No other non-race ski handles speed with such suavity. As one’s aura of invincibility grows with every immaculate turn, so does the temptation to amp up the acceleration. Just what the MX84 was waiting for. It’s fully cambered baseline and classic, wood/metal/glass construction is made to respond to speed. No matter how fast you go, the MX84 seems to have a power reserve that will allow you to go even faster if you have the cajones. Its serenity on edge is unwavering on any snow at any speed, although hard snow and high speeds are its bread and butter. Of course it will make short-radius turns, particularly in its shorter lengths, but it’s like asking American Pharaoh to pull a plow. “For someone with the skills, getting this ski to do what you want is effortless,” sighs Amy from Footloose.
That both Kästle RX12’s sit atop our Power rankings proves that our testers prefer the more forgiving branch of the race ski family tree. The RX12 GS behaves less like a true race GS than a narrow-waisted carver. It’s unadorned by any plate or interface except what may come with a given race binding, so it isn’t as tippy as a ski with more standheight. Being closer to the snow gives it a more all-mountain feel and allows the skier to roll gradually to the edge. The absence of extra hardware not only makes the RX12 lighter than category average, it helps to keep it supple and easy to bend.
The RX12 SL is built on traditional bones, with a classic, metal/glass sandwich around a poplar/ash core, to which Kästle adds its special ingredient, the colorful Hollowtech tip, to keep its fully cambered baseline in contact with the snow. A continuous-radius sidecut extends all the way into the tip, so as soon as it’s tipped, it’s engaged. Unfettered by FIS restrictions on sidecut radius, Kästle went tighter, pinching the RX12 SL’s radius down to 12.5m in a 165cm.
