Völkl Mantra review 2018

PROSKILAB™ reviewers' comments

Generally getting high praise from the reviewers and taking home a "Best ski" award last year, this year the Mantra lost a few places, probably because of the softer snow conditions and the arrival of new high-flying contenders like the Stormrider 95. The ski is still an excellent model and a market benchmark, but the reviewers found it more demanding than in previous years. The Mantra is still a stiff ski, grippy, high-strung, and very efficient on hard pack, happy sweeping through big turns at top speed. On the other hand, it's less happy than its rivals at slower speeds, in short turns and on softer snow. It’s the ideal ski for riders who love to engage, slicing big loops at full throttle on the groomed trails and charging through snowy fields of powder off the beaten track.

Review: Pros

• Carving long turns on the piste
• Well-balanced ski
• Very strong character
• Excellent grip
• Stability
• Speed

Review: Cons

• A stiff ski
• Inertia and heaviness
• Physically demanding

The ski review scores

Who's it for?

Manufacturer's remarks

A benchmark model, the Mantra has kept the same shape and Full Rocker design (flat camber, rocker in tip and tail). If you wonder why reviewers and so many riders love it so much, here’s the answer: the Mantra’s construction is almost the same as a Giant ski: 2 titanal plates, sandwich construction, straight sidewalls. And it’s shaped like a Freeride ski: 100mm at the waist, flat camber, tip and tail rocker. This makes it a very stable and high-performing ski on the groomers, with potential to use it in the powder with behaviour that remains playful thanks to the Full Rocker. The ski comes in different sizes for a versatile tool that remains very stable. 5-10cm more if you want a ski that’s more Freeride-oriented and 191cm for Derbys!!

Features of the Mantra

Your review

Reviewed by PROSKILAB™