Expert Comparison: Völkl Kendo 88 Skis · 2024 vs Salomon Stance 90 Skis · 2024
VS
Side by side comparison | Out of stock | Out of stock |
|---|---|---|
Price | $419.99 40% off | from:$349.98 50% off |
User rating | 5(1) | 4.71(7) |
The Curated Take | Best for experienced skiers looking for a versatile all-mountain ski that excels in various conditions. | Best for aggressive skiers who prefer carving on groomed slopes due to its excellent edge grip and stability at high speeds. |
Ski type | Freeride, Carving, All Mountain | All Mountain |
Skill level | Expert, Advanced | Intermediate, Advanced |
Rocker profile | Rocker/Camber/Rocker | Rocker/Camber/Rocker |
In the world of all-mountain skis, the Völkl Kendo 88 and Salomon Stance 90 are two top contenders. Both skis are designed for advanced to expert skiers and offer a blend of performance features that make them versatile and fun to ride. The Kendo 88 is a narrow all-mountain ski with a stiff build, perfect for carving on groomers and handling moguls. The Stance 90, on the other hand, is a piste-oriented all-mountain ski that excels at high speeds and offers quick edge-to-edge transitions. Both skis are not ideal for beginners or deep powder conditions. If you're an advanced skier looking for a ski that can handle a variety of conditions and terrains, both the Kendo 88 and Stance 90 are worth considering. However, the Kendo 88 is more suited for East Coast skiers, while the Stance 90 is a better fit for those who prefer high-speed carving.
Völkl Kendo 88 Skis · 2024 summary
The Völkl Kendo 88 Skis are a narrow all-mountain ski designed for advanced to expert skiers. The brand describes it as a stiff all-mountain charger, and it certainly lives up to that description. The Kendo 88 is built with Titanal throughout, providing a stiff and stable ride that can handle a range of conditions. It's particularly good on groomed terrain and hard snow, making it a fantastic choice for East Coast skiers.
The Kendo 88 has a little bit of tip rocker to help with turn initiation and float in softer snow. It also features an 88-millimeter waist and a fairly mellow side cut. The ski has a 16-meter turn radius, which is great for short to medium turns, perfect for the kind of turns you're going to want to make on groomed Eastern terrain.
The ski's stability in the turn is impressive. It's a very damp ski that can handle a range of conditions. It's great in hard snow, good in soft snow, and a little bit too stiff for super manky snow. The Titanal layer on foot absorbs vibration, ensuring no chatter while skiing.
The Kendo 88 is not recommended for beginner skiers due to its stiff and demanding nature. However, for advanced or expert skiers, especially those in the east, it's a fantastic all-mountain ski.
The best ski for everything on the mountain. This ski delivers ultimate versatility, carves with ease, rips up the moguls, and handles crud and chunk like no other. At just 88 mm underfoot, this ski really engages with the snow, having a daily high engagement edge. It also floats in the pow and loves to dolphin dive from the deep pow to the surface with a sense of playfulness that leaves me wanting endless runs. Having just bought the ski last year, I would happily buy another pair if I need to. If I had to choose only one ski for the rest of my life, this would be it.
The best ski for everything on the mountain. This ski delivers ultimate versatility, carves with ease, rips up the moguls, and handles crud and chunk like no other. At just 88 mm underfoot, this ski really engages with the snow, having a daily high engagement edge. It also floats in the pow and loves to dolphin dive from the deep pow to the surface with a sense of playfulness that leaves me wanting endless runs. Having just bought the ski last year, I would happily buy another pair if I need to. If I had to choose only one ski for the rest of my life, this would be it.
Völkl Kendo 88 Skis · 2024
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- Returnable
Salomon Stance 90 Skis · 2024 summary
The Salomon Stance 90 Skis are a directional frontside carver designed for intermediate to advanced skiers. Salomon describes this ski as your on-piste, freeride jammin’ ski, and it certainly lives up to that description. The Stance 90 is built with a Metal Twin Frame construction and a progressive sidecut, providing a powerful and responsive ride that excels at high speeds.
The Stance 90 has a bit of tip rocker to aid in maneuverability and forgiveness, but a more traditional tail shape that prefers to carve across the fall line rather than smear or butter around. It also features a 90-millimeter waist, making it perfect for carving up groomers, navigating through trees, and tackling moguls.
The ski's aggressive flex allows for higher speeds and more aggressive skiing without feeling unstable. The Metal Twin Frame construction and titanal plates enhance edge grip, making for powerful and poppy turns.
The Stance 90 is not recommended for beginners or deep powder conditions. However, for intermediate to advanced skiers who prefer high-speed carving and versatile all-mountain performance, it's a fantastic choice.
The Salomon Stance 90 got an exciting update this year that's bringing out the best of its personality as an all-mountain, carvable, charger that's ideal for ripping fast lines and busting through crud. The wood in the core is now a hybrid of classic poplar and ultra light karuba wood with carbon inlay in the tip to keep the swing weight light. It's perfect east to west for ripping the groomers and aggressively skiing moguls with enough surface area for all mountain performance.
The Salomon Stance 90 got an exciting update this year that's bringing out the best of its personality as an all-mountain, carvable, charger that's ideal for ripping fast lines and busting through crud. The wood in the core is now a hybrid of classic poplar and ultra light karuba wood with carbon inlay in the tip to keep the swing weight light. It's perfect east to west for ripping the groomers and aggressively skiing moguls with enough surface area for all mountain performance.
Salomon Stance 90 Skis · 2024
- We price match
- Returnable
Similarities
The Völkl Kendo 88 and Salomon Stance 90 share several similarities. Both are all-mountain skis designed for advanced to expert skiers. They are built to handle a variety of conditions and terrains, from groomers to moguls. Both skis feature a bit of tip rocker for improved maneuverability and forgiveness, and a traditional tail shape that prefers to carve across the fall line.
Both skis are also built with a focus on stability and edge grip. The Kendo 88 uses Titanal throughout its construction, while the Stance 90 features a Metal Twin Frame construction and titanal plates. These materials enhance the skis' stability and edge grip, making for powerful and responsive turns.
Finally, both skis are not recommended for beginners due to their stiff and demanding nature. They are also not ideal for deep powder conditions.
Differences and Who They're Good For
While the Völkl Kendo 88 and Salomon Stance 90 share several similarities, they also have key differences that make them suited to different types of skiers.
The Kendo 88 is a narrow all-mountain ski with a stiff build, making it perfect for carving on groomers and handling moguls. It's particularly good on groomed terrain and hard snow, making it a fantastic choice for East Coast skiers. The Kendo 88 is also a bit more versatile, with a 16-meter turn radius that's great for short to medium turns.
On the other hand, the Stance 90 is a piste-oriented all-mountain ski that excels at high speeds and offers quick edge-to-edge transitions. It's perfect for skiers who prefer high-speed carving and aggressive skiing. The Stance 90 also has a wider waist width of 90mm, making it better suited for navigating through trees and tackling moguls.
In terms of persona, the Kendo 88 is ideal for advanced to expert skiers who spend a lot of their time carving on groomers and skiing moguls, particularly on the East Coast. The Stance 90, on the other hand, is perfect for intermediate to advanced skiers who prefer high-speed carving and versatile all-mountain performance.
Analysis on Who’s the Winner
When comparing the Völkl Kendo 88 and Salomon Stance 90, the winner depends on the specific dimension being considered.
Versatility: The Kendo 88 takes the win here. Its 16-meter turn radius and stiff build make it a versatile ski that can handle a variety of conditions and terrains, from groomers to moguls.
Carving: The Stance 90 wins in this category. Its aggressive flex and Metal Twin Frame construction make it a powerful carver that excels at high speeds.
Stability: It's a tie. Both skis offer excellent stability thanks to their construction. The Kendo 88 uses Titanal throughout, while the Stance 90 features a Metal Twin Frame construction and titanal plates.
Maneuverability: The Kendo 88 wins again. Its tip rocker and mellow side cut make it agile and quick edge-to-edge, offering excellent maneuverability.
Overall, the Völkl Kendo 88 comes out on top in terms of versatility and maneuverability, while the Salomon Stance 90 shines in carving and matches the Kendo 88 in stability.
Conclusions
In conclusion, both the Völkl Kendo 88 and Salomon Stance 90 are excellent all-mountain skis for advanced to expert skiers. The Kendo 88 offers more versatility and is particularly good for East Coast skiers who spend a lot of their time carving on groomers and skiing moguls. The Stance 90, on the other hand, is a powerful carver that excels at high speeds and offers quick edge-to-edge transitions.
Choosing between the two ultimately comes down to your personal skiing style and the conditions you typically ski in. If you're an East Coast skier who loves carving on groomers and tackling moguls, the Kendo 88 is a fantastic choice. If you prefer high-speed carving and versatile all-mountain performance, the Stance 90 is the way to go. Either way, you're getting a high-quality ski that will take your skiing to the next level. Happy skiing!
