Let' start with the two established skis, the Kästle and the Stöckli, and then bring in the challenger. Because we are comparing the crème de la crème, we are going to use Kastle’s BMX105 HP, the stronger twin of the BMX105s, because if you are going to a gunfight, you bring a gun. Kästle did not go down the rabbit hole of forsaking versatility for power. Yes, the BMX105 HP wants to charge, and you will get the most out of it if you do, but it doesn't demand that you do. Still, you will be hard-pressed to reach its limits.
The Stöckli is the Mercedes to the Kästle’s Porsche. The Stormrider is a runner, it is long-legged and runs like a gazelle, so deceptively fast ... sorry, I was on cars then switched to animals; back to cars. The Stormrider is a runner, it is long-legged and runs like an AMG GT, so deceptively fast yet undeniably stately and gosh-darn smooth.
Where the Kästles and Stöcklis are old-world refined and ooze class, the Renoun is the upstart, the Koenigsegg, the company that ignored the rules and swung open both doors and said, “I’m here; deal with it.” The Citadel 106 is the ski that Cyrus wanted to build from the start, but he had to work his way to it, both technologically and financially. He needed to learn from the Endurances and maximize profits from the Z-Line skis to build the Citadel because he knew he had just one chance to make a first impression with his flagship ski.
- Why choose the BMX105 HP? You want to play it safe; you want a big-mountain charger you know will take what you give it and be 110% predictable.
- Why choose the Stormrider 105? Refinement, lotsa O’s in smooth, etc, but the SR 105 is probably the most playful out of the three.
- Why choose the Citadel 106? The Citadel is the lightest, so if you want to hike, this is the ticket. It has close to the charging ability of the Kästle, but the HDT incorporates a level of dampening that even Kästle can't provide.