The free ski brand "K2 SKIS" continues to lead the free ski scene. Let's take a look at the lineup for the 2021 season while exploring the secrets behind the appearance of new lineups one after another.
The secret to the birth of new lineups one after another
K2 is a ski/snowboard brand born in 1962 in the suburbs of Seattle, Washington.
Many riders such as Glen Pleiku, Seth Morrison, and Shane McConkey who lead the freeski scene have been produced and created the era. Not to mention the track record in freestyle skiing, it features a rich lineup that covers categories such as freeride and backcountry. In addition to gliding gear such as skis, boots, and poles, the company also has a large product lineup of helmets, backpacks, and apparel.
In recent years, in order to further expand the company, it has established an in-house development factory, ARC (Advanced Resource Collective), near Seattle International Airport. Here, apart from the manufacturing factory, there is a factory dedicated to prototypes, so that you can concentrate on developing new products without worrying about the manufacturing process or delivery date. Taking advantage of the location, which is about 4 hours away from Timberline, the only lift in North America that operates year-round, it is an excellent environment for production where if you come up with a new idea or product, you can create a prototype and immediately test it on the snow. set up. The image below is an image video of the ARC.
topAn overview of the K2 SKIS lineup
The lineup for the 2021 season is shown above.
- 〈speed perfomrance〉〈PISTE perfomrance〉 Specializing in speeding down compacted snow slopes
- <MINDBENDER> The strength of the torsion that supports hard sliding regardless of conditions is the key point. Mainly intended for use in freeride scenes
- <TOURING> Tour skiing. Formulated with metal to increase edge grip while remaining lightweight
- <RECKONER> Directional twin tip structure. For those who prefer freestyle riding on all slopes
- <FACTORY TEAM> For skiers who attack parks and streets and those who want skis that do not fit into 1 to 4
While 2/3 of the models for freeskiing and freeriding are 2, 3, 4, and 5, it can be said that the 2021 season will see an increase in the weight of 1<speed perfomrance> and <PISTE perfomrance>.
Let's take a quick look at each category.
<MINDBENDER> Focus on the comfort of turns from compacted snow to powder
The <MINDBENDER> series, which seeks the pleasure of turning regardless of the sliding conditions, consists of a total of 12 models. The performance common to all is high stability and controllability in all snow conditions. For that reason, the point that K2 focused on is torsion. The torsion is stiffer at the tip and center of the ski and looser towards the tail. As a result, it is a ski that can be freely manipulated according to the situation, whether it is carving or sliding.
In addition to this property of torsion, the following three key functions that bring out the gliding performance are "Titanal Y Beam", "Spectacle Blade Technology", and "Power Wall".
<MINDBENDER> for men consists of six models, 116C, 108ti, 99Ti, 90Ti, 90C, and 85, in descending order of waist width. The C behind the number stands for carbon and is equipped with “Spectacle Blade Technology”, while Ti stands for titanium and is equipped with “Titanal Y Beam”. Only 116C adopts "powder rocker" with high nose rocker and long tail rocker. Another model is the "All Terrain Rocker" that combines nose rocker with a low, short tail rocker.
<MINDBENDER> for women has the name of ALLIANCE, and there are 6 models, 115C, 106C, 98Ti, 88Ti, 90C, and 85, just like the men's model. However, the shape such as the waist width and the specific gravity of titanium and carbon are slightly different from the male model.
Lightweight model for backcountry <TOURING>
The <TOURING> series, which is designed for backcountry skiing with both lightness and gliding performance.
It consists of 7 models in total, 5 WAYBACK models for men and 3 TALKBACK models for women. Although it is called a touring ski, <K2> is based on the idea of giving priority to sliding, so almost all models have laminated titanium metal in the center of the ski, just like piste skis and freeride skis. .
While trying to reduce weight, it is made without removing the stability and vibration absorption that are indispensable for gliding. Among them, only "WAYBACK 80" uses a special Balsa/Paulounia Tour Ultra Light core for the core material, realizing a lightness of 967g at 170cm while using metal.
Inheriting the freestyle mind <RECKONER>
The asymmetrical nose and tail catamaran and marksman that were used until the 19th and 20th seasons have been completely redesigned, and the new category <RECKONER> allows freestyle movements such as jumping, slashing, carving, pressing and buttering regardless of the situation. The series consists of three types of waist widths of 122, 112, and 102, all with a directional twin-tip structure.
Only 122 has high and long nose and tail rocker to allow for free movement and buoyancy in powder. The other two models use versatile all-terrain rocker.
All three models have a core of fir on the edge side and poplar in the center. Thanks to the carbon stringers that extend from the nose to the tail and the grid-like fibers that cover the entire ski, which is also used in <MINDBENDER>, the ski responds sensitively to tricks in various positions.
The face of K2 <FACTORY TEAM>
From street to big mountain to competition, the <FACTORY TEAM> lineup is full of K2-like freestyle minded models. There is a wide variety of skis, including the tapered "PON2OON" with a waist width of 132mm designed by Shane McConkie, the mogul ski "244" that has a strong fan base, and the "POACHER" that supports skiers who attack the park as well as the street.
New innovations <speed perfomrance> <PISTE perfomrance> for sliding on compacted snow slopes
Lastly, <speed perfomrance> <PISTE perfomrance>, which has the "Disruption" series that <K2> launched in 2021. Named after a ski that breaks existing notions, it is a category created for those who love speed and carving, regardless of competition.
Please refer to the link for the full lineup of K2.