2022 K2 Mindbender 90C Alliance

For ladies looking for something quick, versatile, and a whole lot of fun, the 2022 K2 Mindbender 90 C Alliance is here for all of your all-mountain needs. Thanks to the construction, shape, and profile of the skis, these 90 C Alliance skis have limitless versatility and a whole lot of fun built in. Built with an Aspen wood core, the skis benefit from the addition of both vertical carbon stringers as well as K2’s Carbon Spectral Braid. This allows the fine engineers and ski designers at K2 the ability to fine-tune the torsional and longitudinal flex of the ski by tightening or loosening the braid pattern. Tighter in the forebody and underfoot, and a bit looser at the tail, these skis engage into the turn with precision and poise, grip tight to the snow underfoot, and have a playful and energetic release in the tail. This design makes the 90 C Alliance really stand out in an all-mountain format, and really comes to life on the groomers, but also has an incredible amount of capabilities built in for off-trail skiing as well. Fantastic in the moguls and trees, these skis and their quick-turning ability can definitely make a turn when they have to, and this gives the skier greater confidence to approach more challenging and technical terrain.

On the 163, Allison Kozar notes that the ski felt true to size and was a good length for her. She had lots of high scores for the Mindbender 90 C Alliance, including 5’s out of 5 for flotation, quickness, maneuverability, playfulness, and forgiveness, with 4’s covering the rest of the card. Pretty darn impressive spread of scores there from Allison, showing that she’s a pretty good fan of these skis. Stating that these skis are “super-fun in all conditions and terrain, the Mindbender 90 C Alliance is a great choice for intermediate and advanced skiers. They really make any shape or style of turn that you want, and they’re incredibly easy to control. I had a total blast on these skis and would recommend them to a lot of different skiers.” The good energy and flexible nature of the ski are a good combination, allowing skiers to easily control and manipulate the turns, keeping fun as a big part of the equation.

Also on the 163, Louise Lintilhac noted that it was too short for her, as she’d be more comfortable and better-suited on the 170. Her top marks of 4 out of 5 were given for quickness, maneuverability, playfulness, and overall impression, with a lowly 2 given for flotation. All other scores were 3’s, and this type of consistency is what we’ve grown to expect from a true all-mountain ski like this. “This ski is geared toward playful fast turns. It wanted to snap and pop through the crud and made negotiating soft moguls a dream. It skis short, so sizing up might be the name of the game. This would be great for any skier who wants to play on the front side with ease. Just don’t get up too much speed.” Sizing definitely has a lot to do with the impression of the ski at speed, and Louise is on the powerful side of the equation for this ski, so while it’s unlikely that most skiers will reach the threshold of the ski’s ability, it is worthy of note, especially for expert skiers like Louise.

In the all-mountain world, there’s a whole lot of competition, so you do need to do something to stand out from the crowd. In the K2 Mindbender 90 C Alliance, you get the Carbon Spectral Braid that does this job, and does it well. Allowing for a more predictable and advanced feel to the turn, these skis have a ton of capabilities for ripping around the whole hill, making a wide variety of turn shapes and styles in a ton of different conditions.