contesstant
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I think what changed for me regarding the Black Pearls is when I changed boots. I was skiing in a pair of relatively soft (for me) Dalbellos with the Black Pearls, and seemed a good combination. However, my knees hurt often. When I switched to a stiffer, higher performance boot, the Black Pearls fell short...I could really, really tell the difference on hard pack. It was very interesting. What confirmed my suspicions was having an instructor in a clinic watch me ski in my new boots and stiffer skis. She had worked with me when I was formerly in my Dalbellos and BP's and she commented on how my skiing had really improved with the new setup. And my knees stopped hurting as much.
The 2016 Kenja is more toned-down; it has rocker that edges towards Black Pearl territory but not within Black Pearl territory. It's a nice compromise between a powerful driver and a fun, playful ski.
I'm not gonna lie, I am looking to replace my Black Pearls with something longer and a bit "stronger" and the 2016 Kenja is seriously on my radar.