2024 K2 Mindbender 96C W Skis Review

The Lowdown

The women's K2 Mindbender 96C skis can take you from charging down fresh corduroy groomers to exploring powder stashes in the trees or ploughing through freshies in some of the steepest runs in the country. The main standout of these skis is that they’re on the heavier side. They’ll give you long, stable turns on packed powder and groomed runs, but on the flip side, the weight can make turning on steeper and more variable terrain feel like more of a challenge. If you’re an intermediate skier who’s just starting to venture into the park or off trail and dip your toes into trying more difficult runs, these are the skis that will push you to progress and go faster (maybe faster than you’d like sometimes) until your legs are burning but your face is all smiles.

Ride Impressions

This was my first time riding skis from the Mindbender series, and we got off to a rough start. While the 160cm length was close to what I normally ski, the tip width took some getting used to on my first day. I found myself getting the skis caught on each other in the lift line and occasionally catching edges on the initial runs. Even though the Mindbender 96C’s are meant to be lighter weight, they were still heavier than what I’m used to skiing, so that required some adjustments to my expectations as well.

Once the Mindbender 96Cs and I got comfortable with each other, however, I was able to settle in for some speedy but stable turns on packed powder and groomed runs. Especially when visibility became limited, I started to appreciate the weight and slight stiffness keeping me going.

Being an intermediate-level skier that’s still trying to find my confidence and try new things, I ran the Mindbender 96Cs through my first time at the park, through some tree sections, and some lightly touched fresh powder sections. That stability (and width) came in handy for getting through the fresh powder and “flying” off the top of my first and second attempts at skiing boxes. On the flip side, the weight and limited flexibility of the skis made getting through moguls and making hop-turns on steeper terrain more of a challenge, especially later in the day. As my legs would get tired through the day, I would find myself catching edges more frequently on unpacked powder and going down faster than I might have liked.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

  

Who Is It For?

The Mindbender 96C W skis would be best for an intermediate skier looking to progress to a more advanced level. The stability is nice for those looking to stick with groomers and packed or fresh powder runs. Also, the weight of the Mindbender 96C requires a rider with strong lower body strength to keep going for a full day of skiing, especially on steeper runs or in gnarlier snow conditions.