Lengths (cm): 170, 178 & 186
Sidecut (mm): 135 / 99 / 117 (178 cm)
Radius: 20.8 m (178cm)
Rocker Profile: Rocker-Camber-Rocker
Weight (per ski): 1680g (178 cm)
Price: £900
Website: voelkl.com
Why we chose the Volkl Mantra V-Werks: Lightweight, yet still high performance.
The Mantra quickly became Volkl’s most popular freeride ski, with a shape that gives fantastic all-mountain performance; one that’s able to cut its teeth in a wide range of conditions. Now into its fifth generation, Volkl have taken this shape, widened it slightly underfoot, and applied it to their V-Werks designs to create a pretty impressive all mountain ski touring machine.
Similar to the Marker “M-Werks” version of the Kingpin binding, the “V-Werks” division from Volkl represents the most serious touring side of the company; where weight stripping whilst also uploading a high level of performance is key. This high level of performance here has been kept up through a range of impressive technology. Let’s get nerdy.
“The Mantra quickly became Volkl’s most popular freeride ski, with a shape that gives fantastic all-mountain performance”
As soon as you pick these skis up, the first thing you’ll notice is just how ridiculously thin they are towards the tips and tails. This lack of girth comes from Volkl’s 3D ridge technology, which incorporates a wooden core that’s thickest at the centre before tapering out towards the edges at the tips and tails.
This central wood core has been wrapped in a “carbon jacket,” something which adds stiffness and rebound to the ski exactly where it needs it and nowhere that it doesn’t.
This carbon jacket leaves a wafer thin section towards the edges which, of course, saves weight throughout the full length of the ski. With the weight taken off from the tips and tails, the Mantra V-Werks comes with an impressively light swing weight; meaning you’re able to throw them side-to-side easily in tight terrain (like steep couloirs).
