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K2 Gyrator Powder Snowboard Review

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

$549
Intermediate to Expert Powder
Flat/Rocker or Powder Rocker Twin Like Directional Shape
K2 along with Mervin were the first companies to restart the rocker trend and this along with the Skate Banana were the first rocker boards out there. This is a pure pow board. It just made sense for Pow to allot of us out there. The Gyrator is a very big twinish shaped powder specific board that can float in anything. It has a small bit of flat between the feet and then has K2's most aggressive rocker after that. This makes for a more stable ride between the feet than a continous rocker board but it's still pretty loose. Its great to have a twinish like board that doesn't sink so you can have a freestyle approach to the mountain. The Gyrator is not a typical powder board but led the pack when it came to a twinish like approach to snowboarding. This still has a small amount of flat betweent he feet which makes for a bit of a better ride but that rocker is pretty huge. This is no groomer board. If you like to take the park into the mountain when it's soft and pillowy here is the board. The sizing is also pretty large and this has a pretty decent set back so if you want more of a traditional approach then the Gyrator is not a bad choice either. The 168 is almost un-sinkable. Not much has changed over the years the Gyrator has been out. There are just minor refinements between 2010 and 2011. Also there are some minor refinements for 2012 as well but it's still the same Gyrator with almost the same tech from the last 3 years.

How It Rides
Groomers	Rough	Speed	Good	Flex	Med/Stiff	Rails/Jibbing	Average
Powder	Excellent	weight	Light	Carving Ability	Rough	Pipe	Rough
Turn Initiation	Super Easy	Edge Hold	Rough	Switch	Good	Jumps	Good

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The Good Ride Take

A Quick Look at the 2012 K2 Gyrator

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.

Company Information

K2 Gyrator 2012

THE BOARD THAT STARTED THE ROCKER REVOLUTION

Rocker started here. Made for powder float and quick turns in the trees. The 2011-2012 K2 Gyrator Snowboard continues the tradition with added features like Carbon Web II for even more pop and lively feel in the deep stuff.

A Better Look at the Gyrator from K2

Powder Rocker

Powder Rocker Snowboards Technology

Performance In Deep

Powder Rocker delivers the most Rocker for the most snow – enabling you to float through anything while still maintaining a high-level of performance on groomed terrain. A stiffer nose and tail ensure stability in an otherwise maneuverable and lively package.

Harshmellow - Boards

Harshmellow - Boards Snowboards Technology

Vibration force field

K2’s proprietary vibration dampening system is built into all three of our hardgoods categories. HARSHMELLOW™ is a magical compound that maximizes FUN by decreasing negative vibes, leg burn and rough landings. Positioned in the insert area in our top end boards to stop vibrations before they enter your bindings.

Harshmellow - Boards Snowboards Technology

Carbon Web

Carbon Web Snowboards Technology

Connect to the web

Always improving the feel and energy return of our boards, the R+D group releases the CARBON WEB rider input/output system. Offered in two levels of sensitivity. Resulting in a more connected feedback loop from terrain to rider.

Bambooyah Blend

Bambooyah Blend Snowboards Technology

A little Bambooyah goes a long way.

BAMBOOYAH® expands out into more models in this it’s second year. We now offer the all new Bambooyah Blended cores. Created for models that could benefit from just a little bit of Bambooyah’s incredible strength. A little it of Bambooyah goes a long way.

Hybrilight Construction

Hybrilight Construction Snowboards Technology

Less waste, more shred!

K2’s exclusive Hybrilight construction features a thin, constant thickness sidewall designed for maximum performance and minimal material usage. The result is a lighter, more advanced snowboard with significantly less waste produced in manufacturing. Better on hill and greener for the hill.

Hybrilight Construction Snowboards Technology

WH4 Core

WH4 Core Snowboards Technology

Super-light honeykomb Core Technology

The WH4 Core pulls every trick from our bag of core tech. With a greater percentage of HONEYKOMB than the WH3 Core, it’s engineered to maintain durability at minimal weight.

ICG 20

ICG 20 Snowboards Technology

Triaxial Glass

Triaxial Glass Snowboards Technology

A glass laminate with diagonal layers that stiffens the board torsionally. Giving you improved edge hold and increased stability for those off-axis landings

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.

0 Sintered

0 Sintered Snowboards Technology

• Ultra thin, static eliminating base • Lightweight, lower material usage • Highest quality sintered available anywhere!

K2 Gyrator 2011

$549.95

More Friends on a Powder Day

A trip to the White Room just got lighter, smoother, and most of all, deeper. The 2010-11 K2 Gyrator™ boasts an effortless float courtesy of K2’s POWDER ROCKER – the industry standard – while its smooth ride, zero legburn and mind-blowing pop are compliments of integrated HARSHMELLOW and HYBRILIGHT construction. But honestly, the K2 Gyrator demands we forget all the crazy technology and just race to first chair!

Vibration Force Field

Lighter, Greener, Better

Ultimate Performance In Deep

Gyrator Construction Features

BASELINE:

Powder Rocker ™

DAMPENING:

Harshmellow™

CONSTRUCTION:

Hybrilight™

SHAPE:

All Mtn, Hyper Progressive

CORE:

WH4™ Core

GLASS:

Triax/Biax/ICG 20

TORSION FORKS:

Carbon Matrix II

K2 Gyrator 2010

NEVER A DAY TOO DEEP

For those days when nothing should get in your way. Wake up, forget work, forget breakfast, forget it all…hey might as well forget the leg burn or leaning back too. Leave it all behind and just enjoy.

Who would’ve thought we could take everybody’s favorite powder board and make it even better? We maintained the effortless float courtesy of K2 Powder Rocker and combined it with a slightly stiffer nose and tail for increased pop and stability. The Gyrators' new Hybrilight construction makes the board lighter and the addition of vibration-killing Harshmellow provides thee smoothest ride you've ever had in the white room.

Specs

K2 Gyrator Specs 2012

K2 Gyrator Specs 2011

158 1” BACK 24.90 120-200 8.20 120.30 28.94 28.84 22.0
162 1” BACK 25.40 >150 8.30 125.38 29.96 29.86 22.0
168 1” BACK 25.80 >150 8.40 130.46 30.67 30.57 23.0

K2 Gyrator Specs 2010

BOARD SPECS	STANCE	WAIST	WEIGHT	SIDECUT	EFFECTIVE	TIP	TAIL	STANCE
	SET BACK	WIDTH	RANGE		EDGE	WIDTH.	WIDTH.	WIDTH
	IN.	CM.	LBS.	M.	CM.	CM	CM	IN.
GYRATOR 158	1” BACK	24.9	120-200	8.2	120.3	28.94	28.84	21
GYRATOR 162	1” BACK	25.4	150 +	8.3	125.38	29.96	29.86	22
GYRATOR 168	1” BACK	25.8	150 +	8.4	130.46	30.67	30.57	22