2023 K2 Reckoner 102

We’ve been big fans of these skis since the first turn we took on them almost three years ago now. They remain structurally the same, but get a graphics update for 2023. This means that they still perform admirably in a variety of conditions and terrain, providing excellent playfulness and freestyle acumen in an all-mountain and freeride format. These skis certainly skirt a couple of boundaries out there on the hill. In one way, it’s impressive how well these 102’s without metal carve on groomers, mostly thanks to the carbon spectral braid. In another sense, they’re incredibly adept at freestyle maneuvers thanks to the twin tipped shape. Further still, these skis are totally versatile and fun-loving for a wide range of skiers. Intermediates who are looking for something with good flex, a playful personality, and great soft-snow performance will find a lot to like, while advanced and expert skiers are unlikely to top out the performance of the ski. It’s this type of spread that leads to the overall well-rounded character of the ski.

Brad Moskowitz skied the 177 and noted that it felt just right. He had a lot of high scores for this ski, including 5’s out of 5 for overall impression, playfulness, and flotation. 4’s went for versatility, torsional stiffness, edge hold, forgiveness, quickness, maneuverability, and stability. With all 4’s and 5’s on the card, it’s easy to see that Brad had a pretty favorable experience on the 102. He calls it “A fun mid-fat twin tip that wants to play on every part of the mountain. Soft, energetic and forgiving enough to pop air off just about anything, yet torsionally stiff enough to rail trenches on groomers. The fun shape and funky graphics will be a conversation piece on the lift ride up, and tons of fun on the way down. I imagine the skis would love to ski deep powder and be able to slash turns off in the tight trees of New England.” I think Brad does a very nice job encapsulating the spirit and intention of the Reckoner 102 with this feedback.

Nick Wright skied the 184, and found it true to size. He had 4’s for flotation, stability, forgiveness, torsional stiffness, and edge hold. 3’s followed up for overall impression, versatility, playfulness, quickness, and maneuverability. It’s interesting to see the consistent 4’s for torsional stiffness, as that speaks well to the reality of the carbon spectral braiding technology. It seems, though, that Nick didn’t quite have the same overall experience, "I was surprised at how difficult it felt to engage different turns and found it to be sluggish overall. Maybe it just wasn't the right day for this ski but I definitely was underwhelmed.” We later learned that there was a bad tune on this ski so that may very well have contributed to Nicks experience, he says he is excited to try it again! Brad Schauerman was also on the appropriately-sized 177, and he gave top marks of 4 out of 5 for all categories on the card, save for 3’s out of 5 for torsional stiffness and edge hold. At the end of the day, it’s still got a long way to go to be considered stiff, and the stiffness is really what contributes to grip, so it’s going to take a considerable amount of engineering to get a non-metal ski to accomplish the same feat. Brad calls the Reckoner 102 a “Super fun ski! Probably going to have to add this to my quiver. Very fun and playful easy to make quick turns but still holds am edge for a nice GS turn....very fun off trail in a variety of conditions. Good all mountain ski for a whole lot of conditions and terrain.” Brad noted, more often than once, that he was a really big fan of these skis, and since he spends a lot of time in the woods here at Stowe, I think it would make a great every day ski for him as well. (editor’s note: Brad did get one and he loves it).

We love the feeling of these ~100mm twin tips for a lot of different reasons and applications, and the K2 Reckoner 102 is one of the more playful of the bunch. Larger, more aggressive skiers might find it lacks a bit of power, but for lighter and more agile skiers, this thing fits really well. If you’re looking for a freeride-oriented twin tip, this should be at the top of the list.