There are a handful of skis that make you a better skier from the moment you step on them. The Kästle MX84 is assuredly among them. If you tip it, you’ll be carving on an edge so secure you can’t shake it loose even if you try. “Oh My Gosh!!,” trills JC from The Sport Loft. “This ski brought my skills up to a whole new level – holy cow – now I see why they are such amazing skis. The word to describe it is CONTROL. Loved these!”

This may sound like high praise, but it’s par for the course where the MX84 is concerned. No other non-race ski handles speed with such suavity. As one’s aura of invincibility grows with every immaculate turn, so does the temptation to amp up the acceleration. Just what the MX84 was waiting for. It’s fully cambered baseline and classic, wood/metal/glass construction is made to respond to speed. No matter how fast you go, the MX84 seems to have a power reserve that will allow you to go even faster if you have the cajones.

If you’re wondering why the MX84 costs such a pretty penny, it’s because it allows you to do things you never did before. Its serenity on edge is unwavering on any snow at any speed, although hard snow and high speeds are its bread and butter. Of course it will make short-radius turns, particularly in its shorter lengths, but it’s like asking American Pharoah to pull a plow. “For someone with the skills, getting this ski to do what you want is effortless,” sighs Amy from Footloose.

The MX84 expects its rider to be a solid technical skier, able to make turn adjustments with minor changes in edge angle rather than by throwing it sideways. Its tip-to-tail, continuous sidecut works with its utterly unrockered baseline to maintain snow contact that borders on the magnetic. Most testers are gobsmacked by its brilliance, penning exclamations like this one from The Sport Loft: “This is the best ski ever!!!”