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Kores, Mantras, Mindbenders for ~low weight skier?

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ValleyOwl
Posts: 1 - Karma: 19
Hi folks, yet another request for new ski advice...

I ski mostly the PNW (home mountain Stevens Pass w/ frequent trips to Whistler/Blackcomb) and like to get a bit of variety, so I'm looking for an all-mountain ski, just like everyone else. I'm 5'10", 130lbs, and ski aggressively. In a typical day I might spend 30% of my time carving the corduroy at high speed, 30% in the bumps & trees, 30% in chutes & bowls, and 10% wherever. I don't really do any park skiing, so I'm certainly willing to compromise in the springiness/playfulness area for better performance elsewhere.

I've been doing a whole bunch of research and the main three skis I'm considering at the moment are Head Kore 93s, K2 Mindbender 99s, and Völkl Mantra M5s. My general understanding of the skis is as follows:
- Kore 93s are much lighter, so they'll be more maneuverable for tight tree & bump skiing. However, without any metal in them, I'll lose out on a bit of stability at speed and won't be able to cut through crud as smoothly.
- Mantras are beefier, what with the metal frame, so I'll be sacrifice some of that agility for damper performance in crud and at speed.
- Mindbenders are fairly similar to the Mantras, but a bit more forgiving (especially in the tails), so bumps & trees won't require quite as much precision to make the skis do work. The downside is losing a bit of that carving performance.

My main question is how my relatively low weight will play into this, since most detailed reviews I've found have been from people in the 185-225lb range (and maybe a bit taller, too). I'm curious to hear thoughts from anyone with a similar body type who has a lot of experience with any or all of these skis (or alternatives!). At 130lbs, is stability still a problem on the Kores? Do the Mantras feel like they require a ton of force to handle well at that weight, or are they still able to dance through quick turns in the trees?

For possibilities beyond these three, budget isn't a major concern as long as it's really worth it, but if I'm going to spend a lot more than the cost of the pairs above, I'd want a compelling reason.

Thanks and cheers,
ValleyOwl
Mar 12 2020 12:51AM
2 1
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quagsire
Posts: 237 - Karma: 1,101
I ski the Kore 117 as my daily here in Fernie, and have spent a few days on the 105 and 99 as well. I'd honestly consider them a bit of an exception to the rule of light skis not being good in chop and crud, because the super stiff flex gives you a ton of support to really drive the ski aggressively like you would a much heavier and more traditional charger. That being said, I find that they really demand a bit of speed and aggressiveness before rewarding you with any sort of playfulness, so if playfulness at lower speeds is a priority then something like a Mindbender, a Rustler, or an Origin might be a better bet.
Mar 12 2020 3:46AM
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godwerc
Posts: 2 - Karma: 13
I have Kore 93 (pre-production model which is even lighter). Don't let the lack of metal fool you, it is a very stiff ski and I would not describe it unstable at any situation. But I think it suits best for expert level skiers or at least strong advanced. It is not punishing by any means but you just can't get the ski to work as designed if don't drive it hard enough and/or have some technique. And at least for me it took several days before I learned to like it, after first couple of hours it felt boring as hell. I'm not sure if it excels at anything but it's a kind of swiss army knife. Works quite well whatever you do.
Mar 12 2020 9:35AM
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Bdoobz
Posts: 838 - Karma: 4,893
Mindbender is king. In my opinion and from what others have said it outperforms the kore in every way but weight.
Mar 12 2020 10:09AM
4 0
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Cgare
Posts: 11 - Karma: 26
If you like to have a ski that does work really well on groomers in the All mountains segment I would look on skis with less taper, like the Mantra or Nordica enforcer (93 or 100) for example. The difference offpist with more taper vs less taper in this category I would say is marginal. On groomers I really prefer less tapered skis that engade a turn real nice.

Mantra vs Enforcer I would say the Mantra is little more stable but the Enforcers are more fun carving
Mar 12 2020 3:48PM
2 0
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IdahoSpud_
Posts: 70 - Karma: 155
ValleyOwlHi folks, yet another request for new ski advice...

I ski mostly the PNW (home mountain Stevens Pass w/ frequent trips to Whistler/Blackcomb) and like to get a bit of variety, so I'm looking for an all-mountain ski, just like everyone else. I'm 5'10", 130lbs, and ski aggressively. In a typical day I might spend 30% of my time carving the corduroy at high speed, 30% in the bumps & trees, 30% in chutes & bowls, and 10% wherever. I don't really do any park skiing, so I'm certainly willing to compromise in the springiness/playfulness area for better performance elsewhere.

I've been doing a whole bunch of research and the main three skis I'm considering at the moment are Head Kore 93s, K2 Mindbender 99s, and Völkl Mantra M5s. My general understanding of the skis is as follows:
- Kore 93s are much lighter, so they'll be more maneuverable for tight tree & bump skiing. However, without any metal in them, I'll lose out on a bit of stability at speed and won't be able to cut through crud as smoothly.
- Mantras are beefier, what with the metal frame, so I'll be sacrifice some of that agility for damper performance in crud and at speed.
- Mindbenders are fairly similar to the Mantras, but a bit more forgiving (especially in the tails), so bumps & trees won't require quite as much precision to make the skis do work. The downside is losing a bit of that carving performance.

My main question is how my relatively low weight will play into this, since most detailed reviews I've found have been from people in the 185-225lb range (and maybe a bit taller, too). I'm curious to hear thoughts from anyone with a similar body type who has a lot of experience with any or all of these skis (or alternatives!). At 130lbs, is stability still a problem on the Kores? Do the Mantras feel like they require a ton of force to handle well at that weight, or are they still able to dance through quick turns in the trees?

For possibilities beyond these three, budget isn't a major concern as long as it's really worth it, but if I'm going to spend a lot more than the cost of the pairs above, I'd want a compelling reason.

Thanks and cheers,
ValleyOwl


id go for kore 99s. the 93 are great also, but you might want more float on a pow day. your correct, they don't have any metal in them, but they are very stiff, and hold an edge and are plenty stable unless you are planning to spend most of your day going 70. I don't have any experience with any of those other options tho. I will say that the kores are NOT a playfull ski, and don't expect to be throwing butters in them.
Mar 12 2020 11:07PM
3 0
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ValleyOwl
Posts: 1 - Karma: 19
Thanks for all the responses, folks--very helpful.

How do these skis compare in tight spaces? Without having skied them myself, I assume that the Kores would be the best of the bunch there, thanks to their lighter weight. The Mindbenders, on the other hand, are the heaviest of the bunch (by some distance!) but it sounds like they don't really ski that way?
Mar 13 2020 10:14PM
1 0
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SHREDHOUND
Posts: 35 - Karma: 143
I’m personally of the belief that unless you plan to throw a touring binding on a ski or are spinning to win in the park (which it appears you are not), there benefits of skiing a slightly heavier ski inbounds significantly outweigh the cons. For that reason I’d personally get the mindbender 99 over the more 93, as it has a forgiving enough flex pattern that it is easy to maneuver in tight spaces, but thanks to that extra weight you’ll find it will do a far better job of smoothing out rough snow at high speeds and will posses a top end. I’ve spent time on both the mindbender 108ti and the kore 105, and would consider the mindbender one of my favourite skis I’ve tried. Inversely I didn’t personally gel with the kore very well, as I found the mindbender more comfortable ripping high speed turns through Pacific NW chop/crud as well as easier to manage in tighter spots. Inversely, if I wanted to put a touring binding on this ski, my approach would be different, but in general, weight is your friend.
Between the m5 and the mindbender 99, get the mindbender if you want better performance in softer snow and a slightly looser feel, and get the m5 if you want better precision on firm snow/groomers.
ValleyOwlThanks for all the responses, folks--very helpful.

How do these skis compare in tight spaces? Without having skied them myself, I assume that the Kores would be the best of the bunch there, thanks to their lighter weight. The Mindbenders, on the other hand, are the heaviest of the bunch (by some distance!) but it sounds like they don't really ski that way?


With regards to length, at your weight and skier type I’d definitely get the 177cm option

**This post was edited on Mar 15th 2020 at 5:36:51pm

**This post was edited on Mar 15th 2020 at 5:38:55pm
Mar 15 2020 5:30PM
1 0
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Cgare
Posts: 11 - Karma: 26
SHREDHOUNDI’m personally of the belief that unless you plan to throw a touring binding on a ski or are spinning to win in the park (which it appears you are not), there benefits of skiing a slightly heavier ski inbounds significantly outweigh the cons. For that reason I’d personally get the mindbender 99 over the more 93, as it has a forgiving enough flex pattern that it is easy to maneuver in tight spaces, but thanks to that extra weight you’ll find it will do a far better job of smoothing out rough snow at high speeds and will posses a top end. I’ve spent time on both the mindbender 108ti and the kore 105, and would consider the mindbender one of my favourite skis I’ve tried. Inversely I didn’t personally gel with the kore very well, as I found the mindbender more comfortable ripping high speed turns through Pacific NW chop/crud as well as easier to manage in tighter spots. Inversely, if I wanted to put a touring binding on this ski, my approach would be different, but in general, weight is your friend.
Between the m5 and the mindbender 99, get the mindbender if you want better performance in softer snow and a slightly looser feel, and get the m5 if you want better precision on firm snow/groomers.


With regards to length, at your weight I’d get the 177cm option in either ski, unless you are a) still growing and want a ski that you can grow into b) ready to prioritize high speed stability at the cost of maneuverability in tight spots

**This post was edited on Mar 15th 2020 at 5:36:51pm


+1

I would say that if you put around 30% of your time on groomers I would go for the Mindbender, M5 or Enforcer. I was really excited when I was about to try the Kores but I really did find them quite life less compared to the other skis that have been mentioned here. The Kores are really stable concidered their low weight but I couldnt really get real energy out of them.

personally I like more the mindbenders and Enforcer because they are more maneuverable and more fun carving when not going mach 2 vs the M5.
Mar 15 2020 5:48PM
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