Kastle MX88 vs. Volkl Kendo

The Porsche Cayenne Turbo will blast across any road in style and power.

 

A Chevy Traverse does the same.

 

It all depends on how much you feel in the ski.  

 

Precision is rewarded with the Kastle, and like the Porsche, a slight error will punish you where a Chevy is a bit less elegant, at half the price you can still push it around corners even if they feel a bit less worthy.

Get'em.    I have never skied the Kendos, but I own MX88s, 178.  I had the Volkl RTM 84 and I thought they were fine, but these are just awesome.  I'm a little taller and 15 lbs lighter and the length is perfect.  They are just a precise and bullet proof ski.  They carve well on groomers for a ski that wide too, but they love 4-8" of new snow, crud, chop, etc...  I haven't had them in deep snow, they do have some tip rise, but none in the tail.  I'm sure they would be fine, but the other rockered skis might be easier.   I am not good in bumps, but just manage them okay for what it's worth and have skied them in medium to large bumps.  It took some work, but I think it had more to do with my lack of skill there.    I have the RX12s for days on the groomers and that is another great ski.  Just my 2 cts. 

The MX 88 is the ski for sure...I have skied both the 88 and the Kendo. I have purchased multiple skis from Starthaus and Dawgcatching and the experience has always been 110 percent positive (3 pair from each). Tell the old man it's 2012 and buying from an online store with a great reputation is a pleasure and their pricing will certainly beat your local shop. Just my two cents.

^^^^ Resistance is futile.

Just demoed the MX88's and have tried most of the contenders including the Kendo (my main ski is still the AC50)... and there is really no contest at all... the MX88's have the x-factor of finesse, smoothness, complete versatility and just plain ski-ability that slays the field... the day I tried them I had a wide variety of snow in Park City ranging from hard groomers to about 8-9 inches of powder... and these were just the ultimate tool in every condition I could find... they may be just a hair less stable at 50mph than my AC50's, but in terms of overall skiability for high intermediate to advanced skiers these are truly in a class by themselves... the best thing I can say is that you remember the silky, rock solid yet playful sensation of being on them long after you click out of the bindings...

 

Anyone have some 178s they want to part with?

 

Andrew

Shredded my 2011 Kendo on a traverse @ Squaw couple weeks ago. Bought a MX88 that night as a replacement. Next morning ran across a great deal on the Kendo at a shop across from Squaw. Bought two pairs for both my son and I. Been skiing them back to back almost every day for the last two weeks @ various Lake Tahoe resorts.

 

The MX88 feels better in softer snow, slides laterally a bit easier and has a smoother, more solid and damper feel. Doesn’t matter what you do – it won’t kick you.  

 

The Kendo is quicker edge to edge, more pop out of the turn, quicker in the bump, better on ice and super hard pack.  Rewards a technically competent and aggressive skier. Back seat drivers need not apply.

 

FWIW, the Kendo is still my every day ski. YMMV.

Wow. That's serious $$ in 24 hours. Congrats. My mileage varies, in that I find the MX88's bizarrely grippy for a ski that wide. But in a characteristic way; very low key and undramatic, no sense of "hey, I'm an ice skate, feel me grip" like my old Fischers used to give. Just totally planted on say Telluride ice at 35-45 mph GS size turns. Think the damping has something to do with it. OTOH, have not skied Kendos, so cannot compare. If they're significantly better, that's race ski territory. Would not be surprised if they've got more pop, not a Kastle quality for the tail. And IMO the MX88's are very quick and light into a turn, but the longer radius at the big square tail means you have to spend some attention to the finish. So overall yep, bet they feel less quick edge to edge, more GS-ish. 

Incidentally, any hints of (yeah, I know this is ski porn territory) a 2014 MX88 that has early rise? When even Stockli's going to ER, wonder if Kastle will stick with their business model of limiting it to the BMX line. IMO you could give some of their metal skis some ER, keep the tails and flex as are, and still not have a BMX.

I just spent a week in Kitzbuhel on my new MX88's (thanks Phil @ Starthaus for getting them to me in time). We had conditions ranging from blowing snowstorms with 2+ feet of powder at the beginning of the week to chopped up crud a couple of days later to slushy spring conditions at the end of the week and nicely groomed ice as slush froze. I have to say that the MX88's handled it all. Fantastic feel in the soft snow - easy to turn and decent float (I'm 6'0", 220 lbs and was skiing the 178's). Just as good in the crud. Even with the soft tips that make them ski well in the powder, they had no issue plowing through the piles. What really surprised me is how well they did on the hard and ice stuff. It was like being on ice skates. The edges just grip.

 

If I had to say something negative about them, it would be that they really prefer to go fast. They're kind of ho-hum and unremarkable at slow speeds, but when you let them run it's magic!

 

One interesting story. On my first ride up the Hahnenkamm gondola, I ended up with a nice Austrian couple both skiing Kastle's. The woman asked about mine, where I got them, etc. Turns out, her son is the product development director at Kastle and he was in town. She was so excited to see that I was skiing Kastle skis and had brought them over from the US, she felt obligated to call her son and tell him......

 

Do yourself (and your dad) a favor - buy the Kastles

Sorry for the negative comments above, you are right they were unnecessary. As mentioned, once you get the taste of the Kaslte, you won't want to ski anything else in that range. Now...boots....

 

I demo'd the MX88's and Kendos today.  I wasn't planning to buy today but I have some white skis sitting next to me as I type this.

 

Skied last two day on the MX88 @ Squaw. It is really a sweet ski in the softer snow. Silky smooth. Much better ride quality than the Kendo. No surprise ever. The ski slips really well from side to side. Doesn't matter whether you load the tip or tail - the ski reacts along the entire edge. It does have a good even pop out of the turn - not a tail pop but rather the whole ski unloads. Really nice. No surprise that will blow you into the weeds. Can't do no wrong on it on any terrain with the exception of hard ice bumps and/or really narrow gullies.  

 

The last two days condition is quite different than the ones encountered @ Squaw prior to the big dump during the gathering week. I was on my 184 Goat most of the gathering week. The week prior was mostly east coast conditions. Hard icy bumps and boiler plate as groom runs - it as been a really really bad season. The Kendo is better in those conditions. Also I'm in the bumps most of the time, The Kendo wins my vote there. The preference may also be coloured by the red neck blue collar boy in me.   

 

So if you do 20+ days @ Sun Valley, go for the MX88. Kendo would be more suited to the character building New England conditions and if you ski hard icy bumps for fun.   

 

    

As of a couple of days ago, my Whistler quiver went from this:

 

 

 

To this:

 

 

Now have what I need for all conditions.

 

Go for the MX88's - like nothing I've skied before. Then try the BMX108 for pow - O.M.G. - bliss is at hand!

 

 

Both pairs are mounted centerline, however the bindings are adjustable and I can quickly go 1.5CM fore/aft. I've just left in center, and they perform like Kastle's.

Actually the Kastle have better edge grip on icy hard pack than the Kendo. However, in frozen coral reef & chicken heads, the MX88 defect quite a bit more than the Kendo. The Kendo generally rattles around a bit but keeps the turn going. Not so much with the Kastle. It's been a really bad season @ Squaw this year. Hopefully with the storms rolling in the coming week the condition will improve. Agree with you the MX88 is extremely smooth at the top of the turn - an incredible feeling.   

 

Quote:

...err different ski but i demoed the BMX88 on manmade "packed powder" was put off by the dual radius, thought it could be good in "real" snow so rented it at Sugarbush when they got close to a foot little more than a week ago. There the dual radius was working for me in the soft bumps and trees but and this is a huge but, they dropped like a rock down the fall line of the windswept steep upper slope to the right off of Heavens Gate lift. I couldn't get the edges to bite into the ice. Did the run several times, they just slid down the fall line till i hit the snowpack and could engage the edges. Would've traded them in for a MX or something else but didn't want to waste my time on the mountain in transit etc so put up with it, they were ok elsewhere. I don't know how much my 140lbs @5'7" weight or the 168cm ski length factored in, i would think the longer length should've had a longer edge contact point for bite, not so. Guys on the lift as well as the shop guy felt the edges and said they were fine, so probably not the tune. I'm to light for the MX and will probably look into the 2013 Kendo next year, been hearing good things about it.
 

 

Edited by neonorchid - 3/11/12 at 12:12pm

APapalian

APapalian,

 

First point: Get it over with buy the mx88's so you can start enjoying them. Gotta believe that you will not regret the choice. Understand your father's reluctance to buy through the internet, but dawgcatching, SierraJim and Philpug are well respected members of this community that have been around forever. Maybe your father should call your preferred retailer and have a chat.

 

 

Second point: once you get your skis and dial in your boots, then seriously consider learning to ski bumps. Most of us have passed through your stage - having SO much fun skiing fast and turning hard that you ask yourself why you should suffer in the bumps when you can be ripping. What might surprise you, though, is that the skills you learn in the bumps will help your skiing all over the mountain. Suddenly those late day mounds of snow that pop up on the groomed become playthings instead of annoyances. Your skiing becomes all around more enjoyable and playful. At least that's how it worked for me. And trust me, I had to be dragged into the bumps kicking and screaming by my son and his roommate. Best favor anyone ever did for me.

 

Have fun,    rick p

 

 

^This.  +11tybillion.

 

Although, for me, it was a girl who got me to ski bumps.  If I couldn't keep up on the hill, I couldn't keep up off the hill.

 

I learned to ski bumps pretty quick that season.

 

I hear you Slow Eddie.

 

My wife was the other motivator - still remember the day she kicked my butt in moguls on Jack Rabbit and Chute at Sierra.

I was thinking "please, please stop so I can rest".  She didn't until another skier got in her way. I was very thankful for that intervention.       rickp

When you put the kendo and the mx88 side to side, they really are similar! 1 mm difference on the shovel; mostly the same flex at shovel and tail; 2 layers of titanal; same radius... The most evident difference is in the tail ( larger and square on the mx88).

Well, I should be able to ski the mx88 before 2013 and I own a Kendo so I'll be able to compare them in action!

BTW, I wish the base of the mx88 is more resistant that the one of the Kendo ( edges too!)!

If they could be as resistent as my Sultan 85... It's amazing how tough the base and edges are on these skis...After 2 seasons, they still look like new!!!