Advice on new K2 Mindbender tips chipping/deteriorating

[Tom K.]

I noticed this on my Mindbenders too. Not happy about it. I have about 5 full days of skiing on these. It took my Enforcers a couple seasons to look like this. I will try some de-tuning as suggested.

Exactly the same here, except that after three full seasons, my Enforcer 100s still look much better than the MB 108s.

 

[mishka]

Hi all,

Hope this post is in the right place - first time poster here but have lurked around the forums for awhile

I bought new K2 Mindbender TI 90s (mostly ski east coast) about 2 months ago and have skiied them about 13 days total. The tips have started to chip quite a bit and I am pretty disappointed as I like the skis otherwise and am hoping to get a few years out of them. Every pair of skis I have owned in the past happened to have tip protectors (I didn’t seek out skis with tip protectors just shook out that way) so I’m not used to seeing the tips chip like this.

Hoping to get information on a few things:

1) Are these chipped enough at this point that I need to be seriously concerned about additional damage and these skis having a short lifespan?

2) Are they damaged past the point that an epoxy repair won’t get the job done on lengthening their lifespan?

3) I have seen some posts around ski forums where people are adding tip protectors to skis that don’t come with them. My understanding is that you can’t really buy tip protectors for your skis because size/shape is essentially custom. Any insight here? If that’s possible thinking it might be my best course of action.

4) Anyone else have this year’s Mindbenders and having a similar issue?

There is no real signs of deterioration anywhere other than the tips.

Appreciate any and all thoughts/opinions to any of these questions. Thanks in advance!

imo this amount of damages excessive for only 13 days. One of my skis got lot less after 100+ days
1. yes.
2. no. surface need to be properly prepped. ONLY Flexible when cure epoxy should be used.
3. I think I saw somewhere for sale some times ago, generic protectors. if not probably one from your old ski can be modified and installed
3.1 repairs need to be done first

I think his best choice is very long protector which can cover damaged area on both sides. And ski need to be rotated left or right. Once in a while.


if I have to guess manufacturer change a plastic used in the topsheet which is softer than it used to be

 

[Mothertucker]

topshit

Internet gold.

 

[mishka]

Internet gold.

I'm glad you like it speech recognition not always work as intended haha

 

[Tom K.]

imo this amount of damages excessive for only 13 days. One of my skis got lot less after 100+ days
1. yes.
2. no. surface need to be properly prepped. ONLY Flexible when cure epoxy should be used.
3. I think I saw somewhere for sale some times ago, generic protectors. if not probably one from your old ski can be modified and installed
3.1 repairs need to be done first

I think his best choice is very long protector which can cover damaged area on both sides. And ski need to be rotated left or right. Once in a while.


if I have to guess manufacturer change a plastic used in the topsheet which is softer than it used to be

@mishka, thank you for weighing in on this thread. Since I'm getting the brush off from both K2 and @SkiEssentials would you mind recommending a specific product for #2, above?

I'm very comfortable doing the work, but would love a material recommendation from an actual expert.

Photo of my ski tip after only four days of use below.

Thanks!

 

[markojp]

No. 1, K2, via a dealer, is generally very (positively) responsive to warranty issues. If the retailer isn't helping, that's the issue as THEY are where the discussion starts.

 

[Dougb]

I demoed the mindbender 99 TI and loved it. I went to one of my local shops and was surprised to see they did not carry any K2 skis. I grew up in Seattle and still feel affection for the brand. I asked them why they don’t carry them and they said they had seen quality control issues since the skis are made in China.

I don’t want to steer this thread toward politics, but I do value this shop’s opinion.

 

[Tom K.]

No. 1, K2, via a dealer, is generally very (positively) responsive to warranty issues. If the retailer isn't helping, that's the issue as THEY are where the discussion starts.

That has been my experience, as well, but I got nowhere with @SkiEssentials, so I went direct to K2, and got the same response. K2 even used wording that included reference to my "misuse and lack of care for the skis". During their four day lifespan? Sheesh.

I'm more than a bit stymied, but trying not to spray too much vitriol all over the interweb, until receiving a "final final" response.

More than a bit sad. I've skied lots of brands over my 55 years on the slopes, but no brand more than K2. That may change. For grins and giggles, here's a list of K2s I've owned and loved: XR10, Three, Four, Five, 710FO, 810, 712, 812, VO, EIS, GS, TNC, the oh-so-rare EIS, and 118 Pinnacles. Oh, and the MB108s, which are my favorite wide ski ever.

Shoot, here is a pic of the wax vent hood area, above the tuning bench in my garage:

 

[Eleeski]

Give K2 a break. That "damage" has absolutely no bearing on the performance or longevity of the ski. Your skis should not be warrantied - since we want K2 to be in business, creating skis that perform, and reasonably priced.

To be sure, expensive and heavy caps could solve the chipping. Different resins could also work. But these might adversely affect the feel of the skis.

Dress the tips to keep it from expanding or scratching you and enjoy the performance of the skis.

Eric

On second thought, the skis are shot. Send them to me for proper disposal.

 

[James]

Bend some sheet metal up. Seems to be the rage these days with Fischer, less so Soloman. Looks like it was made in high school shop class. Works for them.

 

[markojp]

I demoed the mindbender 99 TI and loved it. I went to one of my local shops and was surprised to see they did not carry any K2 skis. I grew up in Seattle and still feel affection for the brand. I asked them why they don’t carry them and they said they had seen quality control issues since the skis are made in China.

I don’t want to steer this thread toward politics, but I do value this shop’s opinion.

FWIW, we sell a good deal of K2. I've processed exactly one K2 Pinnacle 95 in the past 12 months. It will be replaced with a Mind Bender. Customer is happy. We've comped him a Demo MB until we get his new one. No problem if someone doesn't want a ski made in China, but the claims of poor QC, no, not in my experience with the brand.

 

[Tom K.]

Give K2 a break. That "damage" has absolutely no bearing on the performance or longevity of the ski. Your skis should not be warrantied -

Except for the part that they know about this and are changing the topsheet for next year to remedy the issue?

To be clear, I've got no problems with chipped tips like this, but not after four lousy days.

@markojp, your shop sounds like a class act. I didn't know your were a K2 store (Head, yes). In hindsight........

 

[Spooky]

I'm don't know skis very well, but isn't this just a K2 characteristic? My Line Influences from 2012 looked like that after a few days, but after a month they looked like the picture. I skied them into the ground though, maybe 300+ days. I still ski them right now actually like 8 years later even after they sat in a storage unit for years...no issues. They still rip.

 

[HardDaysNight]

Give K2 a break. That "damage" has absolutely no bearing on the performance or longevity of the ski. Your skis should not be warrantied - since we want K2 to be in business, creating skis that perform, and reasonably priced.

To be sure, expensive and heavy caps could solve the chipping. Different resins could also work. But these might adversely affect the feel of the skis.

Dress the tips to keep it from expanding or scratching you and enjoy the performance of the skis.

Eric

On second thought, the skis are shot. Send them to me for proper disposal.

This! Especially because these trivial, cosmetic blemishes are technique related.

 

[Tom K.]

I'm don't know skis very well, but isn't this just a K2 characteristic? My Line Influences from 2012 looked like that after a few days, but after a month they looked like the picture. I skied them into the ground though, maybe 300+ days. I still ski them right now actually like 8 years later even after they sat in a storage unit for years...no issues. They still rip.

View attachment 92929

Did you ever seal them up, or just keep on trucking?

This! Especially because these trivial, cosmetic blemishes are technique related.

Exactly. My technique regressed immediately upon purchasing the MB108s, so that they got more chipped in 4 days than any other ski I own (and my Hell and Backs have at least 200 days on them).

 

[HardDaysNight]

Well other skis you have owned might have been more resistant to the consequences of your skiing technique but it is what it is. Unless you have a reasonable alternative explanation for what is a very characteristic pattern.

 

[Tom K.]

Not arguing my technique is perfect. Just saying that these skis show more damage in four days than others with TWO HUNDRED days.

And that K2 is changing the topsheet for next season to address this issue.

But not standing behind this year's inferior product.

Or at least my pair.

 

[Spooky]

@Tom K. I did once on the other ski when i ran into a tree really hard, but other than that no. At first I was concerned, but shop bro pointed a lot of Line/K2s skis were beat up like that. It looks beat, but it's just cosmetic.

 

[Tom K.]

@Tom K. I did once on the other ski when i ran into a tree really hard, but other than that no. At first I was concerned, but shop bro pointed a lot of Line/K2s skis were beat up like that. It looks beat, but it's just cosmetic.

Thanks! Really appreciate the feedback.

 

[markojp]

Well other skis you have owned might have been more resistant to the consequences of your skiing technique but it is what it is. Unless you have a reasonable alternative explanation for what is a very characteristic pattern.

FWIW, the 'tip chapping' I'll call it for sake of definition, happens especially in more dense, or highly crystalized snow. I have this to some degree on every ski I own from FIS SL's to powder skis. It's not a technique issue unless there is corresponding damage/scratching on the ski based at the shovel. Damage to the top sheet along the sidewalls, yes, absolutely pilot error, but that's not what we're looking at here.

Some models and brands are more susceptible to this. In the Head lineup in my closet, I see it more in a shorter period of time on my Kore 99's, but honestly, I don't worry about it. If it ever looked like the ski was compromised enough to allow water ingress into the core, I'd brush a bit of clear, flexible, marine epoxy on the damaged area and forget about it.