Curated Skiing Expert Hayden Wright got his hands on the 2024 K2 Reckoner 102 this spring. Check out how it performed in the carving, freestyle, and freeride categories, but consider the fact that each and every skier is different; if you have any questions about the Reckoner 102 or need recommendations on which ski would be best for you, reach out to a Skiing 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 ski? K2 claims that this is your all mountain, freeride, and park tool.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of the ski? My overall impression of the K2 Reckoner 102 is that it’s a very, very playful and nimble ski.

How does the shape of the ski affect the way it rides? It has a light swing weight with the double barrel, Aspen Fir wood core and the carbon Spectral Braid (which K2 has been doing for a few years now). It's essentially a tighter braid underfoot to give it more stability underfoot. Then, the braid opens up in the tip and tail which makes them extremely playful. The pro is that they’re fun for more of a freestyle ride and buttering. The con is that if you're riding on really hard stuff, these are going to chatter and it's going to get a little squirrely.

Carving

How does the ski turn? The ski is great as far as carving goes for being a 102 mm waist ski. It’s real lightweight as there is no metal in the core.

What is the edge hold like? I found that it held an edge very well (probably because there is a little bit of camber underfoot).

What about dampness? Any chatter in the skis? These aren't going to be the ski for East Coast boilerplate. They're going to get squirrely on you, and they’re not necessarily a damp ski. It's a softer ski for sure, and it will be bouncing all over the place for you.

Freestyle

How is it for freestyle skiing? As far as freestyle goes for the K2 Reckoner 102s, that's right where they're at home. These are for the freestyle rider looking to jib, jump, and play around all over the mountain in and outside of the terrain parks.

How is the ski with jumps? They’re really fun! However, you're going to want to make sure you're landing underfoot, though, because if you land front seat or back seat, you're going to wheelie out as these are softer skis.

Freeride

How is it in powder? Honestly, these things will hold their own in up to about 10 to 12 inches of snow with the rocker camber rocker shape and the 102 millimeter waist.

How is it in uneven terrain and chunder? In ungroomed moguls, I found them really easy to ski because of the swing weight. They were really easy edge to edge for untracked stuff. But, if you are blasting crud with these, as soon as the front ends hit something they're going to bounce back.

What terrain is this ski good for? The terrain that the K2 Reckoner 102 really excels in is all over. If you're going to be lapping the park, it's going to be there for you. You can ride in the trees, you can hit the side hits along the groomed runs, and ski the steeps. It's a pretty versatile ski.

What terrain should skiers avoid with it? On hard snow, these skis are not the best. You're going to get a lot of chatter, especially if you're a bigger, taller rider.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend these skis to? I recommend these to anybody that's an intermediate to advanced skier that wants to lap the park and then ski the whole mountain all the way down. The Reckoner 102 is a nice balance for not being limited to on trail or off trail performance.

Who should avoid these skis, there are better options out there for them? If you're an East Coast skier and you're a bigger or taller guy or gal, this ski is going to be a little too soft for you. Or, if you're not skiing in the park at all, you don't plan on skiing backwards, and you only stay on the groomed runs at the ski resorts, the Reckoner 102 is not going to be the right ski for you.

Skis work differently for different types of skiers. If you are wondering whether the Reckoner 102 is the right ski for you, chat with Hayden or any other Skiing Experts here on Curated, and they’ll put together free, personalized ski recommendations on the best skis for your needs.