The 2022 K2 Special Effects Snowboard Review

Board: K2 Special Effects

Size: 144

Camber Option: Directional rocker. Rocker in the nose and flat from just outside the front binding through to the tail.

Bindings: Rome Black Label

Stance: 21.5 Wide 15 Negative 12 Goofy

Boots: K2 Thraxis Size 10

My Weight: 200lbs

Resort: Arapahoe Basin

Conditions: Overcast skies with snow falling occasionally, warmer temps, humidity, heavy fresh pow all over the place, perfect creamy soft groomers, and push mounds plus chunder with death cookies.

Flex: This board has a fully directional freeride flex that comes in slightly around a middle of the road. If anything it’s a little bit softer than middle of the road. What you get is softer nose that progressively stiffens back up to the tail. There’s a fair amount of torsional give which lends itself to being playful.

Stability: The wider platform underfoot gives you stability while the rocker in the nose is softer and gets floppy at high speeds. In chop and chunder you notice the nose does get pushed around and seems to be less of something that plows through it and more or less skips and lands on top of it. The mid section when you’re back foot steering as you float on pow is what allows you to plow through this chop and stay on top of it.

Ollies/Pop: This board has a 100% skate like pop to it meaning you don’t have to load it up you just ride along and roll back on the tail and spring off whatever you’re on. It does a great job for its size to boost off rollers, cat track gaps, pillow poppers, and what not.

Butterability: While the nose has rocker it’s pointy and has a 3D shaping to it this makes it a bit more hooky when you pop a 180 and land on it. Be aware of this. Also be cognizant that while it is softer you do need to leverage your weight out over it to get it to engage. The tail is next to non existent so you will be doing high speed wheelies.

Carving: The 3D shaping in the nose coupled with the rocker changes the transition of how this board rolls from edge to edge. It has a smooth consistent transition from toe to heel but doesn’t seem nimble or precise, it’s more like a boat at high speed having the steering wheel cranked and planes through the turn. Once on edge though you drive it right outside the front foot and it steers more underfoot. I will say that to rail a hard carve you disengage the front foot and steer off the back foot and this is where the power comes from to push through a turn. It’s great for surf turns or if you need to setting an edge and laying it over. When you do lay it over it’s aggressive and powerful but you can keep the carve short and tight.

Rider in Mind: Volume shifted pow chasing freerider that carves.

Personal Thoughts: This board replaces the Cool Bean, a board I own and have a lot of experience on. I love that board. They’ve added a pointier shape and 3D shaping to it which helps with it plowing through powder but it loses some of its playful butterability, I’m fine with that. On edge it rails a turn and it’s torsionally softer than the Bean which changes the dynamic of how you steer it. Overall it’s a great change for the short wide that’s been a staple of their line.

Comparable Boards: Rossignol Sushi, Yes 420, Amplid Morning Glory

Recommended Bindings: K2 Lien AT, Now Brigade, Rome Vice