If there’s ever an award for the brand that does the most to make in-resort, off-trail skiing more accessible, it should be called the K2 Cup. The company credited for making rocker a permanent addition to the ski design landscape has never forgotten that wide skis were meant to make skiing easier – in fact, a hell of a lot easier – in ungroomed conditions. The Mindbender 99 Ti takes this commitment one step further by making skiing in all conditions, including crystalline corduroy, as easy as falling out of bed.
A strong case could be made that the Mindbender 99 Ti is the easiest ski in the AMW genre to just hop on and ride. The Realskiers scoring system unfairly penalizes the Mindbender 99 Ti for achieving exactly what it aims for: a balance beam that’s nearly impossible to fall off. When all its scores are tallied, its consummate ease subtracts from its power quotient. Were we to tweak our criteria in favor of comfort and confidence-building, the MB 99 Ti would be the top-ranked Finesse ski in the category.
The personality profile of the Mindbender 99 Ti can be traced directly to the Ti Y-Beam, its principal structural component. As if often the case, Titanal laminates have such a profound effect on torsional rigidity and vibration damping that both its presence and its absence are palpably evident. In the Mindbender 99 Ti, wherever the Ti goes, Power properties follow; where it’s excised, Finesse facility blooms in its absence.
Here’s how it all comes together on snow. The forward prongs of the Y-Beam yoke travel over the edge, so at the top of the turn early tip pressure is rewarded with engagement at the earliest contact point. Through the critical mid-section, the Y-Beam expands edge-to-edge for max torsional rigidity before retreating to the center of the ski in the tail. Its edge grip underfoot derives from the wall-to-wall section of the “Y” pattern, sticking to any surface that will hold snow, then relaxing its grip through the bottom of the turn. This creates a built-in micro-drift that helps the tail release and keeps it pliable in manky bumps.
No ski will feel easy if it can’t grip on hard snow, so K2 attaches an insurance policy in the guise of a slender, separate core and sidewall combo that sits astride the Mindbender 99 Ti midsection. Dubbed Powerwall, its bonus standheight and damping multiply any force applied from above, amplifying the skier’s efforts. It’s a classic K2 embellishment, reducing the exertion required of the skier without compromising the result.
Well balanced and never temperamental, the Mindbender 99 Ti is arguably the most relaxing ride in the AMW camp. It favors a mid-radius turn (sidecut radius is 18.5m in a 184cm) that travels equally well on-trail or off. It’s almost shockingly nimble in bumps because it can segue from a drift to a carve anywhere, any time. It you want to foot-steer, it won’t object, and if you need an edge in a hurry it’s happy to oblige. In trees, this ready-to-pivot aptitude comes in very handy, when missing each and every barked behemoth matters very much.
The Mindbender 99 Ti doesn’t try to dictate turn shape nor does it require breakneck speed to get it to bow. It doesn’t have a terrain preference but its torsionally soft tail is more attuned to pushing against soft snow than biting into ice. As long as the surface has some give to it, the Mindbender 99 Ti is a competent carver and a confidence builder for someone still polishing their off-trail talents.
Contributing to the Mindbender 99 Ti’s Finesse attributes are its huge sweetspot – a K2 signature trait – and a willingness to morph into whatever suits your style. It can mimic any turn shape according to how steeply it’s edged, or abandon edging all together and smudge its way downhill. Because it’s just as happy to drift as carve, the Mindbender 99 Ti is an ideal match for someone taking his or her first forays into off-piste terrain.
Because of its compliant disposition and ease of operation in all conditions, we again award the Mindbender 99 Ti a Silver Skier Selection.
