K2 Rictor Ski Review

For years K2 has been known for their Apache line of all-mountain skis. The Recon in particular was the most popular and regarded as one of the most versatile skis on the hill. Finally for the 2010/2011 season, Apache is gone and AMPED is here! The K2 Rictor Skis are a brand new model that just doesn't replace the Recon... it Destroys it!

K2 designed the all-new Rictor from the ground up adding new technology to a wider all-mountain platform. The Rictor has 80 mm underfoot and vertical sidewall construction compared to the Recon, which was 78 mm in the waist and full cap construction. The vertical sidewall adds more torsional stiffness and increases edge hold on hard pack snow. The wider platform makes the ski much more playful off-trail and in soft snow conditions. The Rictor also comes with an upgraded binding system. The New MX 12 is a Marker Wide-Ride binding that allows a wider waisted ski to feel quicker edge-to-edge. The honeycomb metal laminate from tip to tail is the only part of the new design that carried over from the old Recon.

A wider waist and better construction may only seem to give the Rictor a slight advantage over its predecessor, but it's the Rocker technology that really puts the Rictor on a whole new level. The Rictor is built with All-Terrain Rocker, which is K2's most versatile Rocker offering an elevated tip and camber underfoot. The elevated tip gives the ski added float in soft snow, while the camber underfoot really generates power and edge hold on hardpack. 

I skied the Rictor in both soft and groomed snow conditions last year and the ski performed awesome. The Rictor was able to ski everything I threw at it. When I was off-trail the obvious difference between the new Rictor and old Recon was added float. The ski outperformed the Recon by leaps and bounds in the soft snow. The elevated tip and wider waist just blasted through the woods without hesitation. Its when I took the Rictor on-trail is when I learned that this ski truly dominates the entire mountain. The Rictor absolutely ripped on groomed conditions! The beefed up vertical sidewall and metal laminate added edge hold and playfullness on every turn. The Rocker technology comes into play again when skiing on groomed terrain. With the snow contact point set further back, it is extremely easy to initiate a turn and the skier is less likely to catch an edge. The Rictor was more stable on steeper terrain and at higher speeds than the old-Recon ever was.

If your an fan of the old K2 Recon you need to get out with the old and in with the new... The K2 Rictor Skis will blow you away!

-->>Buy the 2013 K2 Rictor $719.96 <<--