K2 Obsethed

From the white strip of death at Loveland to the deep powder peaks of Alaska, this is my tool of choice. Through the evolution of this ski the graphics have changed, the skis has gotten wider and rocker has been added. Year after year they get better.

Many people have the misconception that rocker is for "Powder Only". In fact its not, some rocker is made specifically for the deep powder like what you see on a Hellbent or a Pontoon. It doesn't mean those skis with that kind of rocker won't perform well on hard pack. Think of it as your ski is already bent how it would be going through the start of your turn. Rocker makes the ski react slower at the beginning of the turn on hardpack, something you will quickly get used to. K2 has made specific rocker for the skis general use. The amount of rocker on the ObSethed is just enough to give you a catch free edge feel in hardpack and crusty top skins of snow. Also enough to add to flotation initiation in powder.

Seeing its width the ski holds well on firm conditions as in groomers, you can ski bumps, but not the zipper line so much. I make bigger turns and ski the tops where the snow is usually softer out here in the west. If they are firm why bother. This ski is made to be an everyday ski, if it's super deep or you want to ski moguls all the time, you most likely want to have skis tailored for that specific part of skiing.

As for mounting, the ObSethed is 3cms longer than the Pistols and Vicious versions. The rocker is why its this way, since rocker makes a ski, ski shorter. K2 makes their rocker skis a bit longer than what the length actually says. The "traditional" point is where you want to go with if your not into being forward on the ski. After that I would not go more than plus 3 from there if your skiing out west. Most people go with "traditional".

On another note the waist width stays the same on all lengths of the ObSethed, were as other companies get narrower as they get smaller. The core profile is all that changes from the sizes. 189 and 179 are totally different in that respect, think size of the skier and making the ski forgiving for that individual.

These skis are perfect for just about everything (nipple deep I use my hellbents, but these would work just fine). First thing i noticed is how much these skis like speed! they perform very well on high speed groomers, and straight-lining chop on the cirque! Very nimble maneuvering through early season stumps, rocks, moguls, etc. *****Base is made of great material and is extremely durable along with the edges, K2 has me sold on this feature, have not blown any edges in last 3 years of punishing different K2 sticks. Seth has the right idea on mounting, after all he helped design it!!!! ..... thanks for another pair dreams on my feet!
bottom line: perfect combo of rocker/camber/carve for just about anything any mountain throws at you! a "one-ski-quiver" type ski
P.S.: and it looks sooooooooooooo goood!!!!!

I work in a ski shop and have the opportunity to make buying decisions and ride a lot of different skis. I have to be very impressed by a ski to actually buy it for myself. The obsethed is the ski I bought this year. I have skied full on reverse camber skis, And I love them, but there were some big trade offs on anything that wasn't soft. As Seth said in his review I can have fun on the seth whatever the conditions are. The ski impressed me most in crud, I no longer need a extra stiff Volkl style crudbuster ski in my quiver. With just the right amount of rocker My tips ride on top of the chop and make me more confident and comfortable in crud.

This ski is one of the bests on the market.. rented it when i went to snowbird and demoed it up at stratton.. the ski can handle whatever you throw its way and it will perform with ease, it is awesome in powder but is still very fun in the park and on groomers.. here is a pic of my brother riding it out in snowbird

so I have the 189 mounted at +3. good amount of float. wouldn't want to go any further forward, the tips would dive and there would be too much tail. so definitely a fun ski. they are stable but i would say that they need to be STIFFER. they definitely get tossed around when shit gets cut up.

I am in love with these skis.
I am 6'2" and demos the 179 and found them a little small feeling because of the rocker. Definitely go a size bigger if you want a good amount of edge and stability. Best skis I have skied.
Love em to death