Tester: Emma Whitelande

I hop on the chairlift, three other women next to me, yet we don’t speak a word. We are all utterly focused on the run we just took and getting our thoughts down on our test cards while they are fresh in our mind. It’s mid-November, I just arrived at A-Basin early that morning, greeted my fellow team of K2 women ski development testers and engineers. Now as I glance down, I see four different versions of what is to ultimately become the Mindbender 88Ti Alliance. This is the first test of many to come with the goal of creating one of the most versatile skis for women.

We make lap after lap; early season conditions exist. Important to keep runs consistent to make for accurate comparison between all skis being tested and paying close attention to even minute differences. This ski needs to have a solid edge hold and able to carve out long or short radius turns well. As I lay aggressively into a turn, I seek responsiveness and power. Yet, with a more passive intermediate style of skiing the ski should still deliver with ease and forgiveness. Maneuverability is key. Groomer to moguls to crud this ski should be able to handle it all while pleasing varying abilities and styles of skiers.

With each subsequent test and discussion, we all agreed we sought to create a ski that felt stable, balanced and confidence inspiring to a range of skier types. Too heavy of a ski would steer many women away, but too light meant the ski would constantly deflect and bounce around. An overly stiff ski would require too much muscling and race technique to get the ski to bend.

Titanal Y-Beam construction evolved through the process of developing the desired weight and stiffness for the women’s 88Ti. Titanal is laid over the ski in a ‘Y’ shape creating the flex profile, producing precise turn initiation while allowing for easy release out of a turn and a wide variety of turn shapes. Having the metal laid out in a ‘Y’ allows for a savings of unnecessary weight while maintaining desired stiffness. The Titanal Y-Beam created for the Mindbender 88 Ti Alliance became the design that was applied to the rest of the Mindbender collection, both for men and women.

It took numerous on snow tests throughout the season, limitless discussion, brainstorming, working and reworking ideas, not to mention the countless hours the engineers spent transferring and deciphering testers feedback to the drawing board in order to build and improve on prototype after prototype. The end result is the Mindbender 88Ti Alliance, K2’s most versatile and high preforming women’s ski to date. It can serve as a one-ski quiver for anyone from an ex-racer to an intermediate. From carving groomers to tackling moguls, this ski gives the skier the confidence she can do it all.