K2: 5 Com Skis w/ M2 11.0 TC Binding

Unlike a lot of skis made for recreational sorts, K2's award-winning (Ski Magazine 2007 Buyer's Guide) 5 Com isn't a transition or value piece that breaks down, goes flat or becomes outgrown in a couple of seasons. This is a well-made performance all-mountain ski design for athletic skiers seeking new challenges at a great value. Unlike the rest of the numbered skis in K2's Comanche line that rate a 50/50 target terrain balance of groomed and natural snow, the 5 Com leans a little more toward the wilder side with a 72-mm. waist for a little float and an integrated Marker M2 11.0 TC binding that's a step up in weight and power transfer. Like some of K2's high-end performance skis, the 5 Com features K2's Mod Technology, a secondary core that's independent of the triaxial-braided fir and aspen core. Mod Technology dampens vibrations without messing with the ski's overall flex. This improves the ski-to-snow contact while reducing the bouncing chatter. The result is a smoother ride that carries through a range of terrain with predictable consistency. The triaxial braided glass isn't a new innovation. K2's torsion box design has been around for a number of years, and remains one of the best (and critically-acclaimed) ski construction techniques because of performance and versatility. The combination of wood core and torsion box construction create a lively ski that's easy to turn on hard snow and groomed corduroy runs. Combined with the M2 11.0 TC binding, the 5 Com delivers powerful carving potential that will please aggressive skiers (even those expert guys) without any of the unsettling chatter that sometimes unsettles advancing intermediates. The Marker M2 series uses Marker's highly acclaimed TC (Total Contact) design with mechanically operating toe cups that work with the stainless steel gliding AFDs to respond to the dynamics of backward-twisting, forward-twisting and other combined load falls. It doesn't have the lightweight titanium refinements found in K2's top-of-the-line Marker M1 integrated systems, but you'll probably appreciate the cost savings--and the peace of mind with every turn into the fall line.

• Ski Magazine 2007 Buyer's Guide pick, Aspiring Expert category
• Intended for athletic skiers of all abilities and aggressive intermediates who want all-mountain performance without gimmicks
• K2 suggests a target performance of 40% groomed/60% ungroomed terrain
• Dimensions (tip/waist/tail): 119/72/103 mm. in 167 cm. length
• Triaxial braided construction with a fir/aspen wood core
• MOD Technology to help dampen chatter and vibrations at speed, improving carving control
• Radius: 14 m. in 174-cm. length
• New integrated Marker M2 11.0 TC performance binding
• Marker M1 Binding DIN setting range: 3 to 11 recommended for skiers weighing 65 to 230 lbs.
• Recommended for skiers weighing between 65 and 230 lbs.