When K2 concocted the Mindbender Ti series, the prototype it selected for its first Titanal Y-Beam design came from a women’s version. As applied to the unisex Mindbenders, the tail section felt soft, particularly when edging hard on crispy corduroy. This deficiency was addressed in the 2023 line by moving a relatively large mass of metal closer to the tail, which made a huge difference in how the heavier (read, male) skier perceived support and response at the end of a turn. For the skilled female skier for whom the Mindbender 99Ti W is intended, this reinvigorated rear support ought to be perfect. There’s still less metal than you’d get with a full sheet of Titanal, but it’s been cleverly re-distributed so it feels substantial without being unbendable.
The tail section of the Titanal Y-Beam wasn’t the only part of the top metal laminate that was modified for 2023. The mid-section now runs sidewall-to-sidewall, for maximum power transfer to the edge, and the forebody was re-sculpted for more accuracy and stability entering the top of the turn. The tip-to-tail alteration of the Titanal Y-Beam was actually intended to enhance performance for intermediates and advanced skiers (note the size range drops down to a 154cm), but the end result certainly raised its performance ceiling for experts, as well, particularly on hard snow. The general expansion of its capabilities across the recreational speed range has pushed the Mindbender 99 Ti W into the first rank of all-mountain skis for women.
It’s instructive that the 99 Ti is the widest women’s Mindbender with Titanal Y-Beam; the next widest Mindbender, the 106 C W, uses carbon as its principal structural element, as does the 115 C W. This underscores the dividing line between a true all-terrain, in-resort ski like the MB 99 Ti W that will spend roughly half its life on hard snow, and a powder-specific board like the 106 C that could double as a sidecountry touring model. The metal that makes the 99 Ti W proficient on rock-hard groomers would add so much mass to a 106 it would be hard to push around off-trail and murder for climbing. Expert women who want an everyday, all-condition ski for in-bounds skiing should opt for the MB 99 Ti W and leave the wider Mindbenders for the rare powder day.
It bears mention that a skier of limited skills and off-trail experience probably shouldn’t be on a ski as wide as 99mm underfoot, and probably would be better served by a carbon chassis with minimal metal in its make-up, like the K2 Mindbender 90 C W. Which isn’t a diss – a 99-waisted ski that sells for $900 should shift its suitability to meet the expectations of experts. Which is just what K2 has done.
