Vashon Island’s K2 Corp., which makes world famous snow skis, and snowboards, has announced it will lay off 190 workers by September. Of its 450 employees, 159 live in Kitsap County and commute to the island.

Those scheduled for pink slips are the production people who actually manufacture the equipment, making K2’s MOD skis. Some have worked at the company for the entire 38 years it has existed on Vashon.

Their jobs will be exported to Guangzhou, China, where 75 percent of K2 skis are already produced. Two years ago, K2 Corp. eliminated half of its manufacturing operations on Vashon and moved them to China.

The K2 plant is the largest business on Vashon Island. The Los Angeles-based company said more than 250 employees in sales, engineering, research, development, marketing and distribution will remain on Vashon Island.

It also said it will offer medical and, dental coverage for an extended period, depending on seniority. K2 has hired Drake, Beam and Morin, a Bellevue professional services firm to help employees with job-placement services, job-search training and transition counseling.