K2 Party Platter Review

For those who feel the Cool Bean is a bit of a one-course meal, K2 introduces the Party Platter: a surfy concoction of all mountain fun.

In 2017, K2 will be expanding its Enjoyer series with a new board called the Party Platter. In a word, the Party Platter is the all mountain sibling of 2016’s surf-inspired powder shortboard, the Cool Bean.

At first glance, it’s easy to see why the K2 Party Platter is related to the Cool Bean. It’s short and has similarly shaped nose. They both have what K2 calls “Volume Shift” to let riders size down 7 to 10cm from their regular board size. K2 basically takes the extra length off the tips and moves it to the sides of the board, resulting in a huge 270mm waist for the Party Platter. The two boards share the same effective edge of 106.68cm, and they also have the K2 All-Terrain Baseline: flat camber with a rockered nose and tail.

The nose and tail have the Tweekend tech, which means an extended rocker zone all the way to tips, to provide a larger surface area for superior float, pressability and for landing on.

From there, the Party Platter strikes out on its own. Instead of a swallowtail, it has a high tail kick for switch-riding options and all round freestyle. A carbon “Ollie Bar” provides added snap, and you do get more ollie pop than the Cool Bean just from having a proper tail. It will be available in a 143 and 150, of which I rode the 150. The 150 had a max stance of 61cm and I maxed it out, but it did not compromise the ride (by leaving me with too small a nose/tail).

Since both the K2 Party Platter and Cool Bean come in a 150 size it’s possible to compare the specs.

With a slimmer nose, waist and tail, and a touch less taper, the Party Platter is the Cool Bean on a diet, giving up a touch of powder float for improved all mountain handling.

How does it ride?

When riding ‘size-down’ boards like the Party Platter, it’s always surprising at how much stability you get from such a small board. Riding around the resort, I felt like I could ride it hard like a normal-size board, which for me is a 159 or 160, yet with the maneuverability and weight of a 150. It’s so easy to throw this board around and the smallest sidehits provide new levels of jibability.

Here’s a short video showing the Party Platter in powder – absolutely no problems!

There was no adjustment period – I just got on it and it felt natural. The K2 AT Baseline profile is a nice middle ground between the power of camber and the looseness of rocker, and it’s livelier than some of the neutral-feeling flat camber boards out there. There are no surprises in the ride, and this lets you get down to shredding straight away. In spite of its wide waist, it’s a nimble carver and the small size lets you make precision turns (and go through the tightest of trees). I did get pushed around a bit in the chop but that’s a normal side effect of a small board. The K2 Party Platter is perfect for a resort rider who is looking for a fun carver, something great on groomers and sidehit jibs. With it’s 17mm of taper and 270mm waist it has no problems dipping into powder stashes and is killer in the glades. K2 is covering all the bases with their shortboard Enjoyer series: choose the Party Platter for all mountain fun or grab the Cool Bean as a powder board. While there is some overlap, one thing that isn’t missing from either of them is a good time.

Disclosure: The K2 Party Platter was borrowed from a K2 dealer.