If you ever get a chance to try out a 2024 Kastle MX 75, we strongly suggest you take advantage of the opportunity. If you are the type of skier who loves to carve clean and round turns on firm snow, but don’t necessarily want a full-on race ski, then this thing is for you. While most skis in this width range find themselves firmly in the front side realm, the MX 75 still has all-mountain notes to it, mainly because it’s the narrowest of the MX line. Either way you wish to look at it, the MX 75 has power, precision, and quality to the nth degree. It’s a lot of fun to rip carved turns down the groomers, and this ski adds to that fun level for sure. For years, the MX line has been synonymous with all-mountain quality, and the 75 is the tightest turning of the group.

Kastle does some great things with their builds, mainly through the use of many narrow wood stringers. In the MX 75, which returns unchanged for 2024, we get a blend of poplar and beech stringers in the central chord of the ski and poplar stringers along the sides. This keeps the middle steady and strong while the poplar adds energy to the edges. Additionally, the omission of beech along the sides keeps weight down and the ski more manageable to most daily skiers. Even with two sheets of metal and fiberglass, the weight stays somewhat low at 1680 grams per ski in the 172. As a result, the nimbleness and agility stand out, adding a level of versatility that is normally seen in the all-mountain realm, but not so much in the front side zone.

At 75 mm underfoot, this ski can behave like either application, but it still falls in the all-mountain footprint. There’s no rocker or taper to speak of, with the ski mainly being cambered for energy and pop. The tail is flat and square, and definitely holds on through the end of the turn. It likes to complete turns, and with the long effective edge, it’s very smooth in this regard, even when the shorter 15.4-meter turn radius is brought into the equation. While carving shorter or longer turns may be more demanding for less than advanced skiers, this does not mean the ski’s inaccessible, it just takes more work because it feels so sharp and precise.

Aside from the demanding nature of the ski, one other hindrance is the price tag. This is a premium product, so it brings with it a top-end cost. For the most part, if we think about performance and quality, the price is justified. The ski has a strong and sharp feel that make it stand out among a group of ~75 mm skis, and in this world, there aren’t many all-mountain skis that come in this shape, so it’s on the unique side of the spectrum. The MX 75 is best suited for advanced and expert skiers who know how to carve a clean and round turn, and if you’re in that zone of skier that prefers this style, and you wish to operate at the top end of the performance spectrum, the MX 75 is a totally amazing ski.