Welcome to the new and improved Proflex / K2 Tech Forum!
Kenda's are not "heavy junk." In fact, they've always been light. As for the junk part, I can't say. In the past they were made of really soft rubber compounds that wore out extremely fast, but I think they've officially moved into the "quality" market over the last 2-3 years. A lot of great magazine reviews. Hard to overcome that initial reputation though.