2021 Volkl Kendo 88
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Ski Stats

Sidecut 129/88/111
Radius 24m/17m/30m @ 177cm
Lengths 163,170,177,184
Weight 1940g@177cm
MSRP $775
FIND
Power Score:

Finesse Score:

3
0
0
In last year’s review of the Kendo 88 we predicted that it would be Ski of the Year and indeed it was, both for Realskiers and many other pundits. The quality that continues to distinguish the Kendo 88 from a very strong field is that it seems able to raise its game in every circumstance. No matter how or where the skilled pilot asks it to stretch its performance limits – go faster, react quicker, ride quieter, dice up bumps or cruise groomage – the Kendo 88 handles it all in stride. The single most important quality an all-mountain ski can possess is total indifference to terrain selection. On this score, the Kendo 88 has no peer. It transitions from wind-affected crud to crisp corduroy as if those two conditions were the same. On hard snow, it’s so quick to the edge the skier can’t even tell it’s rockered and it’s so stable in crud you can relax, drop the reins and let the boys run. The Kendo 88 uses a “3D Radius Sidecut” with a long radius forebody, a tight shape in the midsection and longest radius in the rear. This allows it to behave like a GS cruiser at relatively low edge angles and morph in a moment to a snappy SL when its tilted and pressured. An energetic turn finish isn’t unique to the Kendo 88, but it’s nonetheless a relatively rare commodity in today’s market.
In last year’s review of the Kendo 88, most of which is reprised here as the same ski returns unchanged this season, I predicted that it would be Ski of the Year and indeed it was, both for me and many other pundits. The quality that continues to distinguish the Kendo 88 from a very strong field is that it seems able to raise its game in every circumstance. No matter how or where the skilled pilot asks it to stretch its performance limits – go faster, react quicker, ride quieter, dice up bumps or cruise groomage – the Kendo 88 handles it all in stride.

For most of its long existence, the Völkl Kendo has lived in the shadow of its big brother, the Mantra, the ski that virtually created the All-Mountain West genre as competitors scrambled to imitate it. Not that the Kendo didn’t have its fans, but the wider Mantra tended to attract more ardent adherents. So it’s no surprise that when it came time for a major design change, the Mantra was the show pony trotted out to demonstrate the merits of the new technology.

Unless you were on the moon two seasons ago, you know the M5 Mantra and its Titanal Frame design had a wildly successful debut. What’s all this Mantra mention got to do with the new Kendo 88? The new kid has finally stepped out of its sibling’s shadow. In the most hotly contested category, All-Mountain East, that’s loaded with star products, the Kendo 88 earned the highest score for every Power attribute as well as for Finesse/Power balance, the catchall criterion for overall excellence.

The single most important quality an all-mountain ski can possess is total indifference to terrain selection. On this score, the Kendo 88 has no peer. It transitions from wind-affected crud to crisp corduroy as if those two conditions were the same. On hard snow, it’s so quick to the edge the skier can’t even tell it’s rockered and it’s so stable in crud you can relax, drop the reins and let the boys run.

Jim Schaffner of Start Haus knew the new Kendo 88 was a winner from the first turns he took on a snow-slathered Snow Basin. “Let me begin by saying, this ski is going to end up being a category killer. A very well-balanced ski, easy to stay centered on and get pressure to the tip. A quick, lively ski that really held in the turn.” Schaffner’s observation about the Kendo 88’s peppy turn finish deserves attention, as its exceptional energy earned it a near-perfect 9.75 score for Rebound/Turn Finish.

One reason the Kendo 88 is so solid yet so playful is its 3-piece Titanal Frame design allows the structure to be more easily compressed and its heavy-duty fiberglass laminate to load up with rebound energy. An energetic turn finish isn’t unique to the Kendo 88, but it’s nonetheless a relatively rare commodity in today’s market.

One of the tenets of ski design that I’ve gleaned from decades of devotion to ski design minutia is that most designs have a set of dimensions that optimizes it best qualities. In my estimation, Titanal Frame has found its sweetspot in the Kendo 88, where its blend of stability and energy is in perfect balance. The major difference in the design of the M5 Mantra and the Kendo isn’t in their construction, but in their sidecuts. The Kendo 88 uses a “3D Radius Sidecut” with a long radius forebody, a tight shape in the midsection and longest radius in the rear. This allows the Kendo 88 to behave like a GS cruiser at relatively low edge angles and morph in a moment to a snappy SL when its tilted and pressured. As with any new high performance tool, it’s worth taking the time to learn how to use it.