Santa Greg sent me a pair this Christmas. I am working on binding mounting now. If Uller ever gives NE a break I may get to ski them too.
I fit the large and young at heart moniker. I plant to mount my 186cm BO118 at -6.5 from True Center. Anyone tried them back there who is a clyde and would like to report?? I have seen another comment on another site from a clyde that mounted -4.5 from TC and experienced tip dive. I am hoping going -2cm further back will cure it. I did a bunch of measurements on all my wide rockered skis and the -6.5 mount seems to line up well with them. No tip dive on any of them, shortest one is Liberty Origin 96, 187cm. I have the Origin mounted -11cm from TC, the others are all around -6 cm from TC. The one stand out trait of the BO is the tail rocker length is quite long and the tip rocker length quite short. The effective length of the ski when flat is biased more forward on this ski than my others. If you think of the center of the effective length versus the true center of the ski, the eff. length center is forward of the TC, the only ski I own like that. What that really means I don't know, but it stood out. When I measured from the mount point to the tip and tail the numbers were similar to all my other skis (at -6.5cm mount point) 99 cm in front and 85 cm in back. My 190 cm Moment Bibby mounted at -6cm from TC has 100 cm in front and 88 cm in back. Similar for my Faction CT3.0 (101 F, 87 B) and SkiLogik Depth Hoar (101 F, 89 B) both 190cm skis. The 187cm Origin is the only outlier with 104 front and 82 back. (again mount -11cm from TC).
Curious to how you'd feel on some of the heritage lab skis, say the fl113?This is an odd post I want to do here next, but it's related to the Rossi 118 Black Ops.
The ski that the Black Ops 118 "learned from," copied, the K2 Pettitor 118, is a slightly burlier ski, in its longest length -
189 cm (pull 190.5 or so), and slightly heavier since it's longer. It is also surprisingly playful, easy and versatile
when adjusted right: it skis like the Black Ops 118 only more so, after all; and it works better for a bigger guy than
the Black Ops. I don't think big guys overpower it fore-aft, at least up to 220 lbs 6'1" or so or more. (Beyond that,
I'm not sure, going only by friends who have loved that ski. I don't know anyone bigger who skied it.)
On the other hand, it's noticeably heavier, too heavy, at this point, for some of those who used to love it.
At any rate, once again there is a lightly used pair of Pettitors 118 for sale on eBay, offered at about $500 or best offer,
including shipping, and including Marker Jesters. For me, the Jesters are a minus, because I'm lighter weight than
that binding is good for, but mainly because with this ski I would not want a fixed binding.
Much more than the Black Ops 118, this ski pretty much demands an adjustable binding, for reasons I've posted before.
The things have at least 4.5 cm of adjustment sweet spot, within which there is a full range of great performance,
from being more of a charger than the Black Ops Squad 112, to being more playful and freestyle than the Black Ops 118 can be,
except for a small person. The skis are in Englewood, Colorado, for pickup possibilities.
Dang, there is also a risk that for many very good skiers, these skis are obsolete, just because they are so heavy.
They probably require someone stronger, more in shape, and happy with the dampness, etc. of a damp, heavy ski that charges
pretty much anything except really confined, quick turn spaces, if so adjusted, in the way the Rossi Black Ops does
for only medium to lighter skiers. (There are better skis for soft snow big moguls and tight trees, at least for me.)
A big guy might do even better. But you gotta adjust the bindings to the right fore-aft position(s) to get the kind(s) of skiing styles
each skier prefers. Honest. Some unknowns here, but wanted to at least put it out there.
Lightly used K2 Petitor Pro Model with Marker Jester bindings | eBay
Lightly used K2 Petitor Pro Model with Marker Jester bindings. These skis have been babied and seldomly ridden. They are fantastic powder skis with a tip to tail rocker,120mm waist and with the Marker Jesters, you will be able to send any terrain confidently. I am parting ways as I am trying to...www.ebay.com