2022 K2 Mindbender 99Ti

In the all-mountain Cadillac category, the 2022 K2 Mindbender 99 Ti is at the top of the class. These smooth riders love to be used at speed on smooth terrain, but they certainly have the willingness and capability to be used in softer snow, adverse conditions, bumps, trees, and steeps. With fantastic edge hold and a great grip on the snow, the K2 Mindbender 99 Ti is a fan and staff favorite for a few years now. With a graphics update for this year, the 99 Ti stays the same structurally, providing an amazing amount of power and a smooth and stable ride at all speeds. Built with a blend of fir and aspen wood, K2 adds their titanal Y-beam to the mix, and this partial metal laminate really brings the strength and grip to the forebody and the underfoot regions of the ski. With full-metal to the edges up front and under the binding, these skis are quite strong in the shovel and waist, allowing for instant edge engagement and rock-solid edge grip on firm and hard snow. Very quiet, these skis are a bit playful in the tail, as that metal tapers in to leave a bit of forgiveness and smearability in the back end of the ski. If you’re an advanced or expert skier who is looking for a wider one-ski quiver to tackle it all, the K2 Mindbender 99 Ti is an awesome option.

On the 177, Noah Labow noted that it was a good length for him. He’s normally found on more playful and freestyle-oriented skis than this, so it’s great to get his opinion and feelings on these heavier and more demanding all-mountain skis. Interestingly, Noah’s top score was a 4 out of 5 for forgiveness, likely feeling that the partial metal laminate provided enough, but not too much flex in the ski. A low score of 2 out of 5 for playfulness bookended the rest of his scores of 3. For an all-mountain ski looking to check a lot of boxes and hit everything right down the middle, these are some great scores to see. “Very forgiving trail ski, got a bit squirrely in the tip at high speeds. Nice carving and busted the crud well.” We usually recommend this ski for skiers who spend a lot of time in adverse conditions like the crud and chop, so it’s nice that Noah is picking up on that as a strength for the ski as well.

On the 184, Bob St.Pierre states that “I like the length for groomers, but I’d like to check out the 191 as well—I kind of feel that the turn shape might be a bit long for the ski, but I’ll get back to you on that.” It is usually difficult to get those longer models for demo and test, but the 184 sounds like it was just about there. Bob scored the ski top marks of 5’s out of 5 for stability, torsional stiffness, edge hold, versatility, and overall impression. Lower scores of 3 out of 5 were given for forgiveness, playfulness, flotation, quickness, and maneuverability. This shows that Bob liked the ski a bit more in a harder snow and on-trail format. “This thing is rock-solid and super-stable. It’s insanely quiet and damp, and there aren’t a whole lot of skis that compare to it in this regard. It’s got great edge hold for a wider ski, and while I generally don’t like heavy skis, the weight of this one feels appropriate. While it’s not the quickest ski out there, it’s still a lot of fun, and in the 184, you can make it do a turn if you have to, but it does require some input on the skier’s behalf.” The scores reflect the commentary, and that’s about all we can ask.

Strong, stable, and incredibly smooth, the K2 Mindbender 99 Ti has the shape, profile, and construction for true all-mountain performance. With nary a speed limit in sight, these skis do a great job in groomer cruising, in addition to being one of the best crud-busters on the hill. These things will prefer to go through adverse conditions and terrain rather then over them, and that’s just a different type of fun.