$399 Intermediate to Expert Freestyle Flatline AKA Flat Camber Twin Shape 2009 & 2010 Good Wood Award Winner and a Great All around Park board. The Darkstar won many awards as a camber snowboard. For 2011 the Darkstar flattened out the camber and did this with many of the boards in their line. Despite it's lack of pop the Darkstar performs very well in just about any condition and anywhere in the park. The Darkstar is a step down in stiffness from the Beleiver. It's K2's do anything park board that takes it up a notch in do everything freestyle from the more jibby do everything freestyle K2 Parkstar. This is going to be more friendly outside of the park and will be fun at medium speeds. One of the problems with flat snowboards is their lack of pop which can make the ride feel rather dull compared to a hybrid camber, hybrid rocker or even good old camber board. All in all this will be a fun board for some.
The Good Ride Take on K2 K2 is a big company that makes a lot of ski and snowboard gear. So many companies are really proud of their gear and let sites like the Good Ride borrow it for a few weeks. K2 doesn’t and is only about the on-snow demo so we have to put in extra effort to get a hold of K2 gear. K2 chose Flat Camber and variations of flat/rocker for their rides in the post camber revolution. Their flat camber has a mixed take but their flat/rocker shapes (especially all terrain) seem to be some of the best out there and are well liked. When it comes to Bindings K2 spends a lot of time working on the quick release side of things. We at the Good Ride aren’t big fans of the quick release but acknowledge that many do like this tech. To us we’d rather see them work on improved turn initiation, comfort and better board flex under foot but many don’t agree with our take. Their boots are well made, long lasting and comfortable but many don’t have the traditional upper and lower BOA system that most companies offer. Instead most have an inner and outer lacing system’s which some like but we’d rather see upper and lower autonomy instead of two lacing systems focusing on the same 2 regions. Their customer support is very good but there is no phone # on their site so you must contact them via email.
A tried and true backbone of the Progression Series, the 2010-11 K2 Darkstar snowboard continues its reign as one of the top favorites for freestyle riders in the line, winning the 2010 Transworld Snowboarding Good Wood award. The true twin, Hyper Progressive construction that has also won numerous Good Wood awards in the past is now coupled with FLATLINE Technology at the team’s request for this season. Progressive, proven, powerful… Darkstar remains.
The Perfect Balance
Matrix 1 - Carbon Lively Feel
4000 Sintered - Fast, Durable, Hold the Wax!
Darkstar Construction Features
BASELINE:
Flatline™
CONSTRUCTION:
Hybritaper™
SHAPE:
Twin Tip, Hyper Progressive
CORE:
W2™ Core
GLASS:
Biax/Biax
TORSION FORKS:
Carbon Matrix I
K2 Darkstar 2010
TRUE FREESTYLE MULTISTICK
The true twin-tip and medium flex of the Darkstar offers immense POP, torsional responsiveness, and freestyle mastery for the rider looking for the premium freestyle shred.
Once again winning numerous board tests in 2008, the Darkstar is back and a freestyle power to be reckoned with. Hyper Progressive Sidecut and centered stance offer precise response and easy maneuverability while the Hybritaper tip and tail reduce swing weight and has the stability to power through any landing.
