K2 spent three years developing the DISRUPTION. It will awaken the true joy of turns for everyone, regardless of their level or orientation. What exactly are these carving skis made by K2, which are popular in freestyle skiing India?
American-style on-piste skiing
The categories "speed performance" and "PISTE performance" are designed for people who love speed and carving, regardless of competition. The core model is "Disruption." Let's start by taking a look at the video of this ski, which is meant to break existing concepts
They jump off a moving starting platform and then race down a ski cross-like course with a series of banks, waves, and jumps. Rather than competing for 1/100th of a second, this video is packed with fun elements. This is how K2 expresses the joy of carving skis
This is a clip from a promotional event for "Disruption" held in Garmisch, Germany in late January. The main characters included former World Cup racer Warner Nickerson, Nagano Olympic gold medalist Jonny Moseley, and Sean Pettit, who is currently active as a snowboarder, as well as other prominent members of K2, including Godai Sakamoto from Japan
Unlike the past, when all models were replaced at once, it is now common for model changes to be made by category. Just as the PINNACLE was completely redesigned for the 2019-20 season with the MINDBENDER, the 2020-21 season will see the launch of "Disruption." The European ski scene is still large, and K2 was looking for an opportunity to reassess its skis, targeting those who spend long hours on piste slopes
At the same time, due to the lack of snow over the past few years, many people were beginning to realize that they couldn't always ski in powder. However, the fun of skiing isn't just about skiing in powder. The groomed runs were still there, and it was a time when people were thinking again about how to enjoy turning
Three functions that bring out sharp turns
The Disruption skis are known for their sharp, fast turns. Three technologies are key to producing carving turns that leave clear edge traces at high speeds, just like in the video
"DARK MATTER DAMPING - DMD" strengthens edge grip, "POWERWALL" transmits power directly, and "I-BEAM" stabilizes turns. These three elements bring out the fun of turning
・DMD (DARK MATTER DAMPING)
It's important for the edges to grip the snow firmly when initiating a turn. This movement is aided by the DMD (DARK MATTER DAMPING) shown in red. It's a polymer vibration-absorbing material. By placing it near the contact edge, it absorbs the high-frequency vibrations that titanium misses when entering a turn. This allows the edges to grip strongly even on hard snow like ice or artificial snow, allowing you to control the skis and head toward the fall line
・POWERWALL
POWERWALL is responsible for efficiently transferring power when you press down on the snow. By laminating an oversized ABS sidewall into the wood core in the center of the ski, power is applied directly to the edge, causing the ski to flex
・BEAM TECHNOLOGY
Titanium placement along the center of the ski from tip to tail improves stability and precision when turning
Speed performance focused on turning speed
There are a total of 16 models in categories such as "speed performance" and "PISTE performance." We will focus on the "DISRUPTION" model, which focuses on the aforementioned features
The Speed Performance series, which focuses on turn speed, has five models. From top to bottom, they are Mti, Sti, SC, and the women's MTi Alliance and SC Alliance. "Ti" stands for titanium, "C" for carbon, "M" for medium turns, and "S" for short turns. K2 carving skis are equipped with rocker, while the Speed Performance has a low rocker in the nose and a camber shape across almost the entire ski, providing precise maneuverability and stability
Enjoy turns on all-mountain skis with PISTE performance
The basic structure is almost the same as the Speed Performance, but this model has a wider waist, allowing for more control over turns. It can also handle powder pow on the side of the course, mogul slopes, icy slopes, and spring skiing, making it a series suitable for all-mountain skiing. Regarding rocker, only the DISRUPTION76 model is available. The rocker angle at the nose and tail is gentle, allowing for easy turns even at low to mid-speed ranges
The PISTE performance series has 11 models in total, five of which are named "DISRUPTION." The remaining six are in the women's "ANTHEM" lineup. The letters following the name indicate titanium (Ti), carbon (C), and X (X), respectively, and indicate different bindings and core materials
Godai Sakamoto's impressions of "Disruption" after skiing at various ski resorts
Since late January, Gota Sakamoto has been touring ski resorts around Japan on what he calls the "K2 Disruption Japan Tour." Starting at Marunuma Kogen in Gunma Prefecture on January 19th and ending at Tambara Ski Resort on March 25th, he skied at around 30 ski resorts, held test rides, and skied with other skiers, conveying the appeal of these skis.
We asked Gota Sakamoto, who has ridden the "Disruption" more than any other skier in Japan, what kind of skiing it was.
[Impression Information]
Gota Sakamoto (42 years old), 166cm, 67kg,
Ski: DISRUPTION MTi, 175cm,
Boots: K2/RECON PRO,
Hardness rating on a 5-point scale (1 = soft ←→ 5 = hard)
, Nose: 4, Center: 5, Tail: 4,
Suitable conditions on a 5-point scale (1 = not suitable ←→ 5 = best)
, Powder: 3,
Groomed: 5
, Hard pack: 5,
Park: 2
, Mogul: 3
The Disruption Cup, which was introduced in the video at the beginning, is apparently being considered for holding in various parts of the world this winter. Perhaps we'll see the moving starting block and course appear at some ski resort
Please also see other related videos here
For the full K2 lineup, please see the link below