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K2 Parkstar Snowboard Review

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

K2 Parkstar and Parkstar Wide $429
Intermediate to Expert Freestyle to All Mountain
Flat Camber Twin Shape
K2 was right there with Lib-Tech with the introduction of rocker snowboards to the public so don't think they don't know how to make a good rocker snowboard. The K2 Parkstar is actually very different than many popular continuous rocker boards. The flat/rocker design makes it very stable between the feet. The flat in the middle of the board makes this very easy to handle one footing or flatbasing. The Parkstar is a good choice for someone who wants to jib everywhere and likes jumps. It's not super popy but it's also not lifeless. To elaborate on this there is good pop when it comes to an ollie but the pop you usually get out of a carve is lacking a bit. This is the parkstar so the later complaint is not as important. The Jib Rocker makes sense and does a great job where it's supposed to. The 2011 K2 Parkstar has softened up a bit but is still pretty much the same board as the 2010 K2 Parkstar. The 2012 K2 Parkstar is a bit lighter, has a shorter size range and a little more playful. It's still the same parkstar that many liked from last year but just slightly improved. All in all the Parkstar is a very fun board. Our only real complaint is we'd like to see this have a little more edge hold. If you ride in good conditions you will not have any issues.

How It Rides
Groomers	Average	Speed	Average	Flex	Soft	Rails/Boxes/Jibbing	Excellent
Powder	Average	Lightweight	Medium	Carving Ability	Average	Pipe	Average
Turn Initiation	Easy	Edge Hold	Average	Switch	Excellent	Jumps	Good

Compare Prices & Buyer Reviews

Snowboards.net K2 Parkstar Mens Snowboard Package...	$719.99	Check Availability
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The Gear Lounge K2 Mens Parkstar Snowboard 2012...	$389.95	Check Availability
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The Good Ride Take

A Quick Look at the 2012 K2 Parkstar

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 Parkstar

Back again with the Jib Rocker™ freestyle feel and pop. New for 2011 the addition of Carbon web bringing super pop while the Hybritaper makes it light and quick. The 2011-2012 K2 Parkstar Snowboard is the foundation of K2 freestyle.

A better Look at the 2012 K2 Parkstar from K2

Jib Rocker

Jib Rocker Snowboards Technology

PARK & RAIL AUTHORITY

Jib Rocker is a versatile twin Rocker built to dominate the park. Just enough rise in the tip and tail to create a loose, buttery feel on all types of terrain. Contact points stay well off the snow until engaged – eliminating edge hook while maintaining fun pop.

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.

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.

WH3 Core

WH3 Core Snowboards Technology

Lightweight honeykomb core technology

Using the same wood lay up as the W2 core; Our WH3 adds` two strips of Honeykomb material between the bindings and the rails.

ICG 10

ICG 10 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.

4000 Sintered

4000 Sintered Snowboards Technology

• Fastest natural base material available • Exceptionally Durable • Absorbs deeper & retains wax longer

2011 K2 Parkstar

$429.95

Rookie of the Year

Last season, the K2 Parkstar™ took Rookie of the Year honors, winning over camp kids, seasoned pros and magazine testers straight off the rack. This year the 2010-11 K2 Parkstar flexes a little more muscle, emerging as a fun, press-ready ride with screaming base swaps, a chaos topsheet and the forgiving JIB ROCKER feel that made it famous. Unmatched maneuverability and something loosely defined as ‘buttery goodness’ back the Parkstar’s game.

Park & Rail Authority

Matrix 1 - Carbon Lively Feel

4000 Sintered - Fast, Durable, Hold the Wax!

Parkstar Construction Features

BASELINE:

Jib Rocker™

CONSTRUCTION:

Hybritaper™

SHAPE:

Twin Tip, Hyper Progressive

CORE:

W2™ Core

TORSION FORKS:

Carbon Matrix I

2010 K2 Park Star

TRUE PEAK TO PARK PERFORMANCE

Everything you loved about the Darkstar got Rockered for the ultimate versatile high performance freestyle board.

Some say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – so we didn’t, we just took the legendary freestyle performance of the Darkstar and added a super playful Jib Rocker to the design and, voila, the Parkstar is born. It’s twin tip design and medium flex defines true freestyle versatility. Touting the same hyper progressive sidecut and centered stance for precise response and easy maneuverability, the Parkstar’s genius lies in it’s ability to dominate the peak, get to the park and lay waist on everything in between.

Rocker Range: 6-2mm/ 120-160mm

Your park and rail ROCKER with the automatic 'press higher' function, JIB ROCKER allows for a loose, buttery feel while jibbing around the park or slaughtering the streets. Whether you’re pressing boxes or just playing around on the flats, JIB ROCKER has a forgiving no-catch feel that allows you to pull off even the most wild combinations. The flat mid-section allows you to lock into rails like you were on a skateboard.

4000 Sintered

Hybritech Construction

Twin Tip Hyper Progressive

Triax Top - Biax Base

One Degree

Hybritaper

Jib Rocker

Specs

2012 K2 Parkstar Specs

parkstar

2011 K2 Parkstar Specs

149 Centere d 24.40 110-190 7.70 116.76 28.67 28.67 21.0
152 Centere d 24.50 120-190 7.80 119.30 28.90 28.90 21.0
155 Centere d 24.70 130-200 7.90 121.84 29.24 29.24 22.0
157 Centere d 24.90 130-210 8.00 124.38 29.57 29.57 22.0
159 Centere d 25.10 >150 8.10 126.92 29.91 29.91 23.0
154 Centere d 25.90 140-230 7.90 121.84 30.43 30.43 22.0
157 Centere d 26.10 >150 8.00 124.38 30.77 30.77 22.0
160 Centere d 26.30 >160 8.10 126.92 31.10 31.10 23.0
163 Centere d 26.50 >170 8.20 129.46 31.44 31.44 23.0

Pictures

K2 Parkstar 2012

K2 Parkstar 2011

K2 Parkstar 2010

Other Reviews

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User reviews

Average user rating from: 1 user(s)

Overall Rating:

3.0

light and fun, not really good on grromers

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

Hi

i have been riding camber snowboards for the last 5 years and this season i bought the parkstar as my first non-camber one (flat/rocker), as i just wanted to try rocker

i have to say that i like the board and i think its been a good buy, but i ride mostly groomers due to the conditions here, and its not really reliable on hard-pack, specially at high speeds

tought if the snow gets a little softer u can add some decent pressure to the edges without noticing much difference with a camber board

i do like the way it feels off-slope, its fun and very responsive, touhgt in powder i havent felt much of a difference with my previous camber board(atomic hatchet)

for a rocker board has a decent pop and it performs pretty decently on jumps

i hope this will help, keep riding :)

Overall Rating:

3.0

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Reviewed by alvaro
March 03, 2012