Review: 2016 Volkl Kenja

[Bluestsky]

I guess my end point is this... And I'm not sure how to make this make sense? I love the Kenjas. I do. And I get I'm not the norm. I love them, even though I can appreciate I can't take them where they want to be taken. I could buy them, and I could ski them. But I can't ski them the way they are meant to be skied? Yay, for being athletic? Boo for being a lightweight? I'm not meaning to be an ass, I just don't know how else to describe it? I'm a former gymnast, and I'm athletic for my size, but the more I've skied the more I've realized mass plays into it all? And even though I love the dampness of stiffer (metal) skis, I can't bend them. I can't. I dunno how to say this without sounding like a douche.

I completely understand your position. Not much you can or really want to? do to change your 'dimensions'! I'm also a lightweight (5.0 ft/115lbs) and I ad-nauseam ask about ski reviewer's stats because I know that not only skills but weight/height impact how the ski feels.

 

[tinymoose]

5'1" and an all time high of 100 lbs here @Bluestsky

 

[badger]

I am another who totally agrees with Tinymoose regarding the "Kenja" experience. I also owned this ski and gave it up for the very same reason. I do not have the body mass to evoke the best from what this ski has to offer. Loved it on the hardpack and could zip past anyone with full confidence and control at speed. However, taken into any other sort of terrain, with low body weight, it just was too stiff for me to maneuver without getting tossed about. No more fun. Period. The Kenja was a lovely ski from the moment I got off the lift on my first run on it. Felt great. But why keep a ski if you are personally limited in its use?

Last week I demoed the Yumi. Because this ski failed to inspire me, or handle better than my Nordica Belle to Belle, I decided two runs were enough. But I did want to give it a go! I have a Black Pearl in a 152, (did not like the 159 2 years ago) , that I got for a price so reasonably it seemed silly to pass up. And I still am not totally sold on its virtues...hence the Yumi demo.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

Going to try to demo the new Kenja when i am in Bromley in 2 weeks. Think they have the 163. Its 3mm wider than my last years model at 87. I find my Kenja to be a dream to ski and for how wide it is handles hard pack and ice surprisingly well. Kinda wishing the new Kenja wasn't wider but it does seem lik ea different ski on some notes so I think it'll be fun to try it.

 

[Bluestsky]

again, @badger, your stats pls?

 

[badger]

I am 5'2 weigh between 92 to 95. Advanced intermediate. My recent instructor stated I had a more aggressive approach than the casual recreational skier; if that adds anything to the picture.

 

[vanhoskier]

Andrew from Northern Edge Snowsports just posted pcs from SIA. My reaction was " Blech! Who picks this stuff???"

I saw a pic of the Volkl ski from SIA too. I agree....blech! I like this year's graphics much better.

 

[a_banana]

For your viewing pleasure...

2017 Volkl One Womens, 100Eight W, 90Eight W

2017 Volkl Aura, Kenja, Yumi, Pyra

Pictures courtesy of Powder7.com, click through for the rest of the 2017 line. Can't say I love the new Aura or Kenja top sheets, but they are consistent with the last two season's designs. (I LOVE the 2015 designs, less in love with the 2016s).

FWIW, I demoed the 2016 Kenjas a lot this year and loved them! I'm a lot heavier than average though, so that probably had a lot to do with it. If I bought a pair, I would buy the 170s for my height/weight (5'9"/200+).

Thanks, contesstant, for the thorough review! I agree, these skis rip in just about anything if you have the weight/strength/tenacity/experience to drive them.

 

[contesstant]

For your viewing pleasure...

2017 Volkl One Womens, 100Eight W, 90Eight W

2017 Volkl Aura, Kenja, Yumi, Pyra

Pictures courtesy of Powder7.com, click through for the rest of the 2017 line. Can't say I love the new Aura or Kenja top sheets, but they are consistent with the last two season's designs. (I LOVE the 2015 designs, less in love with the 2016s).

FWIW, I demoed the 2016 Kenjas a lot this year and loved them! I'm a lot heavier than average though, so that probably had a lot to do with it. If I bought a pair, I would buy the 170s for my height/weight (5'9"/200+).

Thanks, contesstant, for the thorough review! I agree, these skis rip in just about anything if you have the weight/strength/tenacity/experience to drive them.

OK those are really ugly! All of them. Holy cow. They lost me at the peachy flesh colored parts. Had they kept them all blue with the black, I'd like them a lot. Glad I bought this year's, even though I loathe pink skis.

I will say, I think I rip on the Kenjas and I'm not big gal at all--very average at 125 lbs. Sounds like anything below maybe 110 and they are a bit much. Glad you love yours, too!

 

[a_banana]

OK those are really ugly! All of them. Holy cow. They lost me at the peachy flesh colored parts. Had they kept them all blue with the black, I'd like them a lot. Glad I bought this year's, even though I loathe pink skis.

I will say, I think I rip on the Kenjas and I'm not big gal at all--very average at 125 lbs. Sounds like anything below maybe 110 and they are a bit much. Glad you love yours, too!

Right? It's like they're channeling Miami or the Southwest from the 80's - do not want! Out of all those, I kind of like the Volkl One topsheet, but they're way too "young" for me.

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you had to be very strong or heavy or whatever to enjoy the Kenjas. It just seems like they can be pretty polarizing, like you either like stiff skis or not. For reference, I demoed to 2016 Kendos and found them to be too stiff for me. Maybe I could've gotten used to them, but the Kenjas were love at first ski for me.

 

[contesstant]

Right? It's like they're channeling Miami or the Southwest from the 80's - do not want! Out of all those, I kind of like the Volkl One topsheet, but they're way too "young" for me.

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you had to be very strong or heavy or whatever to enjoy the Kenjas. It just seems like they can be pretty polarizing, like you either like stiff skis or not. For reference, I demoed to 2016 Kendos and found them to be too stiff for me. Maybe I could've gotten used to them, but the Kenjas were love at first ski for me.

Oh, no need to apologize, I didn't take offense at all. I just want other ladies to know that a strongish medium weight gal can ski them just fine. And yes, love at first turn for me, too.

 

[ling]

I feel it's more of a style thing rather than weight thing.

I'm a relative light weight (~110lb give or take). Further more, I'm also a "lazy" skier. I've spent the last 5 years or so learning to ski as smooth as possible and exert as little energy as possible!

So the last thing I expect to do is to try a "notoriously" stiff ski like the Kenja!

It was only after being disappointed with all my candidate skis at the demo center that I took a chance on the most unlikely candidate. To be honest, I wanted to kind of test myself on this notoriously stiff skis just for the heck of it. I fully expected to dislike it, though did hope to at least know how stiff it really is.

Being relatively tall for my weight, I have to go to the longer side for better front-to-back balance. But that means I'm really "under-weight" for a given ski length. But that has some unintended consequences: I got tossed around by just about ANY skis that are not beginner noodles. Even "intermediate" skis bounce me around like a cork if I stiff up. Basically, I can't rely on my body weight to keep the skis planted on the snow surface. So unconsciously, I've always ski with a relatively dynamic style. Doesn't mean I "work hard". Just that I FEEL the vibration of the skis and I got used to being able to FEEL the irregularity of the snow yet without being disturbed by it. If I got occasionally bounced up for a millimeter, I'm not concerned. I just get ready to absorb when I hit the snow again a microsecond later.

I found the Kenja a very "springy" ski. It's not that hard to get it to bend. But then, it wants to unbend, rather powerfully. So it would take A LOT of weight to stop that unbend (rebound). Light weight skiers, on the other hand, can simply TAKE that rebound energy and use it to sling shot to the next turn. That was even more so in the bumps. (I haven't taken my new Kenja into really big hard bumps yet, but my "test run" on easy bumps convinced me I can bend it no problem. It's just the rebound that I need to take care to modulate)

Because my previous ski is also a "springy" ski. I found the Kenja similar in characteristic. (better of course)

 

[contesstant]

I feel it's more of a style thing rather than weight thing.

I'm a relative light weight (~110lb give or take). Further more, I'm also a "lazy" skier. I've spent the last 5 years or so learning to ski as smooth as possible and exert as little energy as possible!

So the last thing I expect to do is to try a "notoriously" stiff ski like the Kenja!

It was only after being disappointed with all my candidate skis at the demo center that I took a chance on the most unlikely candidate. To be honest, I wanted to kind of test myself on this notoriously stiff skis just for the heck of it. I fully expected to dislike it, though did hope to at least know how stiff it really is.

Being relatively tall for my weight, I have to go to the longer side for better front-to-back balance. But that means I'm really "under-weight" for a given ski length. But that has some unintended consequences: I got tossed around by just about ANY skis that are not beginner noodles. Even "intermediate" skis bounce me around like a cork if I stiff up. Basically, I can't rely on my body weight to keep the skis planted on the snow surface. So unconsciously, I've always ski with a relatively dynamic style. Doesn't mean I "work hard". Just that I FEEL the vibration of the skis and I got used to being able to FEEL the irregularity of the snow yet without being disturbed by it. If I got occasionally bounced up for a millimeter, I'm not concerned. I just get ready to absorb when I hit the snow again a microsecond later.

I found the Kenja a very "springy" ski. It's not that hard to get it to bend. But then, it wants to unbend, rather powerfully. So it would take A LOT of weight to stop that unbend (rebound). Light weight skiers, on the other hand, can simply TAKE that rebound energy and use it to sling shot to the next turn. That was even more so in the bumps. (I haven't taken my new Kenja into really big hard bumps yet, but my "test run" on easy bumps convinced me I can bend it no problem. It's just the rebound that I need to take care to modulate)

Because my previous ski is also a "springy" ski. I found the Kenja similar in characteristic. (better of course)

You might be totally right--they are very energetic yet I also found them to absorb a lot, probably due to the metal, which also gives them that tingy sound. I had forgotten that you demoed them and loved them! The rebound might also be why they don't feel as smooth as my Sambas, but yet still as or even more powerful.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

I have to say I don't have any top sheet envy for next years Volkl skis....... I know its not all about that but still..............

 

[elemmac]

OK those are really ugly! All of them. Holy cow. They lost me at the peachy flesh colored parts.

FWIW, I got to preview them today and think they look much better in person. I think the peach looks more orangey.

Out of all those, I kind of like the Volkl One topsheet, but they're way too "young" for me.

I actually really like the OneW graphic next year, it's completely ridiculous, but I think it suits that specific ski well.

 

[contesstant]

FWIW, I think they look much better in person. I think the peach looks more orangey.



I actually really like the OneW graphic next year, it's completely ridiculous, but I think it suits that specific ski well.

I hope they look better in person. I doubt I'll like them much more, but I guess I'll have to see them.

 

[Bluestsky]

@ling Did you ski new Kenjas (with tail rocker?), what length?

 

[va_deb]

@contesstant, I'm so happy for you! I demoed them a few weeks ago, and when I saw that you were going to demo them I just had a feeling that they were going to be the ski for you. So thrilled that you love them!

Our stats are somewhat similar but I'm an inch or so shorter and ~15 lbs heavier than you, far fewer ski days and not as advanced (on the lower intermediate side).

I was a bit intimidated since I heard they were stiff and built for a more advanced skier, but I found them much easier to ski than I thought. They did great in mostly slushy spring-like conditions and mashed potatoes with some decent stuff mixed in here and there and felt so stable to me even at 156. (I would have liked to have tried the 163 for comparison but they didn't come back in time.) They would skid or carve depending on the conditions, and were more forgiving with a bigger sweet spot than I thought.

Hero skis in my book for sure. Enjoy them!

 

[contesstant]

@contesstant, I'm so happy for you! I demoed them a few weeks ago, and when I saw that you were going to demo them I just had a feeling that they were going to be the ski for you. So thrilled that you love them!

Our stats are somewhat similar but I'm an inch or so shorter and ~15 lbs heavier than you, far fewer ski days and not as advanced (on the lower intermediate side).

I was a bit intimidated since I heard they were stiff and built for a more advanced skier, but I found them much easier to ski than I thought. They did great in mostly slushy spring-like conditions and mashed potatoes with some decent stuff mixed in here and there and felt so stable to me even at 156. (I would have liked to have tried the 163 for comparison but they didn't come back in time.) They would skid or carve depending on the conditions, and were more forgiving with a bigger sweet spot than I thought.

Hero skis in my book for sure. Enjoy them!

It seems they are a lot friendlier a ski for a lot of skiers than I had thought. Who knew?!

 

[mustski]

It seems they are a lot friendlier a ski for a lot of skiers than I had thought. Who knew?!

I encountered that when I bought the Auras "way back when." Every magazine pointed out that their lack of forgiveness, and the need for a strong driver, blah ... blah ...blah. I found none of that to be true.