K2 Wayback 106 Ski

Any comparisons between K2 Wayback 106 and Armada Locator 104? And let's throw in Elan Tour 104 too. Shooting for a soft snow touring ski in the 1500g range. Would be good if it was tolerable for some area skiing - so say a 75 tour-25 area use. Last touring specific ski I owned was the Wayback 96 from around a decade ago. It was no bueno for skiing Pali laps, but ok touring. Since then I've been using 90Eights (perfect except a tad heavy), and Ripstick 96 which is pretty good, except the pin tail is a liability in less supportive snow. Photo for reference on the 90Eights - where I like to ski.

I've owned both iterations of the Wayback 106 and have used this most current model for two seasons. Between the two, I have much preferred the newer model. The mount point was moved up about 2cm, and the rocker lines are a smidge longer. This results in a noticeably more maneuverable and slippery feel in tight terrain (which I appreciate) while still providing an effective platform to stand on. The more forward mounting point (relative to the older model) has been very appreciated on "luge" out tracks, as there is less tip to swing around fast and icy corners.

For most backcountry skiing, I have really enjoyed this ski. It is quite fun to ski in good conditions (as are most skis) and less terrible than most other skis in truly abhorrent conditions. Breakable crust still sucks, but you can navigate it slowly and predictably back to the car. Sastrugi still feels teeth rattling, but less so than other skis I've tried. it's light enough to carry around on big days, but not so light that it doesn't handle itself well. For pure backcountry conditions, this ski is a true quiver killer.

While my view of the ski is largely very positive, there are some areas where it doesn't shine. During post season resort laps on refrozen chunky groomers, the ski has a moderately low speed limit and lacks "pop" and "energy." I think these detractions are what makes it such a predictable backcountry ski, so its worth the tradeoff in my opinion.

Overall, I am a huge fan of what K2 accomplished with this ski. It is versatile, light enough, and durable. If I had to only own one pair of (backcountry) skis, this would be it.