Hey, I’m Jackson here at Powder7. I’m here with Kastle’s all-new FX lineup of skis for 2020. Kastle is a premium brand out of Austria, and they’ve got some big changes coming for next season.
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Some of our favorite skis in the past few years have come from Kastle’s FX, or “free cross” lineup. Whereas most other Kastle skis are built mostly to carve groomers fast, FX skis have more all-mountain versatility. They perform better in soft and mixed snow and like to be skied everywhere on the mountain. This is absolutely true of the 2020 FXs.
The FX86 is unique because it’s a narrower all-mountain ski that’s aggressive but built with no metal or carbon. The wood and fiberglass core gives the skis a forgiving yet super smooth feel. They snap turns on a dime and are easy to tip on edge. Bigger Hollowtech inserts in the tips keep the weight down. We found that all these new FXs flex a bit softer than they ski. When you hit Mach 5, there’s still a real ski under you.
This is especially true of the FX96 HP and the FX106 HP. In previous models, “HP”, which stands for “high performance”, used to indicate the presence of metal. In the 2020 versions, it means these two skis are built with carbon sandwiched in the core.
Crafting skis with carbon is common in the industry these days. It keeps things light yet strong and energetic. On snow, these two new FXs are some of the absolute best carbon-built skis we’ve skied. They feel lighter than previous FX HPs, but they ski strong and don’t get bounced around. Meanwhile, they reach a whole new level of all-mountain and powder versatility. The oversized Hollowtech tips help improve quickness and powder performance, and although they look light and flexible, they don’t chatter excessively at high speeds.
Whereas intermediate skiers may have shied away from Kastles before, we recommend the new FX lineup to skiers across the ability spectrum. The new designs are easier to ski than ever, but they still feel like Kastles. They’ve still got that special sauce.
In addition to the 86, 96HP, and 106HP, also look for the widest ski in the Kastle lineup: the FX116. All these new rippers will be available at Powder7 for the 2020 season, so check them out online or in our shop in Golden, Colorado.
