Though the Poacher is a new offering for 2016-17, it’s not entirely new for K2. In fact, the Seattle-based brand released a ski of the same name back in ’96, claiming it as the “the first modern twin tip.” Twenty years later the Poacher is back—a nod to the 20th anniversary of the K2 Factory Team—designed largely with the help of jib stars Clayton Vila and Sean Jordan. Its tip and tail are loaded up with carbon to provide lightweight strengthening and to increase maneuverability and pop. Early rise in the tip and tail adds playfulness to the mix and durable sidewalls hold ’em together for those inevitable high-impact situations. “Hell yeah,” noted a tester. “Incredibly stable and versatile with great flexibility.”