If you love carving the cleanest turns on the hill, Kastle has your stick. The MX 84 makes turns that look like a compass made them. They come out so round, it’s like the elusive perfect circle. With a largely rockered tip profile and a flat tail, the skis absolutely rail. When these things are on edge, they are in their most pure element. You could run them flat, but would you want to? They are so incredibly lively when carving; turning is quite intuitive for the MX 84. With a 16.3 meter turn radius at 176 cm long, the MX 84 have pretty much completed the turn as soon as it’s started. You have to be a sure skier; one who is able to confidently tip your skis on edge to get the most out of the MX 84. Our testers, like with the other skis in the Kastle line, consistently gave top scores for stability, torsional stiffness, and edge hold.
James Stewart skied the 176 and scored it 5 out of 5 for overall impression. “Super smooth snow feel with carving prowess. This is a European sports car all the way. You can keep your rockered tails, this ski is a boss up on edge. It’s not super demanding either, and while it does want to be pushed, I didn’t find it took too much speed to come alive. If you want a true all-mountain carver, and they’re in the budget, you cannot be disappointed.” Sounds like James had some fun on these skis!
Also skiing the 176, Bob St.Pierre had a similar experience to James. His overall impression was 5 out of 5, however no individual score other than that was a 5. This means that although the skis didn’t stand out for Bob in any other category, overall, the MX 84 was far greater than the sum of its parts. He felt like a compass made the turns, too: “Roundest, cleanest turns by far out of any ski in this test. They’re definitely a turner, not a smearer or floater. The tip hooks up instantaneously.” This type of instant response is a huge advantage for advanced and expert level skiers looking to improve their carving game.
Charlie Roy on the 176: “This ski makes camber cool again! This is meant for aggressive skiers that like to rip on hard pack. You have to stay on top of this ski as it is not very forgiving. The skis are very smooth and predictable at speed and have great edge hold. These are definitely for advanced and expert skiers. If you can handle them, they are wide enough for the ungroomed, but they will be challenging when off-trail.” That’s great analysis from Charlie, and we like the fact that he involved some off-piste review material. You have to try out skis where they are not supposed to be comfortable. Sometimes you get surprised by how well they perform, and sometimes (like this time) the skis behave as expected.
Another 5 out of 5 for overall impression comes from Michael Rooney. Michael skied the 176 and comments that “for a good, solid intermediate skier, the MX 84 will never let you down. It is a great cruising ski when you want to push it. When you do, it’ll be right there for you. The more you put it on edge, the faster it turns and the better it holds.” Michael is affirming the notion that the Kastle MX 84 responds really strongly to confident input. When you push into it, you’ll get the equal and opposite reaction.
For skiers who want heart-stopping g-forces first thing in the morning, look no further than the Kastle MX 84. They’ll take you for a ride with some of the cleanest arcs you’ve ever created.
