THE PEOPLE'S SKI TEST - K2 MINDBENDER 106C W ALLIANCE

K2 MINDBENDER 106C W ALLIANCE
Category: Freeride
Lengths: 159, 167, 175
Dimensions: 139/106/124
Radius: 15m @ 167MSRP: $699
More info: k2snow.com

"K2’s Mindbender 106C W Alliance is a ski that promotes skiing. I got to the bottom of my first run and realized I hadn’t overthought any of the turns it took to get there. Without much effort, it initiated easily, and the slightly rockered tails washed and released, allowing turns of any size, whether it was wide open or quick and tight. The 139-millimetre tip provided enough float in powder, while its narrower waist let me transition to the groomers and hold an edge. The wide shovel was a little grabby in variable snow and at speed developed a slight chatter, but not enough to deter me from wanting to ride all day in any terrain. The weave of its spectral braid is tighter underfoot, which creates a stable feeling while maintaining the playfulness and flex of the tips. The Mindbender 106C excels as an all-mountain ski for an intermediate skier looking to progress their capabilities, or for an advanced skier who doesn’t want to overthink her riding." —Kate Verhagen

Reviewer’s Rating: On Piste: 7/10 • Off Piste: 8.5/10
Average Rating: On Piste: 7/10 • Off Piste: 8/10

REVIEWER BIO:

Kate Verhagen
Age: 32 / Height: 5’10” / Weight: 158 lbs / Occupation: Geologist
Raised on the craggy slopes of Castle Mountain, Alberta, Kate Verhagen grew up skiing wide chutes on wind-loaded powder days before making the move to the tight trees and steep terrain that surrounds Rossland, where she works as a geologist. Verhagen likes to ski a little bit of everything in-bounds, and dabbles in ski touring in and around Red Mountain Resort’s backcountry, which allows her to alternate between the trio of skis in her personal quiver that clock in at 105, 116 and 125 millimetres underfoot in the 180-centimetre range.