by Jackson Hogen | May 30, 2021
If the MX88 has a character flaw, it’s that it can’t resist the urge to show off. It’s ability to stay blasé when other skis are getting buffeted around like a teacup in a typhoon can’t be evinced unless the pilot is willing to lay on the gas. So what if it’s not great at slow, short turns? That’s no way to ski crud and it’s certainly a boring means of consuming groomers. One pays a pretty penny for a MX88; what you’re paying for is its unperturbed ride when it kicks into a gear most skis in this genre don’t possess.
The trade-off for its tranquility during supersonic acceleration is the absence of any patience with low speeds, which the MX88 sees no point in indulging. It would rather implement its own advice, which can be summarized as, “how are you going to go fast if you don’t stop going slow?”
If this sounds like the MX88 belongs to a club whose only members are experts, well, that’s certainly true for the 187cm length, and I’m not sure anyone less than expert ought to get a 180cm, either. But the shorter lengths are fine for any competent skier who wants the quiet ride of a luxury sedan with the steering of a sports car.
by Jackson Hogen | May 30, 2021
The Nordica Enforcer 88 belongs on any list of the Ultimate 88’s. It looks like a shrunken Enforcer 100, but the truth is closer to the other way around: the current Enforcer 100 is based on the Energy 2 Ti construction of the Enforcer 88. Neither characterization is entirely accurate, as Nordica knew when it created the 88 that it would spend more of its life on groomers, so it tailored the Enforcer 88’s design accordingly. One could make a strong case that, when all factors, such as a skier’s skill, sex, preferred terrain and turn shape are considered, the Enforcer 88 is probably the most versatile Enforcer of them all.
For anyone who loves a short-radius carve or whose heart beats a little faster at the prospect of moguls, tight trees or the two in tandem, there’s no question the 88 is the pick of the Enforcer litter. Its oddly abrupt front rocker might make you suspicious it’ll be a floaty, disconnected smear stick. But it isn’t the 88’s Persian slipper shovel that controls its performance, whether on piste or off, but the pronounced camber zone that lies right behind it. Once you’re rolling on hard pack, you don’t notice the tip, but as soon as you’re off-trail, you’ll be glad you have it out in front, softening the blows delivered by choppy conditions.
by Jackson Hogen | May 30, 2021
The essential skill of Alpine skiing is balance. So it stands to reason that the primordial virtue of any ski is likewise balance, both in its blend of personality traits and its ability to impart the sensation of balance to its pilot. I mention these maxims because if there’s a single trait that encapsulates the brilliance of the Nordica Enforcer 94, it’s balance.
The key to balance lies in the ski’s flex pattern, or how it distributes force when pressured. Even though the Enforcer 94 sports a high front rocker, it’s mercifully short, returning to a camber pocket that’s the source of its power. When loaded, all the skier notices is the tranquility emanating from the mid-section; the disconnected tip and tail never call attention to themselves.
I’m not sure if the Enforcer 94 can actually confer expert status on anyone who steps into a pair, but it sure won’t hold anyone back. It’s able to maintain its balancing act in part because a lateral drift or trench-cutting carve is immediately accessible at all times. I vividly recall riding up the steep banks of Gremlin’s Gulch at Mammoth, playing with edge angle to elicit exactly the degree of engagement I wanted. Every movement felt intuitive, unforced and integrated with the flow of the mountain.
by Jackson Hogen | May 29, 2021
by Jackson Hogen | May 29, 2021
Völkl’s Kendo and Mantra models have been taking turns at introducing a basketful of brilliant features over the past few seasons. This intricate pas de deux began with the launch of the Mantra M5, the first Völkl to embody Titanal Frame, a complete re-set on how the top layer of Titanal is treated, which instantly elevated the Mantra M5 back among the All-Mountain West category’s very best.
When Völkl applied Titanal Frame to the Kendo 88 chassis the following year, it upped the performance ante with the intro of 3D Radius Sidecut. The multi-radius sidecut (long/short/long) turned out to be the perfect companion technology for Titanal Frame, opening up a measure of turn versatility and ease of operation the M5 lacked. With the two technologies working in tandem, the Kendo 88 assumed the throne as the most versatile ski in the All-Mountain East genre and the new star in Völkl’s line.
Please note that while the current Kendo 88 is ripe for another round of upgrades, the version on the shelves today is no slouch. Not only is the Kendo 88 our top-rated Power ski in the All-Mountain East genre, a position it has held since its inception, it also earns elite marks as a Finesse ski. Its numeric dominance speaks to a huge performance envelope on hill.
