Check the video at the end of this article to see how it all works.

The Kwicker Backcountry System is built on a new generation of K2’s proven Clicker binding interface, and enhanced with breakthrough technologies in splitboard and boot construction they left nothing untouched in this totally new system. The Result: 3.9lbs (1.8kg) lighter than the industry standard, 50% faster transitions, and you don’t even have to take your gloves off on transitions, thanks to its pinless design, low friction puck fit – binding plate slides quick an easy, and lock paw – locks plate in place.

The board

The board is only the Lightest splitboard in the world as we speak. Split Bambooyah core – bamboo of response, durability and strength. No topsheet – lightweight. Split Track mounting – infinite stances. 2-point Z-Clips– ultra secure skin attachment. here’s the Ultrasplit! With Bamboo core for strength and confidence, patented tip and tail skin attachment and unlimited Split Track stance options, this is the new standard for splitboarding’s new (or old) addicts.

C13 K2 Ultra Split 161

Tech details:

Baseline: All Terrain with Tweekend

Damping: Standard

Construction: UltraTech

Shape: Backside Hyper Progressive

Stance: Setback 3/4” (19mm)

Core: Bambooyah Split

Glass: ICG 20 / Biax

Additives: NEW Carbon Wing™ II

Base: Sintered

Base Bevel: 1°

Split Track Binding Mount

K2 UltraTech

Z-Clip Skin Attachment

The Boot

The boot proposes great comfort, support and walkability: Conda – replaces ankle strap; Endo Construction– replaces highback; Kwicker outsole plate – bombproof attachment with snowclearing; 360^o tuned flex – same feel as traditional boot/bindings.

K2 Standard Stark with Double Boa

Lacing System: H3 Boa® Focus

Liner Lacing: BoaÒConda™

Liner: Intution Pro Foam 3D

Outsole: NEW! Kwicker Light

Footbed: 3D Formed Dual Density EVA with HarshmellowÔ

Liner fit: Moldable Internal J Bars, Integrated Power Strap

Details: Dual Density 3D Formed Tongue

 Sizes: 8-12, (1/2 sizes 8, 9, 10, 11)

The binding

The Binding featuring the Kwicker attachment is functional and efficient. Neutral skinning stance – no bow legged walking; Harshmellow – reduced shock, vibration & fetigue; Cored T6061 Aluminum desing –  lightweight.

Kwicker binding.

Additional material: Skins and crampons

K2 skin and crampon.

To have a better idea on how things work, here the K2 Kwicker video:

Last year's overall winner, Sebi Müller.

The K2 Snowboarding PopThis! Tour is kicking off again. And this season with an international mission – mission 100 cm. As last year’s winner Sebi Müller from Germany popped 100 cm at the PopThis! Highest Ollie Tournament, there is a huge challenge to be met. Join in and prove your ollie skills at one of the tours stops and win a trip with the K2 pros to High Cascade Summer Camp at Mt. Hood, USA.

Pop!

K2 will have their award-winning Fastplant board with its BambooyahTM technology available that provides you with the ultimate pop in order to fulfil the mission! No registration required! The only thing you need is plenty of pop in your pants!

The tour kicks off as a part of the Hotzone.TV Park Opening in Hintertux on the first weekend in October. The final takes place in April 2012 at Camp K2, Stephen’s Pass in the USA. Each tour stop winner will receive a limited-edition K2 skatedeck, designed by Don Pendleton and a watch from the new G- SHOCK collection, which is as indestructible as the K2 Fastplant. Taking part is certainly worth it! There’s even a training kit available to help you prepare yourself for the tour stop in your area.

Check out the tour dates at www.k2snowboarding.com/facebook, order your training kit, watch the trailer and get popping!

As you may have noticed from our earlier guttural post, we are deep in the bowls of the snowboard tradeshow ISPO, feasting our eyes on that latest, freshest product that the brands will be offering you up come fall. Check out some of the highlights from our first day of snooping, with the Ride, Dragon, K2, Capita, Union, Analog, APO, DC, Rome, Bataleon, Rip Curl, Volcom and more in snappycam’s eager viewfinder…

THIS IS IT! 2011/12 gear sneak pics for you! Boards, boots, bindings and snow wear from the best brands in the game. We’ll be at ISPO for in depth coverage of new collections but here are already some cool pics of the gear you will ride next winter! Enjoi!

Click on the image below to discover all our pics!

K2 Pop This! - coming your way soon!

The K2 Pop This! highest ollie tournament is currently touring most European mountain regions (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Benelux, Czech, France, Spain, Finland, UK, and Sweden that is). More than 50 tour stops offer you the perfect opportunity to show how good you are at popping an ollie. So far more than 150 riders took part in throwing themselves over the ever-increasing bar, and German Sebi Müller is currently the record holder with an astonishing 100 centimeters (that’s almost 40 inch, yanks!).

Could YOU pop THIS? Alex Walch knocking down the bar.

Here’s some background information if you haven’t attended one of the fun-filled, free-goodies-heavy tour stops yet:

The K2 Pop This! Tour is a snowboard contest without snow. It takes place in the city, in the parking lot, in front of snowboard shops, in night clubs, at events, no matter how warm or cold it is. The K2 Pop This! vans literally pop up all over Europe this winter. They bring a setup consisting of a drop-in ramp, mats, a measuring device, several snowboard setups and lots of prizes. Everyone can enter and compete for the highest ollie of the day. Tour stop winners can take part in the ‘Grand Final’ in Flachauwinkl/Austria in early April 2011. The overall champion will win a one-week trip to the fabulous High Cascade Snowboard Camp in Mt Hood!

More information and all tour stops under www.k2snowboarding.com/facebook

Yes, free hats for everyone!

Next winter got something special for all the girls who ride out there: the very special K2 Nikita VaVaVoom and the Nikita Cassette bindings!

Heida Birgisdottir, founder and head designer of Nikita and former national snowboard champ said: “Because of our roots and heavy involvement in snowboarding from day one, I’ve very often been asked why Nikita doesn’t make snowboards.  The answer is simple: whether its hardgoods or softgoods I don’t take good equipment for granted.  Like with outerwear it takes experts to make quality snowboards and Nikita focused on making the clothes.  We were therefore thrilled when K2 introduced to us the opportunity to co-design a line of girl specific snowboards and bindings matching our current line of outerwear.  I’m stoked on the outcome and look forward to riding the whole package in the coming winter!” 

Built for ladies who love the park, the VaVaVoom is now the ultimate choice for all the shred girls especially with a blend of NIKITA design splashed all over it. Team this with the new Cassette binding and you have all-terrain performance, comfort and style from head to snow.

nikitaclothing.com

k2snowboarding.com

Kamp K2

For the last 3 years, K2 Snowboards have held their annual end-of-season ballroom blitz in Mt Baker, but this year it was the Yanks who had to cram themselves in pressurised cigar tubes and ship out to be part of the Kamp as the resort of Ifen in Kleinwalsertal, Austria, was the chosen spot for the mayhem.

And then it dumped.

Danny Larsen rocking the axe.

And it rocked. Having never been to the US Kamp, the sight of a small village of tents and marquees gathered together in the parking lot was pretty damned impressive. We’d thought it was to be a fairly low key affair, with riders, distributors, brand honchos and media hanging by the campfire and singing Kumbaya. Shows what we know – it was less a 60s love in and more of a 70s hard rock boot camp!

Jordan Mendenhall was long-styling the mini.

A bunny man. On a fake bull. Hm.

We rolled in like grunts ready to be processed and were immediately assigned our standard issue sidearm – everyone there was given a limited edition 2010/11 Kamp K2 Turbo Dream – before we were shipped out to the front line to dodge beer bazookas and chow down on Kamp slop. It started messy and got messier – all on Kamp were given beer rations that were quickly exhausted as we got amongst it in the main tent, what with a sweet miniramp for the less inebriated soldiers and a rodeo bull for those better oiled. When the plug was pulled the more fortunate would crash in rented RVs, with many others bedding down in the sleeping tents – in which the heating failed on the first night. -9 ain’t no picnic, but it sure separated the men from the boys…

Several of these were drunk at Kamp.

Ursina Haller looks longingly at beer.

K2 had rented the whole resort for the two days of riding and everyone rose early despite frostbitten extremities and hangovers to shralp the fun terrain with friends old and new. There was some kind of contest going on whereby you had to find a bunch of stuff and get photos and whatnot, but as soon as we’d hopped aboard our new LTD Turbo Dreams there was no chance our team was going to win – you’d be very lucky to find a better, funner all-terrain machine than that sick stick – and we were having way too much fun riding the hits in the gullies to worry about contests.

Slushboarding as the weather calls an end to a hella fun day's shred. Thanks, Turbo Dream!

Men on bobby carts trying not to vomit with the world's driest hotdog and a cup of beer swilling in their guts.

The afternoon saw a minishred event go down, some Ka-Rock-Oke (guitar, bass, drums and mic that anyone could have a pop at with wildly differing results) and then a hotdog munch/run/down a beer/run/race a bobby cart type contest that had all who entered nearly puking and everyone else pissing themselves, followed up by beer pong – a hotly contested affair that the French somehow won. Then came the Kiss tribute band and everyone got twisted again dressed in their best rocker getups. Messy.

Kiss!

MBM's Basti Gogl channels the spirit of Gene Simmons.

We had to bail the next morning, but the debauchery continued with more riding, beer olympics, burger banging and prize giving for those who could resist the urge to cut loose on the empty mountain. Whoever won will surely deserve their all-expenses paid trip to the next Kamp K2 and now we’re kinda wishing we’d paid closer attention to the contest – this end-of-season get together was nothing short of epic and we for sure want to be in on it next year.

K2 Rockers.

More K2 Rockers.

K2, you ROCK! Massive shout outs to all involved for a killer season ender bender, you’re all kinds of awesome.

"I wanna rock and roll all night..."

Kamp beds. These + -9 degrees + 50 snoring drunk dudes = not so much sleep.

This is the first sneak peek that we Euros have had of the kit we’ll be rocking next season, so let’s cut to the chase and see what the bobby is…

Sneak a peek at next winter’s gear

Onboard are on the ground at the snowboard industry trade show, ISPO, where all the brands in the sport are showcasing their product for the 2010-2011 winter season.

After we peppered big mountain legend Jeremy Jones with your questions (look out for his answers in the video at the end of this week), we ambled around checking stuff out. Here’s a bunch of snowboards, boots, bindings, accessories and outerwear that grabbed our eyes…