K2 Public Enemy Skis
The Public Enemy was a park and all-mountain twin tip from the era when that combination was new, and the review liked it for the right reason: it was a ski you could take into the park in the morning and still ski the rest of the mountain on in the afternoon.
The model is discontinued. The category it belonged to is alive and well, now usually called a freestyle or park twin tip, and the criteria have barely moved.
- A true twin tip, symmetrical at both ends, so it rides and lands backwards as well as forwards. A directional twin is a different thing and skis badly switch.
- A centred or near-centred mount for park; moved back a few centimetres if you want it to work as an all-mountain ski too. This one decision changes the ski more than anything else on the spec sheet.
- Softer flex than an all-mountain ski, to press and butter, and a thicker edge and base to survive rails.
- Waist around 85 to 95mm if it has to do both jobs.
What actually changed since this was written: park skis got tougher rather than cleverer. Reinforced edges, thicker bases and better underfoot protection, because the failure mode is a rail rather than a rock.
And the unchanged truth: the ski is not what is holding anyone back in the park. A cheap durable twin tip and a season of laps beats an expensive ski every time.
Part of the guide to ski and snowboard.