Review: K2 Mindbender 99Ti Skis · Women's · 2023
By Curated Experts
Leo Cocchiara and Sara Beeken
K2 Mindbender 99Ti Skis · Women's · 2023
from:$374.98
$749.95
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9 photos
The Curated Take
4.3/5
The K2 Mindbender 99Ti skis are ideal for advanced, expert skiers seeking a versatile, high-performance option. These skis excel in all-mountain conditions, offering stability at high speeds, powerful carving ability, and maneuverability in various terrains. The Y-shaped titanal core provides exceptional grip and responsiveness, while the rocker profile enhances turn initiation and release. The skis offer durability, easy turning, and great value compared to similar models. The 99Ti is for those who want a dependable, all-conditions ski that confidently handles everything from groomers to powder.
Ideal for
- Very stable at high speeds with good dampening
- Quick turning radius that's really fun to lay over and carve
- Maneuverability in trees and bumps
- Versatile to all-mountain and a variety of conditions from hardpack to powder
Not ideal for
- Not a playful ski to butter and smear around—too burly and directional to do well in the park
- Geared toward advanced skiers, so progressing beginners and intermediates may feel overpowered
- Topsheet tends to have a few curls and material peels off the edges but avoids significant chipping
Flotation
It's easy to over-simplify floatation by just looking at the waist width number, in this case, 99mm. It is plenty of surface area to handle powder. If this is someone's...Read more
The Mindbender 99Ti isn't a powder ski, but with its rocker profile, it's not far off. It has plenty of early rise in the top and a wide enough shovel...Read more
Carving
The Mindbender has a really impressively fast turning radius for a 99 underfoot ski at 15.3m for the 170 length. For comparison, the Santa Ana is 16.3m in 172. It...Read more
While this ski is 99mm underfoot, it holds its own on a groomer. The wider platform underfoot means one can't transfer from edge to edge very quickly, but it holds...Read more
High Speed Stability
If the Mindbender were a boat in the ocean, it'd be a warship. Stable, agile, and fully prepared to go on the attack. I like that I can feel stable...Read more
I'm about 130lbs and have had no issues with stability at speed from this ski. Some skis lend themselves better to heavier or more powerful skiers than me, but I...Read more
Playfulness
The Mindbender wasn't designed to be loose, playful, and buttery. Its idea of fun is skiing at top speed, busting through crud, and tackling advanced terrain. However, in this class...Read more
Compared to other K2s Mindbenders, this one is less poppy and playful. But that's not the personality it's going for. This ski is a high-speed charger ready to take on...Read more
Durability
The Mindbender's topsheet has a more plastic and textured feel to it. It's nice because it helps keep snow from sticking to it, and it's perfectly fine to get some...Read more
I've only had these skis for about a year, but I haven't had any major durability issues so far. Occasionally, the sidewall or topsheet gets a little dinged up if...Read more
Turn Ease
K2 did a great job putting just enough taper where the edges engage and release on this ski. It never feels grabby in that sense. The tip of my ski...Read more
The tail rocker, softer flexing tails, and the torsional flex allowed by the titanal Y-beam shape make turning these skis intuitive. While they are heavier than some carbon-reinforced skis, they...Read more
Versatility
The K2 Mindbender stays in its lane, focusing on the advanced and expert woman looking for a fast, stable, all-mountain, all-conditions ski. In that sense, it's very versatile and achieves...Read more
The Mindbender 99Ti is an excellent one-ski quiver for hard chargers. It's nimble in the trees, powerful on the groomers, damp on the chunder, and floats in the powder. It's...Read more
Curated Experts are not sponsored by brands. Their reviews are based on their honest experiences testing products.
Sara Beeken
About the ski gear
- Model: K2 Mindbender 99Ti Skis · Women's · 2023
Test conditions
- When I bought these: Early season 2022
- Days tested: 10+
- Where I’ve used it: Colorado, Utah
- Terrain: All
- How many times I've used it: 10
Expert Reviews of the K2 Mindbender 99Ti Skis
Leo Cocchiara The K2 Mindbender 99Ti is an ideal all-mountain, crud-busting, groomer-ripping, mogul-mobbing, and powder-blasting machine for the hard-charging skier that wants one ski to do it all. K2 really hits the mark of delivering power with just enough forgiveness to make these fun in any conditions. The special sauce is the Y-shaped sheet of titanal that does exactly what one thinks it does when transferring edge to edge, giving it a superb grip and responsiveness. These cutaways in combo with just enough rocker in the profile, leave the tips and tails with a lighter swingweight and more forgiving turn initiation and release.
They're, by definition, not a playful ski. They're very directional and stiff. They want to avoid going into the terrain park and prefer to be skied by someone who can drive them. This is not the ski for someone who's just getting their technical legs or for loosey-goosey smearing around the mountain. The outstanding graphics on the topsheet really take these to the next level. Skiers should like how their skis look and get excited every time they look at them. On the demos, I noticed a tendency for the topsheet to get little curls of plastic peeling away on the edges. Still, it's not a deal breaker for me as that behavior from the material helps prevent large chipping and chunks from being torn out of them.
Sara Beeken I use the K2 Mindbender 99Ti as my daily driver because, as a former racer, I demand a lot of stability at speed and power from my skis. But I’m also an all-mountain skier, looking to add a more playful freeride feeling to my skiing. With that combo, this ski is the ideal tool for the job. The titanal Y-beam technology keeps it stiff and stable at speed, but it adds some weight compared to the Mindbenders made with carbon. However, the rocker in the tip and tail help with turn initiation and releases the tails quickly, making it great for a more powerful skier in tight spaces. The flex profile keeps the tail softer, making for a smooth ride through bumps and trees. I’ve used this ski all over Colorado and haven’t yet met any snow conditions it doesn’t like. As one might expect from K2's advanced all-mountain/freeride ski, I have yet to find a speed limit on the Mindbender 99Ti.
Product Specs
| Age Group | Adult |
| Gender | Women's |
| Includes bindings | No |
| Model year | 2023 |
| Ski type | All Mountain |
| Skill level | Advanced, Expert |
Review Ratings
Averaged between reviewers, view below how all experts voted.
Flotation
4/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 4 of 5 stars. It's easy to over-simplify floatation by just looking at the waist width number, in this case, 99mm. It is plenty of surface area to handle powder. If this is someone's one pair of skis, and they want to know that they can ski it on a powder day, then yes, it can absolutely do that. They have to consider the ski as a whole, though. The directional shape and stiffer profile will ask one to work harder on deeper snow days than a ski with a more rockered profile.
Sara Beeken gave 4 of 5 stars. The Mindbender 99Ti isn't a powder ski, but with its rocker profile, it's not far off. It has plenty of early rise in the top and a wide enough shovel to barrel through chunky, wet powder and float on top of the soft stuff. But with the titanal in the ski, it can be a little heavy when the snow makes me work hard.
Carving
5/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 5 of 5 stars. The Mindbender has a really impressively fast turning radius for a 99 underfoot ski at 15.3m for the 170 length. For comparison, the Santa Ana is 16.3m in 172. It transitions to a high edge angle quickly and comfortably, with its tail capable of launching someone into the next turn. Quite possibly the best 100 underfoot women's ski in terms of carving performance.
Sara Beeken gave 4 of 5 stars. While this ski is 99mm underfoot, it holds its own on a groomer. The wider platform underfoot means one can't transfer from edge to edge very quickly, but it holds well once they're on that edge. The titanal Y-beam shape sacrifices some torsional rigidity, so heavier-weight skiers may not feel like it has the best edge hold, but it's ideal for me. If someone is looking for an all-mountain ski that can carve, this is a great choice.
High Speed Stability
5/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 5 of 5 stars. If the Mindbender were a boat in the ocean, it'd be a warship. Stable, agile, and fully prepared to go on the attack. I like that I can feel stable at high speeds in a variety of terrains as well. I can transition from moguls to groomers to trees and side hits at a fast pace without flinching.
Sara Beeken gave 5 of 5 stars. I'm about 130lbs and have had no issues with stability at speed from this ski. Some skis lend themselves better to heavier or more powerful skiers than me, but I have found these skis to be very stable when I'm ripping firm groomers.
Playfulness
3/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 3 of 5 stars. The Mindbender wasn't designed to be loose, playful, and buttery. Its idea of fun is skiing at top speed, busting through crud, and tackling advanced terrain. However, in this class of skis, the Mindbender offers a lot of personality to play with due to the intuitive rocker profile and that responsive Y-shaped core.
Sara Beeken gave 3 of 5 stars. Compared to other K2s Mindbenders, this one is less poppy and playful. But that's not the personality it's going for. This ski is a high-speed charger ready to take on any terrain on the mountain with power and speed. I appreciate that the tail rocker allows for more playful pivot turns, which can be especially handy on steep terrain.
Durability
4/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 3 of 5 stars. The Mindbender's topsheet has a more plastic and textured feel to it. It's nice because it helps keep snow from sticking to it, and it's perfectly fine to get some knocks along the way and avoid a major chip out of the topsheet. However, one of the things I noticed right away when I plucked it out of the fleet is that the edges tend to get a little rough and have little curls (pretty common on new skis) peel off the sides at first. It makes them less fun to carry without gloves, but it's not a deal breaker for me.
Sara Beeken gave 4 of 5 stars. I've only had these skis for about a year, but I haven't had any major durability issues so far. Occasionally, the sidewall or topsheet gets a little dinged up if I'm not careful, but overall I've been very pleased by the durability of this ski. And the textured topsheet does a good job of hiding scratches as well.
Turn Ease
4/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 4 of 5 stars. K2 did a great job putting just enough taper where the edges engage and release on this ski. It never feels grabby in that sense. The tip of my ski never tries to take off in another direction, and the tail doesn't get hung up when I try to get out of a turn. The Y-shaped cutaway in the titanal core helps keep the swing weight light as well.
Sara Beeken gave 4 of 5 stars. The tail rocker, softer flexing tails, and the torsional flex allowed by the titanal Y-beam shape make turning these skis intuitive. While they are heavier than some carbon-reinforced skis, they are a great option for hard-charging skiers who want something to take anywhere on the mountain. The early rise tip helps with turn initiation, while the tail rocker helps with the ease of quick turns and getting from one turn to the next.
Versatility
5/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 4 of 5 stars. The K2 Mindbender stays in its lane, focusing on the advanced and expert woman looking for a fast, stable, all-mountain, all-conditions ski. In that sense, it's very versatile and achieves plenty of diversity for most skiers. It doesn't have the most versatile personality, though. It's less inclined to get surfy and too stiff and directional to freestyle in the terrain park or on natural features. It can get some air when I want to pop off, but it can be harsh on big landings.
Sara Beeken gave 5 of 5 stars. The Mindbender 99Ti is an excellent one-ski quiver for hard chargers. It's nimble in the trees, powerful on the groomers, damp on the chunder, and floats in the powder. It's the most versatile ski in my quiver. The terrain park is the only place I wouldn't take this ski.
FAQs
What was your favorite moment with this gear?
Leo Cocchiara The best days on this ski are sunny days 1-3 days after a powder day where you have sections of skied out snow off-piste that have frozen up a bit. The mindbender makes blasting through that kind of crud really fun. It's really stable and damp underfoot and the tail is never catchy. Once you get back on the groomers it gives you great carves the rest of the way.
Why did you choose this product?
Leo Cocchiara The Mindbender is one of my favorites in the 100 underfoot arena for attacking the mountain. It's a hard-charging, crud buster that'll rip up a groomer at top speed, slay the bumps and the trees, and handle fresh powder without making me work so hard that I'm exhausted by lunch.
Sara Beeken I chose this product because I was so impressed when I demoed it for the 2022 Curated Content Week. Conditions were challenging that day at Powder Mountain, and while I skied lots of skis, this one was the most consistently enjoyable. I also loved the combination of maneuverability in tight spaces along with stiffness for high speeds. As someone who mostly owned race skis at that point, I needed an all-mountain daily driver. Something versatile that I could use any day while I built up a full quiver, and the K2 Mindbender 99Ti was what I needed.
What is the value for the money versus other options?
Leo Cocchiara This ski sits in the same bracket as the Nordica Santa Ana 98, Volkl Secret 96, and the Black Pearl 97—all geared towards the advanced and expert hard-charging woman. The Mindbender challenges the Santa Ana's graphics, the Secret's edge hold, and the Black Pearl's light swingweight. Plus, it has the most surface area, giving them that little extra advantage in powder.
Sara Beeken K2 does a great job of making their products affordable, and they tend to go on sale more than other skis. Compared to other Mindbenders without titanal in them, the 99Ti is on the pricier end. Still, compared to similar skis like the Blizzard Sheeva 9 or the Volkl Secret 96, the 99Ti can typically be found at a lower price. The value of most K2 skis, especially this one, are some of the best in the industry.
What do you love about this product?
Leo Cocchiara I love how stiff and burly the Mindbender is while still having a bit of play to it. The Y-shaped metal core does exactly what one thinks it does when transitioning from edge to edge, giving it a really satisfying responsiveness underfoot.
Sara Beeken I love how hard this ski charges without making tight turns difficult. As a former racer, I typically like some metal in my skis, but I'm also pretty light, so I don't want a bulky ski. The shape of the titanal Y-beam strikes the ideal balance of stability at speed and maneuverability. It provides stiffness but keeps the ski pretty torsionally soft, making it more forgiving. I also love the amount of tail rocker and the flex of the tail. These two features make it nimble in the trees and easier to turn.
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Leo Cocchiara
Ski ExpertSara Beeken
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