Overview

Kästle isn’t what it used to be, and that’s a good thing.

Not to dis the current Kästle’s ancestry, but Kästles of yore could be clumped in two camps: race skis it took a god like Zurbriggen to bend, and kooky creations that should have been euthanized in development, like the Echo Thesis and B-52. All of which has little intersection with the Kästle of today except that both have a dominant strain of Austrian DNA and the new Kästle recently re-occupied the founding factory in Hohenems.

The current Kästle camp relies on modern execution of a traditional construction, with a signature damping system called Hollowtech adorning every tip. Colorful Hollowtech inserts catch both the eye and the snow, as they’re meant to dissipate shock faster than a conventional shovel. Not many brands are concerned with early contact any more, but a ride on the latest iteration of the venerable MX83 will remind you not only of what camber does, but why you ski.

Kästle has moved back into the facility in Hohenems where Anton Kästle created the first skis to bear his name, where its engineers can concoct prototypes and execute small production runs. But this detail, while redolent with misty-eyed history, buries the lede: Kästle’s new owner, ConsilSport, has its own plant in the Czech Republic to handle the brand’s production. The 20/21 season is the first in over two decades to see in-line Kastle skis produced in a Kastle-owned facility.

As recently as two years ago, the core of Kästle’s Alpine line was segmented into three series: the cambered MX series of Frontside carvers, the abundantly rockered FX series of all-mountain skis and BMX Big Mountain models. In 2020, the BMX name was eliminated in favor of extending the FX family into its turf.

Once upon a time, Kästle made a women’s ski named Vogue; in 2020, it revived the Vogue name to serve as an umbrella for three women-specific models, the DX73 W, DX85 W and FX96 W.

Because Kästle cuts no corners, its skis customarily command a premium at retail. This means most skiers will never know what they’re missing. It also helps explain why Realskiers’ testers can’t wait to ski them year after year. They don’t get re-skied because testers forgot how they skied; they’re re-skied every year because skiers can’t forget how incredibly they ski. It’s like a designer drug: once you try it, you’re hooked.

The 2021 Kästle Season

The 2021 season marks a watershed moment in Kästle’s long history. For the first time in over two decades, a Kästle-owned factory will make its skis. Underscoring the significance of the move is the return of its original MX series, the carving collection most responsible for Kästle’s return to relevance.

 

The seeds of the 2021 season were planted in 2018, when ConsilSport, a Czech manufacturer owned by former ski racer Tomáš Němec, acquired a majority stake in Kästle. Last year, production moved to the Czech factory in Nové Město na Moravě, while Kastle maintained offices and a limited production capacity at the brand’s original site in Hohenems, Austria.

 

Building one’s own skis may not sound like a bold move, but the MX83, MX88 and MX98 aren’t just well remembered by the skiers who once rode them; they’re revered. If the new versions didn’t live up to expectations, the ramifications for the brand weren’t likely to be pretty. I’m relieved to report that the first MX models to issue from the Czech facility are first-rate in both design and finish. Kästle’s enraptured fan base won’t be disappointed by the revived MX83 and MX88, and the new MX98 is better than its venerated namesake.

 

If you’ve never skied a Kästle before, any of the new MX’s will make an excellent first impression. The new MX series’ construction uses poplar in lieu of silver fir in the core, so they’re a bit lighter now, but two stout layers of Titanal and fully cambered baselines keep them welded to the snow. Because of their Old School design, the MX’s have a different snow feel than the rockered baselines and tapered sidecuts that dominate current all-mountain ski design. For skilled skiers who don’t need help with their technique, demoing a Kastle MX model is a dangerous thing to do, for once you experience their exquisite connection to the snow, you will have to have it.

 

Kästle is keenly aware that its prices are above the market norm, so it created the ZX108 so skiers who aren’t fiscally flush could afford to ride a Kastle on powder days. The ZX108’s MSRP of $749 is right in line with other top Big Mountain models, bringing Kastle quality within reach of the less affluent.