You guys have great videos that are super short and informative. Keep up the great work! I came back to skiing last year after a decade off. Got myself a mindbender 90c after checking our your guys reviews. I was looking for quick light ski that would be super forgiving to get back onto the mountains. I love the ski, it just seems to lack during the windblown PNW days and couldn't get it to hook up on anything close to icy. Ski worked great for me on piste and side hits during great days on the mountain I'm worried that my problem with the 90c is my size or if the skis just aren't a good fit for me. As an intermediate working on my skills to push toward advanced this year. I'm 6'3" 235lb, 35 year old partially aggressive skier that likes to make my own trails(side hits and smashing through the trees) that doesn't care for the terrain park and I don't do touring. I would consider myself quite fit, heavy gym lifting with no problem skiing hard full days back to back. I ski mostly eastern WA and ID, but would like to branch out to MT. I like the ideas and construction of the mindbender, reckoner makes me nervous about the tips being too loose for my ski style. I have been looking at the 99ti 191cm but have a slight worry about my weight and floating ability during powder days. So i have looked at the 108ti 186cm, but worry its too much ski. or should i just look at something else? sorry its long winded, but i know you guys give good advice. thanks!
Hey Eric! Sorry for the delay getting back to you. Lots of comments and questions coming in these days and we're a bit behind on our replies. Mindbender 90C will certainly have some limitations for your size, but I agree it was a great decision to help you get back on the mountain and I expect you'll continue to enjoy and appreciate them in the years to come. 191 cm Mindbender 99Ti actually feels like more ski to me than the 108Ti in the 186 cm length. I'm leaning towards the 108Ti for this complementing pair. I agree the Reckoners are too soft-flexing for your size. The 108Ti feels like it has a great blend of stability for your size and relative ease of use for off-piste terrain and deeper snow conditions. It won't be quite as easy to ski as your 90C, but based off everything you've said, I don't expect you to have any major issues skiing it. Maybe a few days to adapt to a wider, heavier ski, but after that I think you'll love them. Hope that helps! Obviously there are other brands that could work too, but I like the idea of sticking within the K2 family. Good K2 heritage where you ski.
Great review as always.... you guys have been my go to for reviews for the past few years... I purchased the brahma 88 last season (183 cm), love the ski when I can actually let them go. That said, as a 49 year old dad, I spend 80% of my time corralling a 9 and 11 year old all over the mountain. I feel sometimes that the brahma 88 is a little too much, especially when we find ourselves off the groomed trails and into the trees.... From what Im learning, Im thinking that the 99 ti may be a good compromise... I'd love to step up to the 108 ti, but my thought is that this may be to much for an everyday VT ski... .....always searching for that 1 ski quiver... Thoughts?????
I love the 99, especially for groomers and chopped up snow. It's not that light, but it still feels maneuverable. I do think the 108 is on the wide side for here in VT as a daily. Elan Ripstick 96 Black and Salomon Stance 96 are worth a look as well--I think the mid-90's is a good place to be for one ski for with and without kids.
This is a very BURLY ski best suited to an advanced skier . Not a playful ski . Not the best for short turns but you can do them . Fast big turns on firm snow and tenacious . I found it more difficult in junky spring snow . I also own the Volkl Kendo 88 and find it better all around .
Really just wholeheartedly disagree, especially the 23 model. Really a balanced ski, edge to edge very well, tail can release pretty easily. There are much harder charging skis, ie.. Enforcer, and much softer skis, ie.. Qst98, but the MB is right in between.
The Kendo 88 is, well, an 88 so huge difference from that alone. It also really isn't a carving ski and will get bounced around in crud. Good ski, very different from a MB99ti.
with regard to performance, and specifically balancing stableness/aggressiveness with all-mountain versatility, how would the mindbender 99ti compare to a declivity, enforcer, or ranger (in comparable waist widths)?
It's probably closest to an Enforcer 100. The Enforcer does, however, have a shorter turn radius, so that changes things a little bit, but in my opinion they have a similar balance of stability and versatility. Ranger 99 Ti is similar too, but feels different to me for some reason. Stiffer and more reactive I think. Declivity 102 (the closest width) is on the other side of the spectrum, it's looser and more surfy than the Enforcer or Mindbender.
Hi, I need some help with choosing ski lengh of this ski. I Have 68kg 178cm And I am advanced skier. Use of ski will be mainly carving and powder. I can t decide if 177 or 184. Thanks so much for your reviews, really helped me with choosing new ski😃😉
Could I ski a 155 cm or 165 cm length? 5’7” 142 lbs, beginner but want the skis to grow with me. (Skiied 166cm and 150cm, (smaller waist) which were noticeably different recently)
I'd say the K2 is the stiffest of those skis on your list, with the QST next. I'd put the 2024 Rustler 9 on the more flexible side, even than the Ripstick.
Thanks for your thorough reviews and the classic shots of Nosedive. Those trails are legendary.
Love Nosedive!
You guys have great videos that are super short and informative. Keep up the great work!
I came back to skiing last year after a decade off. Got myself a mindbender 90c after checking our your guys reviews. I was looking for quick light ski that would be super forgiving to get back onto the mountains. I love the ski, it just seems to lack during the windblown PNW days and couldn't get it to hook up on anything close to icy. Ski worked great for me on piste and side hits during great days on the mountain
I'm worried that my problem with the 90c is my size or if the skis just aren't a good fit for me. As an intermediate working on my skills to push toward advanced this year. I'm 6'3" 235lb, 35 year old partially aggressive skier that likes to make my own trails(side hits and smashing through the trees) that doesn't care for the terrain park and I don't do touring. I would consider myself quite fit, heavy gym lifting with no problem skiing hard full days back to back.
I ski mostly eastern WA and ID, but would like to branch out to MT. I like the ideas and construction of the mindbender, reckoner makes me nervous about the tips being too loose for my ski style.
I have been looking at the 99ti 191cm but have a slight worry about my weight and floating ability during powder days. So i have looked at the 108ti 186cm, but worry its too much ski. or should i just look at something else?
sorry its long winded, but i know you guys give good advice. thanks!
Hey Eric! Sorry for the delay getting back to you. Lots of comments and questions coming in these days and we're a bit behind on our replies.
Mindbender 90C will certainly have some limitations for your size, but I agree it was a great decision to help you get back on the mountain and I expect you'll continue to enjoy and appreciate them in the years to come.
191 cm Mindbender 99Ti actually feels like more ski to me than the 108Ti in the 186 cm length. I'm leaning towards the 108Ti for this complementing pair. I agree the Reckoners are too soft-flexing for your size. The 108Ti feels like it has a great blend of stability for your size and relative ease of use for off-piste terrain and deeper snow conditions. It won't be quite as easy to ski as your 90C, but based off everything you've said, I don't expect you to have any major issues skiing it. Maybe a few days to adapt to a wider, heavier ski, but after that I think you'll love them.
Hope that helps! Obviously there are other brands that could work too, but I like the idea of sticking within the K2 family. Good K2 heritage where you ski.
Great review as always.... you guys have been my go to for reviews for the past few years...
I purchased the brahma 88 last season (183 cm), love the ski when I can actually let them go.
That said, as a 49 year old dad, I spend 80% of my time corralling a 9 and 11 year old all over the mountain.
I feel sometimes that the brahma 88 is a little too much, especially when we find ourselves off the groomed trails and into the trees....
From what Im learning, Im thinking that the 99 ti may be a good compromise... I'd love to step up to the 108 ti, but my thought is that this may be to much for an everyday VT ski...
.....always searching for that 1 ski quiver...
Thoughts?????
I love the 99, especially for groomers and chopped up snow. It's not that light, but it still feels maneuverable. I do think the 108 is on the wide side for here in VT as a daily. Elan Ripstick 96 Black and Salomon Stance 96 are worth a look as well--I think the mid-90's is a good place to be for one ski for with and without kids.
Salomon QST 98 too
This is a very BURLY ski best suited to an advanced skier . Not a playful ski . Not the best for short turns but you can do them . Fast big turns on firm snow and tenacious . I found it more difficult in junky spring snow . I also own the Volkl Kendo 88 and find it better all around .
Thanks for the great feedback!
Really just wholeheartedly disagree, especially the 23 model. Really a balanced ski, edge to edge very well, tail can release pretty easily. There are much harder charging skis, ie.. Enforcer, and much softer skis, ie.. Qst98, but the MB is right in between.
The Kendo 88 is, well, an 88 so huge difference from that alone. It also really isn't a carving ski and will get bounced around in crud. Good ski, very different from a MB99ti.
with regard to performance, and specifically balancing stableness/aggressiveness with all-mountain versatility, how would the mindbender 99ti compare to a declivity, enforcer, or ranger (in comparable waist widths)?
It's probably closest to an Enforcer 100. The Enforcer does, however, have a shorter turn radius, so that changes things a little bit, but in my opinion they have a similar balance of stability and versatility. Ranger 99 Ti is similar too, but feels different to me for some reason. Stiffer and more reactive I think. Declivity 102 (the closest width) is on the other side of the spectrum, it's looser and more surfy than the Enforcer or Mindbender.
Hi, I need some help with choosing ski lengh of this ski. I Have 68kg 178cm And I am advanced skier. Use of ski will be mainly carving and powder. I can t decide if 177 or 184. Thanks so much for your reviews, really helped me with choosing new ski😃😉
I'd go 177. It's a pretty strong and stable ski, so there's no real reason to size up on it.
Could I ski a 155 cm or 165 cm length? 5’7” 142 lbs, beginner but want the skis to grow with me. (Skiied 166cm and 150cm, (smaller waist) which were noticeably different recently)
165 cm would be a more appropriate length for your size. Will work great for you.
2023 K2 Mindbender 99Ti stiffer than 2023 K2 Mindbender 99Ti?
2023 Mindbender 99Ti stiffer Salomon QST 98, Elan Ripstick 96?
I'd say the K2 is the stiffest of those skis on your list, with the QST next. I'd put the 2024 Rustler 9 on the more flexible side, even than the Ripstick.