The Kästle MX88 has been our big favorite. It’s almost a legendary ski designed for the true skier, the one who knows what speed and pressure mean.
Indeed, it’s a beast of a piste ski that carves, that truly slices, that cuts through the slope, shall we say! We awarded it a Core Award, which rewards a powerful ski.
There’s no doubt, it has power underfoot but it quickly gets on edge despite its 88 millimeters. As soon as you initiate a turn, you discover a very stable ski that rolls on long radii. You can play with very powerful angulations, benefitting from exceptional stability. You can really attack very fast and commit without any worry.
But you need to have the technical skills, you can get a bit carried away, the speedometer needle rises quickly and you need to have the ability to get out of that carved turn. Flattening out the Kästle MX88 is a bit more difficult and it takes time. So, if you get caught in a big turn with someone who’s on your trajectory, it could end badly. You need to know how to manage the power of the tail. But it’s a truly exciting ski, you quickly feel like a very strong skier.
In the tip, the Kästle MX88 makes a particular noise. The tip is really superb: it has an insert integrated into the structure. Here, no coarse screws, the insert is directly integrated into the structure with carbon around it. The whole ski is very well finished. Honestly, there’s great pride in skiing this Kästle MX88.
The limitations of the Kästle MX88? Making small turns with a carved edge is not easy at all, logically, that’s not its program. Its thing is big, fast turns on groomed slopes.
However, given its width, it’s also versatile on the edge of the slope. It offers some flotation in powder.
Note the beautiful structure of the base.
Initiating the Kästle MX88 requires some skill. If you attack it with a slip/skid entry into the turn, it’s a bit less easy than if you go at it with a bit of speed and directly on the edge. The quality of the carved turns is exceptional. But going directly from a carve to a skid, there’s a significant reaction time. Variation in turn radius is possible, which we didn’t necessarily expect. It has a certain ability to modulate its radius.
It’s a product to put on the feet of a skier who has the physical and technical abilities to pivot and control it. A great product, exclusive and expensive but exceptional. The Core Award is well deserved.
We used this equipment over a long period of time
These are our thoughts after intensive use:
Receive your answers by mail. Do you have a particular question concerning the design, use, durability or other about a tested product? We will answer your question personally.