Cage Match Comparison 2020 Blizzard Bonafide vs 2020 K2 Mindbender 99Ti

[Brewski]

I’m 5’8 165 lbs. Aggressive skier. I got the 177 because I live in Vermont and ski narrow trails and tight trees. Out west I’d have got the 184.
What makes the Mindbenders so special is that you can ski them hard(engaging the fronts) and they preform amazing but if you want to chill out in the center of the ski they don’t punish you. Easy to smear and slarve around. I’ve skied them in pretty much every condition at this point and have no complaints. Just plain fun.
If it’s over a foot of pow I usually grab the mindbender 108 as it’s obviously wider but also more rocker and less sidecut.

 

[Brewski]

PS- I see you’re local. Stop into the gear shop on state side or tram side demo shop at Jay. We have them for demo.
I work the gear shop on Saturdays and would be happy to chat with you about skis.

 

[Tricia]

The K2 Mindbender 99 was my surprise ski of the early season demos. On hard pack it absolutely lays trenches and felt fairly unflappable. My question though (as posted in another thread), is what's the personality of this ski when taken off-piste?

You didn't get it off piste?
From my experience with the Mindbender 98(women's) with similar construction, is its awesome sauce. I had the Mindbender 98 in the trees at Mt Rose last week and can't wait to get her in the Chutes.

Very curious now. I want to demo the K2's. Tell us what you liked.

Don't bother demoing, just buy it. Trust me!

 

[Philpug]

The K2 Mindbender 99 was my surprise ski of the early season demos. On hard pack it absolutely lays trenches and felt fairly unflappable. My question though (as posted in another thread), is what's the personality of this ski when taken off-piste?

I have skied the MB99 is all conditions and because of the shape and flex I actually find it really good off piste. Personality is that of a damn solid ski that has a really nice turn in.

 

[Yo Momma]

What makes the Mindbenders so special is that you can ski them hard(engaging the fronts) and they preform amazing but if you want to chill out in the center of the ski they don’t punish you. Easy to smear and slarve around. Just plain fun.

Thanks! This is the versatility I was questioning. Nice to hear of other skis dialing this in. Like you, when it gets deeper I go wider. I move to either my Sick Day 110 ( my favs of all time), Sick Day 104's (Noodle-ish - strictly for farting around) or now my JSkis The Metal (Just picked these up this fall and popped on some Forzas for a nice look, but yet to ski).

PS - The old guy at the shop down in Jay-town, across from Miso Hungry's old site (before they moved up to the mtn in the converta-Tram), has a nice collection of old Kerma poles! Every time I'm up there he won't sell them to me regardless of $$$!!! Darnit! He says they're for rental only!!! LOL BTW Miso Hungry is the best food I've ever had at a ski area including over Deer Valley, UT which is renowned for it's food quality! Momo ROCKS!!!!!!! Anyone going to Jay stop in at Miso Hungry for authentic Japanese noodles... simply amazing and some of the best food in all of VT. https://www.misohungryramen.com/ (I'm not affiliated w/ them in any way... I just like GOOD FOOD! )

 

[ARL67]

The Limited Edition top-sheets look really good on the MB 99ti and MB 116c
The backing colour is almost reflective -> it really pops in person -> I Like !!!

 

[GregK]

The Limited Edition top-sheets look really good on the MB 99ti and MB 116c
The backing colour is almost reflective -> it really pops in person -> I Like !!!

Saw those at Corbetts last time I was there too and thought the same! Didn’t know they were doing those retro top sheets.

 

[snowskier]

Has anyone heard anything about the 2021 Bonafides? Pictures were featured here and I saw a pair at Squaw several days ago.

 

[Philpug]

Has anyone heard anything about the 2021 Bonafides? Pictures were featured here and I saw a pair at Squaw several days ago.

It's 97mm underfoot and new lengths, past that not much. I have been playing tele tag for a bit now. Worse case I will see it next week.

 

[Yo Momma]

I got to test drive the K2 MB 99 Ti yesterday in a 184. Conditions were dust on crust w/ intermittent pockets of pow w/ mostly hard crust on the open slopes. In the pow... it was in it's element and felt like extensions of my feet. They felt exactly like the Enforcer 100's almost a carbon copy. It's a really nice ski for pow and chop. On the hard stuff, it seemed to strongly prefer to be driven hard from the front seat. Overall, a very nice ski. Superlight and easy to ski all day w/o killing your legs. It would not be my choice for extended periods on hardpack crust and ice. The feel of the MB 99 Ti was directional coming from someone who mostly skis the Bonafide and Line Sick Days of various widths.

I also skied my 2020 Bones and they performed well on the crust, hardpack and ice. Super solid in all the conditions of the day from anywhere on the ski including switch, but you need strong skills to manage this ski all day long. I do like the new Bones better than my older version (earliest version). These are much easier on the body and I could ski these all day w/o issue. While the new Bones do not have the top end of the old versions, they remain absolute rockets at speed.... at least they are not laughing at me anymore. These are much more tame and sophisticated. I do hope that Blizzard continues w/ the "Flipcore" design. It has opened up the art of skiing like no others. For my style, the Bones continue to rise far above the pack for the majority of conditions I ski. I will say that if the pow gets deep, I'm on my Sick Day 110's and I still have a set of old Kuros for "ridiculous" Noreasters (talking 3' or more!)

One thing for sure is that there seem to be almost no bad skis now. You can still buy the wrong ski for your tastes, but I have yet to ski demo or purchase a "Bad" ski in a long time. Kudos to all the ski companies for maintaining the quality bar at such a high level!

 

[Macky]

If any knowledgeable person is still reading this thread:..
I am debating between mb99ti and bona97
I ski west. Very good, like GS style on blues mostly. Softer west snow. But I am short 5'10 and 260 heavy!
Which of those two skis are stiffer???
If BF97should i go with 83 or 89???
If MB99 should I go with 83 or 89???
And no demos around and I can only afford one ski!!

Mr. Phil..or to whom it may concerned..HELP PLEASE.

I am on nordica E93 now 185 and they are bit floppy, loose..I feel like the are shortish when I ski faster .

 

[Philpug]

If any knowledgeable person is still reading this thread:..
I am debating between mb99ti and bona97
I ski west. Very good, like GS style on blues mostly. Softer west snow. But I am short 5'10 and 260 heavy!
Which of those two skis are stiffer???
If BF97should i go with 83 or 89???
If MB99 should I go with 83 or 89???
And no demos around and I can only afford one ski!!

Mr. Phil..or to whom it may concerned..HELP PLEASE.

I am on nordica E93 now 185 and they are bit floppy, loose..I feel like the are shortish when I ski faster .

IMHO, the Bonafide skis stiffer, and the 183 should be enough.

 

[Macky]

IMHO, the Bonafide skis stiffer, and the 183 should be enough.

Thank you! I would like to stick to below 190 ( scarred!?) As long as they can hold.. and stiffer showels/lesser rocker than E93 perhaps. E93 cannot hold straight line downhill for me)

 

[Philpug]

Thank you! I would like to stick to below 190 ( scarred!?) As long as they can hold.. and stiffer showels/lesser rocker than E93 perhaps. E93 cannot hold straight line downhill for me)

I could see the limitations of the Enforcers.