K2 Pontoon Skis 2010

Comments about K2 Pontoon Skis 2010:

Hello people, Shane McConkey here. Yea I know, I'm reviewing my own ski and I of course will be biased as all hell. However, I really have a passion for powder ski design and think about it constantly. I am endlessly testing other powder ski designs and always trying to create the best tool for the job. After skiing on the Spatula for 3 years and testing many different shapes this Pontoon is what we believe to be the best tool for powder skiing. We had 2 main objectives when building the Pontoon: 1. to create the best powder ski in the world and 2. Not loose much ability to carve a turn on the hard pack in the process. The Spatula was a great powder ski but the unfortunate reality of powder skiing is that you will never be skiing only powder. You will always find a hidden hard spot or find yourself on a cat track or groomer working your way back to the powder stash. Even while heli skiing you will encounter the occasional ice crust or wind hammered slope. There are several other brands now making skis similar to the Spatula and will fall into the same catagory as the Pontoon. These brands borrow some of the Spatula's design ideas. I believe some of these skis will be great powder tools but will lack the versatility of the Pontoon and consequently will have some dissatisfied owners. We created the Pontoon specifically for the reality of powder skiing. 90% powder 10% other. Because there virtually is no such thing as 100% powder in any day on the mountain.
Pontoons are actually pretty light for how much ski there is there and you will be amazed at how easily you will be able to make quick turns in tight places. This is due to the tip and tail rocker. It allows you to pivot them on a dime very easily. With these skis you will never again need to shift your weight to the back and do all that ridiculous bouncing in and out of the snow that skiers think they need to do when skiing powder. You will expend less than half the energy you normally would using a typical powder ski. You will find that charging at top speed will be easier than ever. You will be able to scrub speed at any time by quickly slarving a turn or whipping them sideways as needed. Most people get a bit intimidated by the massive girth of these skis on first glance but you will get completely used to it in a couple days of skiing on them. After many different test models and extensive testing I am very proud of what we now have to offer you. K2 has a team of incredibly talented and open minded design engineers whom I feel very lucky to work with. I am very confident our creation is the absolute best ski money can buy for powder today. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do and thanks for letting me spray about my babies!
Shane

Comments about K2 Pontoon Skis 2010:

My son convinced me to buy a pair of these for us to "share". I was skeptical. I thought they would be for deep powder only and might be too much ski for me (I'm a competent telemark skier, but not that aggressive). After sharing them for two weeks (actually, fighting over them for two weeks), I bought a second pair. I've skied them in a wide range of spring conditions (some true powder, heavy "powder", slush, slop, breakable crust, corn). I've yet to find any soft snow conditions or terrain where I don't prefer the pontoon over a traditional ski. They are fantastic in powder, but that's not all they're good for. I think they have even greater advantages in deep heavy snow, mank, and breakable crust. They just ride over everything. You can't bury a tip no matter how hard you try. A few surprises: 189 is not too long. I usually ski 175-180. But the pontoons ski short (due to the rocker on both ends). I find them easier to get around in tight chutes than a 175cm conventional ski. They turn plenty quick enough despite the 130mm waist. I think they're acually a very easy ski for tele. And they're not just for experts. Actually, I'd recommend them to intermediate (or maybe even beginner) tele skiers. I'm a cheapskate. This was the most money I've ever spent on a pair of skis in my life. And absolutely worth it.

Comments about K2 Pontoon Skis 2010:

Don't hesitate on this one. I'm very serious about this. If you want a ski to truly change your life and the sport as you curently know it, you have to ride the Pontoon this coming year. Don't let the shape and size scare you. Think about it. In hindsight, would you have skiied on a wider model earlier? Would you go back 10 years and not use a fat ski? Of course not. The Pontoon is the future. Shape as we know it isn't changing, it has changed and for all mountain skis, things will never be the same. I received my Pontoons middle of last year. I skiied it every day in almost every condition. This ski allows you to carve with a bit of sidecut under the foot (not reverse like the Spatula) but it floats and is the smoothest turning ski that I've ever been on. You can smeer and butter a turn or carve one. You can ski it straight, sideways or switch. You don't have to be a big mountain legend like McConkey to handle it either. When I first saw the 189, at only 150lbs I was leery and thought I'd wait until the 179's landed. The first run on the skis I couldn't believe how user friendly they were. McConkey took a revolutionary concept with the Spatula and worked out the kinks. This thing is incredible and we all owe it to him and the crew at K2 for changing the sport...again. If I could say there was one tough thing about the ski, it would be that it's hard to completely stomp airs above 40 feet. The platform is pretty big and you don't get the give that you'd get with a 100-110mm waisted ski like the AK Maiden or Chief. If you want a ski to make you better and the sport a lot more fun, get these, now. Don't wait for your buddy to blow you away when he/she gets a pair first. [...]

Comments about K2 Pontoon Skis 2010:

This really is the best ski I have ever skied. For anything but ice. And even on ice, it does just fine. I just wouldn't go quite full speed. I have never laughed so much on a ski. Nor ditched my other skis with such reckless abandon. I've ended up skiing more days on this ski than any other ski, and we've only really had one powder day out of 20 total this season. There is nothing that beats a pontoon in powder. It makes powder skiing easy and more fun than you could have ever thought possible. I have no problem skiing away from my ski buddies if there is even an inch of pow, and with crud and hidden pockets, it is best to just increase speed and sail right over. Last weekend, we were skiing icy crud covered in windblown with grabby pockets in flat light. I happily skied halfway down, and stopped to see how my boyfriend was doing behind me. I couldn't even see him. He was panting when he finally skied up, having worked so hard pushing snow around and getting caught in windblown pockets. And he was on 183 atomicP imps, which isn't really a skinny ski, and we usually ski the same speed. I generally like a longer ski, though I guess the longest I have (modern skis) is but a 185. I got the pontoons in a 179 because that's what I demoed, and I felt just fine on a 179. I'm 5-9, 180. They don't feel too short at all, and I think a 189 would only increase the weight, I am guessing that they both ski like a dream.
I have yet to try a pair tele, since the only time I saw a pair mounted tele, I was offered the chance to try and didn't have my boots. Darn! I'm guessing these would be pretty fun on tele's, though in my personal opinion, I'd get the 179's for tele, cause the tips wouldn't be as long turning on flatter ground. and we have a bit of flatter ground around here...
My only issue is that I skied over a very large rock and now have some filler material, but the rock probably wanted to take off my edge completely, but my ski didn't budge. It's still straight and true, albeit with a little more epoxy.
I've skied these not quite to full speed straighline on cattracks, and they hold fine. I generally find myself with one ski flat and the other on an edge somewhat, due to the width, but they don't feel floppy, and they don't wiggle around. They track pretty well. They really do turn on a dime, and are super easy going and springy. It takes a few runs to figure out that they just aren't like your old skis, but once you refigure your skiing stance a little, these will be the best and most fun ski you will ever ski. I would highly recommend a pair. your friends will all be jealous, and your legs will thank you every day.

Comments about K2 Pontoon Skis 2010:

My life as skier changed last March. As I was returning from the Back Country at Alpental and heading back I rode up the quad with skiers wearing the Pontoons. When It reached the top of two the young guns that was sking with informed me that I was talking to Bryce Philips and that he was Mr Evo and extreme skier.

I did a little more reseach and bought a pair of Pontoons the next week.

What a blast. Everything that Bryce told me was true. This is a ski is very easy to ski you just don't get fatigued. While the Seahawks were loosing to the Packers I was taking untracked runs (three in a row)from the top of International to the base of Debbies Gold without stopping in virtually untracked 18"conditions (amazing for a man in his 50's) and I was flying. The ski is great in the steeps and extremly nimble and quick thru the trees. The ski tracks very well in slushi crud at high speeds. Not bad in the bumps because it is so stable. You just point them down the hill and let them go. Not bad if you hit some ice (who wants that though). Have been on the slopes about 15 time this year + 10 last year. The Recons an 1080 foils have been mothballed.

If you like it steep, deep backcounty get this ski. I was getting concerned about old age but I know that I will be in the backcounty when I'm in my 70"s.

Thanks Bryce and K2.You have changed by life for ever.

Snake

Comments about K2 Pontoon Skis 2010:

I am 5'-10” 185 lbs and a very aggressive skier

I have 189s mounted plus 3cm with G3 Targa World Cup bindings and Scapa T-Race boots

I have alpined since I was little and made alpine turns on my tele gear and this review is the same for alpine and telemark.

The pontoon was going to be my big powder skis for next year. I planned to ski them on big powder dump days and I figured that I would switch to my seths once the snow was tracked out. I expected this ski to be great but I did not expect it to be the funnest ski I have ever been on. I cannot wait to ride them in powder, since that is what they are designed for. I have been skiing the pontoons all spring and they are much more versatile then I thought, I will be on them almost everyday next year, except on hard pack and in the park. The ski is super stable at speed, even on groomers. It is definitely not a race ski but it does arc a turn. I ride 179 seths but I went with the 189s and I could have gone bigger if they make them. They ride switch really well and have a good swing weight. These skis are flat out phenomenal.

Comments about K2 Pontoon Skis 2010:

Demo'd these on the last pow day of the year. It took 2-3 runs to figure them out. Each run from there was insane... you can't go fast enough on these things. If you get going too fast... its easy to slide them sideways and scrub speed. Dropped off my demo's... walked over to the shop and bought a pair. Don't try'em unless you are ready to buy'em.

Comments about K2 Pontoon Skis 2010:

I was a bit suspect about how the Pontoons would perform given their massive dimensions. I figured that they would kill it in powder but would suck everywhere else. I was so wrong. The Pontoons are the most amazing skis I've ever used in powder, and they killed it in all other conditions too. Obviously they don't do as well on hardpack as your average stiff carving ski, but I am not on a search for good ice. I believe that people need to pick a ski that will perform best in the conditions they most enjoy. I like powder...a lot. Therefore the Pontoons are my new babies. They allow me to ski for a much longer period of time without getting tired, and therefore, I have more fun skiing. My life has been better since I got a pair.

Comments about K2 Pontoon Skis 2010:

Butter dripping down a hot pancake. That's the smooth feeling the Pontoons offer. I skied the Pontoons all season at Alpental and each experience took me on a magic carpet ride. As a small-framed female, I was initially reluctant to buy these because the smallest size K2 offers is the 169 (I was previously on 158s). I was assured by all of the other Pontoon Cult Devotees that the rocker ensures a longer size is preferable. They were right. My Pontoons were fast, stable, floatable, and, yes, magical.

Comments about K2 Pontoon Skis 2010:

These are the BEST SKIS I HAVE EVER OWNED!!! I rode them on an epic 65" pow day up in WA and got to shred every part of the MTN!!!! Great for droppin cliffs and hittin the backcountry kickers, Landed switch off of a 40' gap no prob in the deep snow. Best ski ever, would recommend to everyone. Tried most of the other pow skis and nothing comes close. Enjoy