by Jackson Hogen | Aug 31, 2018
Relatively lightweight and easy flexing, the FX85 HP is also forgiving, as it doesn’t require a technically talented skier to steer it. As Rob from Boot Doctors observes, the FX85 HP is “the finest ski at the Finesse/Power balance aspect. So confident, so smooth, so fine,” he coos. The FX85 HP straddles the line between Power and Finesse properties; last year, we dubbed it a Finesse ski despite a higher Power score because it doesn’t ski like the usual Power selection. This year we’re going with the data that labels it a Power model, but one with a lot of Finesse flavor. Because it responds to a light touch without surrendering steering control, we again award the FX85 HP a Silver Skier Selection.
by Jackson Hogen | Aug 31, 2018
Considering the reputation of Kästle’s formidable MX84, one might expect the LX85 to be likewise endowed with near-nuclear power. Yet this beauty is no beast, but a gracious cruiser that orders groomers for its main course with off-trail conditions on the side. Its slalomesque turn radius suggests a quick stick, but the slight tip taper and early rise on the LX85 don’t naturally dip into a short turn, allowing the skier to find a languid, GS arc that holds with minimal edge angle. “Stable at speed,” confirms one of the Footloose crew. “It does well with longer radius turns vs. short.”
by Jackson Hogen | Aug 31, 2018
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by Jackson Hogen | Aug 31, 2018
The one word that percolates to top-of-mind position whenever testers try to sum up their experience of the Kästle MX89 is “solid.” This is a ski for serious skiers who ski not just because they can, but because they have to. It comes alive at speed where it responds to high edge angles at above-recreational rpms. At the moment when lesser skis are losing their grip, the MX89 imparts a sense of ease and serenity, as if the ski were doing 90% of the work. This is how a ski that prefers to be driven by a talented pilot earns consistently off-the-charts marks for Finesse properties. It’s not just the best Power ski in this genre, it’s also perceived by our panel to be the easiest to ski.
by Jackson Hogen | Aug 31, 2018
Given Line’s anything-goes ethos, you might expect the Supernatural 92 to be twin-tipped, center-mounted and more likely to drift than carve, but you’d be wrong on all counts. As an all-glass ski with 4mm of camber underfoot, the Supernatural 92 is a showcase for what this uncomplicated construction can do: pounce from turn to turn, the glass behaving like a coiled spring when pressured, zinging the skier across the fall line and setting up the next turn. A powder ski that secretly loves to carve, the Supernatural 92 responds to light pressure and low edge angles, making it perfect for lighter skiers. Just because Line markets to the young doesn’t mean its skis won’t also perform for the 50-year old adolescent.
