Ski: 2021-2022 K2 Reckoner 112, 184 cm
Test Location: Crested Butte, Colorado
Days Skied: 11
Available Lengths: 177, 184, 191 cm
Blister’s Measured Tip-to-Tail Length: 184.5 cm
Blister’s Measured Weight per Ski: 2027 & 2052 grams
Stated Dimensions: 136-112-127 mm
Blister’s Measured Dimensions: 135.8-111.4-126.5 mm
Stated Sidecut Radius (184 cm): 22.9 meters
Measured Tip & Tail Splay (ski decambered): 55 mm / 41 mm
Measured Traditional Camber Underfoot: 3.5 mm
Core: aspen/fir + carbon stringers & “Spectral Braid” + fiberglass laminate
Base: sintered
Factory Recommended Mount Point:
- “Midsole”: -5.45 cm from center; 86.8 cm from tail
- “Team”: -3.55 cm from center; 88.7 cm from tail
Boots / Bindings: Nordica Strider 120; Dalbello Lupo Pro HD; Dalbello Lupo SP I.D. / Tyrolia AAAttack2 13 AT
[Note: our review was conducted on the 20/21 Reckoner 112, which was not changed for 21/22, apart from graphics.]
Intro
We recently posted our First Look of the new K2 Reckoner 122, which is the widest ski in K2’s new all-mountain-freestyle series.
They’re also making a Reckoner 102 and the Reckoner 112, which we’re diving into today. While a ~112mm-wide freestyle ski has been gone from K2’s lineup for a few years, the Reckoner 112 will now fill that slot and follows in the footsteps of popular skis like the Shreditor 112. As soon as the rumors started spreading about a potential replacement for the Shreditors, our own Cy Whitling (huge fan of the Shreditor 112) started electronically gushing about the very concept, and we’re excited to say we have the skis in hand and have started getting time on them.
Blister Members can check out our initial on-snow impressions in our Flash Review, and then stay tuned for our full review, where several of us will be chiming in.
What K2 says about the Reckoner 112
“You know that ski you want for every occasion? The ski that jumps, slarves, slashes, and cuts. The ski that can bounce pillows to the ground floor, hit jumps late into the afternoon sun, and snipe transitions when the pow has been tracked: The Reckoner 112.”
K2 is definitely focusing on the Reckoner 112’s versatility here, as well as its playfulness. That’s something we hear from a lot of brands about their ~110mm-wide freestyle skis, so let’s see what sets the Reckoner 112 apart:
Construction
All of the Reckoner skis feature a aspen / fir wood core, carbon stringers, a fiberglass laminate, and K2’s “Spectral Braid.” The Spectral Braid is essentially a carbon weave that varies in terms of the weave angle / density as you move from the tip of the ski to the tail.
In the Reckoner skis, the braid starts with a fairly open, low-density weave at the tips, that weave gets tighter in the middle of the ski, and then again opens up as you move to the tail. In short, this is designed to give you more compliance and less torsional rigidity at the ends of the skis, but with more torsional rigidity and power underfoot. The Spectral Braid in the Reckoners is more symmetrical than that in the K2 Mindbenders, which consisted of a tight weave at the tips and underfoot, and only opened up at the tail.
Shape / Rocker Profile
In short, the Reckoner 112 looks a lot like the Shreditor 112. The Reckoner 112 has a lot of tip and tail taper, though its tips and tails don’t taper to nearly as much of a point as the K2 Marksman & Catamaran that it’s replacing. The Reckoner 112’s shape looks pretty similar to several other all-mountain-freestyle skis like the Prior Northwest 110, ON3P Jeffrey 108, Faction Prodigy 4.0, and Moment Deathwish. Compared to more directional skis like the Volkl V-Werks Katana, Nordica Enforcer 110, Icelantic Nomad 105, & Parlor Mountain Jay / McFellon Pro, the Reckoner 112 has much more tip and tail taper.
The Reckoner 112’s rocker profile is also in line with most freestyle skis in its class. It has a very deep tip rocker line, some camber underfoot, and a tail rocker line that’s still pretty deep but that’s shallower than its tip rocker line. The rocker profile of the Reckoner 112 looks very similar to the old Shreditor 112’s, though the Reckoner 112 has a slightly lower tail (we’d still call it a twin tip).
Flex Pattern
Here’s how we’d characterize the flex pattern of the Reckoner 112:
Tips: 6
Shovels: 6.5-7.5
In Front of Toe Piece: 8-10
Underfoot: 10
Behind the Heel Piece: 10-8.5
Tails: 8-6.5
The Reckoner 112 has a very accessible, pretty symmetrical flex pattern. Its tips and tails are pretty soft, and like the Reckoner 122, the Reckoner 112 has a fairly slow and smooth increase in stiffness as you move to the middle. Of the whole Reckoner series, the 112 is the stiffest by a small margin, but all three skis are pretty similar in terms of flex pattern.
The Reckoner 112’s flex pattern is fairly similar to the K2 Marksman, and it’s on the softer / more forgiving end of the spectrum. Skis like the ON3P Jeffrey 108, Moment Deathwish, and Faction Prodigy 4.0 are all a bit stiffer overall, as are most of the more directional options in this class.
Mount Point
The Reckoner 112 came with two mount points: the -5.5 cm “midsole” line and -3.5 cm “team” line.
Both of those lines are pretty far forward, and are again in line with most of the freestyle options in this category. We’re curious to see how the Reckoner 112 responds to some different mount points and different skiing styles.
Weight
This is arguably the biggest change for all of K2’s new Reckoner skis. In the past, their skis have often been on the heavier end of the spectrum. The new Reckoners are not, likely thanks to their lighter carbon construction.
Our pair of the 184 cm Reckoner 112 comes in at around 2040 grams, which is notably lighter than the (106mm-wide) Marksman, and much lighter than the ON3P Jeffrey 108 and Faction Prodigy 4.0. The Reckoner 112’s weight is not far off from the weight of the Moment Deathwish, Sego Big Horn 106, and Moment Wildcat 108.
For reference, here are our measured weights for some notable skis. Keep in mind the length differences to try to keep things apples to apples.
1753 & 1756 Renoun Citadel 114, 186 cm (19/20–20/21)
1910 & 1941 Scott Scrapper 115, 189 cm (17/18–20/21)
1959 & 1975 Volkl V-Werks Katana, 184 cm (15/16–19/20)
1964 & 1972 Moment Deathwish, 184 cm (19/20–20/21)
1999 & 2020 Rossignol BLACKOPS Sender Ti, 180 cm (20/21)
2006 & 2011 Rossignol Super 7 HD, 188 cm (17/18–19/20)
2011 & 2028 Moment Wildcat 108, 184 cm (19/20)
2013 & 2099 Moment Wildcat, 184 cm (18/19–19/20)
2027 & 2052 K2 Reckoner 112, 184 cm (20/21)
2034 & 2052 Blizzard Rustler 11, 188 cm (17/18–20/21)
2043 & 2046 4FRNT Inthayne, 188 cm (18/19-19/20)
2097 & 2103 Liberty Origin 112, 184 cm (17/18–20/21)
2102 & 2137 Line Sick Day 114, 190 cm (17/18–19/20)
2110 & 2119 Moment Wildcat 108, 190 cm (19/20)
2112 & 2125 4FRNT MSP 107, 187 cm (18/19–19/20)
2125 & 2134 Kye Shapes Metamorph, 185 cm (19/20)
2143 & 2194 ON3P Wrenegade 108, 184 cm (18/19–19/20)
2150 avg Parlor Mountain Jay, 185 cm (17/18–20/21)
2153 & 2184 Rossignol BLACKOPS Sender Ti, 187 cm (20/21)
2165 & 2211 K2 Mindbender 108Ti, 186 cm (19/20–20/21)
2165 & 2219 Icelantic Nomad 105, 191 cm (19/20–20/21)
2170 & 2180 Dynastar M-Free 108, 182 cm (20/21)
2177 & 2180 Moment Commander 108, 188 cm (19/20)
2181 & 2190 Parlor McFellon Pro, 185 cm (19/20–20/21)
2182 & 2218 Nordica Enforcer 110 Free, 185 cm (17/18–20/21)
2188 & 2190 Prior Northwest 110, 190 cm (19/20–20/21)
2190 & 2268 Armada ARV 106Ti LTD, 188 cm (18/19–19/20)
2220 & 2252 Faction Prodigy 4.0, 186 cm (18/19–19/20)
2221 & 2245 ON3P Jeffrey 108, 186 cm (17/18–19/20)
2232 & 2244 ON3P Woodsman 108, 187 cm (19/20)
2283 & 2290 ON3P Wrenegade 108, 189 cm (18/19–19/20)
2312 & 2386 Prior Husume, 188 cm (17/18–20/21)
2318 & 2341 J Skis The Metal, 186 cm (16/17–19/20)
2321 & 2335 Fischer Ranger 107 Ti, 189 cm (19/20–20/21)
2376 & 2393 Blizzard Cochise, 185 cm (15/16–19/20)
Some Questions / Things We’re Curious About
(1) The Reckoner 112 basically replaces the K2 Marksman, so how similar or different will the two feel?
(2) The Reckoner 112 is both pretty light and fairly soft, so how playful will it feel, and how stable will it feel when speeds pick up and conditions get nasty?
(3) At 112 mm underfoot, the Reckoner 112 slots into a category of skis that some see as dedicated soft-snow tools, while others will be looking to use them on a regular basis. So how versatile will the Reckoner 112 be when it comes to the extreme ends of the condition spectrum?
(4) How does the Reckoner 112 compare to the old Shreditor 112 that so many people loved?
Bottom Line (For Now)
With the Reckoner 112, K2 looks to be bringing back some elements from their old freestyle skis, but they’ve added a new construction and we’re very excited about the potential. Blister Members can check out our Flash Review for our initial on-snow impressions, and then stay tuned for our full review.
Flash Review
Blister Members can now check out our Flash Review of the Reckoner 112 for our initial impressions. Become a Blister member now to check out this and all of our Flash Reviews, plus get exclusive deals and discounts on skis, and personalized gear recommendations from us.
FULL REVIEW
Luke Koppa (5’8”, 155 lbs): This review is a bit different because, before the entire world shut down, we filmed a video review of the Reckoner 112.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic meant that we didn’t get to film any other full-review videos, but we’re planning on rolling out more next season, and you can subscribe to our YouTube channel to see those and all of our First Look videos.
So give the video a watch, make a drinking game out of how many times I say “like” and “um” (no wait, please don’t do that), make fun of my hair, critique my skiing technique, and then below we’ll do our standard, written full review of K2’s new freestyle ski, the Reckoner 112.
Powder
For a 112mm-wide ski, the Reckoner 112 is very good in fresh snow. I think I’d be perfectly happy having it as my widest ski for a place like Crested Butte.
Despite its fairly low tip splay, the Reckoner 112 never randomly dove on me or Sam Shaheen (who also spent time on it) in deep snow, and instead planed up very predictably in the ~1.5 feet of fresh snow we got it in. Both of its mount points (-5.5 and -3.5 cm from true center) are pretty far forward, and the ski unsurprisingly prefers a fairly centered stance in powder. But unlike some skis with very forward mount points, I could still drive the front of the Reckoner 112 in deep snow, especially once I got some speed. As I’ll be repeating here, this ski has a huge sweet spot which made it really easy to adjust my stance on the fly.
The Reckoner 112 is also super easy to slash and pivot in deep snow. While it’s not quite as surfy as the super-tapered K2 Catamaran, I’d still say the Reckoner 112 sits on the more playful end of the spectrum of ~110mm-wide freestyle skis. At the same time, the Reckoner 112 never felt “too loose” to me in pow; I could throw it sideways with little input, but I also didn’t feel like I was fighting the ski when I wanted to be tracking down the fall line.
Soft Chop
The Reckoner 112 is a ton of fun in soft, choppy snow — provided that playfulness and quickness are priorities for you.
This ski is not very stiff nor very heavy, so it’s not very good at blowing straight through patches of cut-up snow. Instead, its soft tips tend to bend and plane over the pushed-around clumps. Fortunately, the flex pattern of the Reckoner 112 feels really smooth and intuitive on snow, so I never found myself feeling like I was suddenly going “over the handlebars.”
This ski is certainly not for those who love to ski as fast and as straight as possible in chop, but it’s a ton of fun if soft-chop days for you are about looking at every pile of snow as a takeoff. The Reckoner 112 feels really light in the air and quite poppy, so launching off other skiers’ tracks is easy and super fun to do on this ski. And it’s really easy to slash and shed speed which, for me, is almost as important as a ski’s stability when skiing fast. The Reckoner 112 isn’t a ski you just lean into and let blast through chop, but it does let you make really quick adjustments to keep your speed in check and yourself in one piece.
Firm Chop / Crud
The Reckoner 112 encourages a dynamic, light-on-your-feet style across the board, but most noticeably in cruddy snow.
This is not a very damp ski, though I do think its suspension is quite good for its low weight — I think its softer flex pattern helps it do a better job of absorbing impacts than similarly lightweight, but very stiff skis. That said, since the Reckoner 112 is pretty soft, rockered, and tapered, there are several similarly light skis that will let you ski them harder in crud with less deflection than the Reckoner 112 (especially if you’re a pretty directional skier).
In truly awful conditions, I definitely had to dial back my speed on the Reckoner 112 vs. most heavier skis, or similarly light but more directional skis. Fortunately, the Reckoner 112 is super easy to ski at slower speeds, unlike some of those more stable skis.
Overall, the Reckoner 112 is very versatile for its width, but firm & rough snow is definitely where it feels the least appropriate. In these conditions, my tactic has usually been to make shorter, slarved turns (again, which are very easy to do on this ski).
Moguls, Trees, & Tight Terrain
The Reckoner 112 is super easy to ski in tight terrain.
As in soft snow, this ski requires very little effort to pivot in shallower conditions without feeling like it only wants to go sideways. It also has a huge sweet spot and lets me ski it through the shovels, from the middle, or even the tail.
Aggressive, directional skiers will likely prefer something with stronger shovels and a more rearward mount point, though I personally never found like I was folding the shovels (or the tails) of the 184 cm Reckoner 112 from either of its mount points (again, I’m 5’8”, 155 lbs). But if you love to slip and slide your way through tight terrain and value a ski with a big sweet spot, the Reckoner 112 makes a lot of sense.
Groomers
The Reckoner 112 is totally fine on groomed snow, though I wouldn’t call it particularly inspiring.
This ski offers good edge hold for its width (and for how rockered & tapered it is), will produce some pop out of a turn, and can make a fairly wide variety of turn shapes. It definitely prefers a pretty neutral stance on groomers and that, combined with its tapered & rockered design, makes for pretty subdued, somewhat vague turn initiation. But I never had the ski randomly slide out on me and it could happily make everything from short-GS to Super G sized turns. For a 112mm-wide freestyle ski, I have few complaints about the Reckoner 112 on piste.
Mount Point
As we noted, the Reckoner 112 comes with two lines marked on the ski: the -5.5 cm “midsole” line and -3.5 cm “team” line. We skied the Reckoner 112 on both of those lines, and I also tried it at -1 cm and -2 cm behind the midsole line (about -6.5 cm and -7.5 cm from true center).
From -7.5 to -3.5, the Reckoner 112 encourages a pretty neutral stance across the board. The ski feels more balanced in the air on the “team” line and you can drive it a little more when it’s mounted on or behind the “midsole” line, but the differences were surprisingly subtle.
So this isn’t a ski that transforms into something entirely different when you move the bindings (probably cause of its huge sweet spot), but the upside is that those who want a slightly more balanced feel or who want a bit less tail / more tip to drive won’t have to worry about the ski feeling weird when you move the bindings.
Playfulness
The Reckoner 112 is playful in every regard.
It’s loose and surfy, it’s pretty poppy, it’s got a super low swing weight for its size, it’s easy to bend, it skis switch very well, and it feels balanced in the air and on the ground.
I’d say the only potential downfall of the Reckoner 112 in terms of playfulness is its fairly low amount of tail splay. Personally, I never had the tails catch while skiing or landing switch, but I think you’d have to lean a bit more into the tips if you were jumping off something big and landing switch in really deep snow.
Other than that, the Reckoner 112 is about as playful as it gets.
Who’s It For?
Beginner through expert skiers who want a very playful, maneuverable, versatile, and forgiving ~110mm-wide ski.
If you are a directional skier who prefers to ski with a very forward stance (really driving the shovels of the ski) and you prefer a ski that is very damp and stable, you have plenty of better options out there (K2’s own Mindbender 108Ti being one of them).
But the Reckoner 112 should be a very appealing option for freestyle-oriented skiers or those who just want something that’s easy to ski and that won’t quickly punish mistakes. It’s not a super stable ski, but it’s lots of fun at slower speeds, and can still be skied quite hard if you ski with a centered, light-on-your-feet style.
The Reckoner 112 is also quite versatile for its width. It floats very well in deep snow, but also feels comfortable when the conditions aren’t blower.
Finally, I think the Reckoner 112 could be a really fun 50/50 or touring ski for those who ski with a playful style. I’d be totally happy putting a more downhill-oriented AT binding on it and splitting my time between the resort and the backcountry.
Bottom Line
The K2 Reckoner 112 is a very intuitive, predictable, and pretty versatile ski that should be on the radar of playful skiers. It’s far from the most stable ski out there, but for certain skiers, its surfy, poppy, and freestyle-friendly feel will make up for that. All in all, I think K2 has done a very good job of making a freestyle ski that a lot of skiers in its target demographic will get along with quite well.
Deep Dive Comparisons
Become a Blister Member or Deep Dive subscriber to check out our Deep Dive comparisons of the Reckoner 112 to see how it compares to the Reckoner 102, Reckoner 122, Line Sir Francis Bacon, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, Line Outline, K2 Mindbender 116C, Moment Wildcat 108, Moment Deathwish, Faction Prodigy 4.0, Parlor McFellon Pro, Liberty Origin 112, Icelantic Nomad 105, Blizzard Rustler 11, Nordica Enforcer 110 Free, Prior Northwest 110, ON3P Jeffrey 108, ON3P Woodsman 108, Kye Shapes Metamorph, Whitedot Altum 114, Black Crows Atris, & Folsom Primary.
Looking forward to hearing more about the 112, and especially how it compares to the Moment Deathwish.
Very excited about this line, having had the Kung Fujas, Sheditors and the Marksman. I’m curious how they’ll ski in a more traditional mounting setting…..
Love the video review. I bet that was a ton of work. Awesome job guys!
Thanks! Definitely a lot more work than just writing about it, but our video guy, Jared, did a great job and we’re looking forward to doing more of them next year.
How it compares to the K2 mindbender 116 (I found this ski veri light and easy), while the mindbender 108 was a completely different ski more power and probably for me a one ski quiver.
tks
Enrico
So no 102 review???
We will be posting a full review of the Reckoner 102 and 122. Blister Members can read our initial impressions of the Reckoner 102 in our Flash Review linked below, and then we also discussed all three of the Reckoners in episode 90 of our GEAR:30 podcast:
Reckoner 102 Flash Review: https://blisterreview.com/flash-reviews/20-21-k2-reckoner-102
GEAR:30 Podcast: https://blisterreview.com/featured/new-skis-tight-pants-farm-animal-analogies-ep-90
I’m trying to decide between these and the new sir francis bacon. I currently have 4fnt yle for pow days and Armada alpha x for park and hard pack. I’m looking for something in the middle as my go to ski for all but the deepest days.
And how would this compare to the 2015 Gunsmoke as a owned those for a couple years. Thanks for the great reviews.
How do you think this would perform as a 50/50 ski ?
I mentioned this briefly in the “Who’s It For” section: “Finally, I think the Reckoner 112 could be a really fun 50/50 or touring ski for those who ski with a playful style. I’d be totally happy putting a more downhill-oriented AT binding on it and splitting my time between the resort and the backcountry.”
But yeah, short story is that the weight is right around what I’d want for a 50/50 ski, so if the rest of the ski’s overall performance aligns with what you’re looking for, it’d make a lot of sense.
Can anybody comment on the 191cm vs the 184cm of the Reckoner 112? I just spent my first day on the 191cm and am finding it slower edge to edge than I had hoped. I really liked the ski generally, but in tight spots it didn’t shift or turn as fast as I wanted. Any thoughts on if the 184cm would be a better fit?
In addition, is there any way to see/calculate the turn radius for the 191cm? 184cm is 22.9m per above and elsewhere.
Thanks so much for any ideas.
For the sidecut radius, it might list it on the top sheet of the ski, but I’d assume it’s somewhere around 23-24 meters for the 191.
As for the 191 in general, I don’t know anyone who has skied that length, so it’s tough to say. One option would be to try lightly detuning the rockered portions of the tips and tails and seeing if that helps make it feel a bit easier to release and pivot. If you’re typically on skis around 190 cm long, I’d hesitate to go all the way down to the 184 cm length, unless you want to make it more of a specialty ski that you’ll primarily use for tighter terrain.
would these be fine true center mounted?
They’d probably be alright, but unless you ski switch *a lot*, I’d probably just mount on the “Team” line. I think the flotation, stability, and carving performance you’d lose by going true center wouldn’t be worth the subtly more balanced feel for the vast majority of people.
How would you say these would do as a part time touring ski? Thinking about getting a pair and mounting some frame bindings. Would be mostly using them for sidecountry, soft snow at the resort and the occasional tour
nevermind. Should have read the review all the way through lol
Recommendation for mounting point please. I’m traditionally a directional, more of a charger skier but looking for something a bit more playful, forgiving. A more centre mounted ski is new to me. The conditions this ski is targeted for is 4-6″+ of new snow on the Canadian West Coast so heavy snow, not blower pow. Once the snow is busted up after a few runs I’d still be skiing this ski in chop/chunk. I have slalom 78mm carving skis so this ski may only see groomers on the run-outs back to the lift. I narrowed my choice to the K2 Reckoner 112mm and the Black Diamond Impulse 112mm. The BD would be more my style of previous skis but nearly $400 more. 6’2″ 200lbs, aggressive intermediate to advanced skier and going with the 184cm length. Thanks and yet another great review!
Hey Ken, what did you end up doing ?
Added to my previous question and info: I do not ski switch if that affects your suggested mounting point.