2027 K2 Mindbender 111

The 2027 K2 Mindbender 111 is a fun-loving freeride ski with a new construction, shape, and profile that’ll allow advanced and expert skiers full enjoyment of deep snow and big mountains. These skis are the widest in the new Mindbender lineup and they are the most playful and creative, even with two sheets of metal. They give a lot of confidence to skiers who like to push their boundaries and will make an excellent choice for aggressive skiers who find themselves in technical zones and fluffy snow.

The Mindbender 111 uses a blend of aspen and paulownia in the wood core. While most K2 skis have been long-time users of aspen, the use of paulownia is a new route for this ski. It offers a slightly stiffer flex and lighter weight to play off the smoother and denser aspen. K2 then adds their dual Titanal I-Beam laminates to dampen the ski and create power and confidence. These I-Beams are a bit different than the ones used in the Disruption line as they don’t go full width underfoot. It’s still a good deal of metal here, and it adds to the ski’s burly character without going full-on demanding. The other big thing that K2 uses here is their Dark Matter Technology which adds an elastomer weight to the mid-body of the ski along the edges. This reduces chatter and vibrations and brings the swing weight in the tips and tails down while boosting the central stability of the ski. Tester Colin Wiedersheim notes that it has “A unique blend of stout and playful. Long rocker in tip and tail gives it a good amount of maneuverability, even in this longer length. Fall line charging, chopped up groomers, soft snow. The Mindbender 111 is a snow you can grab for any kind of soft snow.”

At 111 mm underfoot, this is a wider ski for off-trail and freeride activities. It doesn’t lose a whole lot of mobility as a result of its flatter overall profile, so it’s relatively easy to throw sideways and get some slashy and smeary characteristics out of it. One of the most fun aspects of this ski is the 21-meter turn radius in the 187 cm length as this allows skiers to vary turn shape and style with ease. Whether you’re up on edge and ripping a carved turn or if you’re surfing and being creative, this shape and profile work great in unison to get you what you need to have deep snow fun. Colin continues to state that “K2 has outdone themselves with the new Mindbenders. The 111 is a comprehensive set of kit. It rails turns, it gets sideways easy, and it doesn’t beat you up too much if you want to be lazy. An absolute home run from K2, I’m very impressed.”

These are impressive new skis from K2 and the lineup as a whole makes a lot of sense with how they implement metal and other damping factors. While the overall core profile keeps the skis lighter and more mobile, the use of titanal means that aggressive and more accomplished skiers will still find a good level of support when skiing fast and direct to the fall line.