MSRP: $880.00

Tip/Waist/Tail: 131-98-119

Length: 167, 174, 181, 188

The HardSide is an old tester favorite, still a benchmark for its blend of power/precision with fun/liveliness. And it's the versatility champï¿½in terms of terrain, snow quality and skier skill levels. It puts up routinely high scores in all criteria, but adds up to even more than the sum of its parts (No. 3 in both Overall Impression and Balance of Skills). Fat but never sluggish, rockered but still snappy, it's an obedient all-day utility ripper for all but the deepest Western snow or hardest Eastern ice. "Smooth, agreeable, skill-stroking performance." Notes: Even Easterners deserve a rockered fattie for those big-dump days, but if they're going to ski it every day it needs to be versatile in firmer conditions. With it's 98 mm waist and judicious rocker, the Hardside fits the bill. It's also considerably turnier than other models in K2's Backside collection of sidecountry ready fat skis. Quick and carvy while still preferring powder over hard snow. K2's All-Terrain Rocker combines 70 percent camber with 30 percent tip/shovel rocker to smooth the ride, enhance forgiveness and improve soft-snow flotation. It's a metal-reinforced, wood-core (aspen/paulownia/maple), Hybritech Sidewall construction (sturdy vertical sidewall underfoot for edge grip, lightweight cap fore and aft for supple flex). The Powder Tip is tapered so it's less easily deflected and swing weight is reduced. For those expecting to use it as a touring ski, pre-cut skins are sold separately, and the tip and tail have skin-ready attachment holes. It weighs 1,980 grams at 181 cm.

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