K2 makes it easy to get way back into the wilderness and have astronomical amounts of fun with the K2 Wayback 96 2020. Its paulownia wood core is heavenly light, while carbon fiber and a Titanal laminate help to provide a damp, responsive ride when it comes time to reap the rewards of your long walk in the woods. K2’s Snophobic topsheet also helps shed snow build-up which can bog you down on those long slogs uphill—no sense making a difficult objective harder, right?

FREESKIER tester thoughts: “Being a stiff ski, it’s best for a skier who can push it hard to reach the sweet spot of performance.”

“No compromises on the descent.”

Explore the 2020 FREESKIER Buyer’s Guide