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Volkl M6 Mantra All-Mountain Ski 2021 – 2022 | Review

The Mantra lives on in this classic – and now updated – all-mountain shape

Why we chose the Volkl M6 Mantra: Powerful, versatile, classic 

Lengths (cm): 163, 170, 177, 184 & 191
Sidecut (mm): 135 / 96 / 119 (177 cm)
Radius: 18m (177 cm)
Rocker Profile: Rocker-Camber-Rocker
Weight (per ski): TBCg
Price: £640 / €675 / $700

BUY HERE

We’ve been big fans of Volkl’s Mantra shape for many years. If we’re ever at a ski test, there’s a good chance we’ll reach for a pair of Mantras to warm up our legs and dial in our testing heads on these trusty skis.

Don’t just listen to us, either. The shape has quickly been picked up by many advanced to expert skiers – professionals and punters alike – around the world as their go-to all-mountain ski that can tackle just about everything on the mountain, no matter what the mountains decide to throw their way.

“For 2021, the legendary Mantra build sees an update to create an even more approachable ski”

Now for 2021, the legendary Mantra build sees an update to create an even more approachable ski that you can depend on when you’re unsure of the conditions that are going to be thrown your way.

Volkl M6 Mantra Build

Volkl have long been known for their extremely powerful titanal builds and this lives on through the Mantra shape in what Volkl calls their Tailored Titanal Frame, which sees an update for this year. While previous titanal frames were made from a one size fits all sheet of titanal, the updated frame is made up of three sections of titanal: one solid section underfoot and two sheets towards the tips and tails.

The two sheets are shaped to provide power towards the edges and are positioned close to the tips and tails. The tailored design means that the shorter the ski, the less titanal that’s used. This makes for an extremely snappy ski for lightweight or less powerful skiers. On the flip side, the longer skis feature more titanal for improved power and a damp ride for those who are capable of taking on a more demanding pair of skis.

While Volkl has hollowed out the centre of the titanal layer, they’ve brought in the lightweight power of carbon into the tips and tails to make up for any potential loss in structure. Their unique way of weaving carbon stringers – called their Tailored Carbon Tip – means that Volkl are able to position carbon directly over areas that need it. This results in high levels of performance being driven towards the tips of the skis without too much additional weight.

This metal and carbon sits above the M6 Mantra’s multilayer wood core, which is made up of Beech and Poplar. This mix of wood makes use of Beech underneath the binding location underfoot, while the light and poppy Poplar stretches out towards the tips and tails.

“The Mantra is a category-defining ski”

Volkl M6 Mantra Shaping

The versatile all-mountain shape of the Mantra is what gave the ski its reputation, and this versatility lives on with the new M6 Mantra. The shape is based around a 96 mm waist width, which provides decent amounts of flotation for when you’re throwing these off the piste, yet still retains snappy edge to edge power for when you’re looking to suck as much performance as possible from the titanal layer.

An 18 metre elliptical radius has been used to provide a variety of turn shapes, depending on the speed you’re skiing. Elliptical radii work by featuring a tight radius underfoot and an open radius towards the tips and tails. This means that the longer turn radius is engaged when you’re flexing the skis at speed (for increased stability) while slower speeds result in the shorter turn radius to be engaged for easy turn initiation.

Who Is The Volkl M6 Mantra For?

The Mantra is a category-defining ski that many all-mountain skis have looked to emulate, but many haven’t quite struck the unique blend of power and manoeuvrability that the Mantra so effortlessly achieves. The improvements for this season make it that bit less demanding for skiing at slower speeds while still retaining its powerful all-mountain spirit.

What Is The Volkl M6 Mantra Good At?

Versatility: 9/10
Carving: 8/10
Soft Snow: 7/10

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