/index.asp?lang_id=ENG
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Should I worry about buy previous years skis if I can get a bargain? Just noticed that Sport Conrad have last years Moto Cross for 250€ (cheers shoogly)
Kersh
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Kersh, I never worry about buying older skis myself. Bought three pairs of past-season K2s from the US this year. Nothing wrong with them at all.
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Kersh, there's favourable reviews of the moto cross here
http://www.ski-review.com/content/view/370/30/
good choice of ski if you're going to be sticking to the groomers. you did mention earlier that you might want to venture off piste and onto the bumps... wrong ski for that kind of thing.
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FAQ
I'll take a look at the Saloman X Wing Tornado too. 
