There is a new guard at K2, and the upcoming 2020 Mindbender series contains the skis that these guys have been dying to make. Just as you have to do your chores before playtime or eat your veggies before dessert, K2’s designers had to revamp their technical Charger and all-mountain Ikonic collections before they could build the skis they really wanted to: the Mindbenders.
Yes, "all new" is overused, but even the name "Mindbender" is a complete departure from what you would expect from K2; it sounds more like something from Line, K2’s sister company. K2 has been churning to the beat of a different drummer for the past couple of years, however, and the Mindbender is a big "eff you" to anyone who thinks K2 was through. As we have been saying, the skis K2 has been building of late are not, no way in hell, your Uncle Carl’s Recons, Annexes, or even Pinnacles.
Let's start with the ski that I have been skiing for the past month or so, the Mindbender 99Ti. It is truly a revolution, a ski that will take on the 98-100mm segment like a bull in a china shop. A ski like the Mindbender 99Ti comes around every couple of years. Every design team plans to produce one, but most don’t get that last bit to differentiate the ski from the rest of the class. I may sound like I've been drinking the K2 Kool-Aid, but don’t just listen to me, the accolades will be global. While we were testing early protos last year, the testers (not K2 employees) were not allowed to share any opinions, but as we looked around at each other, it was all we could do not to smile (needless to say, we aren’t good poker players).
My Preview, which you can read HERE, will be turning into a Long-Term Review.
Technology
Titanal Y-BeamYes, "all new" is overused, but even the name "Mindbender" is a complete departure from what you would expect from K2; it sounds more like something from Line, K2’s sister company. K2 has been churning to the beat of a different drummer for the past couple of years, however, and the Mindbender is a big "eff you" to anyone who thinks K2 was through. As we have been saying, the skis K2 has been building of late are not, no way in hell, your Uncle Carl’s Recons, Annexes, or even Pinnacles.
Let's start with the ski that I have been skiing for the past month or so, the Mindbender 99Ti. It is truly a revolution, a ski that will take on the 98-100mm segment like a bull in a china shop. A ski like the Mindbender 99Ti comes around every couple of years. Every design team plans to produce one, but most don’t get that last bit to differentiate the ski from the rest of the class. I may sound like I've been drinking the K2 Kool-Aid, but don’t just listen to me, the accolades will be global. While we were testing early protos last year, the testers (not K2 employees) were not allowed to share any opinions, but as we looked around at each other, it was all we could do not to smile (needless to say, we aren’t good poker players).
My Preview, which you can read HERE, will be turning into a Long-Term Review.
Technology
Our first tech solution is Titanal Y-Beam, which could be billed as "business in the front, party in the back." With strategically designed Titanal geometry, the Y-Beam tunes torsional flex without affecting longitudinal flex. This delivers the highest level of precision and stability in a damp, stable platform. The strength of the ski is to initiate the turn with power, and then let you choose what to do with that power. You can power into the turn, and the Y-Beam will allow you to keep that power or release it.
Titanal Y-Beam can be found in the Mindbender 108Ti, 99Ti, and 90Ti and the Alliance 98Ti and 88Ti.
A variable angle carbon fiber laminate allows the torsional and longitudinal stiffness to be adjusted independently. This construction keeps skis lighter and more playful for conditions when power and damping are less important.
Carbon Spectral Braid can be found in the Mindbender 116C, 90C, and 85C and the Alliance 115C, 106C, 90C, and 85C.
Available for purchase now:
Mindbender 108Ti
136-108-125
22.9m@186cm
Mindbender 99Ti
138-99-123
18.5m@184cm
Mindbender 90Ti
127-90-114
17.9m@184cm
Mindbender 98Ti Alliance
134-98-120
15.6m@168cm
Mindbender 88Ti Alliance
125-88-112
14.7m@170cm
The rest of the collection will be available for a fall release.