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K2 Mindbender 116C Powder Ski 2021 – 2022 | Review

The K2 Mindbender 116C is a lightweight, nimble and powerful powder ski

Why we chose the K2 Mindbender 116C: Agile, floaty, sick topsheets 

Lengths (cm): 179, 186 & 193
Sidecut (mm): 143 / 116 / 133 (186 cm)
Radius: 23m (186 cm)
Rocker Profile: Rocker-Camber-Rocker
Weight (per ski): 2,000g
Price: £550 / €615 / $700

BUY HERE

The Mindbender 116C takes the throne of K2’s widest Mindbender. Carrying a waist width of 116 mm and high and long rocker in the tips and tails, this ski is designed to crush the biggest days in resort while remaining light enough to keep your legs from burning out on the tenth lap of the day.

K2 Mindbender 116C Build

K2’s Carbon Spectral Braid sits at the heart of this nimble powder ski. Carbon has been chosen over a titanal build, like the one found on the powerful Mindbender 106 TI, due to its low weight, yet still impressively high levels of performance.

This braid features a weave of carbon that begins tight towards the tips and underfoot, then opens out a little towards the tails. The ability to tighten and open the braid means that K2 can tune the flex of the ski in specific areas to get an exact flex pattern.

The Spectral Braid gets a further boost in power through carbon stringers than run for the full length of the ski. These stringers provide longitudinal stiffness in an effort to keep the tips and tails tracking true, even when the snow turns choppy.

Paulownia and Maple have been laminated together to make up the core. Paulownia has been chosen due to its lightweight, yet lively properties, while the dense Maple provides an energetic and damp ride for when you’re looking to absorb impacts and smash through crud.

This lightweight and zippy construction has been wrapped up in a sick looking topsheet – a trademark design of the Mindbender range. This topsheet then wraps over the top section of the sidewalls to create a semi cap construction. K2 has then added a 30 degree bevel to where the topsheet meets the sidewall. In doing so, the ski is protected from any unwanted chips or delams.

K2 Mindbender 116C Shaping

The Mindbender 116C features a ‘Powder Rocker’ profile. This is what K2 claims is “high and long rise in the tip and tail to maximise float in softer snow.” Although there’s a good amount of rocker pressed into this ski (it’s a powder ski, after all), we wouldn’t say that it’s anything drastic – certainly not when compared to something like the Atomic Bent Chetler 120.

The rocker travels deep into the ski, both in the tips and tails, while camber helps to keep up the lively soul of the ski.

Who Is The K2 Mindbender 116C For?

When you combine both the manoeuvrable rocker profile with the lightweight build, you’ve got a powder ski that’s nimble underfoot and more than capable of slashing turns at will. If you’re someone who likes to stay light and cantered over your skis and prefers the ability to quickly dump speed, over long carved turns, then the Mindbender 116C would be a great pair of powder boards for you.

What Is The K2 Mindbender 116C Good At?

Powder: 9/10
Agility: 8/10
Manoeuvrability: 8/10

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