By: Jordan Sunshine, Ski Buyer | Published: May 13th, 2024
I have been very excited about the revamp of the Reckoner series, and especially with the new edition of Karl Fostfedt's pro model, the Reckoner KF. For 2025, the full Reckoner Series has been redone to be more freestyle-focused with beefier materials and updated rocker profiles. With the KF (114mm waist), K2 has brought us back to the rocker profile we all loved with the Hellbents in a ski that is uniquely playful and buttery in the tips and tails but can still hold speed and is stable underfoot. This ski lets you feel like Crazy Karl and emulate his ability to bounce and land sideways in pow. It’s the perfect all-day powder ski that will keep you having fun in the late day chop.
Shop K2 Reckoner KF SkisThe K2 Reckoner KF sits uniquely in the new Reckoner line with an Aspen-light, full carbon-braided core. It has the same updated burly sidewalls, base, and triaxial braided core as the rest of the new series but with carbon throughout the fiberglass braid. The combo of this lighter core and added carbon gives it a flexier and lighter weight tip and tail allowing for all kinds of fun maneuvers while the stiffer center has more rebound, something the Hellbents lacked. At 114mm underfoot and still the right amount of camber, it hits that sweet spot for a realistic powder ski on busy resort days where a 120 can be too much. It is definitely a loose, playful feel for those that like that. Whereas if you prefer a stouter ski with rocker that more closely resembles the previous Reckoner, I would go for the Reckoner 110.
Sizes (cm) | 172, 177, 184, 191 |
Dimensions (Tip, Waist, Tail - mm) | 137 - 114 - 134 |
Turning Radius (m) | 23 (184cm) |
Rocker/Camber Profile | Powder Twin Rocker (Rocker/Flat/Rocker) |
Construction | Spectral Braid, Carbon Braided Core, Uni-Directional Flax, Carbon Boost, Twin Tech Sidewalls, Bio Resin |
Weight (g) | - |
Knowing I wanted this to be a "most-day" resort ski for whenever there was any amount of soft snow, I went with the 184cm length, which I have found incredibly fun in trees, tight chutes, and playful mini pillows. If I was planning for it be more of a true powder ski and reserving it for bigger, open lines, I would go for the 191cm, but I knew I was going to like it and want to ski it as often as possible. I mounted them about 2 cm's back from true center which was in the middle of the mounting scale and close to where I always used to mount older twin-rockered K2 skis.
I have skied the new Reckoner 110 and 102 as well, both of which I love and would recommend as versatile, freestyle all-mountain skis that rip, but if you are like me and want something that has that let-it-loose and go-sideways-on-a-whim feel, this is the way. The more aggressive rocker profile seen on the KF (as well as the Reckoner 124) brings me back to the feel of Hellbents and Pettitors where you get that 2nd bounce out of every landing opposed to the more spear-like surfboard feel on many newer pow skis that have long, gradual rocker. It's refreshing to see a unique tool like this that opens up a world for how you can ski features, land in different ways, and make the most fun out of every knoll. With all that said, I felt very comfortable charging some steep Silverton lines on this beast as well, so rest assured it's not a total noodle.
The KF shines for someone who approaches the soft-snow skiing with a playful mindset. If you like to smear turns, pop off everything, and try and land switch in powder, this is a great ski. It can still handle speeds, you just need to tell it what to do and how you want to ski it. For the freestyle-oriented skier, this would be a great wet-pow west coast ski or 4 inches and up Rockies ski.
In a world with a lot of great but similar skis, the Reckoner KF brings something unique. It is playful, loose, and just serious fun. It's the perfect width for a pow ski that can still handle most other conditions when needed. It has generous rocker in the tip and tail but is still stable and poppy enough to charge. It's a unique feel that sets itself apart even from the rest of the Reckoner line for those that want a different bouncy feel and want to harness their inner Crazy Karl!
Shop K2 Reckoner KF SkisName: Jordan Sunshine
Age: 38
Height: 5'11”
Weight: 175 lbs
Size Reviewed: 184 cm
Location(s): Silverton, CO / Wolf Creek, CO / Crystal Mountain, WA / White Pass, WA
Mount point: -2 cm from true center
Bindings: Salomon Strive 14 MN
Boots: Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 130 BOA
Ability Level: Expert