K2 Split Bean
Now you can tour with a fat pow board.
Brand: K2
Model: Split Bean
Float The Cool Bean was so good that K2 split it down the middle for a short (144cm), fat (33cm), surfy powder deck that tours in deep snow well enough to leave the snowshoes at home. The stance is set way back on the short swallowtail for more float, and testers barely came up for air while taking face shots in Grand Teton National Park and Niseko, Japan. Bonus: The short length made kick turns simple while touring.
Carving Despite the Split Bean’s length and wide, scoopy nose, the contact points on this board remain comparable to most all-mountain decks. “This thing carves the resort like a race board,” says one tester. It gets on edge quickly and locks in with only minimal tail washout. Ding: The short tail makes for a twitchy, unstable ride on bumpy hardpack.
Skins The board comes with short, precut skins, and although there’s no tail clip, the mohair/nylon blend (good traction but still glides) gave us no trouble in deep, wet pow. 144