Volkl Kenja 88 - 2020 Ski Review

Volkl Kenja 88

Bindings Included? No

Use: 60% piste / 40% powder

Ability: Intermediate / Advanced

In a nutshell: Redesigned from the ground up, Volkl’s best-selling women’s ski excels in all resort conditions.

Another Volkl favourite that’s seen a full redesign for winter 2019 / 20, the Volkl Kenja 88 has lost a few millimetres of width but gained precision, versatility and more of Volkl’s renowned smoothness and stability. Aimed at intermediate to advanced female skiers who don’t want to sacrifice piste performance but want to have maximum fun in the powder when the opportunity arises, the Kenja offers ease of use but takes aggressive skiing in its stride.

Featuring a versatile 88mm waist (though if you’re looking for something a bit fatter, try the Secret 92) and a subtle rocker in the tip and tail, the Kenja 88 leaves you decently equipped to have fun in anything up to knee-deep powder. Whether you’re nipping off-piste for a quick bumps run, to bash through the trees or to sample some fresh snow off the sides, you’ll know you’re in safe hands. But it’s Volkl’s newest technologies that really enhance the Kenja’s performance across the whole mountain. A 3D Sidecut blends three different radii into the shape of the ski; mid-sized underfoot and longer towards the tip and tail. This means the Kenja doesn’t excel in just one shape of turn, making it easier to ski and a breeze to tailor to whatever snow conditions you might be skiing. This is aided by a vibration dampening, lightweight Carbon.tip and Volkl’s new Titanal Frame. The Titanal Frame is exactly what it sounds like, a framework of metal rather than a whole sheet, positioned along the edges of the ski where you need it the most, thus shaving off weight and creating a super stable but natural-feeling flex that’s just as comfortable at high speeds as it is cruising down the home run in the afternoon.

Overall, the Kenja 88 is a ski that, while being incredibly easy and fun to ski, can be pushed to its limits without sacrificing any of its performance. The perfect all-rounder for advanced skiers who prefer to spend more time carving on the groomers but can’t resist a venturing off-piste when the conditions are right.

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