K2 Zero - 2011

Quick
stats: Recommended for park riding.

A fairly significant change to the Zero has been the swap from a cambered profile to zero camber aka K2’s Flatline technology. Lighter than most and a smoother ride than P. Diddy’s Cadillac, the Zero is minimalist snowboarding at its best. Designed to be ridden aggressively but accessible to snowboarders of all levels.

Manufacturer's Description:

The lightest and most advanced snowboard ever produced.

Unquestionably, K2’s lightest, most advanced snowboard ever built. The 2010-11 0™ snowboard stands alone as the pinnacle of 23 years of product development – utilizing a NEW FLATLINE profile, integrated HARSHMELLOW dampening as well K2’s HYBRILIGHT / EARTH CONSCIOUS CONSTRUCTION process.

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Year: 2011

Available Lengths (cm):
156, 159, 162

Riding Style:
All Mountain

Specifications:

Flatline™ zero camber profile
Harhsmellow dampening
Hybrilight™ construction
Setback Twin
Hyper Progressive sidecut
WH5™ Core (wood & honeycomb)
Triax/Triax/ICG 30
Carbon Matrix II torsion forks
Zero sintered base

SB-RV Review

And so it was that on the last morning of the board test that I got the chance to try out the jewel in one of my favorite snowboard manufacturer’s crown – the 2010/2011 K2 Zero. As the board was handed to me I almost felt I should go down on one knee. K2 make some awesome boards, many of which I have ridden but I had never tried the Zero and as I took hold of it, its sheer lightness took my breath away. K2 has gone all out to keep this board superlight, and have done so whilst trying to keep the environment in mind by minimizing production waste – very commendable! One thing I would say is that just by looking at this board, you can see the effort that has gone into it.

The sidewalls use K2’s Hybrilight construction which gives a nice constant stiffness along the length of the board and the directional twin has huge amounts of pop as well as super snappy edge changes and amazing high speed stability. The base seemed to accelerate over all kinds of snow (it was May and possible to experience every different snow type in one descent) incredibly quickly and I have rarely felt more comfortable going this fast on a snowboard. I loved the responsiveness of this board, it was stiffer than my usual rides but super fun to ride around the hill, and the harsh-mellow dampening around the feet really seemed to help me absorb bumps and impacts, balancing out the super-light and super- thin construction. This board would suit intermediate to advanced riders and would be simply amazing for the pipe and kickers, although it would have broken my heart to bash this work of art on the rails and barrel jibs. I don’t think this board would really suit a committed jibber, like many other top-end boards, it is quite stiff, but then I only weigh 68kg.

Compared to other top of the range models at other brands I found the Zero a far more accessible board; it is super high performance but not super high price, its bright blue top-sheet looks super slick and it is stiff and stable but doesn’t require a superhuman effort to get it to work for you. This board is one hell of a snowboard, and for those riders who aren’t too fussed about getting jibby on man-made constructions, would make a great purchase.

Posted by Ben Molloy in • K2

User Reviews

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M.Miller on February 26, 2011 at 06:34 AM

I just rode the 2011 K2 Zero in Tahoe this last week. My regular board is a Rome Anthem. A friend of mine had one in Japan and I tried it and loved how different it was so I bought one for my trip west. This board is LIGHT. You need almost no energy to really get this board moving. It turns on a dime. So much so it might freak you out a bit. It took me a while to get used to how responsive it was. The last two days we had major powder and it handled really well. I think the complete flatness of it is working for you in the powder. It floats well and lofts up on the surface. It’s easy to be relaxed on the board as it’s so easy to push around. I love my Rome boards but this is my go to other board now. It’s so different but so good. Doesn’t hurt that it looks great.

M.Miller on February 26, 2011 at 07:34 AM

In ref. to the above post (and because I agonized over buying this board) a few stats. I’m 5’ 10” 175lbs. I was riding a 159. My 2011 anthem ss is also 159. I guess I’m an advanced rider, but only just. This board was awesome in the trees and great in powder (the turning and the loft). If I was primarily on nasty icy east coast killington-esque sub zero groomed runs I think I’d stick to a heavier board with more substance underfoot. The Rome holds an edge in the ice a little better. I really do believe though that this K2 Zero allowed me to relax on complex runs with a lot of bumps and changing conditions. I transferred my Rome bindings. Nothing wrong with them.