The last time Kästle made an MX98 it was the burliest All-Mountain West ski extant. If the skier didn’t commit to the turn, the ski would sense weakness and assume control. If you weren’t a strong, technical skier, you were more prisoner than pilot.
This personality profile didn’t change with the advent of the MX99 two seasons ago; the ski’s non-negotiable approach to turn shape – the fewer the better – limited its potential owners to those experts willing to submit to its terms.
The 20/21 MX98 incorporates several design changes that together flip the ski’s personality from stubborn to compliant. The tip is a tad wider in order to accommodate the larger Hollowtech 3.0 insert, and its slight early rise returns to a fully cambered baseline further up the ski. Note that the tail is square and flat, so the MX98 can hang onto the bottom half of a carved turn better than any other ski in the AMW genre.
One property that hasn’t changed about the flagship MX model is its pedigree: it comes from a line of carving models, the only ski in the All-Mountain West to do so. When other AMW models confront a foot of new snow they’re predisposed to ride near the surface, while the MX98 bulls it to the side. Getting knocked off course feels not only unlikely, but impossible.
K2 completely changed every core model in its 19/20 line, without straying one centimeter from its core values. True, the Mindbenders are built differently than the Pinnacles of yesteryear, using all wood cores in their Ti incarnations (say ta-ta to Nano-tech), and more Titanal in the tail section to increase rear support compared to the passé Pinnacles.
Even though the Mindbender Ti series, of which the 90Ti is the narrowest, aims for a better class of skier (if you’ll pardon the expression), they’re not so stout they can’t be controlled by adventurous intermediates. The Mindbenders’ Ti Y-Beam construction puts Titanal over the edge in the forebody but moves it away from edge in the tail. This adjusts the skis’ torsional rigidity requirements to create more bite in the forebody and easier release of the tail, without affecting their even, balanced flex longitudinally.
Light and responsive to a gentle hand on the reins, the Mindbender 90Ti may at first blush feel a tad too loose in the tip to trust at warp speed, but it proves trustworthy if given a chance to run at high rpms. An elevated platform connected to the core by its robust sidewall gives the Mindbender 90 Ti turbo power when rolled on edge. “It turns the way you ask it to and holds with confidence on hardpack,” attests Ward Pyles from Peter Glenn.
The return of the MX88 to the Kästle line is a significant re-launch, as it’s not only a revered model with more than 10 years of history, it’s also one of the first skis made by Kästle for Kästle in over two decades. To finally get to the point, the resuscitated MX88 is a gem, perhaps the smoothest, most unperturbed ride in a genre overstocked with stellar skis.
The changes to the new MX88 are similar to the tweaks applied to the Blizzard Brahma 88 and Nordica Enforcer 94 in that the particulars sound inconsequential, yet the total effect is stunning. Using poplar in the core in lieu of silver fir makes the MX88 considerably lighter than the MX89, so the new model feels more nimble. The forebody now has a hint of early rise but it doesn’t compromise snow contact because the new Hollowtech 3.0 tip design muffles shock before it can knock the edge off line.
All these embellishments make the MX88 easier to bow and more subtle in its transition from edge to edge. The new MX88 takes less effort to guide without surrendering an ounce of its power quotient, so it’s more amenable to the movements of the less skilled skier. While it’s not necessary to ski the MX88 with the speedometer pegged, it would be a shame not to let it run.
Tester: Pauline Astruc
The M-PRO 90 W is an all-new woman’s freeride ski that we launched as part of Dynastar’s new M-Line collection. We’ve introduced the ski in three sizes (154, 162, and 170cm) with sidecuts specifically adapted to each size to better address the size specific needs of every type of female skier. Featuring a directional freeride shape, this is a ski that really bridges the freeride/all-mountain segments and offers fast and precise performance for advanced to expert women skiers.
We are fortunate to have our home at the foot of Mt. Blanc in Chamonix. The access to every variety of terrain and snow condition allows us to gain a strong understanding of a ski’s strengths and weaknesses. Even with a freeride ski we will generally begin development on piste as this is where every little imperfection can be felt. For the M-Pro 90 W I began on a mid-steep slope with northern exposure, slowly rolling the ski from edge to edge and then progressing on later runs until I was really skiing fast. My initial impression was that I was on a slalom ski. The instant engagement and quickness edge to edge was amazing. Later, when moving into mixed snow conditions, the combination of our Hybrid Core construction and Rocket Frame Ti insert allowed me to continue pressing the gas with a level of confidence I hadn’t really experienced before. Quick and nimble, yet strong and damp. Really the perfect combination for a fun, confident everyday ski that’s not overly demanding yet delivers strong performance and pure all-mountain versatility.
