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 last year. The mid-section now runs sidewall-to-sidewall, for maximum power transfer to the edge, and the forebody has been 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.
It’s instructive that the 99 Ti is the widest women’s Mindbender with Titanal Y-Beam; the next widest Mindbender, the 106C W, uses carbon as its principal structural element, as does the 115C 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 90C W. Which isn’t a diss – a 99-waisted ski that sells for $750 should shift its suitability to meet the expectations of experts. Which is just what K2 has done.