Völkl Mantra V.Werks review 2020

PROSKILAB™ reviewers' comments

The Volkl Mantra V.Werks already drew a lot of attention during the pre-tests and quickly won over the Proskilab testers. We should point out right way that the V.Werks version is completely different from the Mantra M5 that we tested last year and that has been renewed by the brand this year. The sidecut, construction, weight, and performance are very different. We have to point out that the Mantra V.Werks is a completely unique ski in the market.

First of all, the ski surprised the testers by its performance on groomed runs. It is incredibly lively, stable, confidence-inspiring, and very grippy for this category on groomers, even at high speed. It feels amazing -- the ski is very light and solid underfoot, very thin, and can flex longitudinally while maintaining great torsional stiffness.

The ski is light (1,680 kg in a 178 cm according to Völkl) for a touring ski or a freeride touring without being a featherweight. However, it feels lighter underfoot, undoubtedly due to the 3D construction, which is designed make it less sluggish when pivoting. An "Ice.off" topsheet prevents snow from sticking to the top of the ski. The performance/weight ratio is exceptional.

Its predictable behavior, edge grip, lightness underfoot, and liveliness make it a blast to ski on. The testers really enjoyed themselves on the Mantra V.Werks.

Off-piste, its lightness, finesse, the almost complete absence of a sidewall, and the 99-mm waist make the ski very comfortable in powder. It holds its own in chopped-up snow as well because it is so easy to pivot.

It requires certain technical skills to get the most out of it. The testers noticed that you need to pressure the tongue of the boot when you’re skiing. It is also a little less at ease in short turns.

An excellent freeride touring ski, at ease in all terrain, the Völkl Mantra V.Werks is not cheap, but it offers unique performance. The Proskilab testers highly recommend it for skiers who focus on technical excellence rather than price.

Review: Pros

• Excellent performance on groomed runs, “quick and solid” ski
• Stable and confidence-inspiring, grippy, capable of going fast for this category
• Lively, good rebound at the end of the turn
• Comfortable in all terrain
• Pivots very well, easily rotates
• Floats and pivots well in powder, at ease in chopped-up snow
• Easy to use, comfortable at all speeds
• Lively, feels light underfoot making it super fun
• Very progressive flex

Review: Cons

• As it is more oriented towards medium and long turns, it is a little less comfortable in short turns
• You need to be forward to avoid surprises at high speed
• Requires good technical ability to ski properly

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Manufacturer's remarks

The V-Werks line regroups all the technology available that our engineers, testers, workers, and machines in Straubing-Bavière can bring to a ski.
For the Mantra V-Werks, we find the famous 3D Ridge construction, which provides a slimmer ski from tip to tail, while keeping stiffness under the binding. The ski is completely covered in several layers of carbon along its entire length. It has a wood core with a 0.6 mm titanal band embedded in this core.
The Mantra V-Werks has camber underfoot, tip and tail rocker, and a 99-mm waist. The 3D Ridge carbon construction reduces weight, and the ski only weights 1680 grams in the 178.
This incredibly light high-performance ski impressed all the testers. They loved its strong frontside performance, its liveliness (due to the light weight), its versatility off-piste considering its width, and the stability from the titanal band.

Features of the Mantra V.Werks

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Reviewed by PROSKILAB™