A Breakdown Of How The K2 Hypnotist Rides And Who Its For Review by The Good Ride

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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.