2021 K2 Poacher

It's a freestyle, park, all-mountain, fun-loving ski that's going to make a lot of skiers happy. Pretty basic in its build, the Poacher relies pretty heavily on the fiberglass and carbon additives to the fir and aspen core. The fiberglass does require epoxy to keep it together, and that does add a bit of weight to the ski. But, for higher-performing skiers looking for stability in their twin tip, this is a very nice feature to have. The carbon boost braid also stiffens the ski without adding much weight, so for park and freestyle skiers who need a bit of a snap and energy, especially during takeoffs and landings, this works very nicely. With a bit of tip and tail rocker to go along with moderate taper, the 96 mm waist width will stay afloat in softer snow, making this a supremely useful ski in an all-mountain format. If you never hit a jump or a rail for the life of the ski, you're still going to have a great time on it. Conversely, if you never leave the park, you're still going to love the fun-filled personality of the Poacher. Unchanged for 2021 in the structural sense, the Poacher is primed and ready to take on a new generation of all-mountain and freestyle skiers

This ski is right up Jeff Neagle's alley. He skied the 177 and notes that "The K2 Poacher has become somewhat of a classic in the all-mountain twin tip/versatile park ski world. At 96 mm underfoot with the tip and tail rocker, there's a lot you can do on it. Skiers like Colby Stevenson are winning slopestyle competitions on it, while others will enjoy its playful all-mountain characteristics. I feel like people often look at skis like this and assume they're soft-flexing, unstable noodles, but the Poacher has some heft to it. The flex pattern is substantial underfoot, which helps a lot when you're just ripping around the mountain. The tips and tails are a little softer, but that helps give the ski more compliance for tricky terrain and when you're maneuvering through trees, moguls, etc. The softer, rockered tips and tails also help a lot in the park. Landings are smoother and less jarring than on a stiffer ski, and it also makes things like butters and switch takeoffs a little easier. The one thing I'll say is it's probably not the best choice for a beginner-intermediate level park skier if you're choosing it specifically for that application. There are lighter skis like the Sight and Press that would be better for those skiers."

Matt McGinnis's "biggest impression was that this ski can hold an edge." He was on the 184 and gave an appropriate score of 4.5 out of 5 in torsional stiffness and edge hold. "Super-responsive and stable and quick edge to edge. Also, they have incredible pop. Overall, I'd say these are excellent park skis for those who go fast and big. With a mid-stiff flex for a ski without metal, these skis are highly capable of going fast anywhere on the mountain." Like Jeff, Matt cautions that these are on the rugged side for true playful skiing, especially in lighter of less-experienced skiers. "As far as drawbacks, these skis are likely too stiff for those who like to butter, press, or surf. Overall, a very enjoyable, high-speed park ski." Sounds like fun to us, Matt!

With a great all-around shape and a tougher-than-average build, the K2 Poacher is an ideal choice for advanced skiers who dabble in park, woods, bumps, or whatever. All things are good on the K2 Poacher.