Gear Review: First Impressions of the BOA Fit System on 2 Different Pairs of Ski Boots Nothing has changed the ski industry this decade like the emergence of BOA ski boots. We have taken on the challenge here at SnowBrains to have two writers review two different BOA ski boots over this season. Aunika will review the Atomic Hawx 115 Ultra XTD single BOA, while John will review the K2 Cortex 130 Zonal (double) BOA. Reviewer […] Gear John Cunningham | January 22, 2026 0 Comments
The 3 Companies that Dominate Skiing Retail When browsing for new ski gear, you’ll encounter countless brands with seemingly endless options. To find the best equipment, it’s important to know what each company offers and how the brands differ. Like most industries, the ski world has seen many once-independent companies absorbed into a handful of large corporations. This isn’t inherently negative, but it is helpful to know […] Gear Zach Suffish | December 4, 2025 0 Comments
Nepalese Climber Nirmal “Nims” Purja Becomes First Person in History to Summit Mountains Over 8,000 Meters 50 Times Nepalese climber Nirmal “Nims” Purja—also known as Nimsdai—made history on July 3 by becoming the first person to successfully summit mountains over 8,000 meters (24,000 feet) a staggering 50 times. Purja is well known for his record-setting in the mountains and notable first ascents throughout his climbing career. A native of Nepal, Purja initially served in the Nepalese Gurkha combat […] Climbing Joseph Kaufmann | August 22, 2025 0 Comments
Massive Avalanche Kills Mountaineer Above K2’s Basecamp Friday afternoon, July 18, a massive avalanche on Pakistan’s notorious K2 claimed one life and left several others injured. Often called the “Savage Mountain,” K2 has earned its fearsome reputation for danger. The nickname was cemented in 1953 when American climber George Bell remarked, “It’s a savage mountain that tries to kill you.” Among the world’s five highest peaks, K2 […] Avalanche Joseph Kaufmann | July 23, 2025 0 Comments
The 11 Best American-Made Ski Companies New tariffs imposed by the Trump administration have sent shockwaves through the ski industry, driving up the cost of imported gear and disrupting long-established supply chains. As European and Asian-made skis become more expensive, buying from American ski companies is no longer just about patriotism—it’s a smart response to a shifting trade landscape. For skiers and retailers alike, supporting U.S. […] Gear SnowBrains | June 5, 2025 22 Comments
[VIDEO] Italian Climbers Narrowly Escape Huge Avalanche on K2 In a heart-stopping moment captured on video, Italian mountaineers Federico Secchi and Marco Majori narrowly escaped a potentially deadly avalanche on K2, the world’s second-highest peak. The incident occurred during their ambitious summer expedition to climb Broad Peak and K2 without supplemental oxygen. Related: Ice Avalanche Strikes Hiking Group on Mont Blanc, France, Killing 1 and Injuring 4 Resting in […] Avalanche AvyBrains | September 2, 2024 0 Comments
French Climber Smashes K2 Ascent Record in Half French climber Benjamin Vedrines has set a new speed record for summiting K2, the world’s second-highest mountain, in just under 11 hours. Vedrines, 32, known for his high-speed ascents without supplemental oxygen, left the K2 base camp shortly after midnight on Saturday and reached the summit 10 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds later, his team reported to AFP on […] Climbing CragBrains | July 29, 2024 0 Comments
K2 and the Commercial Exploitation of a Deadly Peak K2 is the second-highest mountain above sea level, with an altitude of 8,611m/28,251ft. However, it is known to be more difficult to climb than Mount Everest. Unlike Everest, K2 is not located in the Himalayas but further north at the Chinese/Pakistani border in the Karakoram range, making the climate colder and the snow deeper. Its steep faces and extreme weather […] Climbing Julia Schneemann | August 14, 2023 2 Comments
Death of Porter at K2 Investigated After Videos of His Final Hours Emerge A Pakistani porter died on K2 on July 27, 2023. While the circumstances of his death are unclear, it appears to be confirmed that he was alive for three hours while somewhere between 50-150 climbers stepped over his dying body on their ascent and descent. Video footage from several angles as well as drone footage, has emerged on social media, […] Climbing Julia Schneemann | August 10, 2023 0 Comments
First Ski Boot With BOA® Lace Technology Has Been Released K2 has developed and released a ski boot that utilizes the innovative BOA® lace technology, the first of its kind. The new model has been dubbed the “K2 Recon 120 BOA®“, and is currently available in sizes 25.5, 26.5, and 27.5 for the price of $699.95. All other sizes are currently sold out due to the immense popularity of this technology, […] Gear Matt Scribner | January 23, 2023 7 Comments
The Amount of Garbage Littered on K2 is Obscene K2 has been popular this climbing season. That may be an understatement as a record number of climbers have been attempting to summit the mountain. To put it in perspective, last month there was a record 145 climbers who summited in just one day. That is double the amount that usually summits in an entire season. Before this year, only […] Industry News Brent Glogau | August 29, 2022 2 Comments
K2 Confirms Plans to Kill Off Full Tilt Boots K2 Sports has announced its plans to integrate the Full Tilt collection of boots into the K2 product line to further innovate for the consumer and strengthen the K2 brand, effective for the 2022/2023 ski season. Founded in 2006 under K2 Sports, a collection of eight iconic winter sports brands, the Full Tilt brand has been known for its 3-piece ski […] Industry News SnowBrains | October 5, 2021 0 Comments
VIDEO: “MESSNER” – World’s Greatest Mountaineer [arve url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBTKM7ByCVs"] CragBrains | August 3, 2021 Likes Tweets 0 Comments
VIDEO: Tragedies on K2 – Fatal Altitude [arve url="https://youtu.be/2cCd9sNxjU4"] SnowBrains | August 3, 2021 Likes Tweets 0 Comments
Gear Review: 2021 K2 Mindbender 108Ti 2021 K2 Mindbender 108Ti Stats: Lengths: 172 cm, 179 cm, 186 cm, 193 cm Rocker: Tip and Tail Stiffness: 8 out of 10 Weight per Ski: 2225 grams per ski [186cm] Dimensions: 136 / 108 / 125mm [186cm] Sidecut Radius: 22.8m [186cm] Construction: Aspen and Fir Core with Titanal Aluminum Y-Beam Reviewer Stats: Name: Phillip Cullinane Days skied on 2021 K2 Mindbender 108Ti [186cm]: 14 […] Gear Phillip Cullinane | February 22, 2021 0 Comments
Three Mountaineers Missing in K2 Winter Attempt At 28,251′, K2 is the second-highest peak in the world. The peak is notorious for its stature, death rate, short season, and difficulty to climb. The “savage mountain” claims the lives of 1 in 4 climbers who attempt it making it the 3rd deadliest mountain in the world. Until January 16, 2021, the peak had never been climbed in the […] Climbing Dominic Gawel | February 11, 2021 0 Comments
Gear Review: 2020 K2 Mindbenders 99TI 2020 K2 Mindbenders 99TI: Lengths: 170cm, 177cm, 184cm, 191cm Rocker: All-Terrain Rocker Stiffness: 8 out of 10 stiff Weight per Ski: 4lb 4oz [170cm] | 4lb 9.5oz [177cm] | 4lb 15oz [184cm] | 5lb 2oz [191cm] Dimensions: 138 / 99 / 123mm Sidecut Radius: 18.5m [184cm], Construction: Titanal Y-Beam | Maple and Aspen Core Factory Recommended Mount Point: -11 cm from center Reviewer […] Gear Kyle Mercier | February 8, 2021 0 Comments
Nepali Climbers Make History With First Winter Ascent of K2, The Savage Mountain A team of ten climbers from Nepal on Saturday become the first mountaineers to successfully summit K2, the world’s second tallest peak, in winter. Related: VIDEO: Breathtaking: K2 – Climbing The World’s Most Dangerous Mountain With Squaw Valley, CA Based Guides K2, also known as ‘The Savage Mountain’ is the only mountain over 8,000m that had yet to be summited […] SnowBrains | January 19, 2021 0 Comments
Gear Review: 2021 K2 Mindbender 106 Alliance Ski 2021 K2 Mindbender 106C Alliance Skis Lengths: 159cm, 167 cm, 175 cm Rocker: Tip and Tail Stiffness: 8 out of 10 stiff Weight per Ski: 1740 grams per ski [167cm] Dimensions: 139 / 106 / 124mm [167cm] Sidecut Radius: 15m [167cm] Construction: Aspen Veneer Core with Titanal Aluminium Y shaped Layer Factory Recommended Mount Point: -9.75 cm from center or […] Gear John Persons | December 20, 2020 1 Comment
Gear Review: 2021 K2 Mindbender 98Ti Alliance Ski 2021 K2 Mindbender 98Ti Alliance Skis Lengths: 154 cm, 162 cm, 168 cm, 175 cm Rocker: Tip and Tail Stiffness: 7 out of 10 Weight per Ski: 1833 grams per ski [168cm] Dimensions: 134 / 98 / 120mm [168cm] Sidecut Radius: 15.6m [168cm] Construction: Aspen Veneer Core with Titanal Aluminum Y shaped Layer Factory Recommended Mount Point: -10.5 cm […] Gear John Persons | December 11, 2020 0 Comments
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