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Cage Match Comparison 2019 Kästle BMX105 HP vs 2019 Stöckli Stormrider 105 vs 2019 Renoun Citadel 106

Philpug

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“Rules are meant to be broken.” It is written on every Renoun ski. Kästle is the authority, at least the reference ski, in the premium One Oh Something category. At least Kästle claims it is, and who could argue? Well, if you ask the Stöckli lovers, they will say the Stormrider 105 has earned the right it use the “reference ski” term for Stöckli's flagship. So, how will this three-way Cage Match turn out? Get your popcorn popped.

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.
 

nemesis256

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I think you mean damping. Dampening skis happens at the pond skim.

I want a Citadel in a 168ish length. 178 is too long for short tiny me.
 

Eric Edelstein

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Pssst.....(Brian...take the shrink wrap off)...
How about a cage match between the Citadels and those Blizzards behind you?

I've driven the Citadel 106 and the Stormrider 105.... Stormrider is a beefier "feeling" ski that takes more calories to manage during the day than the Citadel, but lays down a traditional, Euro-damp /Swiss/Austrian professional feel underfoot like nobody's business, while the Citadel has a lighter touch on the snow and responds with less input. Both skis track solidly in crud, and deliver a similar level of performance, but with a completely different feel-at-the-wheel. Stormrider has a strong, nearly burly feel of traditional confidence underfoot, while the Citadel feels more new-age carbon-like agility and lightness with dead-quiet behavior through the snow and quick-feeling edge-to-edge. Skiers who crave the feeling of significant, unwaiveringly authoritative high-performance mass underfoot will love the Stormrider more than the Citadel which initially feels a bit flittery because of its relatively light weight, but immediately delivers an unexpectedly quiet, controlled response through a wide range of input pressures. Both skis have impressive hard-snow grip at the top of their categories (in my opinion...for what it's worth) My first impression after a few first runs on the Citadel was "wait.....why does this ski feel so light and easy, but holds a high-speed GS turn through crud or hardpack with the composure of a heavy-metal layup ski (like the Stormrider)...yet floats and surfs through fluff with tons of giggles and nearly zero effort...?...what's going on here...?..."

I have not ridden the BMX 105HP yet...
 

Jed Peters

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We have, in our quiver, a Stockli 105 and a Head Kore 105. We (@Rich Peters and myself) tested the Citadel 106 against both these skis.

The Citadel is a "tweener" between these two. I have not ridden the Kastle BTW. Just bringing the KORE in to confuse the issue more.

What do I mean by a "tweener"? Well, it's almost as easy to ski as the KORE. Not quite as playful. Not as demanding as the Stockli, and not as powerful.

Me personally, I prefer the Stockli. Because I'm a big boy, and I push a ski pretty darn hard. The stockli gives it back to me....more so than the KORE.

@Rich Peters is pretty technically proficient (he runs with the "good skiers" at something like a Gathering) but doesn't push a ski like I do...and wants something with a larger sweet spot. So while he rips the Stockli, over the course of the day, the KORE suits him that much better--it's just not as demanding.

So I guess the Citadel would be that perfect "in between" these two--you know, if you can't have both. :) That's where it fits in. It's VERY good in it's own right.
 

Brian Finch

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Lunker! (That photo reminds me of the ones from my childhood, in Field & Stream magazine, where the guy holds the fish at arms' length to get it closer to the camera, thus making it appear HUGE.)

I’m on the 191cm.
 

Ken_R

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We have, in our quiver, a Stockli 105 and a Head Kore 105. We (@Rich Peters and myself) tested the Citadel 106 against both these skis.

The Citadel is a "tweener" between these two. I have not ridden the Kastle BTW. Just bringing the KORE in to confuse the issue more.

What do I mean by a "tweener"? Well, it's almost as easy to ski as the KORE. Not quite as playful. Not as demanding as the Stockli, and not as powerful.

Me personally, I prefer the Stockli. Because I'm a big boy, and I push a ski pretty darn hard. The stockli gives it back to me....more so than the KORE.

@Rich Peters is pretty technically proficient (he runs with the "good skiers" at something like a Gathering) but doesn't push a ski like I do...and wants something with a larger sweet spot. So while he rips the Stockli, over the course of the day, the KORE suits him that much better--it's just not as demanding.

So I guess the Citadel would be that perfect "in between" these two--you know, if you can't have both. :) That's where it fits in. It's VERY good in it's own right.

I think Head needs to revise the flex of the Kore 105 (and maybe the 99 as well). Its too light a ski to be that stiff. They need to smooth it out a bit and make it more even. On piste it feels great but on softer snow (which is the main purpose of the 105) it doesnt work as well.
 

Jed Peters

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I think Head needs to revise the flex of the Kore 105 (and maybe the 99 as well). Its too light a ski to be that stiff. They need to smooth it out a bit and make it more even. On piste it feels great but on softer snow (which is the main purpose of the 105) it doesnt work as well.

For those with a lighter touch, it works better actually. It's a MUCH easier ski to ski than the stockli.

Of course, I am a bit of a hack skier so you might have a better/more concise/precise view on the matter.
 

Ken_R

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For those with a lighter touch, it works better actually. It's a MUCH easier ski to ski than the stockli.

Of course, I am a bit of a hack skier so you might have a better/more concise/precise view on the matter.

I think I qualify as a hack skier as well :cool:
 

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