Maybe I forgot what I did with the Black Ops 118. I will have to check. I tested it at many mount points. I always put Schizos on fat skis, and move them around to find points I like best, and for what. Often there are more than one great mount point, with different strengths to each. But for the 118 Black Ops, it was too short, for me, to have that kind of versatility, as I recall. Maybe I didn't go back far enough. It seemed better for a smaller/shorter guy, at least at the points I skied at. In that way more like the 179 Pettitor than the 189 - in between but more in common with the 179, in terms of versatility of mount point.
Oh, almost forgot: one thing about these skis (the K2s and the Rossi Black Ops 118 and Sender Squad both), is the thing mentioned by the Rossi Hard Good Manager, in his recent interview with Blistergear's Jonathan (and posted there). If you move the Sender Squad 112 (and the Pettitor 189) mount point forward two or three cm., or more (~3 to 4 with the 189), the things become "more turny," to repeat the word the Rossi head used - in a very fun way. A surprising way. Sean Pettit style turns.
I'm not sure, but I seem to recall that moving the mount back on the original Black Ops 118, which is the one I have also, that turny ability gets lost in the mix, goes away. In powder it's more than noticeable: it changes the dynamics of the ski drastically, losing that Sean Pettit turn ability. So at the point I experienced the loss of that, in a bad way, back to a more rigid, traditional kind of turn, that would have been the point I stopped moving it back, and instead started hunting for the farthest back point that still retained that turn. (And I was not entirely successful, with the Black Ops 118. Wish it were 3-4 cm longer, at least.)
To me it says a lot and in my experience is well deserved, when the top hard goods guy at Rossi (in charge of all ski development) specifically mentioned that special "turny" ability/change when that Black Ops Sender Squad 112 mount point was moved forward, as the reason he loved the Sender Squad and recommended it so highly to Blistergear and others. I don't want to lose that ability with the Black Ops 118, but almost do because it's a touch too short - and I was thus limited with how far back I could go to retain the Sean Pettit turn I bought it for.
(Note: a much shorter, lighter guy would not lose that turn, or not as easily, on a shorter ski, just with the dynamics of those type of skis. Hence, Sean Pettit, who may be as short as 5' 4", as I recall, can ski the shorter 179 version retaining that "turny" Pettit turn of his, while not facing fore-aft stability problems with that shorter ski. Similarly, a short guy than I might be able to ski the Black Ops 118 mounted a bit farther forward or about the same amount back as I, and still retain enough fore-aft stability. Not sure how much shorter/smaller.)
(Note 2: conversely, a much taller/heavier guy might be able to move the mount much farther back on the Black Ops 118 and still retain both the Sean Pettit "turny" thing, or instead and more likely, a better but more ordinary traditional kind of turn to the ski, not sure - without ever experiencing what I'd call the Sean Pettit "turny thing." But appropriate fore-aft stability then, would probably be gained, for that larger guy - or anybody moving the mount point back much more than a cm or two. Not sure, since I ain't that heavier, larger guy.)
If you guys know what I'm talking about here, with the Rossi manager's "turny thing," especially on the Black OPS 118 mount point for larger guys, please clarify this a bit for me, if possible.
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On the Dynastar M Free 108, I found it did not compare well, for me, back to back with the wider Dynastar M Proto or Factory 118, which skied similarly but better, stronger, in various depths of powder, for me - including carving. Don't know if you guys tried that wider version. But that ski too, while good, I won't be getting: it had an odd feel and vibration, as if maybe of a lighter ski, even though it is not so light; just a weird vibration to it, for me, as if not damp enough. But it sure could track on edge, turn on a dime. Drift playfully and float too. In a stronger way than the 108 with both those strengths. I could be happy skiing with that 118.
The older 3.0 Faction had a unique carve/turn to it: it carved, pivoted or turned around it's own radius, as mounted for a demo (probably at the C.T. mount point). That felt great to me, and made it a cheater soft bump ski, good in any powder for that. Moved a whole lot back, I can see it being more stable and better carving, maybe - especially the stouter '21 version; but it might lose that unique radius turn, that I found out much later was the thing that had C.T. choosing that point. Makes sense, since for him that would be good for more than bump & tree skiing: it would be good for switch, tricks and airs also. Sadly, not my thing.