This is a ski that I really wanted to get on. A bit of history: I am a huge fan of Kastle MX line and the only reason why I never owned the MX88/89 was that I fall solidly between sizes. MX98 was always on my mind, but the thought of a stout ski with two layers of metal and 28m (!) sidecut was troubling enough to not pull the trigger. This year Kastle brought the MX98 back from the dead, added a full layer of vibration-dampening carbon to the ski and some minuscule “marketing” early rise, dropped the sidecut to a more humane 22m and rechristened it the MX99. Hmmm… . So, earlier this year, I happened to be in Aspen and found a 184 cm demo pair at Miller Sports, which is a big Kastle dealer in Aspen. I actually happened to rent the ski from no other but Ted Davenport (Chris Davenport’s brother) who showed me his personal 184 MX99 and told me that while he loves his brother’s pro model (the FX95HP), he now skis only that MX99. Given that I seem to have at least 20 lb on Ted I felt fairly reassured. (Spoiler alert- Ted Davenport is a former world class professional freerider, so to say I got a false sense of security is a huge understatement).
Quick description of the ski geometry- it is a Kastle MX, so a straightforward sandwich sidewall construction, a fairly traditional tip with a large Hollowtech cutout, smidge of early rise, and not a lot of taper. Unlike the other Kastle the hollow tech hole is not transparent, but is covered with the carbon fiber sheet. The other hallmark of the MX series if the full meaty tail, it is there. The flex is medium-stiff, with the tail being a bit stiffer than the shovel. Like all Kastle the flex is very even and smooth.
Skiing groomers: this ski rips, plain and simple. If you have ever been on a race ski, this is exactly how these boards feel, the tail has tons of energy, the tip is happy to dive into a turn (if you make it do it, more to that in a second), the edge hold is phenomenal. It’s a Kastle MX. The caveat is that like a race ski you need to stay on the tip and make it turn. The sweet spot is, ahem, not very large.
Off-piste. My first experience was a total disaster, I got dragged into some side country gates terrain with deep gloppy snow in the trees. So, no problem, get some speed, stay centered on a ski, try to turn… NOPE!!! That freight train was definitely leaving me behind. So after some cursing and momentary soul searching, I remembered about how shin pressure helps to turn race skis. After that things went way smoother. 100 mm width and a humanly flexible shovel does turn those skis, you just need to stay on those tips no matter where and how you ski. What is remarkable is how if you do it, the terrain seems to disappear under you, the stability is off the chart, so if you are able to pilot those skis around, the ride is very smooth. To my surprise I noticed that I was able to carve fairly nasty Aspen bumps and not get bucked around (the caveat was that I needed about twice the typical hipline-type space). The damp rise does help in bumps, although you definitely notice the tail getting hung up on the moguls, something that I rarely see with todays skis that have tail rocker, rounded tails, etc.
It is not a monster ski, however, I was fairly nervous on high speed traverse cataract in the trees, but I was able to scrub speed, switch directions, and stop whenever I wanted (just remember to stay forward
So, who is this ski for? It’s a groomer crusher that can and will eagerly roam all over the mountain and would compleltely dominate the mountain on the feel of a very skilled skier. It is really a “ski me if you can” type of ski. If you can drive it, the ride is priceless. If you cannot, that ski will take you for a ride.
Quick description of the ski geometry- it is a Kastle MX, so a straightforward sandwich sidewall construction, a fairly traditional tip with a large Hollowtech cutout, smidge of early rise, and not a lot of taper. Unlike the other Kastle the hollow tech hole is not transparent, but is covered with the carbon fiber sheet. The other hallmark of the MX series if the full meaty tail, it is there. The flex is medium-stiff, with the tail being a bit stiffer than the shovel. Like all Kastle the flex is very even and smooth.
Skiing groomers: this ski rips, plain and simple. If you have ever been on a race ski, this is exactly how these boards feel, the tail has tons of energy, the tip is happy to dive into a turn (if you make it do it, more to that in a second), the edge hold is phenomenal. It’s a Kastle MX. The caveat is that like a race ski you need to stay on the tip and make it turn. The sweet spot is, ahem, not very large.
Off-piste. My first experience was a total disaster, I got dragged into some side country gates terrain with deep gloppy snow in the trees. So, no problem, get some speed, stay centered on a ski, try to turn… NOPE!!! That freight train was definitely leaving me behind. So after some cursing and momentary soul searching, I remembered about how shin pressure helps to turn race skis. After that things went way smoother. 100 mm width and a humanly flexible shovel does turn those skis, you just need to stay on those tips no matter where and how you ski. What is remarkable is how if you do it, the terrain seems to disappear under you, the stability is off the chart, so if you are able to pilot those skis around, the ride is very smooth. To my surprise I noticed that I was able to carve fairly nasty Aspen bumps and not get bucked around (the caveat was that I needed about twice the typical hipline-type space). The damp rise does help in bumps, although you definitely notice the tail getting hung up on the moguls, something that I rarely see with todays skis that have tail rocker, rounded tails, etc.
It is not a monster ski, however, I was fairly nervous on high speed traverse cataract in the trees, but I was able to scrub speed, switch directions, and stop whenever I wanted (just remember to stay forward
So, who is this ski for? It’s a groomer crusher that can and will eagerly roam all over the mountain and would compleltely dominate the mountain on the feel of a very skilled skier. It is really a “ski me if you can” type of ski. If you can drive it, the ride is priceless. If you cannot, that ski will take you for a ride.
Race ski level power and precision in 100 mm width
Race ski level forgiveness
