Pinnacle 105 Ti
The story behind the 2019 edition of K2’s Pinnacle 105 Ti is a tale of error correction, optimization and resurrection. The first generation Pinnacle 105 was on the soft side, super easy to steer but showed its frailty at speed. In 2018, K2 powered up the Pinnacle 105 Ti by increasing the Titanal dosage over the edge by 20% and pumping up the camber underfoot. The resulting stability significantly improved both calm on edge and responsiveness. It’s amazing what a little more mass will do: the new Pinnacle 105 Ti now behaves more like a Power ski than a docile cruiser, although it hasn’t lost touch with the Finesse side of its personality.
Pinnacle 95 Ti
Three seasons ago K2 radically revised its ski design, ditching more than a decade’s worth of dampening material and generally paring away excess weight wherever it could. By its own estimation, it went a little too far, so last year K2 reduced the rocker and bolstered the construction of its new star, the Pinnacle 95, with more mass, metal and camber. None of these improvements altered its flagship’s easy-going nature, so the renamed (but not re- redesigned) Pinnacle 95 Ti remains mindlessly simple to ski. One reason the Pinnacle 95 Ti earns elevated scores for Forgiveness is it doesn’t need a high edge angle to hold, so Finesse skiers can tootle along with their feet comfortably underneath them and still ride a secure edge.
Tough Luv
As befits a longtime leader in women’s ski design, marketing and sales, K2 makes a slew of Frontside skis for women. The brightest star in this galaxy of models, the new Tough Luv, might be the best women’s Frontside ski K2 has made in years. An unapologetic carver from a brand best known for its off-trail collection, the Tough Luv’s new tip design quietly tucks into the top of the turn and continues on a tight trajectory with an exceptionally stout turn finish.“ This all carbon, no metal ski was great,” confides one of Willi’s Divas. “It’s flexible, it’s fast, and turns well. You can almost tell it was built for a woman.”
MX89
The one word that percolates to top-of-mind position whenever testers try to sum up their experience of the Kästle MX89 is “solid.” This is a ski for serious skiers who ski not just because they can, but because they have to. It comes alive at speed where it responds to high edge angles at above-recreational rpms. At the moment when lesser skis are losing their grip, the MX89 imparts a sense of ease and serenity, as if the ski were doing 90% of the work. This is how a ski that prefers to be driven by a talented pilot earns consistently off-the-charts marks for Finesse properties. It’s not just the best Power ski in this genre, it’s also perceived by our panel to be the easiest to ski.