At our annual ski test, 12 hard-charging testers put the Kendo through its paces at Snowbird (see page 37), and every tester wrote something to this effect: “You can make every turn shape at every speed on every style of terrain.” That’s the ultimate goal of an all-mountain ski, but normally you have to sacrifice big-turn stability for short-swing proficiency or vice versa. Not so with the Kendo, which is as powerful on edge as Völkl’s race-style frontside skis but as loose and versatile as many a big-mountain ski in soft snow. Credit the wood core and metal construction, but also note the fact that there’s no plate under the binding to weigh the ski down—and lock it too precisely into one turn shape. The fat tip (127 mm) helps float the Kendo in moderately deep powder, and the 88mm waist is just as adept at railing East Coast hardpack turns as it is at slough-turning through Rocky Mountain glades. “Nimble and maneuverable but beefy and damp at the same time,” said one tester. That says it all. 127/88/109;
CARVING: 5 (OUT OF 5)
FLOAT: 4