REASONS TO BUY
Great powder performance
Likes to pivot quickly
REASONS TO AVOID
Less than perfect for carving and edge-hold
Too soft for the roughest terrain
K2 Mindbender 99Ti - Women's Review
Mindbending in powder and light snow, but lacking in edge hold and stability in bumpier conditions
Credit: K2
RELATED: Best Skis for Women of 2024
Our Verdict
Our minds truly were bent by this ski's ability to soar through fresh powder; the K2 Mindbender 99Ti is built for floating on soft snow. This ski also has a keen knack for pivoting through moguls and tight trees. However, when we took it onto a harder snowpack, it didn't have the stability and edge hold we wanted. Likewise, when we wanted to carve it, it took a long while to get engaged, and even then the grip wasn't very solid. We'd recommend this ski as a more powder-oriented option, but it isn't ideal for anyone looking for something truly versatile in all conditions.
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 This Product
K2 Mindbender 99Ti - Women's | |||||
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| Awards |  |  |  | | |
| Price | $324.99 at Evo Compare at 2 sellers | $524.93 at REI Compare at 3 sellers | $750 List $749.95 at Amazon | $454.99 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | Check Price at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | Performs well in fresh snow and moguls, but isn’t ideal on hard snow or heavy crud | Perfect for those looking for a single ski to rule them all | Lively and nimble, but also stable and grippy | A blast to ski in fresh snow, mogul fields, and popping around on groomers | For intermediate and advanced skiers looking for something that’s easy on the snow and on the wallet |
| Rating Categories | K2 Mindbender 99Ti... | Nordica Santa Ana 98 | Blizzard Sheeva 9 -... | Elan Ripstick 94 W | Salomon QST Lumen 98 |
| Stability at Speed (20%) | |||||
| Carving Ability (20%) | |||||
| Powder Performance (20%) | |||||
| Crud Performance (20%) | |||||
| Terrain Playfulness (15%) | |||||
| Bumps (5%) | |||||
| Specs | K2 Mindbender 99Ti... | Nordica Santa Ana 98 | Blizzard Sheeva 9 -... | Elan Ripstick 94 W | Salomon QST Lumen 98 |
| Waist Width | 99 mm | 98 mm | 96 mm | 94 mm | 98 mm |
| Sidecut (Tip-Waist-Tail width) | 134-99-120 mm | 132-98-120 mm | 129-96-118.5 mm | 136-94-110 mm | 132-98-120 mm |
| Available Lengths | 154, 160, 166, 172 cm | 151, 158, 165, 172, 179 cm | 150, 156, 162, 168, 174 cm | 154, 162, 170, 178 cm | 152, 160, 168, 176 cm |
| Length Tested | 172 cm | 172 cm | 174 cm | 178 cm | 176 cm |
| Turn Radius | 16.8 m | 16.3 m | 16 m | 18 m | 16 m |
| Camber Profile | All-terrain rocker | Rocker tip and tail, camber underfoot | Rocker tip and tail, camber underfoot | Rocker tip and tail, cambered inside edge, Amphibio tech | Rocker tip and tail, camber underfoot |
| Weight Per Pair | 8.7 lbs | 8.1 lbs | 7.9 lbs | 7.4 lbs | 8.2 lbs |
| Construction Type | Hybrid sidewalls, cap regions tip and tail | Energy Ti W | W.S.D. Fluxform Duramax sandwich full sidewall | SST sidewall | Double sidewall |
| Core Material | Aspen Veneer | Performance Wood & Metal | W.S.D. Trueblend Free Woodcore; Beech, Poplar and Paulownia | Tubelite wood | Poplar |
| Ability Level | Intermediate-Advanced | Intermediate-Expert | Intermediate-Expert | Intermediate-Expert | Intermediate-Advanced |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The K2 Mindbender 99Ti, at only 99 millimeters under foot, performs surprisingly well in deeper snow but lacks some stability and edge hold to make it our first choice for our favorite all-around ski for women.
Performance Comparison
Our gals grinned the whole way back to the chair whenever they could have a playful moment on the K2.
Credit: Nate Greenberg
Stability at Speed
There used to be a consensus amongst our testers that women's K2 skis tended to be quite soft and too flexy for expert skiers. However, the last couple of K2 models that we've tested have certainly made us question that theory. The Mindbender 99Ti is far more stable than the women's K2s of old, but unfortunately, it still doesn't stack up against the burliest skis in our test group. The edges are slow to engage, and there is some chatter on firm snow. At higher speeds on fast snow, the tips flap more than is comforting.
The K2 performs best in off-piste conditions or with a whimsical mentality on the groomers; it isn't a hard-charging carving ski and has some chatter on firm snow.
Credit: Nate Greenberg
Carving Ability
The Mindbender 99Ti loves to skid and butter across the snow's surface, but this characteristic makes it less adept at carving. The lethargy with which it grips the snow causes a long delay before the ski engages, and once it does, the long turn radius and mediocre edge hold make for a less enjoyable carved turn. The 16.8-meter turn radius actually feels even longer in reality, as our testers agreed that it performed more like an 18-meter radius ski.
The Mindbender 99 shows up fair to middling in regards to both stability and carving ability; it prefers to lie flat and smear rather than grip and slice.
Credit: Nate Greenberg
Powder Performance
This is where the Mindbender shines. It stays afloat even in deeper, heavier powder and offers a much easier ride than its mere 99-millimeter waist width would suggest. The rockered tip and tail construction give it a very nimble feeling, even in tight spaces like trees and couloirs. Our testers found it very easy to maneuver in all types of softer snow. It didn't quite hit the top of our charts for this metric, but it wasn't far away.
This ski was mind-bendingly powerful in deep snow, keeping us reaching for it on powder days.
Credit: Renee McCormack
Crud Performance
The Mindbender's performance in the crud depended a lot on exactly what type and texture the snow was. The type of chop we experienced at the end of a cold mid-winter powder day was handled well. When things got heavier — later in the season or during a wetter storm cycle — it didn't have the oomph to slice through the chunkiness, nor the dampness to cruise on top. Our testers found them to be a bumpy ride in all but the mellowest crud.
Light and maneuverable, the K2 handles cold-weather choppy conditions well but struggles a bit with a bumpier ride when cruising through warmer or wetter crud conditions.
Credit: Nate Greenberg
Terrain Playfulness
We found that while there was some rebound to this ski, we really had to be giving it some energy for it to give something back. In other words, we either needed a lot of power or a lot of speed to feel the ski kickback at the end of the turn. When we did feel it, it wasn't significant nor was it reliable. It feels light enough under your feet to get airborne easily, and its ability to release the edge quickly and pivot gives it a fun twisty sensation. The Mindbender is great for playing with flat-land 360s, shifties, and other rotational tricks.
The K2 loves to pivot and butter across the surface, so it's a lot of fun in the trees and in a terrain park.
Credit: Nate Greenberg
Bumps
Again thanks to its softer edge hold, the Mindbender twists and pivots with ease through moguls. It is much more maneuverable in the bumps than many of the skis in our test group. The same characteristics which are a deficit in the carving metric are an asset in this type of terrain.
Should You Buy the K2 Mindbender 99Ti?
If you only have eyes for soft snow and moguls, this ski is a fabulous tool for those types of terrain, and worth the price tag. However, if you're looking for something that also performs well on hard snow and in tough crud, you will need to look elsewhere for that versatility.
What Other Women's All-Mountain Skis Should You Consider?
The Mindbender 99Ti is a great mid-fat powder ski with a bent for nimble, pivoty turns. A slight step up within this same vein is the Elan Ripstick 94 W.
—
Renee McCormack
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