2024 K2 Mindbender 89Ti W
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Ski Stats

Sidecut 130/89/113
Radius 13.1m @ 164cm
Lengths 146,152,158,164,170
Weight 1756.5g @ 164cm
MSRP $699.95
FIND
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The first Mindbender Ti collection, introduced in the pre-pandemic 19/20 season, adopted the Titanal Y-Beam construction developed for the women’s Mindbender 88 Ti Alliance for the entire Mindbender Ti clan, men’s models included.  Last year’s re-design focused on re-shaping the Y-Beam from end to end, adding more metal just behind the forward contact point for more secure turn initiation, running edge-to-edge underfoot and substantially expanding the width of the Ti laminate at the end of the Y-Beam’s “handle,” so the edge won’t wash out under sustained pressure. In the 2023 men’s (a.k.a. unisex) Mindbender 89Ti, our testers awarded the new model substantially higher scores than its predecessor, boosting it near the top of our Finesse ranks. As more data was collected this past winter, its boffo scores slipped in our standings towards the back of the pack. It’s not unreasonable to conclude that the woman’s model cloned from its bones would suffer the same fate if only more women testers were inclined to try it in the first place. K2 claims that its changes to the Y-Beam configuration were intended to make the Mindbenders more accessible to lower skill skiers, but the more palpable effect is how the new Titanal Y-Beam appeals to the other end of the skills spectrum.

The first Mindbender Ti collection, introduced in the pre-pandemic 19/20 season, adopted the Titanal Y-Beam construction developed for the women’s Mindbender 88 Ti Alliance for the entire Mindbender Ti clan, men’s models included.  Last year’s re-design focused on re-shaping the Y-Beam from end to end, adding more metal just behind the forward contact point for more secure turn initiation, running edge-to-edge underfoot and substantially expanding the width of the Ti laminate at the end of the Y-Beam’s “handle,” so the edge won’t wash out under sustained pressure.

In the 2023 men’s (a.k.a. unisex) Mindbender 89Ti, our testers awarded the new model substantially higher scores than its predecessor, boosting it near the top of our Finesse ranks. As more data was collected this past winter, its boffo scores slipped in our standings towards the back of the pack. It’s not unreasonable to conclude that the woman’s model cloned from its bones would suffer the same fate if only more women testers were inclined to try it in the first place.

K2 claims that its changes to the Y-Beam configuration were intended to make the Mindbenders more accessible to lower skill skiers, but the more palpable effect is how the new Titanal Y-Beam appeals to the other end of the skills spectrum. For skiers who already know how to bend a ski, the increase in tail support in particular is largely responsible for opening up the top end of the Mindbender 89Ti’s performance envelope.   The more supportive tail is able to hold the ski on line and keep it calm when the going gets rough.

K2 has a long and laureled history of developing its women’s models in concert with an elite panel of (mostly) American women who live, eat and breathe the sport. The all-terrain versatility and expansive performance envelope (meaning it works at all speeds and turn shapes), of the latest Mindbender 89 Ti W embodies K2’s best example of the ultimate, kick-ass women’s ski.

For simultaneously lowering the accessibility floor and raising the performance ceiling, we award the Mindbender 89 Ti W a Silver Skier Selection.

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Women’s Test Data Advisory

Please be advised that our 2022 women’s ski reviews do not show any test data, on either our public or members’ sites. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we haven’t been able to collect sufficient test results to justify showing a statistical summary.

While Realskiers members won’t be able to see stats on women’s reviews, they will see a longer, more in-depth narrative than what’s posted on our public site.

We appreciate your continued support through these troublesome times.