In the past, no matter how many widths they offered, every pair of Kastles skied alike, with a damp feeling of power and stability that performed best in medium to long-range arcs. The FX85 HP still offers superior edge hold and great contact with the snow, but you don’t have to work as hard to make this ski turn, even in short arcs! Taking out the metal in the construction certainly contributes to that ease of use, but without sacrificing the ski’s confident ride both on and off-piste.

It didn’t rate top scores for Super G style carving, or for off-piste float. But if you felt Kastle made a little too beefy a ski for you in the past, it’s time to take a second look.