I ski the Kästle MX83 on a regular basis, so I can’t help judging the FX86 Ti by the standard set by its stablemate. It’s not a fair comparison, because the two skis are aiming at different targets.  They don’t ski much alike because they’re made to ski differently.  Let us count the ways.

Starting from the tips, the MX83’s full camber line is made to connect as early as possible, while the tapered and well-rockered (280mm) tip of the FX86 Ti is meant to do just the opposite.  Both use Hollowtech 3.0, Kästle’s signature damping device, but the FX86 Ti starts off as a looser construction, so it doesn’t feel as quiet as the MX83.

Moving to the middle of the ski, both models use a wood core and lots of Titanal in a combination Kästle calls Tri Ti, but the two constructions are subtly and importantly different.  The FX86 Ti uses poplar, beech and Paulownia – Kästle claims it’s the only three-wood core extant – but shapes it by making it thinner over the edge, reducing enough weight in wood to allow Kästle to add more Titanal while still keeping its overall mass below that of the MX83.  The changes make the FX86 Ti’s edge more supple, matching the mood set by the ski’s relatively low camber.

Both models’ tail sections also reveal their opposite orientations.  The MX83’s is square, flared and stiff; the rear of the FX86 Ti is rounded-off, softer and rises gradually off the snow for its last 210m’s.  When all their differences are tallied, it’s clear why the FX96 Ti has no more chance of behaving like the MX83 than a giraffe has of bearing kittens.

So how does the lighter and looser FX86 Ti behave?  For starters, all the evidence points to a ski that prefers its snow light and loose, as well.  Its orientation is unabashedly off-trail, where its turns of choice are mid-radius.  As long as one’s speed is also kept at a comfortable mid-range, the FX86 Ti remains cool, calm and collected. Theron Lee described it as “smooth and comfortable,” and John Beesley captured its essence as “playful,” a nod to its freewheeling spirit.

The FX86 Ti earned its best scores for edge grip accuracy and forgiveness, an odd pairing that indicates a ski that holds well in the belly of a turn but otherwise is inclined to smear its way over uneven terrain.  For someone who looks for every opportunity to go off-trail but still wants to feel at ease when conditions confine him to prepared slopes, the FX86 Ti hits just the right notes. It also makes sense for anyone’s whose off-trail skills aren’t yet up to par and wants a forgiving companion to help correct this deficiency.