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Kastle is a ski name you may remember as being one of the racing greats in the nineties. Then they disappeared off the radar. Now, Kastle are back with some ex-Austrian racers as investors and a killer line up of team skiers. 
Brand: Kastle
Ski: MX 88 (2008)
Ski discipline: Freeride
Length(s): 158-168-178-188
Radius: 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5
Sidecut(s) (tip-waist-tail): 128-88-113
Length tested: 178 Manufacturer's Description of the Kastle MX 88: "The MX88 is a true freeride ski with unrivaled power, stability and control to handle every imaginable condition on the mountain. The 88 mm waist and moderate sidecut guarantee fun in all mountain settings." Ski-Review's Verdict: Skier stats = 170 cm, 70 kg. Skied since 4 plus 7 seasons. Easy rider. Equipped with the MX 88, I headed off the lift and was just about to try a little bit of powder when I noticed a newly groomed black. I straightened them out, got a good bit of speed up and applied some pressure. Then I had to stop and double check I was actually on a ski with an 88mm waist. They turn hard and stay very stable. So - back up to the powder, which by now was a tracked, cruddy nightmare. Typical, I knew I should have done the runs the other way round! Anyway, the conditions did not seem to worry the Kastle and actually, it was a lot of fun. Yes, fun; I generally ski some big fat long planks off piste and sometimes they are just too stable to the extent that if you want to muck about you need a different ski. The MX88 could put in some long GS turns and then dance down a tricky couloir like it was born there. I tried these on some very nasty crust and because they don't need the aggressive technique of the big chargers they tend to stay on top. I'm really in love with the MX 88 and just gutted I can't afford it. I would mount them with a Diamir Freeride (haven't tried the Marker Duke) as they'd make the ideal backcountry tour set up for Europe, if you want something that actually worthy of the beautiful white fluffy stuff you have slogged 3 hours to reach. Those light little touring skis a just a bit, well, rubbish really. However there are two downsides, one serious and one not-so-serious. 1) The price. These are not going to be in the ballpark of your average ski bum (1100 euros without bindings) and they may suffer for this. I truly believe that if a ski is to survive in this market you need endorsements from the people who ski and not just sell.
2) The graphics! come on Kastle, are you designing a computer here? To sum up; A great ski, and before anyone picks me up on the fact that I seem to love every ski I review, it is because I don't get paid to do this or even get free skis so I'm very choosy about what I sacrifice a day in the mountains on. I'm just glad, in the case of Kastle, to be right. Nice to have you back.
http://www.kaestle-ski.com
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Ski Reviews 
