2024 K2 Mindbender 106C Skis Review

The Lowdown

The 2024 Mindbender 106C skis are a new addition to K2’s popular all-mountain lineup. Squeezing in with a waist width just under the Mindbender 108 TI, the new 106 C brings something to the table that feels both familiar and new at the same time. Aimed at the freeride skier looking for one ski to do it all, this ski packs a lot of versatility in. It’s designed to feel at home in anything from firm, choppy conditions to knee deep powder. It’s lighter than the Mindbender Ti offerings and feels much nimbler and quicker all around. The profile mimics the rest of the Mindbender lineup with a longer than average turn radius paired with reasonable rocker lines and a traditional mount point. These skis are a versatile option that blur the line between stability and float, but the 106C certainly feels like a more manageable and forgiving offering than the popular Ti all-mountain options in K2’s line.

Ride Impressions

I tested the 189cm size in the Mindbender 106 C. While this is longer than I would normally ski, I found the ski very intuitive and easy going in that length. I found this ski to feel much closer to skis I have skied in the mid 180cm range rather than skis at 190cm. If you find yourself feeling in between two lengths I would give the nod to the longer size here. In softer snow, these skis are some of my favorite for the 100-110mm waist width category. The longer tip and tail rocker give this ski incredible float, you can really drive the skis through the tips in deeper conditions. They felt stable at speed in softer snow and were easy pivot. They had a surfy feel to them that I really haven’t felt in such a directional ski. The ski is on the stiffer end of the spectrum which helped it to push through tracked up snow easily, and the longer radius here keeps it from feeling catchy. In firmer conditions off trail, the ski doesn’t have quite as strong an edge hold as some but does a decent job staying composed. It was easy to shut speed down fast when needed again due to the tip and tail rocker. On groomed trails, the ski tends to have a dead feel on edge until reaching higher speeds. The longer radius that makes this ski so great off trail does make it feel like less of “carvy” option, but I don’t think that this is a bad thing. If I was planning to ski anything away from the groomers and wasn’t sure of the conditions, I would always be confident grabbing this Mindbender 106 C.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Who Is It For?

For skiers that want a more traditional feeling freeride ski that can handle any terrain and conditions in the Western US and beyond, this is a great choice! While a 106mm waist width is often considered all-mountain these days, I think this fits the bill of a freeride ski much better. If your preference is for bigger, open turns and you typically like skiing faster, this ski will feel very comfortable all around. It feels like some of the popular chargers on the market, but without that feeling of always having to have your foot on the gas. At just over 2,000 grams a ski, it strikes a very reasonable balance of stability while still feeling nimble. You could easily throw hybrid touring binding on them as well for some backcountry laps.