Positives
- Very Fast and Damp For a Twin
- Excellent Big Kicker Ride
Negatives
- Very Technical/Aggressive/Catchy
- Base is slow for this price
Summary
The K2 Hypnotist doesn’t have a great base for its price point, but if you want the flex of a freeride board in an almost full camber twin, this could work.Where To Buy
No obligation, but these links support the site.
evo
Blauer Board Shop
Sun & Ski Sports
Tactics
BlueTomato Belgium
BlueTomato France
BlueTomato Sweden
BlueTomato Denmark
BlueTomato Finland
PRFO Sports Canada
Riding Style | All Mountain Freestyle |
Riding Level | Advanced - Expert |
Fits Boot size (US) | < 8, 8-10, 10-12 |
Manufactured in | China |
Shape | True Twin |
Camber Profile | Traditional Camber |
Stance | Centered |
Approx. Weight | Feels Normal |
Split | No |
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On Snow Feel | |
Turn Initiation | |
Skidded Turns |
Flex | |
Buttering | |
Edge Hold |
Where To Buy
No obligation, but these links support the site.
evo
Blauer Board Shop
Sun & Ski Sports
Tactics
BlueTomato Belgium
BlueTomato France
BlueTomato Sweden
BlueTomato Denmark
BlueTomato Finland
BlueTomato Italy
BlueTomato UK
BlueTomato Netherlands
BlueTomato Austria
BlueTomato Spain
SnowCountry
PRFO Sports Canada
A Breakdown Of How The K2 Hypnotist Rides And Who Its For Review by The Good Ride
Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews, which is our unfiltered opinion. 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 rider’s perspective.
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A Breakdown Of How The K2 Hypnotist Rides And Who Its For
How This K2 Hypnotist Review Happened: I borrowed this for an extended demo and sent it back.
Size: 158
Days: 3
Conditions: Varied but mostly soft spring conditions
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-190lbs), Davey (Size 12, 240lbs, 6’4”)
Boots: Ride Torrent, Ride Fuse, Rome Bodega
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers
Bindings: Union Atlas, Rome Vice
Redundancy: Strapins in case boots or bindings break.
Jacket: Jones Mtn Surf Anorak, Jones Shralpinist Stretch Jacket
Pant: Jones Mountain Surf Bib, Jones Shralpinist Stretch Bib, Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant,
Helmet: Smith Maze
Goggle: Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove
Similar Boards We Like (but not the same): Never Summer Protosynthesis, Stone Message, , Marhar Darkside, Signal Park, K2 Medium
James’s Set Up: 21.5” Wide. Sance Angles +15/-15. Close to Reference and Centered on board.
Approximate Weight
The K2 Hypnotist is on the heavy side of normal. (We don’t put in the exact weight because with wood cores, there is no consistency in a boards weight)
Sizing
The 158 K2 Hypnotist felt a size too big for me and how I like to ride. The 155 would feel better as a mountain freestyle-to-park kind of ride.
Here are some ideal US boot sizes for these boards. You can of course go bigger or smaller depending on your riding style and boot’s footprint, but these work best for not turning the board slower than it should be and not having the dreaded Toe & Heel Drag.
149: 6-7
152: 6.5-7.5
155: 7.5-8.5
158: 8.5-9.5
161: 9.5-10.5
154w: 10-10.5
157w: 10.5-11.5
160w: 11-12
You can definitely exceed the recommended weight. K2 says + at the end of each suggested weight for a reason.
Shape
The K2 Hypnotist is a true twin with a centered stance so it’s all about riding centered.
Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level
The K2 Hypnotist is pretty much full camber and barely has any early rise. On snow, it feels like old-school technical, aggressive camber. It’s not for those who need to skid their turns a lot. It’s best for expert riders.
Flex Personality
The K2 Hypnotist is very stiff for a true twin, and it is challenging to butter or get it to pop on an ollie.
Uneven Terrain
K2 does chatter absorption and uneven snow of all types very well. This is an excellent all-day ride for those who see lots of uneven snow. I will say, though, that this stiff/damp flex personality can be fatiguing to ride, but it doesn’t feel any more fatiguing in uneven snow vs. good conditions.
Edge Hold
The K2 Hypnotist can hold an edge pretty well. It’s not exceptional like some disrupted sidecuts, but the edge does stay quiet thanks to its damp flex.
Speed
The K2 Hypnotist is exceptionally comfortable going straight, and it’s great for those who need to go straight into a big kicker.
Base Glide
It’s not that good for this price point. Even though it is well-waxed, it seems slower than many competitors.
Turning Experience/Carving
The turn initiation of the K2 Hypnotist is pretty quick but not as quick as you would think for this width. There is a little delay just from the stiff flex, but overall, I never felt like I needed more response.
Once I got it on edge, it had a pretty balanced turning experience, and it had a little subdued but overall good spring out of the turn. The faster you turned, the more the Hypnotist lit up.
Powder
No thanks. Almost full-on camber twins are just not my thing in powder.
Switch/Freestyle/Park
I wouldn’t want to jib with the K2 Hypnotist but it rode switch super well and you can see how it would absolutely shine for those that like to lap the kicker park all day.
Final Thoughts
So, if you are ok with a slow base and want a damp, aggressive, full-camber twin, the K2 Hypnotist could be for you.
K2 Hypnotist Specs
K2 Hypnotist Images
K2 Hypnotist User Reviews
Where To Buy
No obligation, but these links support the site.