K2 Backup Snow Skis 2011

The widest point of this tip is the forward contact point as opposed to 7cm in front of it like most of our shaped skis. This design makes the ski more stable and predictable because it won’t hook or grab erratically in windblown snow and other variable conditions that you’re likely to encounter in the backcountry.

Our Adventure skis use an Aspen/Paulownia blend core. Lower-density Aspen and even lighter-weight Paulownia allow us to reduce the weight that results from the added surface area of wider skis. In addition, the Bio Core is 15% lighter than the fir/aspen blend traditional in our all-mountain skis.

All of our Adventure skis come with flat tails because they add tremendous utility to a backcountry ski. By allowing you to easily plunge the tails into firm snow, you can build anchors, stake out your tent, or merely secure your skis while retrieving something from your pack, none of which is possible with twin tips or kick tails.

Quick, simple and lightweight, the Z Clip utilizes the hole in the ski tip and eliminates the skin fold-over required with typical D rings. This not only reduces weight, but gets rid of the buildup of snow that accumulates under the fold, which eventually peels your skins off.

With two sheets of lightweight titanium alloy running the length of the ski, metal laminate skis are the highest performing and most complex constructions available from K2. Built from the base up, this construction consists of alternating layers of fiberglass and titanium above and below the wood core. Metal laminates provide damp, accurate, unshakable performance, ideal for expert level all-mountain skis.

The tails of our Adventure skis come with a concave notch to ensure the skin clip, regardless of size, stays securely centered on the tail.

For the Backlash, WayBack, Backup, PayBack, and She’sBack, we offer integrated K2 trim-to-fit skins.

A ski designed with traditional camber makes contact with the snow at the traditional contact points (TCP) regardless if the ski is unweighted, weighted or engaged in a turn.

All Adventure skis come with holes drilled in the tip and tail that facilitate building a quick, solid rescue sled, or the construction of a ski anchor. The holes come with plugs that can be removed with a simple twist of a flat head screwdriver. These holes also function as skin attachment points for our new skins.

This adjustable strap interfaces with the tail hole to secure and register the skin to the center of the ski. Unlike most clips which create friction by dragging in the snow every step, this clip sits on top of the ski, thereby improving glide and efficiency.

Progressive sidecut is a combination of two different radii, or sidecuts, that enhances the versatility of wider waisted skis. Standard sidecut theory is based on using a single radius. This works great on narrower skis, but becomes overpowering on wider skis, especially in variable conditions. The use of progressive sidecut on wider-waist skis guarantees improved turn initiation and hard-snow performance. All of our women’s skis are built with the sidecut shifted two centimeters forward relative to the standard sidecut for a men’s ski. This accommodates the anatomical fact that the center of mass for a woman is generally much lower than that of a man. Shifting the sidecut forward places the center of mass of the average woman in an optimum position over the ski for more control and easier turn initiation.

Durable and lightweight “cap” skis are built by a sophisticated molding process that envelopes the core and internal materials with the top layer of the ski. Used throughout our ski line, cap constructions can be assembled with a variety of different cores. These variations, such as glass and/or metal materials, are the determining factors of the skis’ performance.