After many years of skiing on K2 Fours, I'm afraid it's time to hang them up and buy a new pair of skis.

Does anyone have any comments on the K2 Apache Stryker? I've read some positive reviews and it seems like a reasonable all-mountain ski for a lower advanced skier.

http://k2skis.com/skis/ski.asp?ProductID=4

What are the pro's and con's of the integrated binding system? Is this the way skis are going now?

It strikes me as a cruiser. I think the Styker would be one of the closeser skis arround right now compared to your old fours. Its all wood and braid construction just like the old K2s.

A review from epic: "K2 Apache Stryker (74mm underfoot) 174cm: this ski was quite easy and smooth, but had lots of stability. Not overly damp like the Recon. Definitely felt like a GS in 174. A good, stable, relatively powerful ski that was pretty forgiving. I think this will be a winner, similiar to the Legend 4800."

The binding systems are pretty stnadard on almost all skis that are designed for use on piste.

I have a pair of K2 Axis X and a pair of Head Monsters. The K2 is a very smooth, damp ski. Kind of like driving a Lexus down the mountain. I have an older pair of Marker bindings on this ski with the old "selective control" function. I put the selector on "hard snow" when skiing around here. Thus they are not the new integral bindings. The Head Monsters that I have are much more lively and a stiffer ski. They have a stiff tail so they'll let you know if your too far in the back seat. The Heads do have the integral binding that suppose to allow natural flex of the ski. On the contrary, my K2s have the Marker Selective Control which does affect the flex of the ski. I like this option since it really does work and I crank it up to the "hard snow" setting when it gets icy. The purpose of the current integral bindings from what I understand is that the binding allows the ski to bend and flex as it was designed to.
I am not familiar with the Apache Stryker, but I do know the next ski up from the old Axis X was the Axis XP which included a sheet of tiranium. They both included the elastomeric material to dampen the ski. I find that one benefit of this engery absorbing material is that vibration transmission to your knee joints is reduced. If you are not an aggessive, strong skier, you will love the ease and smoothness of the K2 ski. A very versatile ski.

Quote:

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the next ski up from the old Axis X was the Axis XP which included a sheet of tiranium.

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I'm not sure the Axis XP has the titanium sheet in it. I believe that the Axis XT has the titanium sheet in them. Or at least thats what I was told sometime after I bought my XT's.