2022 Kastle FX 96 Ti

The 2022 Kastle FX 96 Ti is a re-birth of the HP line from a few years back, adding the titanal laminates back to the mix, and creating a more stable, damp, and powerful version of the most recent iteration of these skis. We get amused when ski companies go back and forth on the metal versus no metal, or the rocker versus no rocker types of ski construction, but at the end of the day, Kastle makes great skis, and these new FX 96 Ti’s are some of the strongest and most well-rounded mid-90's underfooted skis we’ve been on this year. Quite a bit more stable than the last year’s 96 HP, the FX 96 Ti has a lot of the same core construction, just with metal laminates on the top and bottom, as well as fiberglass laminates, rather than a fiberglass and carbon braided “sock” that held the core together. Poplar and beech stringers line the inner chord of the ski while poplar and paulownia find their way to the outside. This gives great central stability to the ski while leaving the outer edges to be a bit more accessible and playful. This is your one-ski quiver in the Kastle lineup, especially for advanced and expert skiers who know how to carve a ski. Great on-trail performance, and strong off-piste capabilities round out these great skis, adding a whole new dimension to Kastle’s line, and creating a bit more distance between it and the ZX line, especially the 100 in relation to this 96.

On the 180, Bob St.Pierre noted that “while it skis true to size, I think I’d prefer the 188 with the longer radius.” The 18.1-meter arc in the 180 is right in the middle of everything, so you can make shorter carves if you want, but is pretty much at home riding the rails as well. Bob scored the ski 5’s out of 5 for stability, torsional stiffness, edge hold, versatility, and overall impression. 3’s for flotation, forgiveness, and playfulness present the other side of the spectrum, but overall, these are some pretty high scores. Bob calls the FX 96 Ti “a very cool ski! Loves to be pushed in a carved turn on firm snow, and is probably one of the better-carving 96’s out there. Still quick and agile enough to bust out some quick turns on the sides, and is a fairly compliant and capable mogul ski. At bit of a handful in the woods, but not impossible. I definitely feel like this ski has more of an expert flair to it than last year’s as the shovel is considerably stiffer.” When you’re hand-flexing this year versus last year’s FX 96, it’s pretty apparent that the Ti version is stiffer.

Also on the 180, Jeffrey Siegel noted the ski’s properness to length. He had top marks of 5 out of 5 for versatility and overall impression. He notes that “This is the best version of the FX96 since the original. It's exactly what the FX skis were designed to be: a ski that takes all the best qualities of the MX line and puts them in a more versatile package. Kastle took a carving ski, turned it into a charging freeride/(heavy) touring ski with minimal compromise. It -retains that uber-smooth and refined Kastle feel with a huge sweet-spot, tremendous edge hold and an easy, predictable release of power. But the shape and the camber profile make it easy to slide, smear and vary turns to your hearts content.” With all 4’s on his scorecard, John McIntosh states that the ski has “Powerful all mountain performance. Wide enough for off-piste fun, titanal makes it a bit more challenging in soft conditions.” That blend of on and off-piste performance is definitely going to be a hallmark of the FX 96 Ti going forward.

Skiers looking for that one-ski quiver on the high end of the performance and precision spectrum will love the overall feel and character of the 2022 Kastle FX 96 Ti. They have the shape, profile, and now construction that will take your skiing to the next level and beyond. Skiers who dabble in a bit of everything and value quality will definitely gravitate to these skis.