My background:
I grew up skiing New England. Had several years of lessons and am an advanced skier. I like to ski fast, sharpen / hot wax my skis for every day, and powerfully edge my skis when on the slopes.

I like 80's gear and still love my stiff as steel Dynastars and ugly Hanson rear entry boots.

In the mid 2000's I was given a pair of 5500's to try something more modern. My first impression was wow, they turn very fast, and felt much shorter than their length. Definitely a fun ski in the bumps. But, I absolutely HATED them at speed. When rolled up on edge and heavily weighted they flex waaaaaaay to much. Felt like they were going to bend into a "U" and snap. I tried dulling the tip / tail edges but still too soft a ski for anyone that likes to push them hard.

I call them a good beginner / intermediate soft ski for all terrain. But if you really like stability at speed or edge with authority, they are not for you.

Flash forward to today. A back injury took me off the slopes for the past 10 years. I decided that (against my Dr's recommendation) its time to ski again!

What ski am I going to use my first day out ..... Yup the 5500's!

I just had to comment on the K2 55's I've had them for about 20 years. I ski patroled for a while and as I got older had problems with the hips. I put them away. Pulled them out last week and took them for a run after about 18 yrs. They are like magic. Made me feel like I was 70 years old again. No parabolics for me. They make me smile.

Was'nt tooo sure if I liked 'em right off the get go, but soon got on top of them and WhooHoo!!! yea Baby, this ski is sweet. So far this time around I tend to hang around the groomed, but this ski gave me confidence to venture 'offpiste' and with satisfying results. Im 42 and it made me feel & ski like I was in my 20's again, after a long break with alpine skiing (1988-2002) I have rekindled my passion for skiing with the help of new technology in todays ski manufacturing (and girlfriend). Thank you K2.

Similar Products Used:

Retro K2 Straighties, Elan PSX 188's

I read the reviews of this ski looking to replace a fifteen year old set of Dynamic VR27s. After several knee surguries I was told I couldn't ski again. RIIIGGGHHHT. I was an expert skier but was looking for an all purpose ski to knock around on. If these skis could improve a novices ability, what could they do for an expert on the way down? (Pardun the pun)These skis are INCREDIBLE! Zero effort to turn. Short quick turns or long sweeping carves, these skis do it all very well. Very predictable with no surprises what so ever. I was able to ski for the first time in years with out a break for over 5 hours straight. I would highly recommend these skis to anyone of any ability. Worth twice the money but don't tell K2.

Similar Products Used:

Dynamic VR27, Atomic RS

Very good skies. Allow you to rapidly improve your skill. Responsive. Very forgiving. In my opinion these are some of the best skies for intermediate riders looking for the quick improvement. Great value.

Similar Products Used:

K2 2500, Head Cyber XP, Fisher Freeride 68

These skis are what i call a great value. They carve easily at average speed and are really forgiving. They are good flyers and you can do almost anything with these. They are quick to respond but definively not slalom sticks. On the other hand, its not so durable, for i lost the k2 logo on the tip of the ski and there are some large cracks on the cover after only one year of use. They also feel somewhat shaky at high speeds.

Similar Products Used:

Rossignol Bandit X

I love these skies! I rented them repeatedly and then I bought them. Great under avariety of conditions. A great value.

Similar Products Used:

Vokl, other K2s, et cetera

Good looking, responsive ski. Has allowed me to improve rapidly. Easily handles groomed and powder. Slides well on turns on ice, but a little chattering when they run on the ice. A definte "keeper" (well at least until next years new models are evaluated)!

Very responsive skis. Good edge grip, like to run! Virtually no chatter whatsoever. These skis are very forgiving; if you end up in the back seat, you''ll feel almost like a hand pushes your butt forward. These skis do NOT like ice, and will want to run over it instead of cut through it. You can feel comfortable letting them take you out of the ice, even if you pick up a lot of speed.

Customer Service

Excellent service - Mo and Shawn were both very helpful and extremely knowledgable.