“The Raw Power of a Super Car Refined to Rip as a Daily Driver.” K2’s marketing specialists have delivered another diamond. If we understand correctly, the promise of the Ikonic is a kind of Bugatti you can take to buy your groceries as well? A ski that can go silly fast but still easily sends and rides comfortably. A performance all-rounder. Sounds a bit like too much of both worlds. But was that the case?
The most experienced skier of our riders this year, Matthijs de Bruin, (25 years and “Staatlich Skilehrer”) went on the piste to check that out.
Circumstances
Hard packed slopes on the higher parts of the mountain in the morning, with softer snow in the afternoon and chowder lower on the mountain.
One of the first things that Matthijs said about the ski is that you shouldn’t pile on the power straight off the bat, because otherwise, the ski will really launch you. That does sound like a supercar that reacts violently when the pedal is put down to the metal. There is a lot of flex in the ski, so it is very playful. Especially in the short corners, says Matthijs, the ski gives back so much of what you put into it, that you would do well to build up power and ease into the ski.
If you then shift gears to those higher speeds and longer carve turns, the ski is ready to be put on its edges and will hold them. I was filming Matthijs (from a snowboard) and was going a fair speed when he let the ski run to go on into insanely low carve curves on a beautiful wide piste. I had to go flat out ad straight-line the board to keep up, but the way he accelerated away anyway, was very impressive to see.
Matthijs told me that the ski is stable to a certain speed, but above, and on rougher terrain, you have to really stand on the ski, to keep it well under control and actively continue to steer the ski.
Sounds like a supercar right? Although you might expect a higher top speed with stability. But then again, the ski is really not a pure racer. We should keep that in mind.
To the supermarket and back?
So it should also be good for a daily drive. Well if you ride like a Lewis Hamilton every day, maybe. But it certainly not a grocery shopper.
You have to really initiate turns, but carefully as mentioned, and the ski is quite demanding of your skill as a skier. It is reasonably versatile. The ski is somewhat wider, has an average radius, has a rocker in the tip and is somewhat flatter at the tail. Which actually makes it suitable for off-piste riding.
Unfortunately, the conditions were not good enough for off-piste nor was there powder snow, but the softer, looser snow later in the day gave an impression of the float of the ski, which was good. So the Ikonic also performed very well on less ideal snow. It is not a powder ski but should be able to handle basic off-piste very well.
Conclusion
The ski certainly has supercar traits, especially in playfulness and responding explosively to what you put into it. The stability at higher speeds has its limits. It is reasonably versatile with a preference for on-piste. If with “daily drive” K2, meant more daily fun than doing relaxed easy riding, then they do deliver on this promise.
K2 Ikonic 84Ti
Retail price: € 649,95
