2023 Volkl Kenja 88

The new 2023 Volkl Kenja 88 is a very nice upgrade from the previous model, while at the same time not rendering the older 88 obsolete—it's still a great ski for sure. The Kenja receives the same treatment as the Kendo 88, which adds tailored carbon tips, tailored titanal frame, and a slightly tweaked sidecut. Volkl has used the 3D Radius sidecut in this ski since the last change, but now they’ve made it slightly turnier, with a mid-ski radius of 13.1-meters. By altering the amount of titanal in the frame, the skis become grippier in the mid-body, but more compliant in the very tips and tails, making them more consistent in the flex pattern as well as being better-suited to softer snow, crud, and chop. The carbon in the tips adds torsional stiffness, and helps the ski get up on edge easier and quicker than before. While not a huge leap from last year to this year, it’s certainly a step, and one that our testers definitely picked up on.

On the 156, Carly Monahan noted that while the Kenja skied true to size, she’d likely bump up to the 163 for her personal choice. Regardless of the shorter length, she nevertheless scored 5’s out of 5 for stability, torsional stiffness, edge hold, and overall impression. 4’s were given for quickness, maneuverability, forgiveness, and versatility, with a lowly 3 for flotation. We’re obviously not expecting this ski to be on the smeary side of the spectrum. Carly notes that “Even through icy chunder and really variable sub-par conditions, I never once felt the Kenja’s get deflected, squirrely, or lag in responsiveness. Volkl knows how to make a ski feel solid and dependable without feeling heavy or planky, and the Kenja really embodies that personality. They’re stable, but still quick, they hold a turn beautifully, but also release effortlessly. Definitely a great choice for firm conditions, but maneuverable enough to mix up turn shapes and have fun in softer snow too.” A lot of these accolades sound very familiar to the men’s version of the Kendo, in that it really has taken on more of a sophisticated personality. Also on the 156, Allaire Sullivan noted that it skied true to size, with her top score of 5 out of 5 given for versatility. She had 4’s down for overall impression, stability, quickness, maneuverability, torsional stiffness, and edge hold. Allarie states that the Kenja 88 is “Playful and carvy. Easy to maneuver and fun pop when you want it.” We’ve never really talked about the playfulness of these skis, but when you’re dealing with something that’s both fun and poppy, it’s hard to not think that it’s playful.

Bumping up to the 163, both Alli Ruschp and Micheline Lemay found the ski to be “true to size” and “perfect,” respectively. Alli has been a long-time Kenja and Secret skier (so has Micheline, actually), so it’s great to get their input on the new model versus the outgoing build. Alli gave the Kenja 5’s out of 5 for overall impression, torsional stiffness, edge hold, and stability. 4’s for versatility, forgiveness, playfulness, and maneuverability rounded out her card. Alli calls the Kenja “Tried and true, and still holds a top spot in my line up. Always confident making turns on the Kenja 88, it's very stable and smooth, handles a mix of terrain and conditions. Not the most forgiving option, but for someone that likes to carve groomers and be confident on ice, this is one of the best options. I never worry about the terrain I head into on these, even in tight trees and woods, I love the feel of the ski and find if you get the right size, it's not too hard to maneuver in tight spots.” After skiing Kenjas in Stowe for a number of years, it’s nice to hear that they’re not too rough in those more technical zones for sure. Micheline had very similar scores to Alli’s, with 5’s for overall impression, versatility, playfulness, quickness, and maneuverability. All others were 4’s, showing a very high baseline and average score for the Kenja. She notes that “This has been my favorite ski for years and it got a lot more playful this season, and I’m all about that!” Both of these testers have extensive racing backgrounds, so it’s great to hear that first-hand input on such a powerful ski.

Another long-time Kenja fan, Kristi Brown-Lovell, skied her favorite 170, and called it a “Cinderalla Slipper 😊.” Like the other testers, she scored it 3 out of 5 for flotation, but then went to all 5’s for the rest of the card. On that longer length, Kristi notes that it’s “No Surprise ~ I LOVE THIS NEW KENJA…. Not because it’s Volkl but because it is a special blend that makes this saucy and spicy while being forgiving & precise. It’s a toss-up between the BP 88 & Kenja ~ I think Santa Ana is 3rd….. all personality driven - cannot go wrong with any! In a category of their own.” This type of positive feedback from these high-end skiers is a great testament to the direction that Volkl is taking these skis. It’s fairly unanimous that they are more playful and fun, but in terms of overall performance, we heard zero negative things, and that’s a very good thing.