Curated Snowboard Expert Spencer Storck got his hands on the 2023 K2 Afterblack this spring and put it to the test at Powder Mountain in Utah. Check out how it performed in the carving, freestyle, and freeride categories, but consider the fact that each and every rider is different; if you have any questions about the K2 Afterblack or need recommendations on which board would be best for you, reach out to a Snowboard Expert here on Curated.

Before we get started, it's worth noting that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands. All of these reviews are completely unbiased.

Brand Claims

What does K2 claim about this board? The brand claims that this is a great all-mountain freestyle board that excels in the park.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of this board? It definitely hits that category. Definitely an all-mountain freestyle board that can handle all-mountain, but it's definitely going to be a good park board as well.

Carving

How does it turn? So this board is a hybrid camber. It has a nice middle camber section with a little bit of rocker at the tip and tail. It really did well with holding an edge while carving.

Do you feel any chatter? A little bit on this one. Yeah. I felt a little bit of chatter on this one, but it handled... Compared to other freestyle boards, this did pretty well for handling the chatter.

How does it perform at speed? In terms of speed as long as you're on edge, it did really well. Flat base, you're definitely going to get a little bit of chatter at really high speeds.

Freestyle

Could you speak about playfulness and pop? With the rocker in the tip and tail, and mid flex, it's definitely able to butter and play around, but not the softest board out there.

What about riding switch? True twin here. So you can ride switch all day. No problem, hit those kickers, anything, send it.

Freeride

How would it be in powder? Some terrain maybe to avoid would be a powder day. If you can get on a better board, definitely recommend it. If not, it does handle it, but not at its best.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend this board to? This board is geared towards the intermediate-expert freestyle guy looking for anything to have fun on around the entire mountain. It definitely will do well in the park, but it handles the whole mountain. It's just a fun board everywhere. I would definitely recommend this board for any intermediate-advanced rider looking for a great all-mountain freestyle board that also just rips the park.

Who should avoid this board, there are better options for them out there? Being that it's a more camber board. I would not recommend it for a total beginner. But that beginner moving into intermediate, this one would be a good choice.

Snowboards work differently for different types of riders. If you want help finding the best snowboard for you, reach out to Spencer or another Snowboard Expert here on Curated to get unstuck with free, personalized recommendations on the right setup for you.