K2 Broadcast 2019 Review by The Good Ride

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We were hoping the K2 Broadcast will be at a good price point and it is. It’s on the directional side of all mountain and the more double ender side of Freeride making it a very good one board quiver for those that like to smooth turns/carves, occasionally ride switch and don’t like the washy feel off the back foot that many Freeride boards can give you.  So call it all mountain or call it Freeride and you would be right.

Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews.  We do make money from the “Where To Buy” links, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average riders’ perspective.

Size: 159
Days:  4
Conditions: Pretty varied snow from hard bordering on icy to some decent groomers and some messy shallow powder.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-195lbs), Grant (Size 11, 160lbs 6′)
Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV, Burton SLX, K2 Maysis, K2 Ender
Insoles: Sandsole Custom Insoles,  Footprint Insole Technology Gameghangers Low Profile
Bindings: Union Atlas, K2 Formula
Set Up: Mainly a little wide of the reference stance, 22″-22.5″ wide 15 front -9 back and 12 front -12 back.
Recommended Bindings:

Approximate Weight: Felt pretty normal.  Not too heavy or too light.

Flex: It’s got a medium to med/stiff flex.

Sizing: The 159 was a perfect fit for my size 9 boot as well as my specs but Grant with size 11′ would definitely have to go 158 wide if he wanted to buy this.  Or he’d have to up his insurance premium to compensate for the injuries he’d get with all that toe/heel drag every time he tried to make a more laid out turn.

On Snow Feel: It’s borderline locked in so it can give you pretty rewarding camber like turns without being super catchy/unforgiving.  It’s just barely on the side of stable but for sure borders on being semi-locked in. So there is some consequence to this but not as much as many boards and you can skid out your turns if you get off your game.  It’s barely tapered (only 3mm) so it’s got more of a double ender feel that gives it an all mountain ride with a little more set back.  It’s a great board for those that want to get a little more directional than your average all mountain board but not as surfy/washy off the tail as most freeride boards.

Edge Hold: Pretty decent grip but it seems to start wanting to let go as the conditions get harder.  I’d say it borders on being an ok hard snow ride.

Turn Initiation: The K2 Broadcast had nice smooth easy turn initiation that didn’t feel super quick for its 25cm waist but it’s also not something that would ever worry me in tight spots.  So it’s med/quick for sure but I thought it would be a little faster.

Turning Experience: Super fun board to turn and for this price point, in this day and age, you often find boards with less camber underfoot.  It’s got a good smooth but springy feel to it that likes most types of turns you want to make from quick short radius to wider cruzy turns.  If you like to turn then this is your board.

Carving: Super fun to really lay it out and it handled size 9 boots no problem.  It’s not a hard snow carver but it’s very doable. It really allows you to drive the turn hard between the feet, off the front foot or go heavy on the back without it being washy in the tail which is great for someone who likes to make all kinds of carves.

Speed: The base was super dry but it still did well for the crappy factory wax job that comes with almost every snowboard from every manufacturer.  With a good waxing or two, the K2 Broadcast will do really well at keeping its speed

Uneven Terrain: The K2 Broadcast is the kind of board I could ride in bumps, tracked out snow all day.  It’s pretty shock absorbent/damp in the uneven snow but also quick enough to keep on your turns if you are going through some moguls for fun or to get to something fun.

Powder: So we didn’t get any of the deep deep when we had these boards. Every day the weather report teased us with the chance of a legit powder day but then never delivered. However, as you can see from the on the table review you can set the K2 Broadcast all the way back with a 22.75″ stance width and get 2.5″ back from center of the board.  That with the minor taper, early rise rocker and longer nose than tail will make this float better than most all mountain boards out there. It’s still no dedicated pow ride but good for its peer group.

Buttering: It’s doable but not ideal.

Switch: Very doable and I didn’t really notice the minor taper. It’s not perfect but you can for sure do it.

Jumps: Good pop off the camber points and I felt this could ollie rather well for a board at this price point.

Jibbing: not an ideal jibber.

Pipe: As long as the pipe wall wasn’t super icy this could be a great fit for someone who doesn’t want to do a lot in the pipe but still have fun.

So all in all this is a great call for anyone that wants a board that favors directional riding a bit more but doesn’t completely neglect a rider that wants to keep a little mountain freestyle in his game from time to time.  It’s a great entry level freeride board or a good all mountain board for those that favor more of that double ender feel.