Volkl has launched brand new freeride skis that sit next to the Kendo and Mantra, the Kanjo - at 84mm under foot, they're entry level freeride skis for anyone looking to push their ride up to the next level or for a junior freeride skier who already knows how to handle all kinds of terrain.
Lightweight and easy to turn, the Kanjo is versatile and fun - as you'd expect from Volkl, it's a bit like driving a German car, you can feel the build quality before you even set off. What these skis seem to excel in is the ability to make turning feel easy, whilst also providing a high level of performance when you start to push things harder.
The skis carve on groomed slopes, suck up bumps like they're not even there and float nicely through the powder, even though they are well off the sort of width you'd expect for modern freeride skis. Whilst we absolutely adore the Mantra, the Kanjo is a far more user friendly experience for the majority of skiers who like to dip in and out between piste and powder. They're not going to satisfy a super strong freeride skier for too long though - on a big powder day you just want something a little more beefy, but if you forget the freeride tag for one minute then they fit the 'one ski does it all' model quite nicely, making them ideal first or second seasonaire skis.
If there's any downside at all, it's that you're left a little disappointed when each component part doesn't quite hit the heights most specialist Volkl skis do - in other words, a quality jack of all trades, and you could also say a master of them too, just not quite one of the zen type.
Considering the build components and tech that's gone into the Kanjo, they are great value at just over £500 - we think they look pretty nice too.
