Why we chose the K2 Dispatch 101: Powerful, lightweight, versatile
Lengths (cm): 161, 168, 175, 182 & 189
Sidecut (mm): 123 / 101 / 112 (175 cm)
Radius: 24m (175 cm)
Rocker Profile: Rocker-Camber-Rocker
Weight (per ski): 1,590g
Price: £735
More Info
New for the 22/23 winter season, the Dispatch range from K2 has been designed for skiers who want to wring every ounce of performance from their touring skis. Don’t see this as yet another touring ski that feels like it’s been built from wet cardboard though, K2 has managed to pack in 14 different materials to build this ski – the most important of these being metal.
While this burly material has been used, K2 has managed to keep the weights down to a very respectable level. This 101 mm waisted Dispatch sits at the narrow end of the range, with 110 and 120 models built with bigger terrain and deeper snow in mind.
K2 Dispatch 101 Construction
So there’s quite a bit going on in the insides of these skis. As we mentioned in the intro, the skis have been built from 14 different materials. The first, and perhaps most importantly, of these is Hex Beam. As K2 does so well, Hex Beam is a contoured bit of titanal (kind of like the Y-Beam tech found on the Mindbender range). This technology provides power and stability towards the edges, by moving mass away from the binding mount point, yet still saves some weight thanks to the cutout sections.
“A great balance between power and weight while keeping the skis stable when you do put the throttle down”
In an effort to save weight, Hex Beam doesn’t have as much coverage as its bigger brother Y-Beam. Instead, Hex Beam features, you guessed it, two hex shapes towards the midsection of the ski, before slimming down at the tips and tails. What this gives is a great balance between power and weight while keeping the skis stable when you do put the throttle down.
Sitting below this hex beam sheet is another metal laminate that sits on top of the lightweight paulownia wood core. Then, directly under the binding location, you’ve got ‘Vibradeck’, K2’s sheet of vibration absorbing material (essentially rubber), that works to eliminate any unwanted chatter and vibrations as best as possible, particularly when skiing on hard snow.
