2021 Volkl Kanjo 84

One of the nice overhauls by Volkl for 2021 is the update of the Kanjo. Now called the Kanjo 84 (still the same basic shape as older version), these quick-turning, all-mountain slaying skis of the past few years are ready to gain a new following, while retaining the same skier as before. Gone is the titanal band that used to run the middle length of the ski, in comes a glass frame. This technology is also found on the Deacon 80, and is a sibling of the titanal frame that's found on the Mantra, Kendo, and now Katana skis. By taking the frame technology that has proven to be a winner, and making it lighter and more accessible for all-mountain carvers and emerging advanced skiers, Volkl has made the Kanjo a ski that has a ton of energy without being too burly or hefty. The old ski was super-quick and fun, but did lack a bit of edge grip, especially when pushed hard. That didn't stop our testers in the past from being very impressed with what was perceived to be more of an intermediate ski. They all found that the Kanjo had a very high-performance ceiling, and should not be overlooked by advanced or even expert skiers who are looking for something that gravitates towards having fun on the front side.

At 84 mm underfoot and built with a multi-layer wood core, the skis are similar to the Kendo, just a bit narrower and with a fiberglass frame instead of a titanal one. This gives the skis a lighter and quicker feeling and a quicker waist width for easier turns. Underfoot, the skis have the same titanal power plate that's found in the new Blaze series skis from Volkl, and this edge to edge metal plate does give some good grip and stability underfoot, so in addition to the glass frame, the ski is quite a bit tougher than it seems at first glance. We expect the Kanjo to appeal to a bigger audience with this new build, as it taps into a lot of the positive technologies that Volkl has implemented into their other skis so it's kind of like a mashup of those attributes, and it should make for a popular and strong-skiing product. We only managed to get one contributor on it this year, Jeffrey Siegel, but I'd imagine we'll be doing more in-depth reviews of these skis in the not-too distant future.

On the 175, Jeffrey noted that he could either ski that length or the 182, but for his size, "I think that either the 174 or the 182 was fine. Understanding that the ski isn't for a speed demon, I think I'd recommend the versatility of the shorter length." His scores are reflective of that analysis, with scores of 2 out of 5 for flotation and stability. Jeff's high score was a 5 out of 5 for forgiveness, and he gave 4's for quickness, maneuverability, playfulness, and edge hold. The glass frame is the likely culprit of that higher score for edge grip and torsional stiffness, as it does a great job of focusing energy and power to the edges of the skis, whereas the older titanal band left the edges pretty much alone. In terms of the changes, Jeff notes that it's "definitely a change from the original Kanjo. Still very easy to ski. Very easy to initiate turns. Too soft to be really stable at full speed. Decent bump ski, but there's also a speed limit there. More accessible and probably a better ski for intermediate and advanced skiers, but expert skiers and larger, hard chargers will likely overpower the ski." Fair enough, Jeff, and a good thing that Volkl makes skis like the Kendo and Mantra as well!

It's great when a ski gets an overhaul like the Kanjo. It always seemed like a ski that was getting overlooked for one reason or another, and now with the rebuild, the hope is that more skiers will see it and identify with it, as it's a strong mid-80's waist-width contender for that all-mountain skier who is looking to improve and take their skiing to the next level.