K2 made a bold move this season, changing what had been an insanely popular design for over a decade.  The iKonic 85 Ti is expected to fill the big shoes once worn by the venerable Rictor 82 XTi without the ultra-damp, shock-sucking properties of its now mothballed MOD structure.   Mission accomplished, with a sensitive snow feel unattainable on earlier editions from K2.

Where the old AMP Rictor series had the secure if ponderous quality of a 1990’s Cadillac, the iKonic 85 Ti has the more nimble reactions and feel for the road of the Detroit icon’s more recent incarnations. “Smooth yet responsive,” coos Bobo’s proprietor Steve Sheehan.  “More customers will like this one.”

Ease of turn initiation has been a K2 signature trait since the brand’s inception, a tradition the iKonic 85 Ti keeps intact.  The biggest change in snow feel between the two generations of K2’s is the sensation of lightness in the new arrivals, without any loss of edge grip, even on hard snow.  “Not at all demanding, yet when pressured could hold its own,” confirmed one impressed tester.

Despite the significant departure represented by the Konic design, the 85 Ti retains three behaviors that are intrinsically K2:  readily disposition to change turn shape, a balance point that’s easy to find and facility at off-piste conditions.  In the how-can-you-make-all-mountain-skiing-easier sweepstakes, K2 has another winner.