2023 Volkl Kanjo 84

The world of mid-80's all-mountain skis has really been overlooked for a number of years and reasons, but the Volkl Kanjo 84 certainly has nothing to do with that. There’s a few that are starting to pop back up, most of them having followed the Kanjo’s model of being fun, energetic, and possessing a high-performance ceiling. This ski returns unchanged for 2023 except for a graphics update, and that’s great news for skiers who are still looking for quick, fun, and agile skis that have a whole lot going for them. Built with a multi-layer wood core, a glass frame, and a titanal binding platform, these skis have some pretty high-end technology going on. At 84 mm underfoot, we’re talking about supreme eastern all-mountain versatility. Volkl’s 3D radius comes in handy on this one as well, creating a tip/center/tail split of 24/17/20 meters in the 175. There’s a huge range of skier type and application for the Kanjo, and that’s just where Volkl wants it to be. All of our testers skied the 175 cm length.

Dave Hatoff found his 175 to be true to size and appropriate for him. He gave top marks of 4 out of 5 for overall impression, versatility, torsional stiffness, edge hold, forgiveness, playfulness, quickness, and maneuverability. 3’s were the low scores, and those were given for flotation and stability. Like a good, well-rounded ski should have, we’re seeing very consistent scores for the Kanjo. Dave calls it “Approachable, soft flexing and easy to ski. Would be ideal for a progressing intermediate or an advanced skier that does not like to charge. Can be skied passively at slow speeds or aggressively at faster speeds. Can do a variety of turn shapes. Nice carver, bumper and all-around front side ski. Still has that great Volkl edge grip and dampness.” This is that range that we were talking about for sure. Benny Wax called the 175 “just right” and gave his top scores of 4 out of 5 for stability, forgiveness, torsional stiffness, edge hold, and overall impression. 3’s dot the rest of his card, again favoring that mid-to upper range of scores consistently across the board. Benny states that the Kanjo 84 is “Great at carving for mixed terrain and especially groomers!”

Michael Rooney said his 175 was right on the money, giving it 5’s out of 5 for stability, quickness, maneuverability, torsional stiffness, and edge grip. All other scores were 4’s, so his baseline was just a bit higher than those of Dave and Benny. As a career-long racer and carving enthusiast, Michael states that the “Kanjo 84 is good on ice and really hard stuff. At the same time, it does not lock you in, so that adds to the playfulness of the ski. You can change it up and slide around on it if you want to. The Kanjo will be there for you and able to give back whatever you are willing to put in.” Another skier that follows this same philosophy is fellow ski bum competitor Jeff Neagle. Jeff was right at home on the 175 as well, giving his top scores of 5 out of 5 for quickness and maneuverability. Versatility, forgiveness, and playfulness all got 4’s, while 3’s took up the rest of the card. Jeff notes that “The Kanjo 84 is such a valuable ski to have on the market. It's unfortunate it gets overlooked due to the popularity of the Kendo. Every time I ski it, I'm reminded how good it is and what a great ski it would be for such a wide range of skiers. The Kendo is a fantastic ski, but it's on the heavy side of the spectrum and it's relatively demanding. I see a lot of skiers washing and skidding turns on their shiny new Kendos and I can't help but think a lot of those skiers would be better off on a Kanjo. It's not as strong at high speeds or if you're making a high edge angle turn on steep, icy terrain, but the Kanjo still carves quite well. It's actually more rewarding to turn it at slower and moderate speeds compared to the Kendo, and a lot of skiers don't like to ski super fast, so I think that's an important characteristic to consider. Not endless torsional stiffness, but certainly enough to lay over some dynamic carves. Then you benefit from the lighter weight when you take it off trail into bumps, trees, etc. Not the widest ski for soft snow, but not far off from the Kendo. It's a similar conversation as the Kanjo isn't far behind in terms of off-piste capabilities, but it's going to be noticeably less fatiguing. A great choice for an intermediate all-mountain skier all the way up through less aggressive experts who just don't feel like skiing as fast anymore.”

This is a segment of ski that needs a bit more attention, and we’re happy to provide it. They’re simple, effective, and offer a whole lot of performance at usually a very good value. If you are looking for one pair of skis and are in the intermediate to advanced zone, the Kanjo 84 should be at the top of the list.