Expert Comparison: Völkl Kendo 88 Skis · 2024 vs K2 Mindbender 89Ti Skis · 2024
VS
Side by side comparison | Out of stock | Out of stock |
|---|---|---|
Price | $419.99 40% off | from:$419.97 40% off |
User rating | 5(1) | 5(1) |
The Curated Take | Best for experienced skiers looking for a versatile all-mountain ski that excels in various conditions. | Best for aggressive skiers who want excellent edge grip and a stout tail on groomers and hardpack. |
Ski type | Freeride, Carving, All Mountain | Freeride, All Mountain |
Skill level | Expert, Advanced | Advanced, Expert |
Rocker profile | Rocker/Camber/Rocker | Rocker/Camber/Rocker |
In the world of skiing, the Völkl Kendo 88 Skis and the K2 Mindbender 89Ti Skis are two top contenders for the 2024 season. Both skis are designed for all-mountain performance, with a focus on carving and speed. The Völkl Kendo 88 is a fast, edge-to-edge ski that excels in carving, freestyle, and freeride categories. It's a directional, frontside, on-piste, freeride jammin’ ski that's perfect for intermediate to advanced level skiers who mainly stick to groomed trails. On the other hand, the K2 Mindbender 89Ti is a versatile all-mountain ski that's great for carving on groomers and hardpack. It's a stiff all-mountain charger that's ideal for advanced or expert skiers. Both skis have their strengths and weaknesses, and the choice between the two will depend on your personal skiing style and preferences.
Völkl Kendo 88 Skis · 2024 summary
The Völkl Kendo 88 Skis are a force to be reckoned with on the slopes. These skis are designed for speed and precision, making them a top choice for advanced skiers. The Kendo 88 is a directional, frontside, on-piste, freeride jammin’ ski that's perfect for carving up groomers. It's agile and quick edge-to-edge, offering multiple turn radii for different styles of skiing.
The Kendo 88 features a 3D turn radius that's intuitive and versatile. Whether you're making long, GS, fall line, arc style turns on an open run or tighter turns in bumps or on groomed runs, the 3D turn radius allows you to do it all. The ski's multilayer wood core, carbon fiber weave, and tailored titanal frame create a stable, damp, and responsive ski with zero chatter.
Despite being a carving ski, the Kendo 88 isn't classified as a buttery or forgiving ski. It's not the most playful ski, but it does have a good amount of pop. The ski's early rise in the tail allows for skiing switch on groomed runs, but it's not recommended for ungroomed runs or powder.
The Kendo 88 is recommended for intermediate to advanced level skiers who mainly stick to groomed trails. If you like skiing bumps every now and then, but it's not your main jam, then the Kendo 88 is for you!
The best ski for everything on the mountain. This ski delivers ultimate versatility, carves with ease, rips up the moguls, and handles crud and chunk like no other. At just 88 mm underfoot, this ski really engages with the snow, having a daily high engagement edge. It also floats in the pow and loves to dolphin dive from the deep pow to the surface with a sense of playfulness that leaves me wanting endless runs. Having just bought the ski last year, I would happily buy another pair if I need to. If I had to choose only one ski for the rest of my life, this would be it.
The best ski for everything on the mountain. This ski delivers ultimate versatility, carves with ease, rips up the moguls, and handles crud and chunk like no other. At just 88 mm underfoot, this ski really engages with the snow, having a daily high engagement edge. It also floats in the pow and loves to dolphin dive from the deep pow to the surface with a sense of playfulness that leaves me wanting endless runs. Having just bought the ski last year, I would happily buy another pair if I need to. If I had to choose only one ski for the rest of my life, this would be it.
Völkl Kendo 88 Skis · 2024
- We price match
- Returnable
K2 Mindbender 89Ti Skis · 2024 summary
The K2 Mindbender 89Ti Skis are a versatile all-mountain ski that's perfect for experienced skiers who enjoy powerful turns on any terrain. With a Y-shaped titanal metal plate in the core, these skis offer a perfect balance of stiffness and playfulness. They are more carving-focused than wider freeride skis, making them ideal for aggressive skiers who want excellent edge grip and a stout tail.
The Mindbender 89Ti is a solid carving ski that's great for short to medium turns. It's perfect for the kind of turns you're going to want to make on groomed Eastern terrain. The ski is very stable in the turn and can handle a range of conditions. It's great in hard snow, good in soft snow, and a little bit too stiff for super manky snow.
This ski is not a park ski. It's not a playful ski. This is meant to be a super locked-in firm snow and ice ski. You're not going to be bouncing around on this. It's not going to be fun to pop off of. However, it's a ski that you can definitely rip wide open. It's not the stiffest thing on the planet. It's not a race ski. It's not a 100 percent carving ski, but if you want to ski really fast on the groomers, this is going to 100 percent do it for you.
The Mindbender 89Ti is recommended for advanced or expert skiers. For expert skiers, it'll make a really great all-mountain ski. For advanced skiers, it's a great front side-oriented ski.
The Mindbender 89 is the narrowest of the Ti versions of the ski, giving it the uncompromising edge hold and stability at speed that comes with K2's patented Titanal Y-Beam, but in a quicker, more agile package. The Titanal Y-Beam strategically places metal throughout the ski where its need, but cuts it out where its not needed, resulting in a well-rounded ski with a focus on ripping up groomers and weaving between moguls, but with a softer tip and tail, the Mindbender can still float through the occasional powder day and make tight turns through trees.
The Mindbender 89 is the narrowest of the Ti versions of the ski, giving it the uncompromising edge hold and stability at speed that comes with K2's patented Titanal Y-Beam, but in a quicker, more agile package. The Titanal Y-Beam strategically places metal throughout the ski where its need, but cuts it out where its not needed, resulting in a well-rounded ski with a focus on ripping up groomers and weaving between moguls, but with a softer tip and tail, the Mindbender can still float through the occasional powder day and make tight turns through trees.
K2 Mindbender 89Ti Skis · 2024
- We price match
- Returnable
Similarities
Both the Völkl Kendo 88 Skis and the K2 Mindbender 89Ti Skis are designed for all-mountain performance, with a focus on carving and speed. They are both agile and quick edge-to-edge, offering multiple turn radii for different styles of skiing. Both skis are designed with advanced to expert skiers in mind, offering a balance of stiffness and playfulness. They both excel on groomers and hardpack, and can handle a variety of conditions. Both skis also feature unique technology in their construction to enhance performance, such as the 3D turn radius in the Kendo 88 and the Y-shaped titanal metal plate in the Mindbender 89Ti.
Differences and Who They're Good For
While both skis are designed for all-mountain performance, they cater to slightly different personas. The Völkl Kendo 88 Skis are ideal for intermediate to advanced level skiers who mainly stick to groomed trails. They are a very fast edge-to-edge ski that excels in carving, freestyle, and freeride categories. The Kendo 88 is not the most playful ski, but it does have a good amount of pop.
On the other hand, the K2 Mindbender 89Ti Skis are more carving-focused and are ideal for aggressive skiers who want excellent edge grip and a stout tail. They are a stiff all-mountain charger that's perfect for advanced or expert skiers. The Mindbender 89Ti is not a playful ski and is not recommended for beginners.
In terms of differences, the Kendo 88 has a 3D turn radius that's intuitive and versatile, while the Mindbender 89Ti features a Y-shaped titanal metal plate in the core for a perfect balance of stiffness and playfulness.
Analysis on Who’s the Winner
When comparing the Völkl Kendo 88 Skis and the K2 Mindbender 89Ti Skis, the winner will depend on the specific needs and preferences of the skier.
Carving: Both skis excel in carving, but the K2 Mindbender 89Ti Skis might have a slight edge due to their Y-shaped titanal metal plate in the core, which provides excellent edge grip and a stout tail.
Versatility: The Völkl Kendo 88 Skis win in this category due to their 3D turn radius that allows for a variety of turn styles and their ability to handle a range of conditions.
Speed: Both skis are designed for speed, but the Völkl Kendo 88 Skis might have a slight advantage due to their very fast edge-to-edge design.
Playfulness: Neither ski is particularly playful, but the Völkl Kendo 88 Skis do have a good amount of pop, giving them a slight edge in this category.
Conclusions
In conclusion, both the Völkl Kendo 88 Skis and the K2 Mindbender 89Ti Skis are excellent choices for advanced to expert skiers looking for a versatile all-mountain ski. The choice between the two will ultimately depend on your personal skiing style and preferences. If you're an intermediate to advanced level skier who mainly sticks to groomed trails and enjoys a fast, edge-to-edge ski, the Völkl Kendo 88 Skis would be a great choice. On the other hand, if you're an aggressive skier who wants a carving-focused ski with excellent edge grip and a stout tail, the K2 Mindbender 89Ti Skis would be a better fit. Either way, you're sure to have a blast on the slopes with either of these skis!
