New K2 Split System - Kwicker

[doughboyshredder]

I rode clickers for a couple years.
They were great............... Until the inner high-back broke seriously fucking up my ankle. Swore that day I would never touch them again, and made sure to let anyone and everyone that I could know how much they sucked.

4lbs? Maybe off the heaviest voile setup.
Carbon Jones with karakoram and a light pair of boots? Not a chance this setup is that much lighter.

I predict a massive fail on this one.

[boltonoutlaw]

I have been a snowboard mountain guide in Jackson WY and Valdez AK since 2000 I was a strong supporter of the original clicker system and used them while guiding for years. There were limits to the technology but the many pros certainally outweighed the cons. Having tried the new system I am completely convinced this is the way to go. Step in convience alone is key for traveling in the mountains but the weight savings of 3.9lbs is groundbreaking, the speed of transitions is cut in half, and the tip and tail skin system is a necessity not a luxury. The board rides better than any other split I have riden and I've riden them all.

this being your first post AND you wrote the exact same thing at splitboard.com I'm going to asume you shill for K2 or are trying to impress your local rep (or are the local rep?). Anyway, drink a few less beers and there goes your four pounds.

[BGnight]

I saw the 4lb thing floated around in multiple posts. As powfiend stated, these might be 4lbs lighter than an old DIY Voile plates on resort bindings set up. No way they are even close to being even a lb. lighter than a Karakoram Superlight or even Spark set up. As stated, those boots are probably much heavier than normal too. Straps provide PRELOADING. Clicker boots provide slop between the boot and binding. I've been splitting for 15 years. The first real game changer for me was last year going to Karakoram Superlights with Gecko skins. Transitions are retarded fast now and Karakorams are a small grass roots outfit hand made by SPLITBOARDERS IN THE U.S.A. NOT a large corporation who makes their product in CHINA.

[Name Redacted]

Yeah, the 4 pound claim is total bullshit. I don't know anyone who still rides voile plates with conventional bindings.

I've never met a good rider who rode clickers either. Step ins are for fat kids who can't reach their straps. There's a reason that you never saw pro riders riding stepins BITD.

Lastly, the fact that they are still using voile pucks in the system is pretty ridiculous.

[jfost]

...There's a reason that you never saw pro riders riding stepins BITD....

the boots were not flexible enough in the forward or lateral directions to allow the same motion as conventional boots. I didn't mind the Switch setup, since I came over from skiing (rode those for 3 years or so - then back to skiing full-time). I think the new design may be interesting as far as boot+binding flex profiles. If they really got them to match, they'd be on to something. Unfortunately, the clicker interface isn't very easy to use in deep snow/icing conditions/sidehills etc.

[boltonoutlaw]

There's a reason that you never saw pro riders riding stepins BITD.

Pretty sure Jason Brown did an entire video part in the Burton SI before splitting to go start Capita. But it makes your point anyway because IIRC there were pros in that era who expressed dissatisfaction with being contractually obligated to wear a step-in system. I believe it was Brian Savard who suffered with this for K2 the first time around.

[eldereldo]

I rode clickers for a couple years.
They were great............... Until the inner high-back broke seriously fucking up my ankle. Swore that day I would never touch them again, and made sure to let anyone and everyone that I could know how much they sucked.

4lbs? Maybe off the heaviest voile setup.
Carbon Jones with karakoram and a light pair of boots? Not a chance this setup is that much lighter.

I predict a massive fail on this one.

I rode clickers for years until I quit boarding and went back to skiing, but I always used the models that had a back on the binding. I never had an issue with them, but around here it is usually cold dry snow, so no issues with icing up. I liked them for the ease of getting in and out, I could slide off the lift, stomp in and be heading down the hill when all the other boarders were sitting strapping in. Who knows if they are going to actually be much lighter, but those people who say weight on your feet, is the same as weight on your body, have never tried a light touring setup vs a heavy one.

[ACH]

I've never met a good rider who rode clickers either. Step ins are for fat kids who can't reach their straps. There's a reason that you never saw pro riders riding stepins BITD.

I know several who will happily school you at Alpental.

DBS, sorry about your injury and experience with the system, that would suck for sure.
I rode it from gen 1 right up to the last Boa system boots, Transformers I think, no issues (except with boot fit).

Boots were always the weak point of the system, if you got some that fit right and worked the system had it merits.
I never had an issue with the interface, I had it down to the point where I could skate along on a traverse and step right in without looking. Clicking in on the chair, also really easy.

Haters will hate, and everyone is an expert, so some of the opinions expressed seem more like hearsay, whatever.
I think as others have mentioned that the boot is a weak point, and doesn’t fit the system well, relative to other style boots that they have produced in the past. It "looks" like a rehash on the Boa system boots from previous. They should be looking at something like the Guide model that was relatively light weight, had an external high back that you could release the forward lean on.

Transitions are retarded fast now and Karakorams are a small grass roots outfit hand made by SPLITBOARDERS IN THE U.S.A.

This would still be my first choice these days though.
They are local to us and great guys.

[Workman]

If you cant carry an extra 4 lbs while hiking, you should just ride lifts or hit the gym until you can. I liked my old 94' K2 Daniel, but haven't considered buying from this ski company for 18yrs. I remember the old click in binding craze of the late 90's, and also remember lots of people I knew having problems when the conditions were just at that perfect melt/freeze stage clicking in and staying in.

If these boots are as stiff as the old click boots used to be, skinning in them would truly suck ass, and I like a stiff boot (burton driver x). When the inevitable boot-up the coulior comes after skinning a few miles, I would hate to be in such stiff boots+funky click in bars on the soles. Dropping into a 50+degree coulior on click in bindings is sketchy IMO. Splitboarding has come so far in the last 4 yrs, I see nothing wrong with the current equipment....Sparks and Karakorams are both kick ass products, and the new splits feel pretty much exactly like a regular board.

[Name Redacted]

I know several who will happily school you at Alpental.

What? Fat kids? Are there a lot of fat snowboard instructors still wearing clickers who are looking for work? I don't get it... But I still stand by my statement that I have never seen a good snowboarder riding clikers, switch, or burton step ins. Real snowboarders know how to opperate a strap binding.

[ACH]

What? Fat kids? Are there a lot of fat snowboard instructors still wearing clickers who are looking for work? I don't get it... But I still stand by my statement that I have never seen a good snowboarder riding clikers, switch, or burton step ins. Real snowboarders know how to opperate a strap binding.

You're funny.
So are the stereotypes that you seem to be clinging to.
Stand by whatever you want.
I've seen, have ridden with and have known many talented riders who rode Clicker.
Real snowboarders ride, they don't present personal opinions as universal truths that start with, "real snowboarders"...

[Name Redacted]

You're funny.
So are the stereotypes that you seem to be clinging to.
Stand by whatever you want.
I've seen, have ridden with and have known many talented riders who rode Clicker.
Real snowboarders ride, they don't present personal opinions as universal truths that start with, "real snowboarders"...

Ha! I'm sure that some people can slide down a hill with clickers. The point is though, if you want to be able to click in like a skier, you will be giving up performance. That's why every step in system failed, because while ease of use is important, performance is more important, and no binding system was ever able to overcome that. This is why good snowboarders never got behind the products.

Now we have K2 resurecting their old failed system to pitch to splitboarders. They haven't changed a thing, not even the puck system, which they could have easily re-engineered to be better. They just think that they'll slide it on in to people to young to remember how crappy the system was 10 years ago. But hey, go on out and buy a pair and report back.

[ACH]

Ha! I'm sure that some people can slide down a hill with clickers. The point is though, if you want to be able to click in like a skier, you will be giving up performance. That's why every step in system failed, because while ease of use is important, performance is more important, and no binding system was ever able to overcome that. This is why good snowboarders never got behind the products.

Now we have K2 resurecting their old failed system to pitch to splitboarders. They haven't changed a thing, not even the puck system, which they could have easily re-engineered to be better. They just think that they'll slide it on in to people to young to remember how crappy the system was 10 years ago. But hey, go on out and buy a pair and report back.

Most step in systems failed because they sucked, indeed.
Clicker went away in the US market because it wasn't supported by orders.
And while you can split hairs about performance, or even the perceived lack off, I stand by what I know is fact, there were many riders that rip, that did ride Clicker, your saying it didn't happen doesn’t make it any less true.

Now, the repackaging of it in this touring system is another thing.
The puck technology is obsolete in light of other designs, the boots are out of place with the system and the whole thing sort of looks like it was put together on a whim, just to gauge market response.

As for this statement: "But hey, go on out and buy a pair and report back."
Apparently you reading comprehension sucks, or you ignored the last part of my original post which basically states that the karakoram is what I would choose at this point.

[4matic]

I have ridden K2 Clicker system since the first year. I was a skier so the stiffer profile was always better for me. They are definitely a disadvantage for flippy spinny but that's not my thing. I have never had a failure of any part of the system in 20 years. Click on the lift and ride away. Another thing I like is the stiff sole and clicker shank. Your foot doesn't wallow when you hike and the front shank can be used to dig in ice when climbing.

As far as big mountain riding.. Clicker dominated big mountain competition and won the World Free Ride and US Extremes multiple times. They just aren't and weren't cool and that's why they died.

Clicker system:

"The whole Clicker setup is super light and responsive," says Eric Arnold,
North American Freeride champ. "It sends a lot of power to the edges."
We're not just saying that the Clicker is the best all mountain system in
the world. The results say it, too.

1st Eric Arnold, '98 North American Freeride
Championships, Kirkwood
1st Gareth Van Dyk, '98 U.S. Extreme Championships,
Crested Butte
(won by Clicker riders three years straight)
1st Cyril Neri, '98 Red Bull Extreme Contest, Verbier
1st Cyril Neri, '98 Snowlegends Competition, La Grave
1st Paul Elkins, '97 U.S. Extreme Championships,
Crested Butte
1st Chris Engelsman, '96 U.S. Extreme Championships,
Crested Butte

[gregL]

There were a lot of cool things about Clickers. You could step in in two seconds before you got off the chair. The matching accessories (Verts, MSR snowshoes, approach skis) were great. The bindings didn't hit your car with the board upside down on your rack, and you could pack 4 boards in a bag for travel no problem. Main problem, as others have mentioned, was that each generation had MAYBE one decent freeride boot and no decent freestyle boots.

[stuckathuntermtn]

That. Looks. Awful.

[jfost]

Is there a "EpicSnowboard" forum?!?

[trollanski]

Wow. Construcitve criticism. On TGR. That's refreshing! No one has mentioned that Craig Kelley was quoted as saying that he could not do what he was doing w/out the Clickers. IF you want a more credible source, look no further. That's like Seth saying the same about the Raiccle Flexons. If they are not for you, then fine....There are other options, and that's good.....For many years, I was willing to give up SOME hard snow performance on Clickers for the advantages in soft snow- especially for touring. Been splitting since 1996. For me, an old guy, soft snow is where it's at. Hell, a splitboard already gives up a lot of hard snow rigidity, but that's not WHAT IT IS FOR. Once in powder, with the pressure spread out evenly acrossed the surface area, the feel is quite sweet. I've ridden some pretty worn out gear, so I wouldn't blame the gear for that. By the time the young, better rippers ever shook off their hangovers and got up to the hill (ie. 10-11 am) we were already moving out to the sides of the area on our touring gear.To give some idea, I now ride a Prior Khyber Carbone, and mix it up btwn. hard plates w/Dynafit 3-buckles, and Burton soft boots (have two set s of plates), depending on the mission. Plenty optimistic on this system....We'll see, I just hope the boots fit me over the instep! Can't overlook the ease of transitions, and SOME weight savings, if true. The holy grail has always been a split that doesn't feel like a pig at last light when you are trying to thrash your way back out of the rainforest to the car. To quote some more, the late Doug Cooms, in the classic article of his exploits around Chamonix, said that the key was in the transitions. So true. Ride the love, and vice versa!

[boltonoutlaw]

Spell his name right dammit. And no one mentioned it because it never happened.

[Climber Joe]

Figured I would weigh in on this.

The 4 pound weight savings claim is total BS, but that isn't the big issue.

Touring in a clicker boot sounds awful. Like touring in alpine ski boots with no walk mode. Waste of time. I doubt there is enough flexibility in the boot the be comfortable touring, while still being ride-able.

And the claim about a quicker transition time? There is a surprise in store from another splitboard brand. wait and see...

[trollanski]

Just wanted to note the correction by boltonoutlaw (thanks). Craig Kelley rode Burton. That said, those Burton S (split) bindings were pretty tough to work with. IF memory serves, he was referring to the whole split thing when he said he couldn't do what he was w/out, as there was still a lot of skepticism to splitting. The k2 gives you the opportunity to pull the escape cord (if you hook one up) and loose the board in an avalanche so that you aren't shaped like a deadman anchor. It will be a great day when I can transition at the top without taking the bindings off, as Combs said, the key is in the transitions....

[Rip'nStick]

Anyone try the Stark boot yet?

[Rip'nStick]

Anyone try these yet?

[media310]

http://mtnweekly.com/first-look-k2-kwicker-review-58834

Quicker is always better, right? Well, just as long as the quality is still there. And the folks over at K2 have dug deep through their years of experience and knowledge in the snowboarding industry to create their all-new K2 Snowboarding Kwicker System, a quicker, easier, and higher-quality solution to backcountry snowboarding.

The Kwicker System combines several different splitboarding components into a single package. It takes K2’s Clicker technology and mixes it with an all-new splitboard system. Step-in bindings, unique boots, a splitboard, and touring/skinning parts/extras are all included in the overall Kwicker package.

The essential problem K2 set out to solve with their Kwicker System was the problem of weight. Even a couple of extra pounds can add up when you’re out hiking and touring on the mountain all day long. And K2, by anyone’s standards, has succeeded on this front. The Kwicker System is nearly four pounds lighter than any other set-up you can find.

But K2 wanted to make their Kwicker System easy to use as well as extremely light. One of the most common complaints regarding splitboarding is that it is too complicated. You traditionally need a ton of gear and the transition process at the beginning and end of each run is too much for many riders. The Kwicker System definitely succeeds here, cutting binding transition time in half.

For those of you who know your way around splitboarding, the Kwicker System is actually based off of Voile’s puck and plate system. It combines the general idea of this well-regarded system with new ways of attaching and locking the pucks to increase the transition from split to snowboard.

If you’re a snowboarding/splitboarding fanatic, you’ve probably also heard of the above-mentioned K2 Clicker system, the binding part of the set-up, before. And you might not have heard good things. In the past, the Clicker system was flawed but new design changes along with its marriage to the Kwicker System have worked out the kinks. The latest and greatest technology has made K2’s Kwicker System boots and bindings feel and ride exactly like a conventional set-up even though they’re the farthest thing from it.

The splitboard used in the Kwicker System is K2’s 2014 UltraSplit board. It’s a solid splitboard that is very light, very fast, very strong, and very comfortable to ride. Better yet, transitioning from split to snowboard is pinless (and painless!). It can be done without gloves.

The K2 Kwicker System is being offered as a full-on kit (as described above) and in individual parts. At the end of the day, it is one of the most advanced, yet thankfully least complex, total splitboarding systems around. If your heart is in the backcountry, then a K2 Splitboarding Kwicker System could be right up your alley.

http://mtnweekly.com/first-look-k2-kwicker-review-58834

[rideit]

WTF?

breaking news!