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K2 Catamaran Skis | Review

Looking for a ski that rips in the backcountry, bosses the piste, and looks good while doing either? Introducing the K2 Catamaran

A catamaran (/ˌkætəməˈræn/) is a multi-hulled watercraft featuring two parallel hulls of equal size designed to float quickly over water. Skis are a set of two planks of equal size which go under your feet in order to let you float quickly over snow.

A catamaran’s wider stance on the water can reduce both heeling and wave-induced motion. Off the wind they can sail up to 75 to 100 per cent faster than a monohull cruiser. Catamarans are basically just fat, fast, glide-friendly boats. See where we’re going with this?

The K2 Catamaran ski is named appropriately.

“There’s been a lot of hype over just how well this powder ski carves.”

It’s a super-wide 120mm ski which means that you’re going to be sailing over the deep pow just fine, but the design of the Catamaran also means they perform impressively well when you’re on the pistes as well, carving with ease. Something not often said about a fat ski.

The Catamaran has an asymmetric shape, meaning this inside edge has a different shape to the outside. Long story short, what you get from this is the stability that a tapered ski often can’t offer, the ability to carve on groomed runs as well, and of course that floating quality over powder.

There’s been a lot of hype over just how well this powder ski carves. Mostly because it means you could use the one set of skis for both your backcountry adventures and your time in resort.

K2 didn't call these skis Catamarans for no reason. Photo: Chris Johnson.
While it's packed full of really clever tech, you can't get away from the fact the K2 Catamaran is also a really good looking ski. Photo: Chris Johnson.
At 120mm wide, these beauties are going to float above the deep, powdery snow. Photo: Chris Johnson.
The asymmetric shape of the Catamaran affords unmatched carving ability on groomed runs as well as on powder. Photo: Chris Johnson.

As you might expect from a powder ski, these are longer at the front than they are behind the recommended reference stance, but only fractionally. They’re near enough symmetrical. This means you can happily ride switch pretty easily – that is assuming you can ride switch.

This ski replaces the popular Pettitor (the pro-model designed with assistance Canadian freeskier Sean Pettit) in K2’s line. But it’s lighter than its predecessor, and you can tell as much when you ride it. It’s more playful and poppy as a result.

The end result is that this is a bit of a game-changer. A serious powder ski that excels in the deep stuff but is so fun to carve on that you could happily make it your regular resort ski as well. This is a hell of a release from K2.

K2 Catamaran Skis

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Selected for The Outdoor 100 Winter 2017

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