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K2 Raygun Snowbard Review

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K2 Raygun Snowboard Review

1-Good-Ride-Favorite-2

Raygun-Snowboard-_-K2-Snowboarding-2011-12-1

 

K2 Raygun and K2 Raygun Wide $349

2012 K2 Raygun Review and 2011 K2 Raygun Review
Beginner to Expert All Mountain Freestyle

Flat/Rocker Set Back Directional Twin Shape
2010 Good Wood Award Winner
The K2 Raygun Snowboard is not only a favorite of ours with K2 but one of our favorites amongst all the boards in this price range out there. The Raygun is just a good do anything snowboard that will appeal to a broad spectrum of riders.  Some of K2's flat camber boards are questionable but their all terrain rocker is well liked.  The rocker is very flat between the feet and then turns up after the bindings.  It's not super poppy but makes for a very stable predictable ride that many mid level riders will appreciate.  It has stability when flat basing and one footing off of the chair but it's still loose enough to be pretty forgiving. The K2 Raygun will be a good board to learn the fundamentals of freestyle or mostly mountain riding.  it's one of those rare do anything boards.  K2 gives you a pretty good board for the price also.  As you progress the Raygun will continue be a good ride.  There wasn't a rider at The Good Ride of any level that didn't have fun on this board.  With the exceptions of a few minor tweaks there is very little difference between the 2011 and 2012 models. If you are cheap advanced to expert all mountain rider or a beginner/intermediate rider the Raygun should do it's job.  Check out the detailed review below. 

 How It Rides

Groomers Good
Speed Average

Flex Soft
Jibbing/
Rails
Good
Powder Good

Weight Light
Carving
Good
Pipe Good
Turn Initiation
Easy
Edge Hold Good
Switch Excellent
Jumps Good

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The Good Ride Take

The K2 Raygun Review by The Good Ride

Days-3

Size 159
2 Riders- 5'10" 200lbs Size 9 Shoe.  Not sure on the other rider.  Guessing 5'11" 170lbs size 10 shoe.
Boots- Burton SLX's, K2 T1 DB
Bindings- Flux SF 45 aka Feedback, Union Force
Thanks to P3 in Mammoth for the Demo.  If you want to try it stop by their shop.

The K2 Raygun Snowboard has an excellent price point and a very good reputation.  Despite that there were no expectations on our end for how this board rides. All we can say is this is one of the better rocker boards in this price range.  It's right up there with one of our favorite rocker snowboards in the Sub $400 range. We rode this in a few different conditions.  The first time we had pretty good conditions with up to 5 inches of powder in some places and hard pack in others so it was a good day to test.  So here is the break down.   I (editor) sometimes get tired of a way a board rides and often times take the last few runs of the day on a board I know and love to finish the day right.  With the K2 Raygun I didn't have that urge to get a familiar board.  Instead I finished the last few runs of the day with the Raygun.  The other 2 days we had this board was in hard pack conditions.

A Quick Look at the K2 Raygun 2012

                                      

Groomers- The K2 Raygun is a good cruiser.  It's great for someone to learn how to address the varying conditions that groomers can have at low to moderate speeds.  It's not going to be like a directional camber board but it's a stable ride that doesnt' get squirrely getting of the chair on one foot or flat basing across hard flat snow.

Powder- We had a bit of powder today.  At best there was 6 inches and at worst there was none.  We did find a few stashes that had a consistant 6 inches of snow everywhere and the K2 Raygun did an excellent job. It has pretty good float and planes very well.  All in all it did a good job with a centered stance.

Turn Initiataion/Carving- The Raygun is very easy to turn but it's not like those rocker or hybrid rocker boards that have a bend in the middle.  Some look for that ultra loose ride in an all mountain board but others like a little more stability between the feet.  With the Flat between the feet and the rocker after the Raygun had a very smooth predictable ride.   We both had a lot of fun making short or long turns.  When it came to laying down a hard carve the Raygun did a great job.  Extenting the Flat camber a bit beyond the bindings makes for a fun carve.  It also felt very lively for a flat/rocker twin and could almost carve back up the hill. 

Speed- Well we didn't expect much in the speed category here and our expectations were correct.  The soft flex and mid tier base doesn't make for a bomber ride but it's fun to cruise with this board.  It's not ideal straight lining a big firm hill. 

Weight- Light but not a featherweight.  The Raygun is not heavy enough for us to notice it on a chair.  Pretty light for a board of this price range while still feeling sturdy.

Edge Hold- This board rocks compared to the Believer but it's not going to compete with some of the other boards that have slight extensions in their side cut.  Still it did a very good job in the varying conditions we were riding in.  Often times we would be in soft snow and then it would suddenly dissapear and we'd be on rather firm hard pack conditions.  The Raygun held it's edge very well and we never had a back jarring wash out due to a shitty edge.

Flex- Pretty soft and playful

Switch- If you want to learn how to ride switch you need a twin.  Also you need a board that is easy and predictable to turn.  The K2 Raygun is a perfect board for people who want to get better riding switch or people who want to learn.

Jibbing/Rails- We didn't hit any rails but took a lap or 2 in the jib park.  The Raygun was really fun and catch free.  It's also soft enough to hit some semi technical rails.

Jumps- It's not super poppy but the Raygun was fun to generate your own air over little obstacles around the mountain.  If you are looking for fun on small to medium kickers the K2 Raygun will do a good job. If you are looking to go bigger then look for something with a slightly stiffer flex and more stability. 

All in all we were very impressed with the K2 Raygun and found it to be a great board for the mellow mood my friend and I were in. 


The Good Ride Take on K2
K2 is a big company that makes a lot of ski and snowboard gear. K2 chose Flat Camber and variations of flat/rocker for their snowboards in the post camber revolution. Their flat camber has a mixed take but their flat/rocker shapes seem to be well liked and some are Good Ride Favorites. When it comes to Bindings K2 spends a lot of time working on the quick strap/release side of things and they have 2 quick release designs. Some like this but others would rather see them work on improved turn initiation, comfort and better board flex under foot. We’d at least like to see them switch to only one quick release and develop their normal bindings more. Their boots are well made, long lasting and comfortable but some don’t have the adjustability that some boots have. Their customer support is very good but there is no phone # on their site so you must contact them via email. All in all K2 does a pretty good job when it comes to making snowboard gear for a wide variety of riders.

 

Company Information

2012 K2 Raygun

THE ONE GUN THAT DOES IT ALL

All Terrain Rocker®, the foundation of the K2 Baseline® Technology sets the pace for solid performance and good times on the mountain. Hybritaper™ keeps it light and smooth making the 2011-2012 K2 Raygun Snowboard the most fun for the buck we’ve ever offered.

A better look at the Raygun Snowboard from K2

                           

All Terrain Rocker

All Terrain Rocker Snowboards Technology

All Conditions Versatility

Designed for use throughout the mountain, All Terrain Rocker allows for effortless turns on hardpack but also provides ample float in softer snow and crud. A setback stance and medium rise through the tip and a lower rise in the tail defines this multi-purpose freerider.

All Terrain Rocker Snowboards Technology

Hybritaper

Hybritaper Snowboards Technology

Lightweight & Strong

Hybritaper takes our Hybritech Construction, and tapers out the core at the tip and tail to reduce the swing weight. We blend the tips from a cap into a thin sandwich removing material where you don’t need it.

Hybritaper Snowboards Technology

W1 Core

W1 Core Snowboards Technology

Lightweight Core Technology

Our W1 core is characterized by a single species of pure wood with proven flex, durability, and snap. This is our standard core for entry to mid level boards.

ICG 10

ICG 10 Snowboards Technology

Biaxial Glass

Biaxial Glass Snowboards Technology

The classic structure laminate, biax glass provides the smooth all-purpose performance.

Hyper Progressive

Hyper Progressive Snowboards Technology

An infinite number of different radius are blended together flawlessly from mellow in the tips, to more aggressive in the center. The result is a super predictable feel that never hooks. Responsive at high speeds and smooth enough to butter your way from the peak to park.

2000 Extruded

2000 Extruded Snowboards Technology

• Fast & durable • Easy to tune & repair

 

2011 K2 Raygun

K2 Snowboarding Raygun Snowboard

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$349.95

All Terrain Snowboard Performance

Building on the global demand for ALL TERRAIN ROCKER, the 2010-11 K2 Raygun™ steps forward – setting its sights on delivering fun and value. Legendary K2 BASELINE Technology and performance underpin the K2 Raygun without breaking the bank (or your phaser). Fresh off the design table, this snowboard wastes no time setting the new standard for a snappy, responsive ride that’s at home in the park as well as the sidecountry. Fire at will.

hybritaper
Tapered tip for a lightweight feel

all_terrain_rocker
All Conditions Versatility

icg-10
ICG-10 - Strong, Light, Responsive

 

Raygun Construction Features

BASELINE:
BASELINE:
All Terrain Rocker™
CONSTRUCTION:
CONSTRUCTION:
Hybritaper™
SHAPE:
SHAPE:
Hyper Progressive
CORE:
CORE:
W1™ Core
GLASS:
GLASS:
Biax/Biax/ICG 10

 

Specs

2012 K2 Raygun Specs

raygun


2011 K2 Raygun Specs

??150 3/4” BACK 24.50 <150 7.80 116.76 28.54 28.54 21.0
153 3/4” BACK 24.70 <150 7.90 119.30 28.86 28.86 21.0
156 3/4” BACK 24.90 130-210 8.00 121.84 29.20 29.20 22.0
159 3/4” BACK 25.10 130-210 8.10 124.38 29.53 29.53 22.0
161 3/4” BACK 25.30 >150 8.20 126.92 29.86 29.86 23.0
Wide 157 3/4” BACK 26.20 >150 8.00 121.84 30.50 30.50 22.0
Wide 160 3/4” BACK 26.50 >160 8.10 124.38 30.93 30.93 23.0
Wide 164 3/4” BACK 26.80 >170 8.20 129.46 31.55 31.55 23.0

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Pictures

K2 Raygun 2012

K2 Raygun 2011


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