Kästle Announces Largest Model Line Increase Since 2007

[Wasatchman]

Maybe the down market lines will be made Czech Republic and higher end lines kept in Austria?

Moving down market widens the market for Kastle, but also risks hurting the company's image. Let's see what happens, but I don't know, I'm not exactly chomping at the bit to try Kastle's down market models.

 

[JohnnyG]

If it doesn't say "Made in Austria" it isn't really a Kastle.
Looks to me like the new owners of Kastle are trying to take another venerable brand to the bank through cheap manufacture and mass distribution.
Say it ain't so, Phil...?
I mean, who could imagine a Ducati or Ferrari that doesn't say "Made in Italy."

Aston Martin Cygnet; it was made to lower their overall CAFE ratings

 

[TheArchitect]

Maybe the down market lines will be made Czech Republic and higher end lines kept in Austria?

Moving down market widens the market for Kastle, but also risks hurting the company's image. Let's see what happens, but I don't know, I'm not exactly chomping at the bit to try Kastle's down market models.

One of my old hobbies was audio and I had some higher-end Klipsch Forte IIs, Academy, and various KG speakers bought before they started selling Klipsch at Best Buy. They were only sold at AV shops and not mass-market and the brand had cachet. Selling at Best Buy damaged their rep and I never really liked the sound of their mass-market offerings.

AV is less of a hobby now and I sold the Klipsch speakers. Ironically, I replaced them with Bowers and Wilkins, which has done the same damn thing; selling at Best Buy!

 

[cantunamunch]

Maybe the down market lines will be made Czech Republic and higher end lines kept in Austria?

Moving down market widens the market for Kastle, but also risks hurting the company's image. Let's see what happens, but I don't know, I'm not exactly chomping at the bit to try Kastle's down market models.

I think they'll be just fine.

The US will only see the tip of the iceberg - and even if the model is available in the US it won't get ordered by retailers who want to fit an 'image'.

Just like already happens with other ski brands *cough*Head*cough* and other Euro brands that have a synthetic 'luxury' image in the US. How many retailers in your local market have ordered Head V-series? Zero in ours. Mid-market Fischer? Again, zero in ours, except for junior skis.

I also don't buy into the 'diminished value' argument. By analogy - the Tesla Model 3 is out - where are all the super-cheap, price-plummeted used Roadsters? Minty premium gear keeps value because it is worth it.

The only used gear that will - and should - have a diminished value is the beat-to-death skis from 8-10 years ago that are still being recycled by bottom-drawer eBay resellers. Budget concerns? I would far rather have - and have my friends on - a current DX than a scuzzed out LX/MX from 2010.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

If it doesn't say "Made in Austria" it isn't really a Kastle.
Looks to me like the new owners of Kastle are trying to take another venerable brand to the bank through cheap manufacture and mass distribution.
Say it ain't so, Phil...?
I mean, who could imagine a Ducati or Ferrari that doesn't say "Made in Italy."

Kastle has been making skis at Elan for years, so they've already been out of Austria to some degree. I heard that the new skis are made in Tunisia though. That may be a bridge too far.

 

[cantunamunch]

I heard that the new skis are made in Tunisia though. That may be a bridge too far.

At Meditec where (we hear) Movement do theirs?
http://www.meditec.com.tn/products.php

 

[Choucas]

The claim is that Kastle is a ski manufacturer. As far as I know, they don’t manufacture their own skis. Being recently acquired, will their manufacturing move out of Austria and product move more mass market? Talking with shop folks in Lech this week, they expressed concern that Kastle’s new, non-Autrian owners will screw it up. Interesting to see how this unfolds.

 

[Andy Mink]

How many retailers in your local market have ordered Head V-series?

I've seen a few but very limited, either V8 or V10 but not both. Too bad because a lot of folks on the Supershapes MAY have a better time on the Vs. May.

 

[cantunamunch]

I've seen a few but very limited,

And you're in a bigger market.

I'm wondering if we'll see Kastle stores in the 3-5 year time frame., or if they've missed their window.

 

[LindseyB]

If it doesn't say "Made in Austria" it isn't really a Kastle.
Looks to me like the new owners of Kastle are trying to take another venerable brand to the bank through cheap manufacture and mass distribution.
Say it ain't so, Phil...?
I mean, who could imagine a Ducati or Ferrari that doesn't say "Made in Italy."

Amazes me how much wool has been pulled over eyes.
Made in Austria does not mean anything on those. Limited edition and wood vernere does.
What was the 8th letter you learned in Kindergarten?
Because others have made huge sacrifices to stay true to the customer and never compromise instead or perpetuating a falsehood I have know qualm exposing the truth. The consumer deserves it.
Btw, just stopped by the booth.
If under the eagle it says, "Austrian Technology", what does that tell you?

 

[TheArchitect]

Amazes me how much wool has been pulled over eyes.
Made in Austria does not mean anything on those. Limited edition and wood vernere does.
What was the 8th letter you learned in Kindergarten?
Because others have made huge sacrifices to stay true to the customer and never compromise instead or perpetuating a falsehood I have know qualm exposing the truth. The consumer deserves it.
Btw, just stopped by the booth.
If under the eagle it says, "Austrian Technology", what does that tell you?

Okay, I sense an agenda but I’ll bite. What truth are you trying to expose? Up until and including this year Kastle have been making fantastic skis so I can’t see an issue that’s been going on. If the new skis now say “Austrian Tehnology” then that’s unfortunate as it suggests to me they’re not made in Austria anymore.

 

[Johnny V.]

Quick question for those with more knowledge of ski manufacturer history than I have-was Kastle considered a premium brand when they went out of business/closed in the '90's or were they revived as such by the new owners/marketers? As I was getting into skiing I remember seeing them around, but can't say if anyone I knew skied them.

 

[Alexzn]

Quick question for those with more knowledge of ski manufacturer history than I have-was Kastle considered a premium brand when they went out of business/closed in the '90's or were they revived as such by the new owners/marketers? As I was getting into skiing I remember seeing them around, but can't say if anyone I knew skied them.

The current Kastle has nothing to do with the old one )owned by UCoBenneton), other the name. the old Kastle had a storied path, but was responsible for producing some of the worst skis ever made (the hollow tube construction skis come to mind). I believe somebody bought the brand name and set about making much better skis, and starting with the MX line, that's what they were making. This year seems to be a new chapter.

 

[Mike Thomas]

The 'old Kastles' are Nordica.

 

[Alexzn]

I am biased (as the current FXHP and MX owner), but I do not like the direction this is going. The advantage of Kastle was always that you got high-quality construction with full-race sandwich, full wood cores, metal layers, and rubber dampening layers (OK, that one was partial on the FX). The trip-core sounds like they only use expensive high-density stuff for the middle core. I am curious about the direction the FX shape is taking. Thankfully they didn't take away the taper, which is defined feature of that line, that's what makes it so reliable off-piste. I don't think HPs needed to lose any weight, if anything that was an advantage in chop (although Head Kore and DPS to some extent can make a light ski work in the chop, but neither approaches the dampness of the Kastle HP and MX offerings).

Not being made in Austria will be a marketing disaster for the higher end lines. I don't think beginners and juniors care.

 

[TheArchitect]

I am biased (as the current FXHP and MX owner), but I do not like the direction this is going. The advantage of Kastle was always that you got high-quality construction with full-race sandwich, full wood cores, metal layers, and rubber dampening layers (OK, that one was partial on the FX). The trip-core sounds like they only use expensive high-density stuff for the middle core. I am curious about the direction the FX shape is taking. Thankfully they didn't take away the taper, which is defined feature of that line, that's what makes it so reliable off-piste. I don't think HPs needed to lose any weight, if anything that was an advantage in chop (although Head Kore and DPS to some extent can make a light ski work in the chop, but neither approaches the dampness of the Kastle HP and MX offerings).

Not being made in Austria will be a marketing disaster for the higher end lines. I don't think beginners and juniors care.

I'm going to take a wait and see approach because it's not like a I need a new pair. I have the MX88 and FX94 and both have less than 40 days on them. My BMX105's are new and have exactly 1 day on them. Once the reviews start coming out I'll have more information to work with. If the new FX and MX are truly of lesser quality I'll be buying a 2019 MX89 right away before they're gone. I demo'd the FX95 HP earlier this season and wasn't love.

 

[Muleski]

Maybe I'm a bit of an optimist, but I don't think the new owner is going to screw this up. As I understand it, the development, R&D, etc. is staying in Austria. Not that moving it would be a problem. I assume that he wants to keep that team in place. He has stated that he's going to move production to the Czech Republic, where he already builds 100K pairs of skis a year in his factory, for many other brands. Kastle builds about 20K pairs a year, or less. Of course most stay in Austria or come to the USA.

I think the Kastle group is on the Swiss border, far Eastern Austria. Have no idea where this factory is in the CR, but it's probably a just 5-6 hour drive. So, it's not hard for them to be back and forth. I would bet that they will be building at least some top quality skis, minus the "Made in Austria" cachet.

Of course they could screw it up, as well. Remains to be seen.

 

[TheArchitect]

Maybe I'm a bit of an optimist, but I don't think the new owner is going to screw this up. As I understand it, the development, R&D, etc. is staying in Austria. Not that moving it would be a problem. I assume that he wants to keep that team in place. He has stated that he's going to move production to the Czech Republic, where he already builds 100K pairs of skis a year in his factory, for many other brands. Kastle builds about 20K pairs a year, or less. Of course most stay in Austria or come to the USA.

I think the Kastle group is on the Swiss border, far Eastern Austria. Have no idea where this factory is in the CR, but it's probably a just 5-6 hour drive. So, it's not hard for them to be back and forth. I would bet that they will be building at least some top quality skis, minus the "Made in Austria" cachet.

Of course they could screw it up, as well. Remains to be seen.

Like I said, I plan to reserve judgement. That said, I doubt those 100k skis he's building there are at the same level as Kastle. Maybe some are? The R+D is good news but if the skis are built poorly then that research doesn't mean as much. At my firm we design details that are high quality and should perform for decades but if the guy on the construction site just slaps it together then all bets are off.

 

[rj2]

I have four days on my 2017 FX85 HPs that I purchased earlier this month from @SkiEssentials. It's an amazing ski, even more so at $399. Same year FX95 HPs are $599.

I hope Kästle keeps the magic. It's a huge increase in models and I'm unclear what markets they're currently missing.

@Philpug, you need a wireless mic for the Facebook Live feeds. Well, maybe not you, as your voice carries, but @Tricia for sure.

 

[wallyk]

Not a surprise at all and the Kastlephiles, one right here, should've seen the warning or the writing on the wall when the sale was announced and finalized last year. Is there any doubt that this will "screwed up"......feels like a matter of when it will occur......sacrifice quality for quantity at a time when trying to reduce overhead and maximize profits by leveraging a boutique brand name.