2027 K2 Mindbender 96 W

The K2 Mindbender 96 W is a strong-hearted ski that seeks out thrills with every turn. It's a very good carver for the width and has quite a bit of all-mountain potential as well. It's tough to deny the ski's on-piste capacity, though, as the pull across the fall line is worthy of note for sure. With an innovative construction and traditional all-mountain shaping, the Mindbender 96 W is an awesome choice for advanced and expert skiers looking to split time between on and off-trail activities and terrain.

Built with a blend of aspen and paulownia, the wood core gets a nice mix of energy and stability. K2 adds a titanal I-Beam to the mix which allows for a damp and stable feel from tip to tail. The big part of this 96 is that the core thickness is quite ample, so there's a stiffer flex and an increase of power as a result. The metal certainly adds to the overall strong character of the ski. K2 also uses their Dark Matter Technology to stabilize the ski and reduce vibrations. These elastomer weights are strategically placed in the forebody and in the aft sections of the ski to mitigate chatter and keep the ski on its intended course. Tester Mar Kuhnel notes that "This is a ski I feel very comfortable on. It’s definitely in the category of skis I typically prefer for myself. It’s quick for its width, pivoty but not loose, and forgiving enough that you can screw up and keep going. These would be on my soft snow short list. Love the bases!"

At 96 mm underfoot, this mid-fat all-mountain ski is quite polyvalent. Featuring measurements of 135/96/123, the skis certainly fall on the directional side of the spectrum, and they generate a 16-meter turn radius in the 168 cm length. This makes the ideal for groomers and high speed carves. They're still a bit wide for pure ice performance, but anything softer than that and they're sweet. The core thickness and more all-mountain profile keeps them slightly out of the freeride realm, but they're pretty close. Tester Kristi Brown Lovell says "The Mindbender 96 is my Mirrorball ski as had me moving and grooving effortlessly at every turn and terrain change. The Mindbender 96 is a great east to west test of ability and terrain. The only drawback would be super hard pack ice, but who wants to ski those conditions anymore! This is the Best K2 ski Ive enjoyed in a long time!"

This was a ski that jumped off the snow for us and our testers this year. Made in Germany, it'll be interesting to see if the construction factory makes for a truly better ski experience or not. Skiers have certainly voiced their opinions that this ski feels composed, smooth, powerful, and predictable, and those are very good things when it comes to a high-performance all-mountain ski in the mid-90's.