I was looking for something to use on the piste only, which would work on all types of snow, particularly hard pack and ice. Top contenders were anything from Volkl and K2, and any other slalom race type thing. I tried just about all the slalom and GS race skis that I could, and all were great but (very) hard work. Especially for a lard-arse like me - I had to sit down after every run to recover. The K2s were different. Much easier to use, and compared to some of the other slalom skis, much more forgiving - except at speed. This is the only downside I have noticed so far. But just keep on turning and everything is fine - there is a massive amount of grip available in the turn. Very spriiingy between turns too. Love em.

Recently purchased these to replace K2 Merlin IVs, an all mountain ski. They were my first set of shaped skis and I was amazed at how easy they were to turn. I liked them even better after I learned how to carve. I wanted even more performance and came across the Mach S''. I''m 43, not in great shape and like to ski moderately fast, quick turns down the fall line. Usually on groomed snow. For me these are killer skis. Very quick edge to edge, carve or skid, holds a great edge but this comes at a price. You must have your weight center or forward. Lean back as you''re coming out a turn and you''re on your kiester. That fact however really has made me a more disciplined skier. Also ski seems squirrely at high to very high speeds (I know that''s relative, but say about 25mph) especially if not on edge and weight on tails. I''m not a bomber so it''s not a big deal. Also with limited experience they did not seem as adept on crud/powder (guess I''ll have to keep my Merlins)Their turning ability is just amazing. The difference between them and the Merlins is about the the same as between my nonshaped and and the Merlins. Within the above limitations I highly recommend these skis.

As a young pup I liked to cruise the moguls,but as my legs have become flabby and the kids are learning to ski I had to settle for short, quick turns at the edges of slopes. My first pair of shaped skiis, K2 merlin IV''s were a revolution, and brought back the joy in skiing. As the novelty wore off I realized that I wanted something quicker edge to edge. The K2 Mach S'' are the ticket, just like the saleman said. There is almost as much difference between the Mach S and Merlin iv"s (all mountain) as there was between my old stright skiis and the Merlin''s. Super quick turning, whether carving or skidding. Holds a fantastic edge. The skiis want to turn - it''s amazing! This comes with some negatives though. You have to be neutral or leaning forward when turning. Leaning back will send you on your kiester, This has made me a better, more disciplined skier however. The skiis do not like to go super fast and straight at the same time, must have some edge. For me this is not a big deal. I have not spent a lot of time in non groomed snow and none on powder but I got the impression that they were not as nice as my all mountain Merlin''s in these situations, so I''ll keep them for powder days. Overall these are sweet turning skiis, just what I was looking for. The trade-off is instability and higher speeds and limited all mountain use.

None

Overall the ski is''''nt to bad. Last year I purchased the Atomic 9:16 and loved them under the right conditions(smooth and hard),under the wrong conditions(bumpy, uneven or softer snow)they were a handfull. I loved the turn shape but wanted more versatility(an all mountain slalom ski). The K2 Mach S is that ski,it works well in all conditions and makes beautiful quick turns. On the downside the ski lacks stability and has a definate speed limit, they can be a handfull and very scary at speed. The biggest problem for me is the tips always get hung up and want and want to travel in different directions from each other. I have had this problem with other K2s I have owned(I''''ve tryed to detune the tips).I would recommend the ski for those who travel slower speeds at varing conditions who like to make short,quick fall line turns. If you like to go fast and have rock solid stability you won''''t like them. I''''m going to try a pair of the Volkl P50 Sls next.

Similar Products Used:

Atomic 9:16,Atomic 9:20