- Buyer’s Guide reviews
- In words
- Technical specifications
Buyer’s Guide reviews
The charts show our impressions from testing
Product info
Category average
In words
Intro
Paragon is the new freeride line from Kästle, a crossover between the Tour segment and pure freeride. Neither light nor heavy, it's suited to the usual brief uphills of the average freerider. One of this range's more unusual features is the Symbio Core technology that blends three types of wood for the core: paulownia, beech and poplar, wrapped in titanal and synthetic fiber. It also comes complete with the Austrian ski maker's trademark Hollowtech tip; an oval-shaped insert that uses less material, to dampen nose vibrations to a minimum.
On the snow
Reflecting, as ever, classic Austrian technique, the traditional shape is suited to skilled front-side skiers who bring their carving game to powder. On wide arcs it really shows what it's made of, supporting each phase of the turn with good edge grip from tip to tail. With its stiff flex and long effective edge, it doesn't help tight turns, but holds up on firm terrain. It has a classic set back mount, which helps to float in fresh snow without changing your stance, but doesn't have the surfy feel of skis shaped specifically for powder. Depending on the length, the turn radius varies, and consequently so does the maneuverability. This ski is bound to appeal to serious skiers, less so to young newschoolers, and can be mounted with pin or step-in bindings depending on what you'll be using it for.
Lab
Irregular base: flat at the waist, convex at the tail, unlikely to be fixed after 10 passes through the machine. Structure applied, lots of wax. Reasonably good edges 1.7 x 1.6 mm at 90°, base edge 0.5°. Inadequate finish on the sidewall and edges, some rust and signs of bad grinding. Needs tuning.
Technical specifications
Construction
sidewall
Materials
paulownia, poplar, beech, titanal
Base
sintered UHMWPE with graphite and carbon
Available sizes
168, 178, 184, 192
Released in
2024
Made in
Czech Republic
Price
899 €
Declared specsMeasured by us
We measured the length 184 to get all the details
184 cm
Length
XXXXX
140 cm
Tip width
XXXXX
128 cm
Tail width
XXXXX
107 cm
Waist width
XXXXX
N/A
Edge contact
XXXXX
N/A
Camber
XXXXX
N/A
Tip rocker
XXXXX
N/A
Tail rocker
XXXXX
2.053 g
Individual weight
XXXXX
N/A
Left weight
XXXXX
N/A
Right weight
XXXXX
19,2 m
Sidecut radius
XXXXX
N/A
Load-bearing surface
XXXXX
N/A
Tip torsion
XXXXX
N/A
Center torsion
XXXXX
N/A
Tail torsion
XXXXX
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