K2 Ski Gear

Since the 1960s, the K2 ski gear company has been one of America's most popular manufacturers of snow sport equipment. The company's success is based on its commitment to innovative ideas and state-of-the-art research.

The story begins in the 1950s. At the time, all skis were made of wood. While some people had no trouble using them, many people found them clumsy. In fact, it's interesting to note that the original inspiration for K2 skis was born out of the unsuccessful skiing attempts of a man who would eventually become a major competitor of K2, Howard Head. Head gave skiing a try in the 1940s. His first attempts were an abysmal failure. He attributed his lack of athleticism to his skis. Head believed that they lost their shape too easily, which resulted in an unstable ride. He thus decided to develop his own skis by using metal and aircraft manufacturing techniques. The result was the first composite ski, which combined two layers of aluminum that were bonded to plywood sidewalls. For a while, Head Skis were the leading brand in the United States. Then, a man named Bill Kirschner had an idea.

Kirschner's family owned Kirschner Manufacturing, a Vashon Island, Washington company that manufactured fiberglass animal splints and cages. He decided to experiment with using fiberglass to make skis. The result was an instant success. In fact, the demand for the product was so strong that the Kirschner and his brother Don formed a separate company devoted to making fiberglass skis. They named it K2, for the two Kirschner brothers, and for the second largest mountain in the world. The skis were manufactured on Vashon Island until 2001. Although they are now made in China, the company's headquarters are in the United States. They recently moved their main offices to Seattle. Today, K2 manufactures a vast variety of skis. Whether you are looking for KT 22 ski gear (a common mis-spelling of K2 ski gear), or you are a novice skier looking for a forgiving ski, K2 has a ski for you.

In the past decade, K2 has acquired a number of other winter sports gear companies. These include:

• Tubbs Snowshoes
• Atlas Snowshoes
• Ride Snowboards
• Morrow Snowboards
• 5150 Snowboards
• Madshus Nordic skis
• Karhu Telemark skis
• Line Twin Tip skis
• Full Tilt ski boots

K2 Full Tilt ski boots were developed by a NASA engineer named Eric Giese. In the 1970s, he discovered that space suits, due to the electric heating and cooling lines that run through them, would become crimped when astronauts tried to walk in them. He helped resolve the problem with articulating hinges, which allowed flexibility in the ankles, knees and elbows while preserving the shape of the suit around the joint. In 1978, while living in Aspen, Giese decided to apply these concepts to ski boots.

His goal was to develop a boot that allowed ankle flexion without distorting the shape of the boot shell. He developed a unique boot design that included a floating ribbed tongue instead of an overlap. The result was a boot that combined flexibility and stability, which is a rare combination in any type of ski equipment.

K2 purchased Madshus Nordic skis in 2006. The Norwegian company is one of the world leaders in cross-country ski design. Madshus was originally established in Norway in 1906. Today, it is popular with some of the superstars of cross-country skiing, including Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Kati Wilhelm, Axel Teichmann, Frode Estil, Katerina Neumannova.

In 2006, K2 merged with Line Skis. However, while K2 takes care of the shipping and manufacturing, Line is responsible for the ski design and marketing concepts. Line specializes in twin tips and freestyle skis.

Today, K2 continues to be one of the world's most innovative and versatile ski gear companies.

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