K2 Parkstar Demo

Posted: 18 January 2010 07:34 PM

First off, awesome site!  Glad I found it, the admins/moderators here seem super helpful and knowledgeable for sure! 

So I demo’d a K2 parkstar over the weekend (East coast, PA) and absolutely loved it!  I only got to ride it for 2 runs though.  Current setup: 155 burton blunt, cartel bindings, size 10 Hail boots (I’m not a Burton fanboy, I swear, just got an awesome deal on it).  Compared to the Parkstar though, my board feels like a slug.  I’m not sure if there’s a huge difference in construction, or if my board is just beat.  Super fast, stable, buttery soft, light, poppy, just felt like I had so much more control slicing up the ice.

my stats:
5’11”, 160lbs.  East coast rider, but I make it out west for tree/pow runs once a year.  I hit the smaller/medium park features and booters.  Nothing too serious, a few slides, a 360 if I’m feeling squirrely.  I probably spend equal time burning down groomers and lapping parks.

I’d like to have a board that I can butter around in my local park, and be able to bring with me to hit real mountains/pow.  I still want to progress my park skills for sure, but I know I’m not going to be hitting the super jumps doing crazy inverts.

I’d like to pickup a parkstar, but also want to consider other options, as I’ve only ridden 3-4 different boards (burton blunt, arbor mystic, an old morrow and my buddies K2 WWW)

after reading this from chris “However, it is soft and extremely park focused… if you’d like a little bit more versatility, I’d look at the K2 Parkstar.”  but then i read later that K2 boards don’t hold up too well?
Will it perform adequately in the pow and trees out west, or does it suffer in that regards?  Since I ride mostly east coast, as long as I can still have fun with it out west too without limiting myself too much, I’d be happy.
It’s listed at 429.00, which is reasonable.  If there are better alternatives with a cheaper tag though, my wallet would be very greatful.  Oh, and the board I demo’d was a 152, whereas my current board is 155, would the 3mm really make that much difference in the weight/feel?

Posted: 18 January 2010 08:34 PM

Hi Pufferphish,

I hope I haven’t dissed K2 construction too much… their boards are great.. sure there are boards that are a bit more rugged, but K2’s are light and loaded with technology. My only issue is with the Cap/sidewall hybrid construction, but our tester Tom is riding a Believer this season and from what I’ve heard, it’s holding up well… and that’s after a summer spent thrashing it in Argentina, where the pistes regularily hide rocks.

Regarding the parkstar ride, yeah I really like it too, feels really nimble and responsive. That’s definitely the effect of the rocker, it makes turn intiation super quick, and providing you’re not toning it down the hill the edge grip is great. My thoughts would be that with your stats, you should be riding at the very least a 155… I’d be worried about folding the tail on anything shorter. Other boards I’d have a look at would be the Lib Tech skate banana (or Gnu Park Pickle), although it’s a bit more expensive, the magnetraction will really help you grip on east coast ice. I’d also have a look at the Signal Omni which is nice and poppy and the extra stance width should allow you to get the perfect setup… and I’m holding a candle for the Stepchild Chiborg, probably the funnest deck on teh planet!

If you want a slightly less park orientated board, hit me back and i’ll have a think. But yeah to confirm your suspisions, the Parkstar is a really easy and fun ride.

Rich

Posted: 18 January 2010 09:03 PM

Thanks for the insanely quick reply!

Yeah, sounds like a reasonable trade off, I don’t think I thrash boards that hard anyways, so how well the board holds up might not really be an issue.  Long as it doesn’t fall apart, that should suffice.  I’ll take a look at those other boards when I get back from work tonight for sure, thanks for the suggestions.  Just hard to judge if I haven’t ridden it, and I don’t have much experience with different boards in general.  More than likely I’d stick with park star, specially if the prices go up.  And I think you’re on the right track, I just need something fun to ride that I can just get on the mountain and go play wherever. 

Your reply did raise a few questions. What do you mean by “toning it down the hill”?  and you said at the very least 155, does that mean I should look into longer boards for my body type?  On an unrelated note, since you are so full of helpful information, I have an issue where my ring finger toe (next to my pinky toe) of my left foot (I ride regular) falls asleep a lot.  Any idea if this would be from operator error, or improper equipment setup?  I also get a lot of arch burn on longer runs out west, the Hails definately helped with that, but I still get it, any suggestions?

Posted: 18 January 2010 09:58 PM

Sorry ‘tonning it’ just means charging.. British slang.

I think the 155 will be ok, I’d usualy suggest going for a 157, but as you’re sticking with smaller jumps and you’re only 72kg I’m sure the 155 will be ok… I’m 5’9” and 170lbs, I’d probably go for the 157.. but 2cms won’t make much difference.

Regarding your boots, I’d have a look at some custom insoles, they’ll support your arc and may help to hold your heel back and prevent your toe from catching the liner on your boot. How long have you had the hails for.. I usually buy boots pretty tight.. after a couple weeks of riding the liners pack through and the fit is snug as a bug! Pain for gain!

Posted: 18 January 2010 10:10 PM

ah, ok, that makes sense, I figured thats what you meant, but wasn’t sure.  I have a pair of custom footbeds in my Hails already, this is my second pair I’ve bought, and they probably have maybe 20-30 riding days in them.  I usually get them snug too, as I’ve found that the Hails do pack out a decent amount.  Guess I just gotta man up :)

Posted: 19 January 2010 12:16 AM

Right this was meant to be posted here… but I got my crossed. Unfotunately i managed to confuse Richy a bit with my last post…. so this what I meant to post on this thread:

If the boot is too short, it might be the case that you’re foot is scrunched in the boot, that would definitely have the same effect. I’m afraid I’m exhausted all ideas. Vans fit me just fine so I keep buying them again and again. If it ain’t broke…