2023 Kastle RX12 GS

We were pretty stoked to get this ski to show up at the test this year, and our testers even more so. The Kastle RX12 GS is an awesome choice for advanced and expert skiers as well as former racers who are looking to get the most out of their front side experience. Shaped a whole lot like their FIS GS ski, the RX12 has a 68-mm waist, but produces a 19.5-meter turn radius in the 183 cm length. So while we get that narrow waist with amazing torsional stiffness and edge grip, we also see wider tips and tails to generate that shorter arc. That said, a nearly 20-meter radius is pretty long for a front side ski these days, it just happens to lag behind the 30+ shapes needed to be FIS compliant. Built with a dense wood core consisting of beech and poplar stringers, the RX 12 GS is bolstered by two sheets of titanal and two layers of fiberglass. This makes the ski strong, smooth, damp, and stable at any speed. Ideally suited on the feet of advanced and expert skiers, the RX12 GS is a pretty specific tool, so if you’re looking for a recreational race carver or a front-side specialist, the RX12 GS is a good choice. If you’re less than any of these things, then there are better choices out there, but for high-performance, precision, demand, and quality, these are right up there with the best of them.

Jamie O’Brien brings his extensive racing career to the fold here, so he’s an ideal skier to get on the RX12 GS for a few ripping runs. He skied the 183, noting that it “felt like a glove. Just right.” As any specific ski is concerned, Jamie had some varying scores for the ski, with high marks of 5 out of 5 for overall impression, torsional stiffness, edge hold, and stability. On the other end of the spectrum, we see a 2 for flotation and a 3 for forgiveness, highlighting the RX12’s penchant for firm snow and aggressive skiing. 4’s for playfulness, quickness, maneuverability, and versatility round out Jamie’s impressive score card. Jamie notes that “This ski does it all. Holds fast arcing long GS turns, and hops from edge to edge when navigating heavy traffic. For the strong advanced skier this ski will not disappoint.” We’re not always able to ski on a wide-open trail or on a closed course, so having that real-world application of being able to navigate traffic is nice to hear.

Another tester with vast racing and technical skiing experience was Mike Anglin. He was on the 183 as well, noting its trueness to size. Mike scored the RX12 GS 4’s for quickness, maneuverability, stability, torsional stiffness, edge grip, and overall impression. The rest of his scores were 3’s, so that’s a pretty nice spread for a ski that’s 68 mm underfoot. “Well, Kastle surprised me on this GS race car. Its personality is damp, and predictable with a tail that has some gitty-up. Its strengths far outnumber its weaknesses. It can tend to be a bit sluggish at slower speeds. As versatile as a 68 waisted 19.5 radius ski can possibly be. Confident skiers can shred steep earlier morning groomers with confidence. Rx12 should be reserved for the expert skier that loves to tip the ski. The tips made an awful sound while skiing. Actually, incredibly annoying.” The Hollowtech in the tips is not for everyone from a phonics standpoint for sure, and that’s okay, but the performance is what should matter in a ski like this.

Strong skiers with a good alpine background will love the performance, quickness, and edge hold of the Kastle RX12 GS skis. You do need to have a good platform of ski skills in order to access all of the performance. The narrow waist does make it a bit twitchy, but that also leads to some of the strongest grip out there on the market today.