For ladies looking to spend most of their time in the backcountry, the Wayback 98 W from K2 is about as slick as it gets. The touring world has exploded over the past 10 years, and it’s resulted in some pretty cool technological and stylistic advances. K2, always a company to be at the forefront of such developments, has been ahead of the game for most of this growth. For 2024, we get a new K2 Wayback 98 W that skirts the line between touring and hybrid, falling a bit more on the dedicated touring side of the spectrum while also bringing some legitimate downhill chops to the equation. Hybrid tourers are generally as good in the resort as they are in the backcountry, while the closer you get to dedicated touring skis, the worse the resort application. With Wayback 98 W, we’re moving perilously close to not being a resort ski at all, highlighting the ski’s light weight and uphill efficiency when it comes to long tours in the deep mountain woods.

Overall, K2 uses what they call their Titanal Touring Tech build in this ski, and that is comprised of three main parts. To start, they use a full paulownia wood core which blends light weight and responsive energy. On top of the core, we’re getting their Carbon Overdrive which consists of uni-directional carbon stringers that increase the stiffness of the ski without adding much weight. Underfoot, and extending slightly towards the tips and tails, we get K2’s Ti Spyne that serves not only as a binding retention layer, but also keeps the ski damp and stable. While most touring skis don’t use metal in the build, K2 is still able to keep the weight down to a paltry 1260 grams in the 165cm length. 

The shape of the ski is also decidedly more touring-specific, using a low gradual rise in the shovel and a low and short rocker in the tail. Most touring skis avoid long and dramatic rocker profiles in order to keep more of the ski on the snow for increased grip. They do, however, still need the tip rocker in order to provide flotation. At 98 mm underfoot, the ski is supposed to be used in fresh snow, so having that rocker in the shovel is very helpful. There’s a pretty long turn radius on this ski, registering 18.3-meters in the 165, and this makes the ski track straighter on the ups as well as providing more creativity on the downhill when on the feet of the skier. There’s nothing spectacular about the taper shape, as it has to be relatively normal in order to keep that radius on the long side.

Touring ladies who are looking for a light, energetic, and technologically advanced ski for any and all backcountry adventures should definitely have the all-new K2 Wayback 98 W on their list. This ski has a whole lot going for it in the touring world, and a lot of skiers will be able to access the entirety of the performance as a result. Binding selection should be on the techy and light side of the spectrum, making the whole setup easier to use and more efficient in the climbs.