Kastle TX98 skis?

[bovine]

Anyone out there with some time on these skis?

Looking for a lightweight, versatile couloir oriented ski.

Also interested in:
Blizzard Zero G 95
Fischer Hannibal 96
Others...?

[Choucas]

I'm going into my 3rd year on a pair of TX98's. I'd agree on the lightweight and versatile parts. Enough side cut and easy flex and tip and tail rocker so they turn without a lot of input but they don't start to hook up when you don't want them to. Very happy with everything about them. Probably not as good on hard snow as the Blizzards, but they are not wimpy and will hold. I'm not a couloir kind of guy anymore but I'm very confident on them in steeper terrain.

[waxoff]

Anyone out there with some time on these skis?

Looking for a lightweight, versatile couloir oriented ski.

Also interested in:
Blizzard Zero G 95
Fischer Hannibal 96
Others...?

Down LD90 or LD102 perhaps?

For a little heavier but maybe more gutsy, have a look at Black Crows Solis.

[garuda]

The Kastle will be way easier to ski than a Zero G 95. The 95 can hold a mean edge when you boss it around or have smooth surfaces but the wide tip (relative to the rest of the ski) and full carbon across the tip make it want to grab and hook in variable snow. Needs an aggressive pilot and maybe would benefit from a +1 or +1.5cm mount. My wife loves the TX98 but I haven't personally skied them. The shape is more modern with more taper at the tips and tails and just a more approachable, easy going ski. Still performs.

[mall walker]

Down LD90 or LD102 perhaps?

Both came to my mind... only a handful of days on them so far, but I found the LD90 wonderfully capable in the only couloir I've managed to get them down so far this season



IMO the TX98 looks like a lightweight powder touring ski, and it's close in dimensions at the 178 to the 179 (carbon) Bros, which were my all-time favorite powder touring ski, though maybe skinny for some folks here in that quiver slot. If I were going Kaestle for the couloir ski slot I'd go TX90 personally. YMMV etc

[jorion]

Mtn explore 95 always comes up in these threads. If I had to replace my bmt 94s and couldn’t find another cheap deal on those, I’d be looking for a pair of the explore 95s. Seems like there are often good deals on them while it’s harder to find the tx98s on sale.

[hafjell]

Skied the Blizzard ZG95 for one day last year and it was impressive. Definitely better on edge in firm conditions than the BMT94. Haven't skied the BMT outside of the resort yet so can't say how it does on variable, but imagine, as others have noted above, it'll be great.
One last thing, if you grew up skiing in the East, I don't think the Blizzard will be that grabby in the tip. Can see how folks who ski softer snow in chopped up conditions might want more rocker.

[smooth operator]

After skiing the 0G95 this week again in powder, I must admit that is not the ski's forte. It excels on hard snow due to shape and stiffness, but that same stiffnes does not allow it to plane well. Very good for steeps and spring snow, but if your main focus is powder, look elsewhere. Although, a skilled pilot can make any ski work in powder. Just not as fun as aski with a slightly softer tip or more rocker.

[bovine]

Sounds like I may be looking for a good deal on some Zero G 95s. I already have a fat and mid-fat touring rig. As far as the more traditional shape, I'm good with that.

Thanks for the beta and advice.

[WaterGuy]

I'm going into my 3rd year on a pair of TX98's. I'd agree on the lightweight and versatile parts. Enough side cut and easy flex and tip and tail rocker so they turn without a lot of input but they don't start to hook up when you don't want them to. Very happy with everything about them. Probably not as good on hard snow as the Blizzards, but they are not wimpy and will hold. I'm not a couloir kind of guy anymore but I'm very confident on them in steeper terrain.

Choucas (or anyone else with TX98 experience), wondering about the TX98 length: 178 vs 188. I'd prefer a 183 I'm 6' 190 lbs skiing F1 boots. mostly b/c in the Rockies, winter and spring, no cliff hucking but aggresive skier (a racer in the bamboo days). any thoughts? thx

[karlo88]

I’m assuming the TX98’s do well for a 98 ski in light powder. Anyone have the chance to ski them in heavy wet snow, Sierra cement? I am not proficient in that and can use all the help I can get from a touring ski.

and what about ice? Eastern ice? No doubt the ZG95’s are great for that. But the TX98’s

[bovine]

Lots of positive reviews on these pricy little skis.

Any folks out there on a 178? Next size up is a 188 which seems a tad long...

[alpinevibes]

I know a handful of guys around Aspen (big Kastle community) who ski the 178 and it seems plenty capable. I’ve skied deep days and long days and it seems to match the reviews


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[swissbro]

A Swiss friend of mine this winter had two pair delaminate in the middle of the ski. Mounted with ATKs.


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[truax]

A Swiss friend of mine this winter had two pair delaminate in the middle of the ski. Mounted with ATKs.

This.

I've now seen two pairs delam in the middle. One mounted with Atomic Backlands, the other a Dynafit of some sort. Not great data I do realize

Aside from that, I've skied a pair of TX98s and thoroughly enjoyed em. Reviews seem to do it justice. Just wish they came in more length options

[alpinevibes]

New TX103 looks likes a nice update and comes in a 189 @ 1690g




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[dub_xion]

VTA 98? https://www.skitest.com/Ski/Voelkl-VTA-98

Probably what I personally would go with, my guess is it skis spring steep conditions better than the TX98 and skis powder better than the 0G 95, lighter than the MTN Explore 95. That's armchair speculation, and the BMT 94 isn't available any more, otherwise those'd be your jam!

[climberevan]

Maybe not super relevant, but I've really been enjoying the VTA88 I picked up this year. The same basic ski in a 98 sounds amazing. I will note that they don't seem very durable, though. I got a very mild and easily repaired edge compression from a tiny hit that really surprised me.

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[bovine]

Thanks for all the beta. I just picked up a pair of TX90s- brand new, with Plum Guides off KSL for a smoking deal. Hoping they are my silver bullet for San Juan spring missions...

[Jonathan S.]

A Swiss friend of mine this winter had two pair delaminate in the middle of the ski. Mounted with ATKs.

This.

I've now seen two pairs delam in the middle. One mounted with Atomic Backlands, the other a Dynafit of some sort. Not great data I do realize

Aside from that, I've skied a pair of TX98s and thoroughly enjoyed em. Reviews seem to do it justice. Just wish they came in more length options

Thread bump!

Receive the picture below from a friend of a friend:
"I had a pair of skis delaminate at both toe pieces during the second day I took them out, and I'm now looking to mount a new pair I received as a warranty replacement."
"This was the worst side, but the topsheet came off on both sides of both toes on the second day I ever used the skis."
"The replacement pair is a newer model (TX93) so hopefully they ironed out the kinks, but I'd appreciate any information I can find to make sure it doesn't happen with the new skis."

My thinking is that the rather spectacular delam is a design or manufacturing defect, and that trying to achieve a stronger mount with helicoils or inserts to prevent screw pull-outs would not make any difference -- thoughts?
(All of this has no direct relevance to me, but I mount up a few dozen pairs of bindings each season, mainly for skimo racers, and this failure has such a "huh?!?" factor.)

[schindlerpiste]

I can't speak highly enough about the TX98. Light, floaty, carvalicious. Seriously, these things carve as well as Bones, are light as a feather, handle crud, and chop with ease and have a turned up tip which make them ski like a 108ish ski in pow. They are not only a great touring/mountaineering ski, but also a very capable in bounds ski as well. I ski 188 (5'10" 165). They ski a bit short

[AssspenHole]

I'll add another vote on these having a delamination issue. Bought a pair lightly used, the previous owner kind of screwed me as once I got them home, I realized he delamed the topsheets at the binding toe, implemented a crappy repair then sold them to me. My bad for not flexing them harder upon initial inspection. Unfortunatly a belligerent Farmington UT teenager and 4 hours away, so pursuing my money wasn't worth it.

Anyhow tried to repair and still have delam problem. Any thoughts on how to pursue replacement since I didn't buy direclty?

Thanks!

[Choucas]

If your delam looks like the one in the photo above, I'd be thinking poor mount job. There's not a lot of stuff to screw into on these skis, and I'd bet it's all too easy to break the bond when screwing the binding down if it got all the way flush in the first place. Wrong sized hole? Used a power screwdriver instead of doing by hand? I'd have a shop that's experience with lightweight touring skis and handy with epoxies check it out and see if it can be reglued and remounted. Maybe helicoils will work on the remount. A shop that sells Kastle's might have more insight into your options. Might be able to get a used ski from Kastle product service as a remate? I'd have them check the mounting on the other ski (toes and heels) as well.