The solution is simple, and Phil's advice was spot on. Buy an Augment 88. It's a brilliantly good strong ski for strong skiers. And made in Austria.
Augment will be just be bringing 3 flexes over. They really have a skewed view of what soft (flimsy) and stiff mean. The 10 flex which is their "flimsy" is stiffer than a Brahma. I have flexed different numbers back to back and honestly I am hard pressed to tell the difference, it is very minute. I think any medium flex, you would be happy with. I think you would like the AM88Ti..I know you will love the AM98.@markojp What stiffnesss? Augments come in 10 different stiffness levels, which I would imagine change how the ski feels completely. So it is not a replacement for the MX, or at least not without some decisions being made by a consumer.
It's not a downgrade. Let's nip that in the bud. It's a different ski.
Do you have testing notes on these skis? Apologies if I missed them.
2021 Kästle MX83
Philpug: The outgoing MX83 and MX84 were the gold standard for many of our readers as well as sales leaders in the MX collection, so the new MX83 has some big shoes to fill. Like the rest of the collection, the MX83 is all new with a level of obtainable performance that the previous generations...www.pugski.com
2021 Kästle MX88
Philpug: It is very risky to completely redesign one of the best skis ever brought to market. The MX88 is a ski that not too long ago I billed as a "Once in a Decade" ski. It is timeless. There had been slight evolutionary changes over its lifespan, even becoming 89 mm underfoot, but 2021 is the...www.pugski.com
Thanks for the notes. The ideal change to the MX89 for me would be if they could keep nearly all the strengths but improve it in deeper snow from being a bit less cumbersome. Like @Alexzn , on paper the changes to the new mx88 don't seem like they would suit me as well versus what I love about my mx89s.From what I recall, it isn't as powerful feeling, but I did think it would work very well for a strong, lighter skier, or someone who wanted a bit easier ski. If you sized down in the old, you might size up in the new. I'm an outlier, but since someone mentioned them, I didn't like ths fx95 at all, liked the old 94, and thing the current 96 as the 'best of both', that knowing that anyone who loves the 95 very likely will feel lost with the 96. I'm sure this will be the same with the new 88. It might be for a different customer, but it's still a good ski. It passes my 'I could make this work' test. An apt analogy might be all the changes made to the storm rider 88... I'm sure we all have our personal preferences through the years, and Stöckli seems to be doing just fine.
The ideal change to the MX89 for me would be if they could keep nearly all the strengths but improve it in deeper snow from being a bit less cumbersome.
yeah you can. You just go very very fast. ;-))(You can't have a wide GS that is great in deep snow.
Yes, I don't think they could do it, but if that's what they were going for I'd be a little more understanding. Anyway, we can all have our opinions. Edit: and no ski is ever perfect. I never said that. In fact i stated what I think is the mx's biggest limitations. But let me be clear. I'm not flip-flopping. I'm bummed and think it's a huge mistake on Kastle's part to mess this much with one of the most differentiated skis in the market that's a cult classic and a big part of their identity. If you're excited about the new Kastle, knock yourself out. I'm not for reasons already stated.Well, yeah. You've flip-flopped now. It's perfect except when it isn't. Why are you so sure this isn't exactly what they did? You know everything's a compromise. You can't have a wide GS that is great in deep snow.
@markojp Wasn’t the old MX88 a Monster 88 with more manners and class?
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I'm on record saying Kästle as a company will be worse off for these changes. And a decent chance they are materially worse off. And if I'm right, I hope @Philpug and @markojp remember this thread and say you know what, I disagreed but he was right. And if I'm wrong I have no problem saying I was dead wrong as I said previously.
Ahhh. Okay. There is the disconnect then and perhaps with @Philpug as well. You are mainly interested if the new model is "good"I honestly have no stake or interest
in argument, and don't mind at all if you're 'right', and won't remember or worry one way or the other if you're 'wrong'.
Actually, I think the disconnect might be with you, If you don't like or approve of the ski, it is bad...and really now it is is just wrong, wrong for you. It is perspective. @Alexzn and I differed on the FX generations, he liked one generation more than another and I liked the other...does than mean either was better? Yes and no, depending on persecitve.Ahhh. Okay. There is the disconnect then and perhaps with @Philpug as well. You are mainly interested if the new model is "good"
I'm more passionate that I feel one of the more unique skis that I personally really liked in the market was changed. And not only changed, but that it's bad for Kästle. You don't care much about either other than reviewing the new ski which you feel is "good". There is the disconnect. Ah, okay. Case closed.