The new FX85 HP’s appearance alongside the MX88 at the top of our Power rankings doesn’t mean the two skis are similar; in fact, aside from both being made from wood and metal, they couldn’t be much more different.

Compared to the MX88, the FX85 HP (the HP suffix denotes the presence of two sheets of Titanal) is narrower, lighter, and most significantly, has a different tip and tail geometry and baseline.  Let’s take a closer look at how the FX85 HP’s defining traits contribute to a personality that begs to be driven off-road.

By narrowing the overall silhouette and reducing the degree of shapeliness in the forebody, the FX85 HP is more likely to plane evenly through choppy, 3D snow conditions.  The longer taper to the tip (“Progressive Rise” is Kästle’s term of art) makes it less reactive in loose snow as does the extended rocker along the baseline.  The tail is likewise rockered and tapered so it releases more readily and won’t get hung up in tight spots.  Lighter weight (within reason) is generally a benefit in soft snow as it makes the skis easier to pivot.

Another ingredient in the Kästle cookbook is Hollowtech 2.0, their signature tip design that reduces mass and mitigates the tip flap that is the bane of all rockered skis.  This improves performance on soft, groomed runs to such a degree that were it not for a slight pause getting connected at the top of the turn, you’d swear you were arcing a technical carving ski.  But its true calling lies elsewhere. Quick enough for bumps and smeary enough for crud, the FX85 HP’s skill set is best adapted to off-piste conditions.