VASHON, WASH. - K2 Skis and its top pro rider, Seth Morrison, will introduce a new ski named the Seth Pistol on Dec. 1.

Over the past year Morrison has received "Skier of the Year" awards from ESPN, Freeze Magazine and Powder Magazine. Morrison is recognized for pushing the sport in new directions, and the no-holds-barred design of his ski continues the trend. This is the second time that Morrison has collaborated with K2 to develop a pro model. His first ski, the Morrison, came out in 1997 when K2 rocked the freeskiing world with the industry's first ever pro model.

"Seth and I cooked up the idea for the first ski, and given everything he's done in the past five years, it seemed clear that it was time to do another," said Tim Petrick, VP/GM of K2 Skis. "Morrison is arguably the finest skier of his generation and we are proud to have an athlete of his caliber on K2."

Morrison had full control over all aspects of the ski, including its dimensions, flex and of course, the raw, early-punk graphics. Morrison tested the new ski's design parameters while filming in remote locations including Valdez and Haines, Alaska, and Whistler/Blackomb, Canada. His input was incorporated into every aspect of the Pistol's design.

A huge fan of roots punk, Morrison decided to name his signature ski after the Sex Pistols, the group that rocked the world of music in the late 80's. Morrision worked in collaboration with Colorado-based artist Josh Malay to ensure the graphics of the ski remained true to the punk era. The graphic on the Seth Pistol is an original work that portrays Morrison's autonomy and personality on and off the slopes.

Petrick himself has a long background in naming skis on musical themes. A fierce Deadhead, Petrick was resonsible for skis with themes like American Beauty and Dark Star.

"The Sex Pistols were just like today's free-skiers," said Morrison. "The world sees them as rock stars, but they were more real than anyone -- just regular people that work hard, and are totally committed to pushing their craft forward. And, like Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious, free skiers today really don't care what anyone thinks as long as we bring it every time we perform."

K2's Seth Pistol is made specifically for a new generation of riders whose approach combines backcountry powder with the pipe and park. The Seth Pistol enables the rider to take skiing in innovative, creative directions.

A unique 128/95/118 geometry gives the ski great float along with a 14.0 sidecut. Although the ski is designed for a big mountain application, its increased sidecut makes the Seth Pistol extremely versatile in all conditions and pitches. Twin tip design provides exceptional performance in the park. It will be built in 169, 179 and 189cm lengths.

In addition to the wider waist, the redesigned tip and tail (complete with aluminum inserts) incorporates a blunt, rounded, turned-up design that maximizes the surface area to increase lift and float.

According to product manager Jeff Mechura, mounting point has left to the discretion of the skier. The ski is marked for K2's standard placement (boot toe at chord center), but a scale is engraved on the side to permit mounting 1cm or more forward, for balance in skiing backward. Tail turnup is adequate for skiing backward, but only 1.5 inch of running surface has been sacrificed.

Construction features K2's Triaxial braid torsion box on a fir/spruce core, with vertical ABS sidewalls for added stability and response.

"Skiing is progressing in new directions each day in parks, pipes and slopes around the world." said Petrick. "We sincerely believe that the Seth Pistol will help skiers to take the sport up to another level."

The www.sethpistol.com web site will be launched September 15, 2002 . In addition to specific information about the Seth Pistol ski, the site will also include an online shop where people can purchase the Seth Pistol, paraphernalia and clothing. The site will also provide information on the graphic artist, on Seth, dealer locations, events, movies, and message board.

— Posted by Ari Cheren, MountainZone.com Gear Editor