For strong and accomplished ladies looking to tame the mountain, these skis will hold up their end of the bargain. The 2024 K2 Mindbender 99Ti W gets a graphic refresh for the upcoming year but remains the same steady and sturdy ski that we’ve loved since the changes last year. While it’s a great option for skiers in the advanced and expert range looking to motor through and over any type of snow on the hill, it’s a bit heavy and slightly demanding for skiers of the intermediate level, or those who don’t really want to lug around a hefty ski. With weight comes stability, though, so if you’re up for the challenge, this ski is about as powerful and sturdy as it gets. Weight isn’t always a bad thing in skiing, so if you prefer the more powerful side of the spectrum when it comes to carving, crud, and chop, this ski has a lot of positives. We’ve loved it since inception, and since they made it a bit more freeride-oriented last year, our affinity for it has only grown.

Built with an aspen wood core, the ski has a smooth and steady start to it. With good energy to match the strength, the aspen is a great place to be, especially considering how they implement metal into the construction. The big story here is the use of their Titanal Y-Beam which is a sophisticated cut of metal that puts power and emphasis in exactly the right places in order to create the ski’s personality and character. With two prongs that extend into the tips of the ski to keep the forebody reactive and precise, the metal goes to full width underfoot before tapering to a central spine in the back. As of last year, they made a more bulbous rear metal shape to put more stability and damping back there, while bringing the metal in the forebody closer to the mid-point. This made the ski less catchy in the tip and increased the freeride acumen. As a result of the metal and width, the ski tips the scale at 1887 grams in the 166, emphasizing the power and stability of the ski.

At 99 mm underfoot, this ski is right in the sweet spot between all-mountain and freeride. They brought it closer to the freeride realm in terms of shape and profile last year but also increased the grip with the implementation of a full sidewall. As a result, the moves were kind of a wash. From a profile perspective, the tip and tail rocker got longer, and while there’s not quite as much splay in the tip as there used to be, the overall distance of rocker is longer. There’s not a ton of taper in this ski—rather it keeps the shape more on the traditional side for better on-trail performance. It’s a great carver and registers a 15.4-meter turn radius in the 166. This is a bit on the long side, but is really more well-rounded, making the ski amenable to different turn shapes and styles. We’ve definitely found that it operates quite well at higher speeds and is a bit cumbersome at lower speeds and in shorter turns. It’ll do it, but you have to work for it.

We do enjoy putting in the work, especially if the reward is what you get from the 2024 K2 Mindbender 99Ti W. Of all the skis in this series, this one is very well-rounded and insanely competent in a variety of conditions and terrain. While the 89Ti W may carve slightly better, and the 106C W may be a better floater, this one is the perfect combination for skiers who are looking for one ski to do it all. Again, weight is a consideration, but you’re getting the resulting performance on the back end.