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    • K2 Talkback 96 Skis

    K2 Talkback 96 Skis

    K2’s new Talkback Skis are the women’s equivalent to the men’s Wayback skis which we recently reviewed. While the Wayback’s are 106mm underfoot, the Talkback’s come in an 84, 88, and 96 widths, for this review I’ll focus on the widest version, the 96’s. Like the Wayback ski’s, the Talkbacks are a lightweight touring ski designed to carry you far and wide. Weighing only 2.5kg for the pair they are exceptionally light, but what does this mean for their ability to tackle challenging terrain and variable snow conditions? Continue reading to find out what the verdict is.

    K2 Talkback 96 Skis

    Like the K2 Wayback skis only more svelte and little more feminine.

    K2 Talkback 96 Skis
    SHOW THE REST OF THE REVIEW / PHOTOS / VIDEOS

    Since the K2 Talkback Skis are built on the same chassis as the men’s Wayback skis I won’t go into depth on those details as they can be found in that review here. The Talkback 96’s feature dimensions of 128/96/115, combining this with their All-Terrain Rocker (rocker in the tips and tails and camber underfoot) enables the Talkbacks to float in pow and carve on groomers. Given that they only weigh 2.5lbs they make fast work of any skin track and the built-in grommet at the tips and notch in the tails ensure your skins will never fall off. The secret to their light weight is the use of titanal and paulownia wood in their construction which K2 calls this “Ti-Spyne”. 

    K2 Talkback 96 Skis
    K2 Talkback 96 Skis
    K2 Talkback 96 Skis

    To help keep snow from accumulating on the top sheet K2 uses a technology they call their  ‘Snophobic Topsheet’. Although I’m not sure exactly what that is, I can say that it works on all but the warmest days when the snow goes to isothermal schmoo.

    K2 Talkback 96 Skis

    Since the Talkbacks are ladies skis they come in shorter lengths of 156, 163, and 170cm and but are priced the same as the Wayback’s at $750CAN / $699.95US.

    Features:

    • All-Terrain Rocker
    • Construction: Paulownia Tour Lite, Ti-Spyne (titanal)
    • Snophobic Topsheet
    • Taipered Tip/Tail
    • Carbon Overdrive
    • Skin Grommets
    Skin Grommets

    Tips and tails.

    K2 Talkback 96 Skis
    K2 Talkback 96 Skis

    Verdict:

    Like K2’s Wayback Skis the Talkback’s are aimed at your weight-conscious backcountry skier who wants to put in big days in the backcountry and may not necessarily want to rail groomers in bounds. Give the Talkback’s weight, it’s no surprise that they don’t hold an edge particularly well on hard pack snow. In soft fluffy pow they are heaps of fun even though they are slightly narrower than what I am used to. At lower speeds in bounds, it’s easy to initiate a turn and transition from edge to edge effectively. When you ramp up the RPM’s however and get the speedometer cranked they tend to chatter side to side and become more skittish and harder to rail. Keep the Talkbacks in the backcountry or on soft snow and you’ll be fine and if you like to crank out turns and not rail them too much then you’ve found your ski.

    PROS:

    • Super light.
    • Built in skin tip hole and tail clip.
    • Easy turn initiation.

    CONS:

    • Tips are skittish and hard to rail turns.
    • Hard to hold an edge effectively at speed.
    • Tip chatter on hard pack snow.
    • Wish there was a 100+ version for deep pow days.

    SPECS:

    Price: $749.99CAN $699.95US 
    Dimensions: 128/96/115
    Lengths: 156, 163, 170
    Weight: 1250g / 2.75lb  (163cm ski)
    Turn Radius: 18m
     

    RATING: 8/10

    Powder Performance   1.5/2
    Groomer Performance 1/2
    Stability                      1.5/2
    Weight                        2/2
    Value                           2/2

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