TOPBASE

TECH REVIEWS
  • Powder-Specific Tip Design

    Powder-Specific Tip Design

    The widest point of a powder tip is 7cm back from the standard contact point. The design adds stability and predictability while skiing and is less likely to hook or grab in light crusts or variable conditions.
  • Powder Rocker

    Powder Rocker

    ROCKER: Easy initiation, versatility, agility
    CAMBER: Control, edge hold, rebound

    This tip has the most elevation and longest measurement of Rocker and offers skiers a “surfy” feel with enhanced soft-snow performance. The camber region still exists to ensure edge-hold on firmer conditions.

    Simply put, Powder Rocker provides unmatched flotation in deep snow.
    All-Terrain Profile
  • Progressive Sidecut

    Progressive Sidecut

    Progressive sidecut is a combination of two different radii, or sidecuts, that enhance the versatility of wider-waist skis. Standard sidecut theory is based on using a single radius. This works well on narrower skis, but becomes overpowering on wider skis, especially in variable conditions. The use of progressive sidecut on wider-waist skis guarantees improved turn initiation and hard-snow performance.
  • Tip and Tail Holes

    Tip and Tail Holes

    Holes in the tip and tail are not only the attachments points for K2 skins, but they also fit the functional needs of a backcountry skier including the ability to build a rescue sled or construct various ski anchors. The holes are equipped with removable plugs.
  • Climbing Skins

    Climbing Skins

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews
K2 SkisDarkSide
 
5.0

(based on 13 reviews)

100%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

  • Great flotation (8)
  • Durable (6)
  • Good carving ability (6)
  • Good grip (6)
  • Smooth ride (4)

Cons

    Best Uses

    • Downhill (6)
    • Powder skiing (6)
    • Powder (4)
    • Groomed terrain (3)
    • Telemarking (3)
      • Reviewer Profile:
      • Expert (4), Advanced (3), Professional (3)
      • Was this a gift?:
      • No (9)

    Reviewed by 13 customers

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    5.0

    Amazing and versatile ski!

    By Mackman

    from Bend, Or

    About Me Expert

    Pros

    • Good Carving Ability
    • Great Flotation
    • Highly Responsive
    • Smooth Ride

    Cons

      Best Uses

      • Downhill
      • Groomed Terrain
      • Powder Skiing

      Comments about K2 Skis DarkSide:

      Typically ski northwest which has a little denser snow. Tried a number of the popular rocker skis with some camber. Nothing compared to the Darkside. Shockingly good on groomers. Obviously great flotation in pow and equally great responsiveness in deep stuff. The combination of the flat tail and amount of front rocker make this an incredibly versatile ski. I will use in all conditions. This is the perfect ski for me. It skis short as others have said so dont be afraid to size up.

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      • No

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      (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

       
      5.0

      Purchase!

      By Jumper

      from Dubois, Wyoming

      About Me Expert

      Pros

        Cons

        • Heavy

        Best Uses

        • Groomed Terrain
        • Powder Skiing

        Comments about K2 Skis DarkSide:

        Just purchased theses skis this season and after 3 runs I am sold. Great stability on packed snow and unstoppable in the powder where this ski really shines. Superb flotation on powder or plow through crud this ski does it all. For in or out of bounds this ski rocks

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        • No

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        5.0

        Ice, crust, & mixed snow review

        By HighlyDeepSnow

        from utah

        About Me Professional

        Pros

        • Durable
        • Good Carving Ability
        • Good Grip
        • Great Flotation
        • Lightweight
        • Scratch Resistant
        • Smooth Ride

        Cons

          Best Uses

          • Cross-Country
          • Downhill
          • Groomed Terrain
          • Moguls
          • Powder Skiing
          • Racing
          • Telemarking

          Comments about K2 Skis DarkSide:

          ice, crust, & crud review: my darksides are fabulous in all snow conditions, even horrible crud, crust, and ice. In alta this winter, one 9-day period began with dust-on-crust, then 5 powder days; then it hit 45degrees for 2days and froze solid. Perhaps out of curiosity, i went to snowbird and subjected myself to the cirque with top/bottom proper Vermont ice... and my skis were great. To my surprise, i also had no problem tracking (no-skid) giant-slalom turns on groomers with genuine hockey-rink ice. You need to really load the fronts to get the skis to engage like GS skis, but the stiff flat tails make them naturally finish all turns strongly.

          My helmet-cam footage from that week also produced some surprises about the capabilities of my skis. I noticed that i drive the tips down in all snow conditions, yielding an extra degree of speed control and smoothness. Furthermore, i found that some sequences of turns on hard snow can transition into highly-angulated surfed turns in only about 6" of snow. There were also some carvey, racey, darting, and yet still surfy turns on my videos that i have literally never seen on film before. (but i'm sure will appear in ski movies soon) And they were great for other conditions that you don't typically see in skis movies, such as this series of turns: crust, crust, powder, powder, mogul, crust, mogul, powder, powder (which were common this year).

          There are more awesome things about my skis that i cant properly articulate... but suffice to say, they're perfect. Please don't change them before i can afford to buy a backup pair. (they survived hitting countless rocks too). bravo guys, bravo. (though i recommend stiff boots for the ice)

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          5.0

          Congratulations

          By sanouka

          from Norway

          About Me Expert

          Verified Reviewer

          Pros

          • Smooth Ride

          Cons

            Best Uses

              Comments about K2 Skis DarkSide:

              This must be the most perfect ski made ever.
              Couple of seasons ago I bought a pair of Pontoons and I was stoked. This year I was going for the new improved model, but it was sold out. Went for a pair og DS and I am speechless. In tight areas it operates just as agile as my old Pontoons and will flip on a dime. On the bigger sides with more varied conditions they allow me to charge as Ive never done before (my mates on proriders and kuros where left in a cloud of snowdust here the other day) the skis just gives you that ubersolid feel......
              And if that is not enough, they are even ready for a on piste carving speedattack.
              What a ski!!!

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              • No

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              5.0

              Perfect. Greatest Skis Ever Made.

              By Deep Deep Snow

              from Utah

              About Me Expert

              Pros

              • Perfect

              Cons

              • None

              Best Uses

              • Powder Skiing
              • Telemarking

              Comments about K2 Skis DarkSide:

              The greatest skis ever made. Bravo to the design team. Please don't change a thing or discontinue the model. Far superior to twin-tips for technical & big mountain skiing.

              However, I can't find the matching skins anywhere. Suggestions?

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              • No

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              (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

               
              5.0

              Weapon of Choice

              By T

              from Canmore AB

              About Me Professional

              Pros

                Cons

                  Best Uses

                  • Powder Skiing

                  Comments about K2 Skis DarkSide:

                  Used these ALL season heliskiing- in the steep trees of the Monashees--
                  They are fast- float well even when it is a bit upside down, eat sun and wind effect, and let you turn on a dime - if you are confident enough to stand up on them-- I had a chance to ride them at the ski hill and had a blast on corduroy too-- Could not put these away -- a definite weapon of choice

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                  • No

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                  5.0

                  Favorite ski....Ever

                  By Dave Watson

                  from PNW

                  About Me Professional

                  Verified Reviewer

                  Pros

                  • Durable
                  • Good Grip
                  • Great Flotation
                  • Smooth Ride

                  Cons

                    Best Uses

                    • Powder Skiing
                    • Telemarking

                    Comments about K2 Skis DarkSide:

                    Rockered tip makes it easy to initiate a turn. Camber and 128mm underfoot creates a great platform for high speeds and holds an edge well. Not very heavy. Sweet ride, super fun powder ski.

                    • Was this a gift?:
                    • Yes

                    Comment on this review

                    (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

                     
                    5.0

                    Pegged the fun factor needle to ten

                    By BigBill

                    from Sammamish, WA

                    About Me Advanced

                    Pros

                      Cons

                        Best Uses

                        • All Mountain Ski
                        • Downhill

                        Comments about K2 Skis DarkSide:

                        I ski at Crystal Mountain in WA, These skis are the best ski I have ever skied, ever. The first day I skied them in knee deep fluff and they were, snappy, quick and responsive in evey angled I skied. The fun Factor needle was pegged the whole day. I am 58 years old and have skied just about every trend in skiing and this is it. The tip floats and waist of the DS crabs and railes with the tails scrubbibg. My son and I both have Coombas and fear we have skied them for the last time. Great work K2 and I would like to buy you a beer for making a great ski. [...]

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                        (3 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

                         
                        5.0

                        Great ski for real skiers

                        By Z

                        from Alpine Meadows, CA

                        About Me Advanced

                        Verified Reviewer

                        Pros

                        • Great Flotation
                        • Predictable

                        Cons

                        • NONE

                        Best Uses

                          Comments about K2 Skis DarkSide:

                          A bit of context first. I live in Alpine Meadows California, and ski Squaw on big storm days and backcountry when it's crowded in the resort. I'm in good shape from riding mountain bikes, and get in about 150 days/year.

                          I purchased these skis last spring as we were hammered by new snow, and my old powder skis broke ;-) (from too much use). We get a lot of heavy snow here in Tahoe, with the occasional light snow day here and there.

                          These are my go to skis for anything over 6" of new snow. They don't care if it's light/heavy, new or cut up. The tips float and help you save a lot of moves - including fast jumps. The platform for landing is wonderful. They are good at slow speeds and throttle fully opened - as in racing for the next chair to open @ squaw.

                          The only thing these skis don't like are small/firm moguls - buy hey, nor do I with any ski.

                          I'm surprised at how well these skis behave on the groomed, which is just the "get to the lift" for me, but these skis have made it fun.

                          Get them, you will be quite happy. I'm on the 188, and LOVE THEM!

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                          • No

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                          (0 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

                           
                          5.0

                          Almost unsportsmanlike

                          By Maserotti

                          from Vienna

                          About Me Collegiate/Pro

                          Pros

                          • Durable
                          • Good Carving Ability
                          • Good Grip
                          • Great Flotation

                          Cons

                            Best Uses

                            • Powder

                            Comments about K2 Skis DarkSide:

                            Never had a Ski before that's such easy to turn no matter if you're the first in the gorge or if the powder has already been beaten up. The DarkSide will lift you up (ski wise and emotional as well).
                            It's so easy to handle that I've already thought that it may almost be unsportsmanlike easy to ski those planks :-)
                            Bottom line, best Back-Country-Ski I've ever had!!!

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                            • No

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                            DarkSide

                            Powder Rocker

                            Built with Powder Rocker

                            156/128/144

                            Without Bindings

                            $639.96

                            THIS PRODUCT IS CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE, CHECK BACK SOON.

                            Size Chart

                            Product Description

                            A highly maneuverable big mountain ski design to take on ultra-steep spines, with the ability to dump speed on demand, and unmatched stability in the tail for run outs. The Powder Rocker on the DarkSide is drawn almost all the way back to the toe piece, creating a massive sweet spot which enables you to weight the shovel to pivot andscrub speed, or pressure the cambered tail for powerful acceleration and accuracy.
                            Sizes: 174, 181, 188
                            Binding Options: No Binding
                            Performance: 80% Powder / 20% Variable
                            Radius: 27m @ 181
                            Construction: Triaxial Braided, Hybritech Sidewall, Aspen/Paulownia
                            Weight: 2290g
                            Features: Powder Tip, Progressive SideCut, Tip and Tail Hardware, Pre-Cut Climbing Skins available
                            Compatible with K2 Skins