The Reckoner is a family title in K2’s household, and earlier than the title, there was a legacy of mega-fun, high-performing twin-tip skis. From the outdated Hellbents and girls’ MissDemeanor (my favourite ski title, of all time), K2 has at all times stored an eye fixed on their freestyle line. For twenty-four/25, K2 has redesigned the entire line, with superb new graphics and construct that may take you to extra locations than you’d suppose. On this overview, we’ll deal with the center little one, the K2 Reckoner 110.
K2 Reckoner 110: Subject Notes
The brand new K2 Reckoner 110 is a part of an even bigger new Reckoner household. The Reckoner has a narrower Reckoner 102, and a wider Reckoner 124 as siblings, together with a brand new cousin (if you’ll comply with my metaphor) within the Reckoner KF. The Reckoner KF is freestyle ripper Karl Fostvedt’s (aka: Loopy Karl) professional mannequin for this 12 months. The KF provides some extra stability and energy underfoot and was simply as extremely rated as the remainder of the road. However proper now, we’re speaking the center little one, the Reckoner 110.
The brand new ski has the identical nice markings of a freestyle-inspired ski because the outdated Reckoner, however will get some beefed-up materials. You’ll discover the carbon spectral braid that’s sure extra tightly across the midfoot of the ski for extra rigidity, whereas the guidelines and tails are softer for extra butter and presses. These Reckoners additionally get the Triaxial Braided Core building, which interlocks strands of fiberglass round a milled core, rising the torsional stiffness of the ski whereas retaining the flex of a easy wooden core ski.
K2 additionally put in the TwinTech Sidewall, which provides further sidewall materials by way of the guidelines and tails. They’ve additionally chamfered the highest sheets close to the perimeters for higher sturdiness (and maintain your sticks trying higher for longer).
I skied the Reckoner within the 170cm at 5’8″ and 130lbs however would measurement as much as 177cm sooner or later, particularly for a gentle snow-oriented ski. If in between sizes, strongly think about sizing up. We’ll swap the conventional order of our evaluations with gentle snow evaluation first, as that’s the place this ski shines.
Powder and Blended Snow
You’ll see an ongoing theme with the overview—the K2 Reckoner 110 rips, with the understanding that you just’re on a playful, progressive ski. In gentle snow, it’s extremely drifty, floaty, and cuts by way of the gentle stuff like butter. Kind of like flying on a cloud, with out a care on the planet. Lots of our staffers famous the spectacular float for the dimensions, making this an amazing bang in your buck ski when gentle snow involves city.
The drifty-ness of the ski actually shines in deeper snow. In case you ski with a playful and centered model, the Reckoner rewards this with a free journey that opens up doorways to what you are able to do on snow. Jibs and presses are simpler than ever, whereas balanced with a correctly supportive platform underfoot.
When it will get to heavy chop or crud, this isn’t the ski that may present a very planted journey whereas charging down the autumn line with reckless abandon. The elevated platform underfoot prevents this from feeling fully like wild journey down the hill, however this ski might be a lot happier taking extra dynamic turns to seek out good snow, quite than slicing laborious by way of difficult snow at velocity.
It additionally is determined by your private desire. Skiers who desire a ski that expenses by way of issues with full predictability gained’t get the steadiness they’re on the lookout for right here, nor could they be trying right here. However, among the many “freestyle-inspired” skis, this definitely focuses on the softer flexing facet. One thing like the brand new Armada ARV 106 or Faction Studio will provide an analogous form and drifty journey, with a considerably stiffer (and heavier) platform. Once more, you will have some assist underfoot to remain assured in your journey, however the ideas and tails of the Reckoner stay fairly gentle.
Bumps and Timber
The K2 Reckoner 110 actually thrives on this terrain as effectively. The updates made to this model stage up on this generally variable terrain. The softer ideas and tails can also be very forgiving for driving in tight terrain or timber, and gained’t punish you for a mistake within the backseat. That makes this (or the narrower Reckoner 102) an ideal companion for a progressing skier who needs to prioritize enjoyable on the mountain.
The maneuverability of this ski is second to none. The tip taper retains it straightforward to show, and the progressive form feels happiest when slashed sideways. That every one provides as much as a ski that’s straightforward and intuitive to whip round.
It’s no shock that this maneuverability isn’t just for on-snow motion, however in air motion too. For spins and tips, it’s good to have a ski that feels intuitive to swing round. The brand new Reckoner provides the identical maneuverability you’re on the lookout for, with an added platform underfoot to essentially have the ability to stomp the touchdown.
Once more, there are stiffer skis in case you want a heavier, chargier journey. However the brand new Reckoner 110 jogged my memory loads of the Atomic Bent 110 on this terrain. Poppy and playful, with out completely noodling out below you want an older Line Sir Francis Bacon.
Lauren: “This was very maneuverable. Straightforward in snowy steep bumps, and enjoyable to leap off stuff with the progressive mount.”
Groomers
Is that this ski designed for groomed terrain? Not essentially. Can it ski it? In fact! It’s a ski. The brand new Reckoner steps up efficiency on path considerably with the addition of their torsion field management. That basically ranges up the torsional rigidity of the ski, and provides you a bit extra energy tilting that ski over on edge. For the way rockered, centered, and gentle it’s, the K2 Reckoner 110 actually has no enterprise carving in addition to it does.
That stated, we’re not speaking a few carving ski right here, or actually a ski that’s designed to be mega versatile for 50% or extra of path snowboarding. Search for one thing like the brand new Line Bacon 108, K2’s Mindbender 106 C, or Icelantic’s new Nomad 106 for a playful and softer flexing ski, that has some extra chops for laying down a flip. In case you ski on bulletproof blue snow most of the time, these playful skis will swimsuit you higher on path (and possibly one thing narrower, too).
In fact, that solely issues in case you prioritize and anticipate your ski to really feel highly effective if you lean it over on edge, or need it to really feel bombproof at velocity.
Backside Line
The K2 Reckoner 110 could be very, very enjoyable. It simply isn’t the model of ski that I can maximize what it provides. I like airs once in a while, however I’m not doing spins bigger than 180s (my 3’s are nonetheless not fairly 3’s but) and my time snowboarding swap is restricted to a couple hundred toes. I like a ski that has extra in entrance of me than behind me, and I wish to to really feel very, very damp on the sake of dropping maneuverability.
However for freestyle skiers, or skiers who like a fun-focused, maneuverable, and poppy journey, the K2 Reckoner 110 delivers.
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