2022 Volkl Mantra 102

Not since the first Cochise rolled off the production line nearly a decade ago has there been a Big Mountain ski like the Völkl Mantra 102. You can feel the power percolating under the hood before you have it out of first gear. Even though it’s “only” 102mm underfoot, it feels more substantial. At slow speeds, its triple-radius sidecut (long-short-long) encourages the Mantra 102 to stay close to the fall line so it can pick up enough inertia to show its other moves. “It’s super stable in hardpack or crud,” confirms Patrick McCloud from Peter Glenn. “Somehow it manages to perform like a narrower waisted ski on the hard stuff but like a big ski in the soft stuff and crud. Very impressive.” Once you’ve shown it you care by injecting speed into its veins, the Mantra 102 becomes more compliant. Even though it’s double rockered, its Titanal Frame design, which puts more mass around the tip and tail, keeps nearly the full length of the ski engaged. While not exactly nimble – its lowest score is for short turns – it doesn’t have to be, for whatever lies in its path better get out of its way or face extinction. If you’d had difficulty finding a Big Mountain ski that’s able to support your mass and your mojo, your search has ended. The only other ski in the genre that can match its bottomless power reserve is its big bro, the Katana 108.