K2 Joydriver Review from Sun Peaks Resort

I had almost forgotten how fun the riding at Sun Peaks Resort was. I used to live in the area and had a season’s pass there for a few years. Heading there for Boxing Day to try out the all new for 2015/16 K2 Joydriver was just like visiting an old friend.

K2 Joydriver with Now Drive bindings. Lord Vader, your board is ready.

Being Canada’s second largest ski area, Sun Peaks offers 4,270 acres of skiable terrain and runs that are over 8 km long; perfect for warming up on this new Joydriver. While it doesn’t boast the extreme terrain of some of the other resorts in British Columbia, Sun Peaks makes up for it with an abundance of runs that are suitable for family friendly missions while also serving up steep and well groomed runs to really let yourself open up and fly. The ski and snowboard terrain is serviced by 11 lifts including 5 quad chairs, 1 triple chair, and 5 surface lifts. There are 10% novice, 58% intermediate, and 32% expert runs.

Sundance Express Chair

This was the first day riding the $649 Lucas Debari designed backcountry freestyle board that features a traditional camber profile and early rise tip and tail to provide float in the powder. But you don’t need 2 feet of fresh pow to enjoy this board. It proved to be great for riding resort groomers with fast edge to edge transfer while allowing me to go as fast as I wanted without any chatter. I spent the first few runs laying down some deep carves to feel this thing out. It held an edge like it was on rails and didn’t ever feel like it was going to wash out thanks to it’s generous sidecut.

The Joydriver comes in any colour you like, as long as you like black.

I had heard that this was a fairly stiff board but I found it to be not overly stiff. It still had a nice playful feel and provided great pop when ollieing rollers. As a bonus, the graphics on the Joydriver are totally badass. The flat black mountain scene looks awesome in part due to the unique “Inked Glass” process. The graphics are directly printed onto the fiberglass which removes the need for a traditional plastic topsheet and reduces weight. It also features K2’s Hybritech sidewall construction that blends into an almost cap construction at the tip and tail.

With this board you get all the sweet K2 features like; Bambooyah core with a 5 year breakage warranty, triax/biax fiberglass construction and a super-fast sintered base.

K2 rider Danny Larsen created the artwork for the Joydriver.

In the search for the “one board to do it all” quiver killer, the new Joydriver feels like a solid choice to allow for maximum fun in a variety of conditions from resort groomers to backcountry pow missions. If you are a fan of traditional camber snowboards and Ravens, I have no problem recommending that you give the Joydriver a test drive.

Available Lengths – 156, 158w, 159, 162, 163w and 165
Price – $649.99 cdn

Laying into a few carves