K2 Skypilot snowboard

Sage Kotsenburg linked up with our product design and engineering team and wanted to work on a new snowboard that was designed to ride pillowy, forested, technical terrain. The concept was to be able to “pivot” and “release” the tail freely to allow the rider to ride the natural contours of the terrain in front of them. The crew got to the drawing board (read: very expensive computer software), pumped out proto #1 … and we were off to the races on what became to be the Sky Pilot.

Through iterations of shapes, trying different fiberglass lay-ups, and playing jazz with carbon additives, we found the sweet-spot and began to hone in on the best tool to do the job.

The Sky Pilot is built around a slightly-wider than normal footprint, and features a “right in the middle” medium flex. It features K2’s 3DContour in the tip and tail, pulling the contact points up off of the snow, and achieving the “pivotability” that Sage was looking for in deeper snow. This ‘spoon’ in the tip and tail works in harmony with our new Carbon Y-Beam - adding snap and stability in the tail, and sending energy to the contact points in the nose - this means that you’ll get the stability and edge pressure that you want, without the unnecessary torsional rigidity.

Firm believers that everyone should be able to experience how amazing the mountains are, the Sky Pilot was designed with an all-gender approach - with scaled sizing, flex profiles, and waist widths to accommodate a smaller foot. The Sky Pilot kicks off at a 148 and goes all the way up to a 163. For the best experience, downsize 3-5cm from your normal snowboard length, thanks VolumeShift.

Specifications:

- Size: 151
- Category: Freeride, Groomer
- Ability: Intermediate, Advanced, Expert
- Base: Wax-Infused Sintered 4001, 3D Contour, Stone Finish
- Snowboard Core: S1 Core
- Snowboard Inserts: 2 X 4
- Snowboard Profile: Rocker
- Snowboard Shape Notes: Tapered Directional, Volume Shift™
- Snowboard Shape: Directional
- Snowboard Width: Volume Shift

Technology:

Wax Infused Sintered 4001 Base:
- Built using the hardest and fastest Sintered base material on the market from Crown, the Wax-Infused Sintered 4001 holds wax longer than other Sintered bases for a smoother glide, longer.

3D Base Contour:
- 3mm of 3D contour (spoon) that gradually blends from the running surface deflects soft snow, eases turn initiation, and remains predictable on hardpack.

S1 Core:
- The smooth-flexing cousin to our A1 core, our S1 Core is designed to be damp underfoot and stronger than hell. Constructed from Bamboo, Aspen, and Paulownia, the S1 Core let’s each wood do what it’s best for. Tip-to-tail Bamboo stringers add snap, durability, and damping underfoot and are balanced out by lightweight Paulownia in the midbody, tip, and tail help to reduce swingweight. Underfoot, Aspen and Bamboo are placed at 30 ° angles to increase strength, supercharge the edge-to-edge response, and increase the pressure distribution along the edge.

Triax Fiberglass:
- A glass laminate with diagonal layers that adds torsional stiffness for increased stability and improved edge hold. The fibers three layers are woven at 45°, 45°, and 0°. This makes for a more responsive ride longitudinally and torsionally.

Carbon Y Beam™:
- Adding snap and stability in the tail, and sending energy to the contact points in the nose - this means that you’ll get the stability and edge pressure that you want, without the unnecessary torsional rigidity.

Hybritech™ Construction:
- Backed by years of rigorous testing, Hybritech™ is the lightest weight, most durable snowboard construction on the market. Removing all excess sidewall material in the tip and tail and adding a 3D capped edge to increase the bond strength of the fiberglass and decrease the swing weight of the board is what makes Hybritech™ so revolutionary.

Volume Shift™:
- We reduce swing weight and toe/heel drag by shifting surface area from the tip and tail to the waist of the snowboard. Downsize from 4-10 cm from your usual snowboard length.