Völkl 90Eight review 2020
PROSKILAB™ reviewers' comments
Although we asked Völkl to put the Mantra M5 in the test this year, the manufacturer wanted us to test the 90Eight in this category. The 90Eight is an excellent ski, but a bit light for this fairly demanding category. The Mantra M5 has not changed and we suggest that our readers who are interested in a more performance-oriented ski consult last year’s test.
The 90Eight really shines as soon as you go off the side of the groomers. The substantial width underfoot, lightness, and very even flex are amazing: the ski is at ease in all types of terrain, in all conditions. It cuts through crud, floats in powder, and pivots easily. It’s awesome.
On the frontside, performance is good overall, but the ski is fairly soft and lacks maneuverability and edge hold at high speed. It is not the ideal ski for aggressive short turns on hardpack, but it is comfortable cruising and making big turns at moderate speed.
The Völkl 90Eight is a versatile ski and can handle all types of terrain but prefers off-piste. We recommend it to advanced to expert skiers who want a ski that is very comfortable off-piste but also to freeride touring enthusiasts.
Review: Pros
- Excellent off-piste performance in all conditions
- Absorbs variations in the terrain
- Floats well
- Comfortable cruising on groomers
Review: Cons
- Lacks character mainly on piste
- Less responsive than some of its competitors
- Fairly soft, limited performance at high speed on groomers
The ski review scores
| Turn initiation | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 15.5 |
| Stability | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 15.2 |
| Stability/turning performance | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 16.4 |
| Grip | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 15.8 |
| Short turn performance | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 12.4 |
| Long turn performance | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 16.4 |
| Skid turn performance | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 13.2 |
| Handleability | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 15.2 |
| Comfort | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 16.4 |
| Snow contact | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 15.2 |
| Soft snow fluidity | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 16.4 |
| Freeride - Flotation quality | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 16.4 |
| Handling in powder | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 16.4 |
| Performance on hard snow | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 14.6 |
| Freeride - Performance on hard snow | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 14.6 |
| Any ground comfort | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 14.6 |
Who's it for?
Manufacturer's remarks
Featuring the same 3D construction used on the V-Werks, it is a smooth ski that shows its strengths from the first run. Its shape (it has a tip and tail rocker) provides good control and edge grip on groomers while also performing well in powder. The 90Eight is stable and lively, and at 98mm in the waist, it is the ideal all-mountain ski that can handle anything: bumps, trees, groomers, and even powder and crud. It is so lightweight that it can also be mounted with a freeride binding (Squire, Griffon…) or a pin binding like the Marker Kingpin, for example.
Features of the 90Eight
| Brand : | Völkl |
| Model : | 90Eight |
| Year : | 2020 |
| Family : | All-Mountain back |
| Size tested : | 184 cm |
| Tip size : | 133 mm |
| Waist size : | 98 mm |
| Tail size : | 116 mm |
| Radius for the size reviewed : | 22 m |
Your review
Reviewed by PROSKILAB™
in La Clusaz, France, March 2019