K2 is the dominant ski company in the US for a good reason; they make simple lines of user-friendly skis that put a premium on versatility. At Kittredge Sports, we consider K2 to be the standard by which other skis are evaluated, especially for women. K2 was the first major ski company to put rocker on every ski, and this season that decision was confirmed by every other company adding rocker to every ski they could afford to. K2 ski lines are simple. The A.M.P. (All Mountain Performance) line is resort and groomed run oriented for men, while the new Super Models are the same for women. The Backside series maximizes versatility off the groomed, and out of bounds. K2's factory Team skis are all twin tips, and cover the range from pure jib sticks, to everyday all mountain to powder domination. In the AMP series we carry three top performers: Aftershock, Rictor, and Impact. Rictor and Aftershock are metal laminate wood core constructions, while Impact usese K2's proven torsion box construction. Aftershock is the flagship of the line and the most versatile thanks to an 86mm waist. The Rictor (80mm) is a great carver that can still rock out in the crud, and is a worthy heir to the Recon legacy. The Impact is our performance rental ski, basically a Rictor without the metal laminates. It's not as precise at speed on hard snow as big bro, but makes up for it with a lighter more nimble feel and more forgiving handling.

K2 invented the modern women's ski with the T:Nine Series of Luv themed skis exemplified by the ubiquitous Lotta Luv. Last season the Luv theme was replaced by Super Models, but the performance remains. Lotta's successor; the Superstitious basically defines the all mountain category. With a 84mm waist metal laminate construction and tip rocker, it's the everyday ski of choice for many an all mountain ripper. Super Burnin' uses the same construction as the Superstitious in a narrower (72mm) and less rockered package to create a very quick and responsive ski that excels on hard snow, but still performs off piste. Superfree (76mm) uses a wood core construction for a more forgiving and playful feel, but still packs plenty off all mountain aptitude. To paraphrase one of our testers, "You ski other skis then you get on K2 and there it is."

Our staff's favorite K2 men's skis are found in K2's versatile Backside line; the Sideshow and SideSETH. An even 90mm wide underfoot, the Sideshow combines the hard snow carve performance found in narrower skis, with the all condition prowess of the big mountain category. Its lightweight metal laminate construction with tip rocker is very responsive, and moves through changing snow condition effortlessly. We like it for everyday resort ripping, but it also makes a great backcountry ski. Seth Morrison's newest pro model looses a touch of rockered surfiness, but gains back a ton of all mountain versatility thanks largely to a more traditional tail. SETH is a great combination of big mountain precision and powder domination.

Some of our favorite skis are found in the K2 Factory Team line of tip and tail rockered twin tips. These skis are all super durable with beefy wood cores and extra thick bases and edges. MissDirected is the ski many women have been waiting for: a 117mm waisted ski with big powder rocker up front, and moderate all terrain rocker in the tail. The most versatile twins are MissDemeaner and Recoil; 90mm waisted tip and tail rockered skis than can rule in the park or anywhere on the mountain. If you are on a budget, the Press (85mm) gets it done for a street price of $299. For the cost of three lift tickets, you get a tip and tail rockered twin that skis the whole mountain and glows in the dark.

K2 Skis (Click Here to see details on our alpine skis.)

A.M.P. AFTERSHOCK (More Info)	DOMAIN (More Info)
A.M.P. IMPACT (More Info)	IRON MAIDEN (More Info)
PRESS (More Info)	SIDESETH (More Info)
SIDESHOW (More Info)	SUPERBURNIN (More Info)
SUPERIFIC (More Info)	SUPERSTITIOUS (More Info)
•BAD APPLE (More Info) •BAD SEED (More Info) •MISSDEMEANOR (More Info)	50TH ANNIVERSARY RECOIL (More Info)