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 the three top performers: Aftershock, Rictor, and Charger. All three of these skis are metal laminate wood core constructions with tip rocker. Aftershock is the flagship of the line and the most versatile thanks to a 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 quickest ski in the line is the Charger with its 76mm waist, but thanks to a touch of tip rocker and K2’s knack for well balanced skis, it can still hold its own anywhere on the hill. Our performance rental ski is the Impact, 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 flex.

K2 invented the modern women’s ski with the T:Nine Series of Luv themed skis exemplified by the ubiquitous Lotta Luv. For this season the Luv theme has been replaced by Super Models, but the performance remains.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 constructions 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 favorite men’s ski of the test is found in K2’s Backside line; the Sideshow. 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.

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 big news, as women finally get what men have had for a while: a 117mm waisted ski with big powder rocker up front, and moderate all terrain rocker in the tail. ObSEThed (117mm) returns unchanged but have new graphics. 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.)