10 | SkiPress Ski Test’ 11 Powered by the Quebec Subaru Dealer’s Association

MX88128-88-113@178 cm | R 20 | $1,399 w/bContradiction can be a beautiful thing. The MX88 can be both a pushover and a power player, soft-fl exing yet stable as a steel beam. Or as one tester put it, “gentle as a lamb when need be and aggressive as soon as you turn the switch on.” Forget the mixed metaphor — you get the point. The ski is easygoing when the going is easy, yet tough as nails when the speed and terrain challenge ramp up.

LX72117-72-99@170 cm | R 16 | $1,099 w/bHere’s the usual rap on light, soft-fl exing skis: Push the pedal to the metal, and control goes out the window. The feathery LX72 is an exception, a cruiser’s delight that remains solid underfoot as speed is pushed toward the red zone. Turn initiation is remarkably easy; a quick fl ick of the feet, and the ski makes an instantaneous change of direction. “Just the right amount of energy to make it a playful ski,” wrote one tester. Playful and powerful — nice.

LX82127-82-109@172 cm | R 16.5 | $1,199 w/bJust how easy is it to turn the LX82? “They initiate with the touch of a feather,” wrote one tester, while another wrote, “They forgive like Jesus.” To ride these skis might not quite be a religious experience, but they do offer a sweet baptism into the pure experience of all-mountain exploration. Kästle has once again hit on an improbable combo: super light, yet super stable. The result is a versatile, go-anywhere superstar. It gets no easier than this.

FX94128-94-117@176 | R 20 | $1,399 w/bTo everything, there is a purpose… For the FX94, that purpose is to rip big turns in big snow. The FX94 craves being in the wide-open terrain of high-alpine country. Think of the lift-serviced frontside as little more than access to the deep-snow joys of the sidecountry and backcountry. “Buy me a ticket out West,” wrote one tester. “Confi dent on a groomed slope, but shines in the powder and crud.”

MX98126-98-116@174 cm | R 24 | $1,199 w/bAt almost 100 millimetres underfoot, guess what the MX98’s forte is? Powder, of course. Here’s a ski that relies more on its rockered tip than its sidecut to create turn shapes. Not surprisingly, the ski executes big turns on soft snow with far greater confi dence than tight turns on fi rm snow, although for a fat board, it’s more versatile than you might think. Still, wait for the snow to start piling up on the deck before strapping on these babies.

FX84122-84-119@176 cm | R 18 | $1,299 w/bIn the FX84 instruction manual, it should tell you right up front: Seek out the soft stuff. It might balk a bit on fi rmer surfaces, but as the snow deepens, it can create the “impression of gliding on a cloud,” according to one tester. Big turns, soft snow, wide-open spaces — this is a ski that will be most at home in high-alpine terrain. Also to include in the instruction manual: Go West, young man.

RX 12118-70-100@176 cm | R 16.5 | $1,499 w/bThe RX 12 might be a sheep in wolf’s clothing — a ski that’s designed as a snarling carver but turns out to be a lighthearted softie at home in deeper snow. The ski might be a little slippery when a fi rm edge is applied to fi rm snow, but testers liked its light, fl oaty feel when the snow softened up. Little fellas are going to like its crossover personality — a lightweight that’s easy to pivot on softer snow, but with enough sidecut for carving. RX 12

118-70-100@160 cm | R 13.5 | $1,499 w/bFind the sweet spot on this ski, and step through the looking glass into a magic wonderland. Here’s how one tester described the RX 12: “Stable, articulated, it loves to ride,” praising it for its versatility. Other testers, however, found the sweet spot — and the magic — more elusive. Test scores varied wildly; some testers, for example, found the ski too soft, others very stiff. So it’s a matter of personal style — if the ski matches yours, welcome to wonderland. Otherwise, look elsewhere.

MX78121-78-105@160 cm | R 14.5 | $1,399 w/bHere’s a ski to bring out the little girl in you — a playful toy that might take you back to grade-school days of hopscotch. For a wider ski, it skips surprisingly easily from one short turn to another, even in softer snow. One tester was especially enamoured: “These skis were like velvet! Smooth, creamy, solid, responsive. I’m in love.” Even through crud and deeper snow, it holds its line with confi dence, stability and accuracy. You go, girl.

MX88128-88-113@168 cm | R 17.5 | $1,399 w/bTwo F words are most appropriate here — fun and fl exible. Every tester — every tester — used the word “fun” to describe this ski. An old lyric from the 60s also might apply — bend me, shape me, any way you want me. The MX88 seems to contort itself in all the right ways to fl ow with remarkable ease over variations in terrain and snow texture. The result: a fat powder board with all-mountain versatility. What fun!

LX72117-72-99@162 cm | R 14.5 | $1,099 w/bBeing a tough chick doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give up all your feminine gentility. The LX72 is a ski that seems to understand that. It’s a ski with enough brio to satisfy a hard-charging expert, yet it’s still forgiving enough for an intermediate to enjoy. Although one tester praised the ski for its comfy sensation of “fl oating,” others agreed with the assessment that it is “super stable at high speed.” That makes it one tough sweetheart.

LX82127-82-109@164 cm | R 14.5 | $1,199 w/bBe nice. The LX82 seems unwaveringly eager to obey that imperative, even though within resides the ferocity of a lioness. The ski surprised testers with its short-radius zip, unusual for a ski this wide. Set it loose in soft snow, and the lioness really roars — “a blast in powder,” as one tester put it. Another praised the ski for being “exciting and easy.” How often do those two words appear together? Nice.

FX94128-94-117@166 cm | R 18 | $1,399 w/bMuscle up, ladies. A tough-as-nails jockey is required to rein in this stallion. Find the soft snow, put a whip to the hindquarters, then proceed at full gallop. And proceed West, to the Rockies or coastal ranges. The tighter spaces of the East are too confi ning for the FX94, but once released into the big, open spaces, it is home on the range. “Great off-piste — a ski for the West,” summed up one tester. And one for muscular cowgirls.

Just how easy is it to turn the LX82? “They initiate with the touch of a feather,” wrote one tester, while another wrote, “They