2012-2013 K2 Pettitor

K2 Pettitor, Blister Gear ReviewSki: 2012-2013 K2 Pettitor, 189cm

Dimensions (mm): 147-120-141

Actual Tip-to-Tail Length (straight tape pull): 189.0cm

Sidecut Radius: 22 meters in 179cm length

BLISTER’s Measured Weight Per Ski: 2,528 grams & 2,529 grams

Boots/Bindings: Dalbello KRII Pro / Marker Jester (Din at 10)

Mount Location: +5

Test Location: Las Leñas Ski Resort

Days Skied: 1

After one day on the new K2 Pettitor, I’m here to give the most preliminary of preliminary impressions. While we had a number of great days in Las Leñas, we were holding out for a bigger storm to roll in before getting on the Pettitor, since it was the fattest ski we brought to South America. But that storm didn’t materialize, so while it’s not our normal M.O. at BLISTER, we know this is a hot ski this year, and we figured providing some preliminary information would be better than none.

The Pettitor’s size (120mm underfoot) places it in the “Factory Team” line-up where the OG Hellbent and the last generation of the Obsethed were formerly located. Aside from the similar underfoot dimensions, though, a glance at the new Pettitor quickly reveals that this isn’t just some slightly tweaked version of the skis that Sean grew up on.

Starting with the side-cut shape, the Pettitor does away with the traditional full-length sidecut with the addition of a short section of tip and tail taper. This brings the wide points of the tip and tail closer together (~20cm at the tip and tail), shortening the turn radius, and, according to K2, “decreasing swing weight.”

The rocker profile is also a quite a departure from what we’ve come to expect from K2. Un-weighted, the Pettitor has a fairly standard (these days) symmetric rocker-camber-rocker profile that does away with the massive amount of splay found on both the Hellbent and the Obsethed. While the Hellbent was flat underfoot and the Obsethed had a slight amount of camber, the Pettitor has a significant amount—about one full centimeter. This camber is hard to squeeze flat with a single hand, which takes me to the next topic.

The Pettitor’s flex has also been beefed up significantly. K2 claims “it has a keen eye for natural takeoffs and is built stiffer than any other ski in the line for high-speed stability and soaring into stomped landings off oversized cliff bands.” While still being quite soft in the extremities, the Pettitor is definitely ramped up underfoot compared to its direct predecessors, or any other “Factory Team” K2 I’ve ridden over the past 4-5 years.

2012-2013 K2 Pettitor, BLISTER
Jason Hutchins on the K2 Pettitor, Las Leñas Ski Resort

My first run on the Pettitor took me from the top of the Iris poma back to the base of the Marte chair. I first steered my way over to Luna 1 for a short, moderate pitch on some seriously wind scoured snow, then down to Jupiter for some high-speed carving. With the bindings mounted at +5, I immediately noticed that I was going to have to adjust my stance to account for the more centered position.

Most importantly, I felt a slight hinge-point just in front of the bindings that made me a little nervous heading into bumpier off-piste snow. At high speeds down Jupiter on smooth but firm snow, the skis carved very well but were still a little floppy looking in the tip and tail. Because of the hinge point I was feeling, and it being my first run where I had yet to find the boundaries of the ski, I didn’t push the Pettitor hard on the lower section where the snow had softened and been pushed into small piles.

As I returned to the Marte chair I felt like I hadn’t really found the sweet spot on the ski yet. I also decided I needed to de-tune the tips and tails a little as they were a bit hooky feeling, especially for a soft-snow ski.

4 comments on “2012-2013 K2 Pettitor”

  1. Is there going to be a more in-depth review or a 2nd look for the Pettitor? Really interested how does it compare to the obsethed it replaces…

  2. I am currently in the market for a new pair of skis, I am 5’10” and about 150-160, skiing pow and big mountain primarily in the PNW. I have ridden on a pair of 169 ’09 K2 obsethed for the past couple of years. This year, I’ve grown a bit and as I’ve started to ski more big mountain type lines i’ve felt like I need more ski.

    I was able to spend one day this year on my cousin’s old Line Motherships (185) and loved them. That being said, the snow conditions that day were soft corn snow so I have no idea about how those float. I’m looking for something thats kinda similar to the motherships but maybe with a little bit more rocker. I had no issues with the 185 length or the stiffness through moguls and I’d love a ski that I can really push like that. i thought that the Pettitor might be a good place to start or maybe the line influence 115, I’ve also found some old motherships for sale online and am open to more suggestions so I was just wondering what ski do you think would be the best for me?

  3. Hi. Will you ever do a follow up or a new review on the K2 Pettitor 120 in more conditions, with a better sense of mounting point?
    (and also the Seth K2 Pinnacle 118, which to me works great at zero?)

    I’ve owned the Pettitor 120 for over a year now, really charge it in all conditions, could use it as a 1 ski quiver, and feel you really missed the boat on this ski. But maybe it’s just me.

    I’m only ~150 lbs, 5’10”, but for me the 189 is much better than you described. One key is the mounting point. I have Marker Schizo bindings on mine and have been able to experiment extensively in most conditions. I would never mount at +5 myself, unless switch, flips and tricks are your main objective. It has less stability than at other mount points.

    At O the ski is a burly charger, more for a heavier skier than I. At ~+2, the ski switches to manageable drive-the-tips charger; for me this quality gets better and easier at +2 1/2 to +3, for me optimal at ~+3 to +3 1/2 (with my lighter weight, probably).
    At +3 1/2, the ski changes again, to a much easier turning ski that can still be tip driven. At +4, the ski becomes even easier to turn, with mix of tip drive and pure sideways lean turns optimal: a more switch-possible ski, and better in steep major crud or rough crust, etc.
    At +4 1/2, the change is complete: it feels like the skier is at the center of the turn radius, just carving or swinging around that radius incredibly easily. But the advantage of tip drive has been mostly lost.
    Beyond that, you have passed the turn radius center a bit, and the ski is more unstable; maybe good for tricks and spins, but not optimal for more directional skiing and jumps, in my experience.
    Both these fat K2s are incredible, to me; especially the Pettitor; and I wish you would review them.
    (Note: I’m a member, but I couldn’t seem to get back to this review page once I signed in as a member.)

  4. P.S. The Pettitor skis I own are the ’14/’15 blue antler versions (both the 179 cm that Sean Pettit uses, and the 189 that former K2 Obsethed people tend to use). The models may have changed, gotten better, perhaps accounting for at least some of why I liked it more.

    Also, you guys are the best, and you clearly have much more perspective and experience on what skis are like relative to one another. In that sense, I could be off by a lot, maybe. I’d really love to get your take on these two pro model, fat, K2 skis!

    This year I’ve demoed 23 skis, and, besides the 189 Pettitor, my favorites were the 185 Enforcer, the 184 V-Werks Katana (which I bought, thanks to you), and the K2 [Seth] Pinnacle 118. Not bad company.

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