@K2Rat with 63 votes:
About K2Rat's photo and K2 History:
My obsession with K2 started not by design. When I was about 10 years old, I wanted a pair of Heads as my new ski. My Dad and I went to our mountain ( Hogback Vt) ski shop and the K2's were cheaper. So my Dad said I am getting K2 Holidays. But he did buy me a Head t-shirt along with those first fiberglass skis I ever had, so I was pretty happy. Thank gosh I got those first K2's because that was just the beginning. I got into racing and quickly moved onto K2 Comps. Spider Sabich was winning on the pro tour on K2's Fours and he quickly became my hero. How cool was that guy? Throw Wayne Wong in the mix along with matching red, white and blue bottoms and the Fours were a must ski to have! Of course, I moved onto K2 Fives and then 710/810's with the Mahre brothers. K2 and the Mahre brothers was about as all-American as a K2 July 4th photo contest ! When the Mahres retired, K2 started to move away from racing so I had to switch brands. But a several years ago, I got a pair of K2 Apache Recons. If you want to see some of my history with K2, watch this video I made and sent to K2 Corp on their 50th Anniversary. They said it brought tears to their eyes around the office. Since the video, I bought the 50th Anniversary Recoils ( never used them but needed them for the red, white and blue graphics !) and a pair of K2 50th Anniversary Rolling Stones Sideshows. And 12 pair of K2 88 GS which got their first use in my photo. An adirondack chair might be in their future or a lot of shotskis !!
FYI - my name here , K2 Rat, was my name when I was pledging a fraternity in college. All pledges had a "Rat" name. Since I wore a K2 baseball hat 24/7, the brothers named me "K2 Rat".
Like I said before, it ain't over yet so please help support my K2 habit and vote for me !!(photo # 16 - A Serious Fun BBQ)
@ZionPow with 49:
About ZionPow's photo and K2 history:
I entered this contest as a fun activity with my kids during our July 4th bar-b-q this year. We had a great time taking the photo and my kids are still talking about the experience of setting up the shot. I am a Pro Ski Patroller in Utah. My job by nature is very hard on skis as it requires me to ski in many areas and in many conditions that most people would never consider attempting. I absolutely love my job and would not trade it for any other! Besides helping injured skiers off the mountain, my favorite part of my job is to get up on the mountain before sunrise on avalanche control days. I love skiing, hiking, wallowing into avalanche terrain and safely detonating explosives by hand or shooting avalaunchers to mitigate the danger to the public. I love being part of the snow safety team that works very hard to get the lifts open on time and I love watching our guests having their "best day ever" in the POW.
I always need new skis every season. Whether I finish in the top 4 or not, I will be out on the slopes 5 days a week providing medical assistance, transportation, promoting safety on the slopes, and of course early morning avalanche mitigation. Hope all of us have our "Best season ever" this year and I will see the PugSki family when you visit my resort in March 2018!
@4ster with 46 votes:
About 4Sters's photo and K2 history:
My affair with K2 skis began with my first pair of new skis that I was able to buy with my own hard earned dollars at about age 13. They were a pair of blue, epoxy K2 Elites. Before that I was on hand me down woodies. At the time K2 was owned by the A&T corporation. My next pair was at about age 15, a pair of red, white & blue 204cm K2 III's. They were soon replaced with the K2 Four Winter Heats that are in the actual photo entered in the contest. The flag was awarded to my father upon his discharge from the USAF after flying 30+ missions as a B-17 navigator in WWII. Mikey is his great grandson!
Later it was the little known Killy Heats, then K2 Five Slaloms which were breakthrough skis for me!
The list goes on as the quiver grew to 2 pairs, the famed 710 & 810's. VO's followed & the list goes on with Axis XP's in more recent decades & my first tip rockers were the Anti-pistes.
During this time my winters were spent working as an instructor, snow shoveler, ice bar wielder, fence setter, gate shagger, forerunner, pacesetter, hole driller, coach, trainer, manager, examiner, guide etc. where I've managed to average over 130 days on snow each season for the past 40 plus years. One may think someone who skis that many days probably goes through a lot of skis, boots & bindings? Well yes, this is true! To help feed my addiction, I have entered the K2 photo contest found on this very forum. I didn't enter just to win stuff but I entered because the skis that are being given as the prize will fit my quiver perfectly! I have probably owned more K2 skis over the decades than any other brand so it would be like getting back with a good old friend. With the demise of SkiLogik, I think this K2 Pinnacle will cover the gap left by my Chariots & Frontburners with style.
@Doug Briggs rounding out the top 4 with 36 votes
About Doug Briggs photo and K2 history:
My photo near the summit of Peak 10 before descending Fourth of July Bowl shows a jacket that my mother made me when I was a kid. I chose the colors and Mum put them together. The goggles are Boutons, just like I had as a kid. The skis are from the last century. Limited edition K2 Big Kahunas with Jerry Garcia graphics. Not only am I representing our nation in gloriously patriotic fashion, I'm demonstrating my support for vintage gear and the history of our glorious sport.
@Brian Finch ended just out of the money with 28 votes.
We will have some "50 Years of Serious Fun" books along with some various swag for deserving submissions. Stay tuned and congrats to the winners.
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. Hopefully, I'll be on these boards when some of you come to visit Snowbasin during next seasons gathering!
Here is mine from when I raced K2:
