Kastle TX 94 Review

We've long loved Kastle's touring skis, and we still long for the heady days of the featherlight TX98 – that ski was so light and skied so right. The TX98 taps into that pedigree, but adds noticeable mass to a relatively narrow ski.

Performance Comparison

Weight

We tested the TX94 in 179 cm, which, interestingly, we measured at 177 cm. Our test ski measured 1443 grams per ski, which doubles to 2886 grams, or 6.4 pounds per pair. A 1440-gram ski is respectable, but not revolutionary. There are other skis in our lineup – of a similar length and waist width – that ski as well as the TX94 but weigh 200 grams less. As backcountry ski design matures and plateaus, at least for the moment, it's safe to say that a ski in the mid-90 mm range will ski well at 1250 grams. That said, a 1450-gram ski like the TX94 will hold up better than those lighter-weight models.

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Firm Snow

The Kastle TX94 feels like a ski designed for ski mountaineering. Its edge hold is centered around the bindings, and it grips practically as well as any other ski on the market. Our testers all agreed that there is a certain “je ne sais quoi” in the feel of the TX94 in steep, firm snow. When we pushed them further, “damp” was the word that came up often. One tester noted, “You get all of the feedback you want from your edge contact with the snow, but that feedback is just a little bit muted.”

Powder

Powder skiing is great, period. Even though it isn't necessarily a good powder ski, relatively speaking, we're almost certain that you'll enjoy skiing all but the deepest snow on the TX94. It carries enough mass to keep it moving downhill and, with a 129 mm shovel, has nearly as much surface area at the tips as other skis that measure 10 mm wider underfoot. In our book, powder skiing is always a perfect 10 – some skis “go to 11”, but the TX94 is not designed to be that ski, at least in powder.

Crud and Poor Snow

We hate to admit it, but we skied the TX94 in some very poor conditions. It wasn't intentional, just a pure chance of how our schedule and testing rotation worked out. For example, our lead tester grossly misjudged a very warm day in the Tetons in late March – the result was skiing 4000 vertical feet of dragging, sucking slop. Later in the season, that same tester, on the same skis, endured freezing rain on the south side of Mount Baker. Through all of that, the TX94 never let us down. While you have to put in the effort, the damp construction of this ski only ever cooperates, and never pushes back.

Stability at Speed

It wasn't all terrible conditions on the TX94, and when snow conditions allowed, we pushed the speed limit. One tester commented, “It holds up (for the weight),” and noted that they felt particularly supported by this ski on edge. Other testers noted that it felt “balanced” and “never felt too chattery.” Somewhat paradoxically, the TX94 is a relatively forgiving ski that holds up really well under an expert skier's feet.

Should You Buy the Kastle TX94?

Snap up these sturdy skis for all-around backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering, especially if you live in a snow climate with generally firm surface conditions. Although it isn't as lightweight as some other similarly performing skis, we're pretty confident in the long-term durability of the TX94. This ski will deliver reliable performance to a wide range of backcountry skiers, from intermediates to high-performing ski mountaineers.

What Other Backcountry Skis Should You Consider?