K2 Mindbender 90ti

[TDCSPRINGS]

I always take new skis out once and then have them tuned based on factory performance. Most skis normally need a few tweeks but are completely usable as is. In this case, these skis are not even close to being safe.

Maybe I have just been spoiled primarily buying Blizzard and Nordica skis that aren't bad at all right out of the plastic, but I am fairly certain these are significantly base high. 20 years ago I was into park skiing and filed my edges completely down. Those skis carved better than this crap K2 sent out of the factory.

These egitimately scared the crap out of me and I was raised in CO and basically been on skis for the past 40 years. Without question the worst set of new factory tuned skis I have ever stepped foot on.

 

[Noodler]

I planned to take them out for one run then ebay them if they still sucked and I ended up skiing them all day. They aren't perfect but they are much better. I'm keeping them for now. I just had the shop do the tune, no investigation. I'm betting it was just a crappy factory tune.

I had the same impression as Phil of the 99 vs. the 90 when I demoed them last season. The 99 was really surprising and was the beginning of me rethinking where that brand is heading. The Disruption series now adds to that. K2 of today is not the K2 of old.

 

[TheArchitect]

I had the same impression as Phil of the 99 vs. the 90 when I demoed them last season. The 99 was really surprising and was the beginning of me rethinking where that brand is heading. The Disruption series now adds to that. K2 of today is not the K2 of old.

I didn't demo the 99 but I really like my 90Ti's. I don't need a 99 but I really should try to get on a demo pair to see what the hype is about.

 

[Noodler]

I didn't demo the 99 but I really like my 90Ti's. I don't need a 99 but I really should try to get on a demo pair to see what the hype is about.

The 90 is not a bad ski. What was surprising is that it's not just a scaled down 99. It's definitely a different ski with a different on-snow feel and skis differently. I was able to fully trust the 99 and really lay them over. I was very surprised that I could not ski that way on the 90. Maybe it was the tune, but seeing Phil's comment and some of the other thoughts in this thread makes me wonder...

 

[TheArchitect]

I only have a couple of days on it but I really like the 90, personally. Really easy to turn and stable at speed. I've not felt like couldn't trust the ski and hopefully that will remain the case as I get more time on it. I have a great tune, though.

 

[Henry]

I read somewhere that new skis can get a good factory tune before the epoxy has fully cured. The epoxy completes its cure, the skis then cup and ski just awful. I've had new Heads that were cupped. Squirrely. One sharp new edge would grab, then the other. A good tune fixed them. I didn't even like the factory base structure on new Stöcklis, kind'a squirrely, not nearly as good as they were after a base job.

 

[TDCSPRINGS]

So I finally got these back from the shop and they definitely found the problem. When they put a bevel meter on the edges they discovered everything from 0/0, to 1/2 to .5/3. It looks like these just bounced through the edger. Bases were completely flat so no base grind needed.

My daily driver is an E100 and these were meant to be a mogul/hardpack/tree ski to make life easier on my aging knees. I went with a 1/2 tune for ease of pivot. Took them out for the first time today and had a blast on them. Snow was soft, but not fresh. Moguls were very soft and trees held powder stashes. For these conditions, I can't think of a ski I could have had more fun on.

I absolutely loved them today, which is a massive contrast from not even feeling safe on them with the factory tune. The only thing they weren't superstars at were jumps and drops, but they were still more than sufficient. With the 90mm width and 1/2 tune they don't lock in landings as well as my E100's with a 1/2.5 tune and 10mm wider base to land on.

I have owned a lot of skis over the years and 90% of the time am happy with the factory tune (99% of my skis are Nordica or Blizzard which consistently have good factory tunes). I haven't had a K2 ski for a long time, but apparently they have no idea at that Chinese factory how to run an edger. I am definitely happy with these skis now, but will likely keep with my Nordica and Blizzard skis (which mostly come from the same factory) in the future. K2 really needs to pay better attention to detail if they want to compete with the Euro brands (although I think Stockli factory tunes are garbage as well).

 

[PinnacleJim]

Thanks for the update TDCSPRINGS. Glad it was a simple tune. I have 3 days on a pair of MB 90ti I bought last spring and didn't have the factory tune issues you had. So it isn't an across the board problem.

 

[GregK]

@TDCSPRINGS Glad to hear you got your skis finally checked out and they saw obvious issues!

Surprised that the bases were actually flat and that it was just the edges based on your initial description. It usually takes both being off to be that bad but your edge bevel variations were very severe though.

Just goes to show you can’t always rely on factory tunes being perfect, so inspect them(or have them inspected) out of the wrapper before skiing. I’ve yet to have a perfect pair in the last 30 from the factory and now inspect them before bindings go on, stone grind flat as needed and then hand tune.

Then you get to experience the new skis potential right from the start without any scary surprises!

 

[TDCSPRINGS]

I was at the shop today getting a grind on my E100's (thanks dumb ass rocks and no snow!) and talked a little more to the tech that fixed the MBs. He said one whole side of one ski hadn't had the edge angle ground into it and another edge was started but tapered back to nothing the back third of the edge. I'm guessimg no edge angle is probably why these things were originally like a banana peel on a waxed floor.

 

[GregK]

I was at the shop today getting a grind on my E100's (thanks dumb ass rocks and no snow!) and talked a little more to the tech that fixed the MBs. He said one whole side of one ski hadn't had the edge angle ground into it and another edge was started but tapered back to nothing the back third of the edge. I'm guessimg no edge angle is probably why these things were originally like a banana peel on a waxed floor.

That’s insane! Never had ski edges that far off!

BTW-The more traditional mount(3 cm back vs the Enforcers) is one of the bigger reasons the MB 90 or 99 don’t feel as balanced in the air or off drops. Have to be a bit more forward with them.

 

[TDCSPRINGS]

That's a good point Greg. It did take me a couple small airs to quit landing on my heels/tails.

Yeah, these skis were really bad. I have talked to quite a few people in lift lines that were on them and probably 1 in 5 had significant issues with the factory tune. Everyone said a grind and/or edge work straightened them out. As we can see from some of the other posters in this thread, it sounds like K2 had a bad batch or two leave the factory. I think I just got lucky getting a pair this bad!

Definitely appreciate Greg and everyone elses recommendations and advice with these. Now we get to see how durable these things are. I'm not overly optimistic, but maybe I will be pleasantly surprised.

 

[GregK]

Now we get to see how durable these things are. I'm not overly optimistic, but maybe I will be pleasantly surprised.

Doubt you’ll have any issues with build quality but make sure the areas above the widest taper spots(tip and tail) are rounded with a file/diamond stones to prevent top sheet chipping. This year’s white versions look more rounded there vs last years black ones which should help.

 

[Zrxman01]

Glad to hear it ended well. Honestly some skis come out of the factory in pretty good / skiable condition. Others not so much. I generally ski new skis a time or three then go at it with the stones and side bevels. About 6-10 times in I have a grind, structure and edge set.

 

[Carl]

Made in China raises a red flag for me.

 

[TheArchitect]

Glad it got resolved. This is why my default for any skis I buy is to take them to SkiMD and get a Factory Fresh service. Then I don't have to worry if I got a bad factory tune and I can focus the blame for any skiing issue squarely where it belongs, on me!

 

[TDCSPRINGS]

Nothing wrong with getting a fresh tune on new skis, but having likely owned 100+ sets of skis, it is my experience that 90% of factory tunes are fine. I am yet to not have a good factory tune on Nordica or Blizzards, which has been the majority of my ski purchases the last 10 or so years.

This is my first K2 ski in probably 20+ years, but this experience will probably keep me firmly in the Nordica/Blizzard camp moving forward.

P.S. - My newly purchased $199 STP Liberty Evolve 90's had a great tune right out of the wrapper. All I did was detune tips and tails slightly (as I do with all new skis) and they performed flawlessly.

 

[Carl]

P.S. - My newly purchased $199 STP Liberty Evolve 90's had a great tune right out of the wrapper. All I did was detune tips and tails slightly (as I do with all new skis) and they performed flawlessly.

Where did you get those for $199?

 

[Carl]

This is why my default for any skis I buy is to take them to SkiMD and get a Factory Fresh service.

Mike is the best.

 

[TheArchitect]

Where did you get those for $199?

STP usually stands for Sierra Trading Post. I seem to recall they had a super sale on some skis recently.