# Volkl Kendo



## Glenn (Jan 24, 2012)

Anyone ski on these or demo? I've seen a few blurbs in various threads. 

My wife demo'd the Kenja's on Friday....and left with a brand new pair Friday afternoon :lol:. She fell in love with the ski. She's on an Aurora and it's a but of a burly ski. The Kenja is a lot lighter and takes less effort to turn. 

I read up on the Kendo and it's the male version of the Kenja. I'm thinking it'll fit nicely between my HotRod Nitrous (burly) and my Dynastar twins. I really need to demo these...and I want to try the Line Prophet 90...


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## Edd (Jan 25, 2012)

Bought them this year and mounted them with Kneebindings.  On these skis I've only had 5 days (no powder) but my initial impressions are that they're extremely composed.  They'll pretty much do what you ask.  Medium to long-ish turns are what they're looking for but they don't punish you for forcing a short turn.

My Kendos are 170cm (I'm 5' 11", 180 lbs.) which is a bit short.  My goal in purchasing it was the most versatile eastern board in a length / width that won't punish my freshly injured knee from last season (hence the Kneebindings).  Some may find my logic dumb but I don't regret it at this point.  I haven't taken them in any real glades or bumps yet (having a strange season) but I've occasionally shot over some brief bumpy terrain which they handled nicely.  

I've never been a racer and I don't ski like one but I find them stiff.  Also, the flex / rebound feel isn't what I consider lively. It's just smooth and predictable.  I think many advanced skiers would consider this to be a negative (that is, not fun) but I'm ok with it.

My primary skis in the last few years are the K2 Hardsides, Legend 8000s and K2 Public Enemies.


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## Glenn (Jan 25, 2012)

Thanks for the feedback Edd.


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## Edd (Jan 25, 2012)

You're welcome. Forgot to mention, true to their marketing, they hold quite a good edge on hard pack. They are pushed as a 50/50 ski but I haven't skied enough off piste to decide for myself what the bias is terrain-wise.


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## Glenn (Jan 25, 2012)

I've read a few reviews on the interweb and my did mention their hold on hardpack. But I like hearing it here on my "home" forum. :lol:  

I'm really interested in hearing how they do in the deeper stuff (New England deep...not Utah Blower). 

I'm thinking they may be OK in the bumps. My wife actually ventured into the moguls this weekend. She usually avoids thosse.


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## drjeff (Jan 25, 2012)

Glenn said:


> I've read a few reviews on the interweb and my did mention their hold on hardpack. But I like hearing it here on my "home" forum. :lol:
> 
> I'm really interested in hearing how they do in the deeper stuff (New England deep...not Utah Blower).
> 
> I'm thinking they may be OK in the bumps. My wife actually ventured into the moguls this weekend. She usually avoids thosse.



Mitz must of been inspired by watching that pack of "small people" tear down Yard Sale Saturday AM (with 3 bigger people trying to chace after them  ) and got the urge to hit the bumps a bit! 

The real question Glenn should be for you guys, is will Mitz's new pair of skis require another new outfit or two to match them??  :lol:


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## Glenn (Jan 25, 2012)

That was a fun run with the kids! 

Good question! So far, she's focused on the skis. But when the end of the season sales start popping up.......


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## Glenn (Feb 10, 2012)

I demo'd skis today: Kendo, Rossi Experience and Line Prophet 90's. 

I skied everything in a 177-179.

The Experience was really turny. Held an edge well. 

The Prophet was in the middle. Held an edge well, zipped along nicely. I noticed just  a tad of chatter from the rocker tip. 

The Kendo was great. I felt like the edge of the entire ski held. It was a fast ski, but also hed an edge well. I was impressed that it edged that well for an 88. 

The surprise of the day...I took out the Kendos in a 170. While I could feel a slight decrease in speed when really hammering them in a straight line, they turned quite a bit better. I had a blast on them.


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## Edd (Feb 10, 2012)

They are fun and have a rock solid feel.  I finally got them in a few inches of fresh like 10 days ago and they were great but most any ski would have been.  You still gonna demo a few more Glenn?


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## Glenn (Feb 11, 2012)

Cool. The guy at the shop said they were fun in deeper stuff....good to hear some realworld feedback. 

I don't really have much else on my radar right now. Although, I'm open to suggestions. 

Hit a few shops after skiing today to look around. Everyone had this ski in a 177 or 163. Figures, right? :lol:


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## Glenn (Feb 13, 2012)

Im perseverating....170 or 177.  Im old school, so i tend to favor longer.  But the170's skied well.   Ugh.


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## Edd (Feb 13, 2012)

I say go with the 170s. Go with the fun. Ignore the ego.


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## Glenn (Feb 14, 2012)

They did ski rather well.....


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## gmcunni (Feb 14, 2012)

Glenn said:


> They did ski rather well.....



the 177 is a better bargin, you get 7CM more for the same price.


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## Glenn (Feb 14, 2012)

gmcunni said:


> the 177 is a better bargin, you get 7CM more for the same price.



:lol:

More space for Dan Egan to autograph....


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## Glenn (Mar 9, 2012)

I pulled the trigger tonight. I went with the 170 and a set of Marker Squire bindings. I cant wait.  Fingers crossed that I'll be on them next weekend.


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## Edd (Mar 9, 2012)

Woo hoo!  They skied nicely in the 6-8" of pow I caught the other day.


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## gmcunni (Mar 9, 2012)

replacing something or expanding the quiver?


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## gmcunni (Mar 9, 2012)

bad ass looking ski!


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## Glenn (Mar 10, 2012)

Excellent Edd! I hope someday, I'll get to test them out in the deeper stuff. That's probably a long shot at this point in the season. As long as I get a bunch of days in on them, I'll be  happy  camper. 

Gary....depends... They're probably going to be a replacement for my Nordica Hotrod Nitrous. A great ski, but they just don't turn like they used too...even after a number of tunes and a good base grind. I'll still hold on to them. I'm thinking the Kendo will be my every day and I'll take the twin tips out every so often and for the bumps. The graphics are pretty cool on the ski. A lot different from the older more traditional stuff Volkl used years ago. 

Trying to check my order status...and the website I ordered them from is down. :lol:


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## redwinger (Mar 12, 2012)

I've been looking at these alot now that prices have come down.  Think the lack of slight rocker would make them less fun in powder than the experience 88's?  

Anyone have experience skiing some deeper stuff with both?


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## Hawkshot99 (Mar 12, 2012)

Skied next years today.  They were awesome.  Nice rocker, so very easy to turn short, but solid metal in the core, so I could push them hard at speed.  Feels similar to my Bushwacker that I love!

I may be on this for next year.


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## Glenn (Mar 13, 2012)

redwinger said:


> I've been looking at these alot now that prices have come down.  Think the lack of slight rocker would make them less fun in powder than the experience 88's?
> 
> Anyone have experience skiing some deeper stuff with both?



While I did ski them both, I can't see the tip rocker making a huge difference in deeper snow. That's just my assumption. And you know what they say about assuming. :lol: 

Here's a thread I happened to find when I googled Rossi Experience 88... http://www.epicski.com/t/108110/rossi-experience-88-in-powder

I was actually looking for the length the ski comes in....I must have demo'd the 178. I found it to be really turny. For me, it would be great ski on icy steeps. The Kendo and Prophet seemed a bit more towards my style of skiing. 

Hawk,
Did you happen to ski the 2012 version as well? I'm curious if the tip rocker makes much of a difference.


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## Hawkshot99 (Mar 13, 2012)

Glenn said:


> Hawk,
> Did you happen to ski the 2012 version as well? I'm curious if the tip rocker makes much of a difference.



No I never bothered to ski it because we did not carry it.  For next year I will have it in my demo fleet, I liked it so much.


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## Glenn (Mar 13, 2012)

If you like the Bushwacker, I can see how you'd like the Kendo...based on this guy's review: http://shopbestorbust.blogspot.com/2012/02/2013-blizzard-bushwacker-review.html


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## Glenn (Mar 15, 2012)

I may have met the UPS guy at the front door when I heard the truck pull up last night.... :lol:







Badass shot for Gary.......


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## jimmywilson69 (Mar 15, 2012)

Nice Skiis!  

That Graphic is baddass!


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## bigbog (Mar 15, 2012)

Congrats Glenn.   Think they should work anytime here on the EC.


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## Glenn (Mar 15, 2012)

Thanks guys! Full writeup hopefully after the weekend.


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## Glenn (Mar 17, 2012)

So these things rip!  GS turns, tight turns..they deliver. Took them for a quick rip in the bumps and they did good.  I'll write a more detailed review after another day.  170's dont feel short at all. I'm raising my beer Edd.


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## Edd (Mar 17, 2012)

Great to hear Glenn. Today was some awesome skiing.


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## Glenn (Mar 20, 2012)

I skied three days on the skis and I really like them. It was mostly spring conditions, but I did my best to find some firmer surfaces. 

The 170 works just fine. The jump to a 177 is really 2.6"...not a huge difference. I opened these skis up a number of times and didn't feel they were too short. When you get these skis on edge while you're going at a good clip, they deliver. I was able to get sideways a number of times. I felt like I could move my elbow and have it touch the ground. And they really zip you out of the turn when you unload. I got into a good set of turns earlier in the morning Sunday when things were somewhat "firm(er)" and they just rocked. So I'm sure this ski will kick some butt on groomers and firm surfaces. Despite liking the high speeds, I had no problem controlling it at lower speeds. 

I found the skis to be very manageable in the bumps. I wish I had some nicely spaced seeded bumps, but beggers can't be choosers this season. On massive bumps on steep terrain (Ripcord), the skis were really easy to move around...pick a line and go. I did get a bit out of sorts over on Beartrap where the bumps were natural, but had been skied by the comp kids, so they were very uniform...but deep troughs. if I wasn't careful about my lines, I'd get bounced around a bit. That's probably due to the stiffness of the ski. I'm sure with a small adjustment here and there, they'll be good in the bumps. Again, it's a stiffer ski, so certainly not a deadicated bump ski. If I want to spend a day in the bumps, I'd grab my twins which are skinner and more noodle-ish for flex. 

Crud: Yeah, they hadndled that no problem. There was a lot of crud this weekend. I went around a hit piles of it...went through over the snow puddles/mini streams and no problems at all. One thing I did have to watch was washboards. If you load that ski up, it'll snap right back...so you have to pay attention to the surface at times. Then again, I was seaking out anything I could to give them a good test. 

Marker Squires are good bindings. I thought they felt very solid when you clicked into them.  

All in all, I'm delighted with these skis. For my type of skiing, it really will be my go to ski. I wish I had some time in on firmer snow and some powder, but it just gives me something to look forward to next season.


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## gmcunni (Mar 20, 2012)

pic with bindings on please..  i am worried that the biddings cover some of the best parts of the graphics


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## Glenn (Mar 20, 2012)

Will do! I'll grab one this weekend.


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## Glenn (Dec 3, 2012)

Geez...never got that shot for Gary. I'll grab one this weekend. 

I've been out on the hill 5 days so far. It's been everthing from early season, to spring, to mid winter in just two weeks. Since I got the skis late last year, it's like new skis all over again. Most of what I skied late last season was soft and corn. This season, I've gotten in some groomers, hardpack and boilerplate. Still happy! 

They hold very well on ice. Set you're edge, lean...done. On groomers with some speed and lean...you're trenching. They're fun in the crud as well; good at blasting through the wet stuff. There were a few times I was bounced around a little, but probably the stiffness of the ski. Overall, the ski was looking for: Easily makes short turns, but doesn't complain when you open them up. Hell, they're well balanced enough for a few of the small booters I hit in the terrain park.


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## drjeff (Dec 4, 2012)

Glenn said:


> Geez...never got that shot for Gary. I'll grab one this weekend.
> 
> I've been out on the hill 5 days so far. It's been everthing from early season, to spring, to mid winter in just two weeks. Since I got the skis late last year, it's like new skis all over again. Most of what I skied late last season was soft and corn. This season, I've gotten in some groomers, hardpack and boilerplate. Still happy!
> 
> They hold very well on ice. Set you're edge, lean...done. On groomers with some speed and lean...you're trenching. They're fun in the crud as well; good at blasting through the wet stuff. There were a few times I was bounced around a little, but probably the stiffness of the ski. Overall, the ski was looking for: Easily makes short turns, but doesn't complain when you open them up. Hell, they're well balanced enough for a few of the small booters I hit in the terrain park.



And you also forgot to mention Glenn, as I got to witness 1st hand this past weekend as you, me, and our better halves were heading down the bottom of Ridge, that your Kendo's also perform very well when you sit down on their tails in the classic park rat "butt skiing" stance and let them fly!  

Glenn can bring his Kendo's down the hill very well with some great arcing of them!


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## Hawkshot99 (Dec 4, 2012)

I demoed them last spring and loved them. I have been skiing on my shops pair of demos as I wait for my pair to arive. Hopefully ups will bring them today or tomarrow!

Sent from my SGH-S959G using Tapatalk 2


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## Glenn (Dec 4, 2012)

drjeff said:


> And you also forgot to mention Glenn, as I got to witness 1st hand this past weekend as you, me, and our better halves were heading down the bottom of Ridge, that your Kendo's also perform very well when you sit down on their tails in the classic park rat "butt skiing" stance and let them fly!
> 
> Glenn can bring his Kendo's down the hill very well with some great arcing of them!



Thanks Jeff! 

And a funny story. I attempted to do a "back in the day" move (while doing the binding sit) by putting my poles under my armpits, leaning back and creating a snow rooster tail. That works great with aluminum poles...not so great on poles that have a little "give" to them. I almost ate it. :lol:


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## drjeff (Dec 4, 2012)

Glenn said:


> Thanks Jeff!
> 
> And a funny story. I attempted to do a "back in the day" move (while doing the binding sit) by putting my poles under my armpits, leaning back and creating a snow rooster tail. That works great with aluminum poles...not so great on poles that have a little "give" to them. I almost ate it. :lol:



I thought it looked like things got a little funky there for a minute as you were nearing the top of the Tumbleweed lift. I just figured that you must of encountered a random snow-sabrett!  :lol:


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## Hawkshot99 (Dec 4, 2012)

Think I need to go test these tomarrow!

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## Edd (Dec 5, 2012)

Hawkshot99 said:


> I demoed them last spring and loved them. I have been skiing on my shops pair of demos as I wait for my pair to arive. Hopefully ups will bring them today or tomarrow!
> 
> Sent from my SGH-S959G using Tapatalk 2



Have you had a chance to ski both the fully cambered version and the one with tip rocker?  Curious how they compare. 

My GF skis on Volkl Attiva Fuegos that a rep recommended to her. She does pretty well on them but she hates skiing on slushy (totally awesome) spring days. I'm wondering if getting her on a pair of Kenjas would be a good idea to help her handle those conditions better.


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## Hawkshot99 (Dec 5, 2012)

Edd said:


> Have you had a chance to ski both the fully cambered version and the one with tip rocker?  Curious how they compare.
> 
> My GF skis on Volkl Attiva Fuegos that a rep recommended to her. She does pretty well on them but she hates skiing on slushy (totally awesome) spring days. I'm wondering if getting her on a pair of Kenjas would be a good idea to help her handle those conditions better.



I have but it has been several years since I skied the full camber version so I dont really remember it. 
The fuego is a great ski, but it is a stiff ski. in the spring I personally do not like a stiff ski. It makes me get thrown around by all the bumps.

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## Glenn (Dec 6, 2012)

Edd said:


> Have you had a chance to ski both the fully cambered version and the one with tip rocker?  Curious how they compare.
> 
> My GF skis on Volkl Attiva Fuegos that a rep recommended to her. She does pretty well on them but she hates skiing on slushy (totally awesome) spring days. I'm wondering if getting her on a pair of Kenjas would be a good idea to help her handle those conditions better.



Edd,
My wife is on the Attiva Aurora's as well as the Kenjas. The Kenja is now her go to ski. The Aurora's are a bit burly for her. Like your GF, when the snow is heavy, she has a helluva time muscling them around. To the point where she wasn't really liking spring conditions. That pretty much went away with the Kenja's.


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## Edd (Dec 6, 2012)

Glenn said:


> Edd,
> My wife is on the Attiva Aurora's as well as the Kenjas. The Kenja is now her go to ski. The Aurora's are a bit burly for her. Like your GF, when the snow is heavy, she has a helluva time muscling them around. To the point where she wasn't really liking spring conditions. That pretty much went away with the Kenja's.



That's helpful. I'm going to push her to demo these. Thanks.


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## Hawkshot99 (Dec 6, 2012)

Edd said:


> That's helpful. I'm going to push her to demo these. Thanks.



Add yhe Blizzard BlackPearl to it as well. Same style as the Kenja, but a tad softer shovel. I was on the mens version (bushwacker) last year and loved them. They were great for what you are desctibing.

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## Glenn (Dec 7, 2012)

I'll second the Blizzards. I thought the Bushwacker was a fun ski. It was similar to the Kendo.


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## Edd (Dec 7, 2012)

Yeah the Black Pearl has some very good reviews I see.  Thanks guys. 

If she can get comfortable in the slush I will be psyched. It paralyzes her. She's hit this plateau in her skiing that I'm powerless to do anything about. I'll stop thread jacking though.


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