Ski: 2020-2021 K2 Disruption MTi, 175 cm
Available Lengths: 165, 160, 175, 180 cm
Blister’s Measured Tip-to-Tail Length: 175.2 cm
Blister’s Measured Weight per Ski: 1822 & 1845 grams
Stated Dimensions: 118-74-104 mm
Blister’s Measured Dimensions: 119.6-73.3-102.9 mm
Stated Sidecut Radius (175 cm): 18.1 meters
Measured Tip & Tail Splay (ski decambered): 39 mm / 4 mm
Measured Traditional Camber Underfoot: 5 mm
Core: maple/aspen + titanal + “Dark Matter Damping” inserts + fiberglass laminate
Base: sintered
Factory Recommended Mount Point: -10.6 cm from center / 77.0 cm from tail
Ski: 2020-2021 K2 Disruption 78Ti, 177 cm
Available Lengths: 156, 163, 170, 177, 184 cm
Blister’s Measured Tip-to-Tail Length: 177.3 cm
Blister’s Measured Weight per Ski: 1832 & 1841 grams
Stated Dimensions: 123-78-109 mm
Blister’s Measured Dimensions: 122.1-77.3-108.2 mm
Stated Sidecut Radius (177 cm): 17.8 meters
Measured Tip & Tail Splay (ski decambered): 47 mm / 9 mm
Measured Traditional Camber Underfoot: 6 mm
Core: aspen + titanal + “Dark Matter Damping” inserts + fiberglass laminate
Base: sintered
Factory Recommended Mount Point: -10.6 cm from center / 78.0 cm from tail
Ski: 2020-2021 K2 Disruption 82Ti, 177 cm
Available Lengths: 163, 170, 177, 184 cm
Blister’s Measured Tip-to-Tail Length: 177.6 cm
Blister’s Measured Weight per Ski: 1911 & 1917 grams
Stated Dimensions: 125-82-111 mm
Blister’s Measured Dimensions: 124.6-81.6-110.7 mm
Stated Sidecut Radius (177 cm): 18.4 meters
Measured Tip & Tail Splay (ski decambered): 44 mm / 13 mm
Measured Traditional Camber Underfoot: 4 mm
Core: aspen + titanal + “Dark Matter Damping” inserts + fiberglass laminate
Base: sintered
Factory Recommended Mount Point: -10.9 cm from center; 77.9 cm from tail
Ski: 2020-2021 K2 Disruption 78C, 170 cm
Available Lengths: 156, 163, 170, 177 cm
Blister’s Measured Tip-to-Tail Length: 170.5 cm
Blister’s Measured Weight per Ski: 1608 & 1617 grams
Stated Dimensions: 125-78-111 mm
Blister’s Measured Dimensions: 124.2-77.1-110.3 mm
Stated Sidecut Radius (170 cm): 15.6 meters
Measured Tip & Tail Splay (ski decambered): 44 mm / 11 mm
Measured Traditional Camber Underfoot: 5 mm
Core: aspen + “Dark Matter Damping” inserts + carbon & fiberglass laminate
Base: sintered
Factory Recommended Mount Point: -10.15 cm from center / 75.1 cm from tail
Intro
For the 2020-2021 season, K2 launched a brand-new series of piste skis: the Disruption series.
We discussed the new collection (and the widest ski in it) last spring in our First Look of the Disruption 82Ti, as well as in our 20/21 Winter Buyer’s Guide. But now that we’ve been able to do two weeks of back-to-back testing of four of the new Disruption skis here in Crested Butte, we wanted to provide our thoughts on how these skis compare, both in terms of design and on-snow performance.
We’re also planning on updating this review once we’re able to get more of our reviewers on these skis (especially former racer and carve-maestro, Drew Kelly), and our female reviewers will also be spending more time on the Disruption MTi Alliance this season.
But in the meantime, let’s dive into the Disruption MTi, 78C, 78Ti, and 82Ti:
[Note: our review was conducted on the 20/21 model of each of these skis, which all remain unchanged for 21/22.]
What K2 says about the Disruption Series
K2 describes all of the Disruption skis as “piste” skis. I.e., these are not meant to be all-mountain skis that you’d use everywhere, and we’re happy that K2 has made this distinction. Because, while we think all four of these Disruption skis are ideal for ripping groomers, we think there are far better options out there if you want to ski both on piste and in moguls, trees, steeps, etc.
As for the four models we’re discussing here, this is what K2 has to say about each of them:
K2 Disruption MTi:
“The [74mm-wide] Disruption MTi is an aggressive ski designed for experts who wanna go fast. A medium-length turn radius, Titanal I-Beam construction, and Dark Matter Damping combine for a quiet and smooth ride that inspires confidence throughout every turn.”
K2 Disruption 78Ti:
“Strung up with our revolutionary Dark Matter Damping and Titanal I-Beam construction, this ski can bend and arc like nothing you’ve ever experienced. From the firmness of first chair to the uncertainties of afternoon chop, the Disruption 78Ti will redefine your perception of versatile piste performance.”
K2 Disruption 82Ti:
“Fully equipped and ready to rip, the Disruption 82Ti has all our top tech including Titanal I-Beam construction and Dark Matter Damping. We gave it a big shovel and a versatile waist width to create a freakish combination of critical stability and confident edge control. You’ll be comfortable hitting top speed while still having the confidence to roll up on edge and spark arcs like you never thought possible.”
K2 Disruption 78C:
“Having high-tech older siblings has its advantages. The Disruption 78C benefits from hand-me-down technology that allows us to pack in features that put other skis in this price range to shame. An approachable waist width and the lightweight agility of our carbon I-Beam construction create a versatile ski that will let you hang with the best.”
Shape / Rocker Profile
These four Disruption skis are quite similar in terms of shape and rocker profile.
All four skis have almost no tip or tail taper — the widest points at the tips and tails are very close to the very ends of the ski. That equates to a very long effective edge, which is pretty much the norm for piste-specific skis.
These Disruption skis do have a little bit of tip and tail rocker, but the emphasis should be on “little.” They’re mostly cambered, with the Disruption MTi having the shallowest rocker lines (and basically no tail rocker), the Disruption 82Ti having the deepest rocker lines, and the 78C and 78Ti falling in between in this regard.
Flex Pattern
Hand flexing the Disruption MTi, 78Ti, 82 Ti, and 78C, their longitudinal flex patterns all feel quite stiff, and quite similar. I’m not too proud to admit that I was dripping sweat after hand-flexing all of these skis while trying to suss out the differences between their flex patterns.
Here’s how we’d characterize the flex pattern of the Disruption MTi:
Tips: 9.5
Shovels: 9.5
In Front of Toe Piece: 9-9.5
Underfoot: 9.5
Behind the Heel Piece: 9.5-9
Tails: 10
Here’s how we’d characterize the flex pattern of the Disruption 82Ti:
Tips: 9
Shovels: 9.5
In Front of Toe Piece: 9-9.5
Underfoot: 9.5
Behind the Heel Piece: 9.5-9
Tails: 9.5
Here’s how we’d characterize the flex pattern of the Disruption 78Ti:
Tips: 9
Shovels: 9.5
In Front of Toe Piece: 9-9.5
Underfoot: 9.5
Behind the Heel Piece: 9.5-9
Tails: 9.5
Here’s how we’d characterize the flex pattern of the Disruption 78C:
Tips: 9
Shovels: 9
In Front of Toe Piece: 8.5-9.5
Underfoot: 9.5
Behind the Heel Piece: 9.5-8.5
Tails: 9.5
As you can see, given those numbers, these four skis feel quite similar when hand flexing them. The 78Ti and 82Ti feel nearly identical when doing this. The 78C is a touch softer in the shovel, in front of the bindings, and behind the bindings, while the MTi is the stiffest of the group at the very end of the tip and tail.
We also talked to K2’s head ski designer, Jed Yeiser, about the differences in torsional stiffness between the four skis. He showed us some of K2’s in-house measurements that aligned with our on-snow testing: the torsional stiffness of the tips and tails of the Disruption MTi, 78Ti, and 82Ti are very similar. The Disruption 78C is the only ski of the four that is notably different in this regard, with its tips and tails being slightly softer in terms of torsional stiffness.
Dimensions
One of the most notable differences between the Disruption MTi, 78Ti, 82Ti, and 78C are their dimensions — even if their waist widths only differ by a maximum of 8 mm.
At 74 mm underfoot, the Disruption MTi is the narrowest of the Disruption skis we’re currently testing, though K2 also makes the 72mm-wide Disruption STi and 73mm-wide Disruption SC, both of which are targeted much more at folks who like to make tighter turns.
The waist widths of the 78C, 78Ti, and 82Ti are more obvious (signified in their names).
While the 4 mm gap in waist widths between each of these four skis might not seem super significant to some people, there’s another big factor related to their varying dimensions:
Sidecut Radius
Here’s how these four Disruption skis compare when looking at their stated sidecut radii:
- K2 Disruption MTi, 175 cm: 18.1 meters
- K2 Disruption 78Ti, 177 cm: 17.8 meters
- K2 Disruption 82Ti, 177 cm: 18.4 meters
- K2 Disruption 78C, 170 cm: 15.6 meters
While the Disruption 78C that we’re currently testing is shorter than the other three skis, its stated sidecut radius is still notably tighter than the others. And as we’ll discuss below, that’s noticeable on snow.
The stated sidecut radii of the Disruption MTi, 78Ti, and 82Ti are quite similar to skis like the Fischer RC4 The Curv and Dynastar Speedzone 12 Ti, but longer than skis like the Fischer RC4 The Curv GT, Salomon S/Force Bold, Parlor Warbird, Liberty V82, and Renoun Atlas 80.
Weight
Compared to more traditional piste skis like the RC4 The Curv and S/Force Bold, the Disruption skis all fall on the lighter end of the spectrum — particularly the 78C, which does not have the titanal layer of the “Ti” Disruption skis, and is quite light for its size). That said, we wouldn’t say that the “Ti” Disruption skis are extremely light.
For reference, here are a number of our measured weights (per ski in grams) for some notable skis. To try to keep things apples-to-apples, keep in mind the length differences and the fact that the skis with an * next to them include the weight of their binding plates.
1608 & 1617 K2 Disruption 78C, 170 cm (20/21)
1724 & 1735 Parlor Warbird, 178 cm (19/20–20/21)
1728 & 1750 Renoun Atlas 80, 177 cm (19/20–20/21)
1784 & 1800 Liberty V82, 179 cm (19/20–20/21)
1790 & 1828 Black Crows Orb, 179.1 cm (19/20–20/21)
1822 & 1845 K2 Disruption MTi, 175 cm (20/21)
1832 & 1841 K2 Disruption 78 Ti, 177 cm (20/21)
1911 & 1917 K2 Disruption 82Ti, 177 cm (20/21)
1936 & 1942 Head Monster 83 Ti, 177 cm (18/19–19/20)
1952 & 1958 Renoun Endurance 88, 184 cm (19/20–20/21)
1990 & 2036 Blizzard Brahma 88, 177 cm (20/21)
2008 & 2015 Folsom Spar 88, 182 cm (18/19–20/21)
2077 & 2092 * K2 Ikonic 84 Ti, 177 cm (17/18–19/20)
2166 & 2167 * Dynastar Speedzone 12 Ti, 182 cm (17/18–20/21)
2235 & 2236* Elan Wingman 86 CTi, 184 cm (19/20–20/21)
2279 & 2299 * Head Supershape i.Rally, 177 cm (17/18–19/20)
2317 & 2323 * K2 Super Charger, 175 cm (17/18–19/20)
2320 & 2359 * Head Supershape i.Titan, 177 cm (17/18–19/20)
2336 & 2350 * Fischer RC4 The Curv GT, 175 cm (17/18–20/21)
2414 & 2441 * Salomon S/Force Bold, 177 cm (19/20–20/21)
2414 & 2516 * Head Worldcup Rebels i.Speed Pro, 180 cm (17/18–19/20)
2489 & 2498 * Fischer RC4 The Curv, 178 cm (16/17–20/21)
* weights include binding plates
FULL REVIEW
Now, onto how these skis actually feel and compare to one another on snow. Crested Butte Mountain Resort has been open for two weeks at this point, and during this time we’ve been taking a lot of back-to-back laps on these four Disruption skis to see how they perform. We’ve also been A/B-ing them against some other skis in this category, and will be comparing them to more options in the future (stay tuned for our Deep Dive comparisons).
Conditions here have ranged from mellow-angle, easily edgeable groomers in the sun, to very firm, man-made snow in the shade — including steeper pitches with scraped-off, icy sections and pushed-around, ball-bearing-esque patches of snow at the end of the day.
And across it all, here’s how the Disruption MTi, 78C, 78Ti, and 82Ti have performed:
K2 Disruption MTi, 175 cm
Luke Koppa (5’8”, 155 lbs / 173 cm, 70 kg): K2 says the MTi is “an aggressive ski designed for experts who wanna go fast,” and I mostly agree with them.
For reference, I don’t have a racing background, but I have been focusing on improving my carving technique over the past several years. I’m still on a quest to truly drag my hip on piste and my technique is far from perfect, but in general, I’ve been able to get along with the vast majority of piste-oriented skis I’ve tried. With that in mind, the Disruption MTi was definitely the most demanding of the four Disruption skis I’ve been on. By this, I mostly mean it required the most concentration, the most aggressive and proper technique, and the most speed for me to really bend and carve it.
The MTi felt a bit boring to me on mellow, “Green” groomers — I needed more speed before I could lay it over. On steeper slopes when it was somewhat easy to dig my edges in (e.g., early in the day), the MTi became more fun and allowed me to confidently arc big GS turns and some fairly tight ones when I was really on top of it.
But on steep slopes that had been scraped off by skiers, with icy sections and others covered in loose snow, I did not feel super confident on the MTi.
I think larger skiers and / or those with a race background may feel differently (which is why we’re looking forward to getting Drew Kelly on this ski). But to me — and I think many folks like me — the MTi is the least accessible on very firm groomers. On this ski, I felt like I needed to commit to a more aggressive stance and higher speeds than I felt comfortable doing (given the conditions) in order to really dig its edges in and carve.
The good news — and this is true of all four of these Disruption skis — is that the MTi’s tail is not difficult to feather during a carve or just pivot / skid around. So when the snow was really firm and the terrain in front of me was steep, I could always just slide the ski and shed some speed.
In terms of suspension, I think all of the “Ti” Disruption skis are quite good, especially for their weight. I wouldn’t call them super “plush” like, say, much, wider, heavier, and different skis like the Volkl Katana 108 and J Skis Hotshot (again, two much heavier skis I skied on the same, firm conditions). But especially when I was carving them on edge, the Disruption MTi, 78Ti, and 82Ti all felt smooth enough when cutting through pushed-around snow that I didn’t feel the need to shed speed. In the case of the MTi, the times I felt the need to dial it back were due to me not being able to confidently bend it and dig in its edges, rather than the ski getting knocked around by the snow.
The other thing I like about all of the Disruption skis is the energy they produce when coming out of a carved turn. None of these skis feel “dead,” and I have (both purposefully and accidentally) caught some air between turns on all of them. When the snow was remotely soft and / or consistent, I’d describe all four skis as “exhilarating” to carve. For a dedicated piste ski, that’s a trait I want.
To me, the MTi would make the most sense for folks who like to go fast and who know how to / are able to bend stiffer skis. It’s not a FIS GS ski, but of these four Disruption skis, it’s the one that requires the most attentive, skilled pilot and the most speed in order to really lay over on edge.
Jonathan Ellsworth: (5’10”, ~175 lbs / 178 cm, 79.3 kg) While I’m about 20 lbs. heavier than Luke, our experiences of the MTi are quite similar. Of all the skis here, the MTi required the most speed and the most power out of me to get it to bend. Bombing down runs off of the Paradise lift at CB, I found myself really wishing for a closed course, where I wouldn’t need to be ready to speed-check in case I came upon — very, very quickly — another skier or snowboarder.
Of course, stupid Drew Kelly will probably soon report that he finds the MTi to be quite playful and easy going (he’s “stupid” because I’m jealous of him). But while the MTi felt solid and strong on edge, I felt myself working hard to try to really bend the ski. That said … (1) I fully expect that physically stronger skiers and / or heavier skiers than me will have an easier time bending this ski to their will. And (2) physically strong, heavier, former-racer types who ski at areas that have long, wide, groomers with plenty of room to run should demo this ski, since there’s a decent chance that those skiers might overwhelm the other Disruption skis.
All that said, there were times where I clearly was able to bend this ski quite a bit, because as Luke attested, there were times when I still felt like I was being shot out of a cannon by the MTi when transitioning out of a turn. And that’s not at all a complaint. These skis are far from dead. It’s just that, perhaps especially on the MTi, this ski does not want you hanging out in the backseat. Drive it and don’t be in the backseat when it’s time to transition into the next turn. You’ll get bucked. Which is exactly what you ought to expect from a ski like this.
K2 Disruption 78Ti, 177 cm
Luke Koppa (5’8”, 155 lbs / 173 cm, 70 kg): Personally, this was probably my favorite ski of the group. It felt pretty similar to the MTi and 82Ti in terms of stability and suspension, but I found the 78Ti to be the easiest of those three when it came to bending and carving it on firm, fast slopes. I definitely wouldn’t call it super easy or recommend it to beginners, since it does still require a significant amount of pressure on the shovels to bend and carve. But the 78Ti felt notably easier and more intuitive to me than the MTi, and slightly more so than the 82Ti.
Compared to the 170 cm Disruption 78C (see below), the 177 cm Disruption 78Ti definitely requires more speed and a more aggressive stance to get it on edge, but it rewards you with a smoother and more stable ride — particularly when making medium- and larger-size turns.
Compared to the MTi, the 78Ti just felt more reliable to me. On the 78Ti, I didn’t have to commit to as forward of a stance or as high of speeds to get it on edge. I think larger individuals and those who often find themselves complaining about “folding their skis” may feel the opposite, but for me, the 78Ti offered a really nice combination of stability for longer turns, pretty accessible turn initiation and edge hold, and a nice amount of pop coming out of a turn.
If I were to buy one of these four skis for carving all over Crested Butte (including Green, Blue, and Black groomers), the 78Ti is what I’d personally pick.
Jonathan Ellsworth (5’10”, ~175 lbs / 178 cm, 79.3 kg):
I really like this ski, too, though I also really like the 82 Ti. If I felt like I was often working to bend the MTi and bring it around, the 78Ti (and, for me, the 82Ti) felt easier to bend while still feeling solid and stable. On steeper terrain where I really wanted to dig in an edge and carve hard, this is the ski that I personally felt most confident on. If I was simply trying to get down to the bottom of the run as fast as possible for a timed run, I’d still opt for the MTi. But if I wanted to go fast and try to carve hard across the fall line, the 78Ti felt great.
And it also felt really good to me both on steeper pitches and on low-angle groomers, even when making shorter, tighter turns. Just a beautiful, versatile ski, in my opinion.
K2 Disruption 82Ti, 177 cm
Luke Koppa (5’8”, 155 lbs / 173 cm, 70 kg): Overall, the Disruption 82Ti felt very similar to the 78Ti.
The main differences I noticed were that the 82Ti required a bit more speed and effort to bend into tighter turns, it felt a bit more comfortable making longer turns, and it got bogged down slightly less in the loose piles of pushed-around snow. These all felt like pretty subtle differences and they all seem to make sense, given the 82Ti’s slightly longer sidecut radius and slightly wider width.
Same as the 78Ti, the 82Ti felt more accessible and intuitive to me than the MTi, and significantly stronger and more stable than the 78C. And like the 78Ti, the 82Ti allowed for a pretty wide range of turn shapes, from fairly tight to pretty long.
Jonathan Ellsworth (5’10”, ~175 lbs / 178 cm, 79.3 kg): Here’s where Luke and I might have the biggest difference of opinion, because I didn’t find the 82Ti to require “a bit more speed and effort to bend into tighter turns.” And here’s where my 20 extra pounds on Luke might have come into play? If anything, I found the wider shovels of the 82Ti to be eager to engage and carve hard when driving the ski, even on really flat groomers. In fact, the flatter the groomer, the more I’d want to be on this ski.
I’d also pick the 82Ti if you are often skiing on warmer, chunkier, and / or slushed-up groomers. In general I think wider skis work better in such conditions, and for skiing on ice, I’d personally opt for the 78Ti — though I can’t honestly say that I found there to be a big difference here.
A few other notes:
(1) I wouldn’t be inclined to put new skiers on any of the 3 skis above. But intermediate skiers interested in learning how to use their edges better and have a ski that they likely will still enjoy as they progress could get along well with the 78Ti or 82Ti. And I’d really only be worried about very powerful and / or very heavy skiers disliking these skis (i.e., if such folks were able to overpower them).
(2) Overall, I am quite impressed by the stability-to-weight ratio of the three skis above. I’d say that they ski “heavier” than they actually are. And while much heavier skis do offer more stability, these do not feel like “lightweight frontside” carving skis … which is a genre of skis that I personally just am not a fan of (though I know other skiers are).
K2 Disruption 78C, 170 cm
Luke Koppa (5’8”, 155 lbs / 173 cm, 70 kg): The Disruption 78C is the obvious outlier in this group: it features a carbon layer (not titanal) in its construction, it’s the lightest, it’s got a tighter sidecut radius (15.6 m @ 170 cm), and we skied it in a slightly shorter length (170 cm).
The Disruption 78C does still share a lot of similarities to the other three Disruption skis, but there are some key differences.
First, the 78C is definitely the most accessible of the four. The 78C requires less speed, less pressure on its shovels, and less-steep terrain to start carving it hard on edge. It was easily my favorite during the first few days of the season when we were only skiing green groomers. It’s a really intuitive, easy carver.
Given that, I kind of figured I’d hate the 78C when I got it onto steeper and firmer trails. But provided that I kept it on edge, I actually got along quite well with this ski in those scenarios. Since I found it the easiest to both get on edge and keep on edge, I personally felt more comfortable skiing super firm conditions on the 78C than I did on the MTi. The 78C is definitely not as damp as the heavier “Ti” skis, but it still felt very predictable, especially when I stuck to the slightly shorter-radius turns that it encourages.
When attempting to straight-line or make huge turns, the 78C’s lower weight and tighter radius began to show. It didn’t feel as hooky as I expected, but it did get knocked around a good bit in those scenarios (more so than the other three skis). When carving it hard, though, the 78C felt significantly more calm and composed than I expected, given its low weight and still-quite-strong flex pattern.
The 78C won’t be for those who love really damp skis or those who primarily like to make longer turns. But I think it’d make for a great carving ski for folks looking to improve their technique, or those who just prefer tighter turns and / or moderate-angle groomers. It’s very easy to get on edge, but provided that you get along with the fairly tight-radius turns it encourages, it can also be a ton of fun when skiing it very hard. It did not strike me as some dumbed-down version of the other Disruption skis, but rather one that just suits a different style of skiing.
Bottom Line
We’ve been having a lot of fun on the K2 Disruption MTi, 78C, 78Ti, and 82Ti, and think this is a very good, coherent collection of skis.
And while they’re all different, under the feet of the right skier, all can work well as precise, lively, and intuitive carving tools. It’s just a matter of picking which one best matches your particular preferences.
I’m looking to get a frontside carver for my quiver and I wonder what bindings come with the MTi ski system. I hope that the Marker is at least a 14 din binding. Do you have to use the existing binding, or will the Xcomp 16 fit on the lifter track? Thanks, I’m glad Blister is now doing frontside ski reviews – I have all the all-mtn. skis and pow floaters that I need, so retiring some of my old race skis would free up lots of room in my basement and streamline my quiver.
Cheers,
DHJ
I’m not sure what the options are for these skis. Our MTi came with the MXCell 12 TCx Quickclik binding, but I think you may be able to purchase it flat / without bindings through a K2 dealer. And we’re hoping to get on some of Volkl’s Deacons later this season, as well as some of Head’s new frontside skis.
BTW please do a review on the Volkl Deacon 84 and compare this to the Disruption 82. This would be the ultimate cage match for the All Mtn. expert/carver title!
Thanks,
DHJ
Thanks for this review, great to tease out the differences of 4 skis that on first look it would be easy to think were largely the same. Looking forward to Drew’s take. Definitely hope you can get on the Deacon’s and in particular the 84, if only because it’s the only one I have skied (absolutely loved it).
Be good to see some group tests on either ranges (like this) or groups of skis that compete with each other. Not a replacement for the deep dives as obviously they cover more skis.
Hey guys!
Thanks for this great review, I appreciate the work!
Despite the pretty complete information presented here Ia m still not sure if I should go for the 78 or 82. From what I read, they seem pretty similar…
I ski on groomer 98% of the time so I may not beneficiate from the slighlty more “all mountain” side of the 82.
But do you think 82 would be more recommended as I am on the tall/heavy side with an athletic 6.3ft/230lbs?
If not I would go for the 78Ti as it is slitghly cheapper and I prefer its look.
Thanks for your help!