TOPBASE

TECH REVIEWS
  • Speed Rocker

    Speed Rocker

    ROCKER: Easy initiation, versatility, agility
    CAMBER: Control, edge hold, rebound

    This slightly elevated tip and increased tip length provides effortless initiation and flawless transitions, while camber along the rest of the running surface delivers precision, power, and edge-hold.
    Simply put, Speed Rocker offers high performance precision and edge hold on firm snow.
  • Progressive Sidecut

    Progressive Sidecut

    Progressive sidecut is a combination of two different radii, or sidecuts, that enhance the versatility of wider-waist skis. Standard sidecut theory is based on using a single radius. This works well 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.
  • BIO Core Tech

    BIO Core Tech

    For backcountry skiers conscious of their caloric and environmental output, our Adventure skis use a blended core of aspen, bamboo, and Paulownia, (a reforestation plantation tree similar to bamboo) that has consistent density, great strength-to-weight ratio, and fast-growth carbon-sequestration. The core is just one component of the ski, but the result is 15% weight savings over our traditional fir/aspen cores and a lessened footprint, reducing the impact of the ski on you and the winter world.
  • Tip and Tail Holes

    Tip and Tail Holes

    Holes in the tip and tail are not only the attachments points for K2 skins, but they also fit the functional needs of a backcountry skier including the ability to build a rescue sled or construct various ski anchors. The holes are equipped with removable plugs.
  • Flat Tails

    Flat Tails

    All Adventure skis come with flat tails, providing backcountry utility by allowing you to plunge the tails easily into firm snow.

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews
K2 Skis BackUp
 
4.0

(based on 4 reviews)

75%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

  • Durable (3)
  • Good carving ability (3)
  • Good grip (3)

Cons

    Best Uses

    • Downhill (3)

    REVIEWS

    Reviewed by 4 customers

    Sort by

    Displaying reviews 1-4

    Back to top

     
    5.0

    Excellent Beast Coast Ski

    By Skiin' Ian

    from Northern NH & VT

    About Me Professional

    Pros

    • Beast Coast Variable
    • Durable
    • Good Carving Ability
    • Good Grip
    • Lightweight
    • Scratch Resistant
    • Smooth Ride

    Cons

    • Poor Flotation

    Best Uses

    • Beast Coast Tree-Skiing
    • Downhill
    • Groomed Terrain
    • Moguls
    • Telemarking

    Comments about K2 Skis BackUp:

    I was looking for a replacement for my venerable World Piste's, an outstanding tele ski in it's own right, and decided to roll with the Backups. I wasn't disappointed at all!

    I skied mine over 80 days at Jay Peak, VT last winter. Fantastic ski for days when it's hard & fast, super fun in the moguls, handles crud well, and perfect for variable & firm Bc days. And if you learned to ski pow back in the day, it will hold its own in the deeper stuff (max. 12").

    I have skis for deeper days and skis for racing, yet I find that I reach for my Backup's most days. If you need a ski for everyday Beast Coast use, or a "go-to" ski when you don't know what the Bc conditions will be, this is your stick.

    • Was this a gift?:
    • No

    Comment on this review

    (5 of 5 customers found this review helpful)

     
    1.0

    unacceptable quality and durability

    By Panayotis

    from Greece

    About Me Advanced

    Verified Reviewer

    Pros

      Cons

      • Poor Construction

      Best Uses

        Comments about K2 Skis BackUp:

        I purchased a pair of backups 2 months ago. Right on the next weekend I tried them on a great, sunny day of resort skiing. The ski seemed to work well. In the end of the day I noticed that the tip of the one ski was raised really early. It had changed shape!!! and looked like a rocker ski. I was a bit shocked since I had not even fall (except a minor one), jumped or hit anything that day. I assumed that this would be a defect of the material and that it would be covered by the warranty. But no! As the store in Germany - were I bought them online - claimed, they had checked the ski with a person of K2 and were driven to the conclusion that the ski was compressed and thus not covered by the warranty.

        A material defect could happen to anyone. But when K2 says that this damage was my fault, it means that the ski can be damaged in just one day. I don't know if this was just bad luck, but since this ski is not supposed to be destroyed that easily even in the hard conditions of ski mountaineering, STAY AWAY!!

        Not to mention that nobody from K2 ever explained to me how such a damage is possible to happen even if I asked.

        • Was this a gift?:
        • No

        Comment on this review

        (2 of 8 customers found this review helpful)

         
        5.0

        Big Mountain Ski

        By Andrew McClean

        from Park City

        About Me Competitive Skier

        Verified Reviewer

        Pros

        • Durable
        • Good Carving Ability
        • Good Grip
        • Great Flotation

        Cons

          Best Uses

          • Downhill
          • Icy Conditions
          • Moguls
          • Powder

          Comments about K2 Skis BackUp:

          The mountain is a canvas and you need one brush to paint it with- pull out the BackUps. When a splitter couloir promises to be one of the best runs of your life, slice it, dice it and serve it up in perfect proportions with a ski that knows its way around the big peaks.

          Comment on this review

          (3 of 5 customers found this review helpful)

           
          5.0

          A Mountaineering Dream

          By Martin Volken

          from Washington

          About Me Competitive Skier

          Verified Reviewer

          Pros

          • Durable
          • Good Carving Ability
          • Good Grip
          • Great Flotation
          • Smooth Ride

          Cons

            Best Uses

            • Downhill
            • Powder

            Comments about K2 Skis BackUp:

            As a ski mountaineering guide I have to exert myself many days in a row. This requires a ski that does it all in an efficient manner- climb well, skin well, carry well, ski well, anchor well- so that I can go BACKUP the next day!

            Comment on this review

            Displaying reviews 1-4

            Back to top

            BackUp

            Speed Rocker

            Built with Speed Rocker

            124/82/105

            This item is currently unavailable through our website

            Size Chart
            The 11/12 BackUp is the ideal ski mountaineering tool. Built with Speed Rocker to take on all snow conditions, the BackUp is equally happy making laps as a resort telemark ski. Two sheets of metal with an ultra-lightweight wood core provide exceptional edgehold, as well as a damp, supple feel typically not commonly found in skis this light. Its 82 mm waist is narrow enough to excel whether descending refrozen conditions or skinning in hard, bony conditions, but wide enough to handle variable snow with ease and predictability.
            Performance: 30% Powder / 70% Variable
            Sizes: 160, 167, 174, 181
            Radius: 19m @ 174
            Construction: Metal TNC, Cap, Paulownia
            Weight: 1475g
            Features: Progressive Sidecut, SnoPhobic Topsheet, Tip and Tail Holes, Pre-Cut Skins Available
            Compatible with K2 Skins