KD PLATINUM SKI

[bananaron]

I know @The_MS is skiing the KD Titanium I am wondering about the platinum green/black version .In the description Terry Winter writes a great review and the ski is priced at $899. Has anyone skied this one and if so any comments.i am looking to buy some skis now and hope my ice leaves my lake someday soon......

[Slalom.Steve]

Here's Horton's review of the Platinum: KD Platinum Review - Skis Fins Bindings - BallOfSpray

And here's his review of the Titanium: KD Titanium - Review - Articles - BallOfSpray

[The_MS]

The ski is very forgiving and stable. I rode the 66 in that year and set it up with same numbers I had for the red black. You cant go wrong at that price. I think the stock is getting low so dont wait too long 

[swbca]

@HortonIn your review you made a comment about ski length relative to weight.  Do you have suggested length for 165lbs 32mph 32off +.
 

[The_MS]

66 for sure. Im sure @Hortonwill agree

[Horton]

yes 66 although I do hate agreeing with @The_MS

[RAWSki]

Is @The_MS a new investor in KD Skis??   I thought he only put his $$ into micro breweries! 

[auskier]

I am on my 2nd platinum after my first one had done its time - so I have been on it for nearly 5 years - when it first came out. Without doubt the best value high end slalom ski on the market for the price. Personally, I have improved more on the Platinum than anything else I have ever been on. It is a ski that probably requires a more precise DFT setup, so if you get that balance point right, it turns on autopilot and as quickly as you would ever want it to.

I find the primary difference between the two KD's is 2nd wake to ball. They turn the same, similar 'speed' feel, but I could not find the sweet spot and carry outbound as consistently on the Titanium, as I could the Platinum.  

[swbca]

The Titanium is listed a $1699 with 10% off if you give them your email address
https://kdskisusa.com/products/titanium-graphite-blank?variant=40079909126306

Edited April 28, 2023 by swbca

[The_MS]

IMO, I can pay 2499 for a new TEAM XTR or I can pick up a platinum for 899.00 or a great deal on a new Titanium. I can run both of them to the same buoy count as my XTR with the same ease. 
love the XTR CC and TEAM so dont get me wrong. 
I also like the last 3 Connellys and could ride them. 
I just don’t understand why more people are not trying the KD line. Well built skies that are stable and easy to ride. 
@RAWSki

You need to try one 

[thager]

Agree! Really under appreciated skis.

[swbca]

1 hour ago, The_MS said:

IMO, I can pay 2499 for a new TEAM XTR or I can pick up a platinum for 899.00 or a great deal on a new Titanium.

Are there any better prices for the Titaneum  ?  I am interested but List price is $1699 

Edited April 28, 2023 by swbca

[MickeyThompson]

Who manufactures the KD skis in USA?

 

[skibrain]

There are a couple of 66” Titanium’s on SIA. 

[The_MS]

@swbca that was my point. 1699 is much better price then going over the 2k pricing of Goode or HO. 

[swbca]

 

@The_MS

Ski-it-again

Listed as 2022 Titanium 66 .  . is there a difference between model years ?  Is so how to tell the model year for sure ?

Edited April 28, 2023 by swbca

[bananaron]

I don't see any KD titanium skis on SIA now....

[The_MS]

@swbca same ski. Black/white 

[swbca]

23 hours ago, bananaron said:

I don't see any KD titanium skis on SIA now....

There are 2 listings, if you are on their summer products site.  [Not Winter]  but they don't respond to inquiries. I figure they have been sold and they havn't taken them down.

[BS74]

@The_MS or @Horton Do either of you feel that the Connelly DV8 or the KD Titanium can be skied at 30mph, 28to 32 off? I having a very hard time finding a ski that can carry some speed.  I don't like the Senate and reallly looking for any suggestion at the slower speed. I hate 30mph!   Would also be interested in the width of either ski at front binding holes nearest tip.

thanks all

[Horton]

@BS74 why don't you like the Senate? is there a chance you just really don't like 30 mph?

to your question, yes, both the DV8 and the platinum would be great at 30. As speeds go down, ski design becomes less and less critical. 

[MDB1056]

@BS74 I would disagree on the DV8. In my opinion Connelly’s top line skis such as the GTR and DV8 are designed to perform at 34-36. These are very deep riding skis with a more traditional (narrower) shape - that IMO opinion get bogged down and will not be as easy to turn etc at 30 mph vs other skis out there. In the Connelly line I’d look for a Carbon V as a much better alternative for 30. 

[swbca]

4 hours ago, BS74 said:

@The_MS or @Horton Do either of you feel that the Connelly DV8 or the KD Titanium can be skied at 30mph, 28to 32 off? I having a very hard time finding a ski that can carry some speed.  I don't like the Senate and reallly looking for any suggestion at the slower speed. I hate 30mph!   Would also be interested in the width of either ski at front binding holes nearest tip.

thanks all

Regarding your question on width:

The width of  the 66" Titanium at the front inserts is 6.62" measuring with a caliper between the sidewalls at the top edge of bevels. 

The top edge of the bevel is sharper than most and becomes progressively sharper as you go back on the ski, so near the tail it is nearly a sharp edge between the top edge of the bevel and the sidewall.  The sharper top bevel from end to end means the ski doesn't hunt when you have pulled wide before the entry gates.

[The_MS]

@BS74I dont have enough time on the Connelly to tell but I rode the last 3 models with ease at 34. 
I do know a few skiers on the Platinum and Titanium that ski 30-32 and like the skis. 

[Horton]

14 hours ago, swbca said:

The top edge of the bevel is sharper than most and becomes progressively sharper as you go back on the ski, so near the tail it is nearly a sharp edge between the top edge of the bevel and the sidewall.  The sharper top bevel from end to end means the ski doesn't hunt when you have pulled wide before the entry gates.

100% pure word salad. The KD bevels are not unusually sharp anywhere and this has nothing to do with how the ski glides on the gate.

 

As for the width question at slower speeds: I do not think this is a black and white question. Wider skis hold more speed from the wakes to the ball and are more stable from the wakes to the ball. The flip side of that is that narrower skis go through the wakes and make speed into the wakes better.  Neither the KD or the Connelly are very wide to start with. The Connelly might be the narrowest of the current high end skis. If you want to go through the wakes better the narrow Connelly might be a very good choice.

A few years ago I watched a top M8 skier move from a wider ski to the Connelly and immediately improve.  The theory was that he was now able to stay down through the wakes better and that improved many other things ( speed, connection, stack, .... )  

I have seen similar things with my 80lb 9yr old daughter. We have gone wider and narrower to find what works best for her. The wider ski was awesome for  a while and then she needed to attack the wakes better the narrower ski was much better. 

[swbca]

@Horton   Maybe sharp is wrong word.   If you view the cross section of any ski bevel, there is a transition where the bevel meets the sidewall and a transition where the bevel meets the ski bottom.

The D3 evo and ion have a softer transition at the sidewall than the Titanium.

My Denali bevel is much larger with a very soft transition to the sidewalls and the ski bottom.

The transition to the sidewall on the Titanium is softer at the front binding than behind the rear binding.  

End to End the 66" Titanium is about 1/8" narrower than the Medium Denali, but the difference in bevels seam to offset the difference in width. 

[bananaron]

I got a 67 KD PLATINUM from Scott at KD/SLINES and just love this ski.Probably the best ski I have had in yrs.And I did not spend a lot of $ on it and its a great ski and really enjoy it.This old guy is having fun this summer.....THANKS @The_MS Got me started and now I am a fan.........