K2 Skis

K2 traces to the Kirschner family's post-WWII manufacturing business on Vashon Island, near Seattle, which originally produced fiberglass splints and animal cages. In 1961 founder Bill Kirschner built a pair of fiberglass skis, applying the family's plastics know-how to a new product. He and his brother Don Kirschner formally launched the ski brand in 1962, naming it K2 after both the world's second-highest mountain and the two Kirschner brothers. Fiberglass construction was a significant departure from the wood and metal skis that dominated the market, producing lighter, more responsive skis, though the first year's run was small — only about 250 pairs reached the market. The brand expanded from there into one of the larger American ski manufacturers, later adding a K2 Snowboards line. K2 remains associated with its Pacific Northwest origins and Vashon Island manufacturing history, even as its ownership and operations have changed over the decades under the K2 Sports corporate umbrella; the Mindbender line referenced in the prior listing is one of its current all-mountain ski series.