K2 Parkstar - 2011
Back by popular demand, the K2 Parkstar hits 2011 for another year of Park riding domination. K2’s Jib Rocker profile combined with a progressive sidecut makes the Parkstar, loose and responsive, perfect for last minute adjustments on run-ins. The Parkstar is also ridiculously forgiving so don’t worry about getting those rotations perfect, concentrate on doing bigger spins instead!
Manufacturer's Description:
Rookie of the Year
Last season, the K2 Parkstar™ took Rookie of the Year honours, 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 manoeuvrability and something loosely defined as ‘buttery goodness’ back the Parkstar’s game
Recommended for park riding.
Recommended for rail riding.
Medium cost $
Available in Wide.
Rocker Construction.
Twin Shape.
Year: 2011
Available Lengths (cm):
49, 152, 155, 157, 159, 154W, 157W, 160W, 163W
Riding Style: Freestyle/Park
Specifications:
Jib Rocker™ profile
Hybritaper™
Twin Tip shape
Hyper Progressive sidecut
W2™ Core
Carbon Matrix I torsion forks
Sintered 4000 grade base
Similar boards: Palmer Flash - 2011 Arbor Wasteland - 2011 Endeavor RC Series - 2011
Snowboard Review:
Watch the 2011 K2 Parkstar Video Snowboard Review
The Parkstar is the younger brother of one of my favourite all time boards, the Darkstar. I was extremely excited about getting a chance to try one out. Born out of the huge surge in interest in reverse camber profile, the Parkstar was K2’s way of keeping the Darkstar as it was, but basically introducing a very slightly softer, rockered version too. With a shape like the Darkstar, the Parkstar was always going to rock and the Parkstar is already maturing into the more successful sibling. This board is highly rated by soo many riders I know and it was obvious why. The jib rocker on this board includes a flat section between the feet to help avoid the board washing out, with the rocker coming from outside the feet towards the tip and the tail, basically early rise tips. The system works great, and although the Parkstar gives up a tiny amount of the piste performance you get from the Darkstar, its buttery smooth flex and playfulness make up for this. I instantly felt comfortable on this board and rode it at high speeds down icy groomers in complete control. The Parkstar is a great mid-range freestyle board which performed brilliantly in the park, holding edges down kicker run-ins, popping nicely but still performing well at low speeds. The jib rocker obviously also lends itself very well to sliding rails.
I believe the Parkstar would make a great purchase for any level of rider and I would seriously recommend it to anyone who wants a park focused snowboard to take to backcountry kickers, hit everything in the park and jib top-to-bottom on the groomers.
Posted by Ben Molloy in • K2
User Snowboard Reviews
Want some advice, or have a question about the K2 Parkstar snowboard, or whether it is right for you? DON'T POST HERE! Head over to our snowboard forums and our community will be happy to help.
Seriously - READ THE ABOVE..., the snowboard forum the best way to get your question seen by all of our community and an answer, rather than just those who happen to view this page.
However, if you have ridden this snowboard and want to share your feedback, then please add your experience below. It helps to add as much detail as possible, e.g board length you used, bindings, rider stats etc.
on December 26, 2010 at 08:57 AM
Hi, I was looking for some snowboard advice. After looking up the net time and time again for reviews etc i was thinking about purchasing one of the following
K2 parkstar Rome Garage Rocker Libtech skate banana Bataleon Airobic
I like the park / freestyle etc.
I understand the skate banana kicked off the whole rocker system but after looking into the bataleon TBT it looks really interesting but with the popularity of rockers i’m a bit scared to come away from that
Any advice / opinions on any of these boards would be great
on January 12, 2011 at 12:31 AM
I just bought the 2011 park star this year. It is a great board to ride. Its by far the most fun reverse camber board I have ever riden. However it is also the least durable board I have seen in my entire life. I barely clipped a rock and the siding cracked. Luckily it was fixable. Later that week on a down rail the base of the board caught on the rail in mid slide and dug all the way through the base. It has the softest base I have ever felt. I am going to fix it and put it up for sale because that kind of thing will only keep on happening. It is a great board if you only like to ride it for 6 days before it falls apart. I have been riding park for ten years and never had problems like this. I am extremely disappointed in K2. If you are going to get a park star try and get the 2010 model its base is much stronger. But I would recommend lib-tech GNU or neversummer. We need to try and support the good US brands. I like knowing that those boards aren’t made in sweat shops
on March 07, 2011 at 03:15 AM
I just bought this board and took it to the slopes two days ago. My setup is as follow, k2 parkstar,rome 390 binding, van cirro double bao boot, EG2 goggle. I was alitle skeptical about the new technology since i’ve been riding camber all my life. However this board was very pleasant to ride. The rocker technology was very forgiven, I could think off half a dozen time that I shoul face plant but didn’t due to the rocker. The board is very flexy I would rate it a 4 or low 5. The board can butter easy and rocker makes it even easier. Kicker are great as for landing it stomps out great. Boxing is almost too easy, it rides rail like a train all in all its just a great board. I took this board all over the mountain handle very well even on ice. I even try flying down the slopes and there wasnr a time I felt that I might wash out. As far as durability I didn’t have a problem with the board falling apart at all. Maybe next time i’ll just do the park all day to test out it’s full durability. Untill then I vote this a very good board from 0 to 10, I give this a 9. Yes would recommend this board to anyone!
on March 22, 2011 at 12:41 PM
Bought the Parkstar in Whistler after some board testing and I have to say the board is awsome. I have the 157w which is slightly stiffer but handles the whole mountain. I hate beening restricted with a board and the parkstar does it all. I found it good in powder, fun on the piste and well excellent for my terrible abilites in the park. I would recommend this board to anyone, my mates have tried mine out and love it too. Its paired with union force bindings - perfect combo. I have to agree about the durability of the board after 6 days i dinged the board and the nose split, and there are marked all over it. (I also have a bataleon for 4 years and it barley has a scratch on it) K2’s build quality needs addressing, but the board is fantastic.
on August 13, 2011 at 05:06 PM
This is a great board if your going to ride it on groomers all day and never run it through all its gears. Now if your a park rider its great but it will only be a matter of time before it falls apart. I have been for ten years and I have never riden such a flimsy peace of junk in my life. Don’t get me wrong its a fun board but not for your wallet when you have to buy a new one after half a season.
on December 15, 2011 at 01:53 AM
How is this board on the mountain? Especially in the east, like Vermont were it is more icy on some parts. I have been boarding for about 7 years and I would categorize my self as a very aggressive skier, I like to go high speeds and on the glades as well.
on December 15, 2011 at 09:49 AM
@Jacob - I don’t think the Parkstar is the kind of board you’re looking for… ice and high speed charging are two things that the Parkstar is a little out of its element doing.
