Fast, energetic, and incredibly strong, the 2024 Kastle MX 88 is an amazing example of an all-mountain ski done right. This ski returns unchanged for 2024, so if you’re looking for pure all-mountain domination, this is the ski for you. We’ve had a lot of fun on these skis over the years, as the blend of on-trail carving performance and off-trail power is quite unmatched in skis in the ~88 mm range. While happier in an on-piste format, the MX 88 is also wide enough to handle softer snow, crud, and chop, but it prefers to go through the stuff rather than over it. The heft and dampness of the ski make it a smooth performer, but it does come at the cost of demand. If you’re not willing to put in the work, it’s going to steer you rather than the other way around. If you’re an advanced or expert skier looking for a high-quality and high-performance ski for aggressive all-mountain applications, it doesn’t get much better than this.

The build is stout and sturdy. Starting with a wood core that blends poplar and beech in the middle with poplar only on the outside, the MX 88 is stable in the central chord while bringing energy and pop to the sides. This blend of narrower wood stringers glued together provides a lot of stiffness and power, creating the base of the ski. On top and bottom of the core, we get two sheets of fiberglass and to metal laminates. These dampen and power the ski to the nth degree, making the MX 88 a burly and solid ski. While it’s not the quietest ski out there, it has a growl like a loud exhaust on a Ferrari or Lamborghini. This equates to high-performance, giving the MX 88 more of a raw feeling, and tipping the scale at 1934 grams in the 180 cm length. While this is south of the 2000-gram mark, it’s still one of the stiffest and highest-performing skis in this category.

At 88 mm underfoot, the MX 88 is more of a wider-bodied carving ski than a versatile all-mountain ski. There are lighter and more manageable skis in this realm that will work better for most skiers, but for those that are looking for the top end when it comes to confident carving power, the MX 88 is in the top 1% of the class for sure. With an 18.8-meter turn radius in the 180 cm length, these skis are on the longer side of the arc spectrum, meaning that they operate quite well at higher speeds and on firmer snow. There’s minimal rocker or taper anywhere on this ski, with the tail being more business-like than the shovel. This makes initiation slightly easier than completion, as the back end of the ski is very stiff, flat, and strong. When you load the ski up with energy, it’s an impressive kick at the tail, and a lot of that has to do with the cambered profile and flat shape.

At the end of the day, advanced and expert skiers will be able to access more performance from this ski. There’s a whole lot to like when you’re ripping carved turns on groomers, but not quite as much when the ski is on the feet of less skilled skiers. This is not to say that they’re unapproachable, rather they have a higher ceiling than most can access. Given the build, shape, and construction, the 2024 Kastle MX 88 is an amazing ski for high-power and high-performance athletes.