This isn’t our first report on next year’s gear, nor will it be the last. In each dispatch we’ll share our perspective on what’s on the horizon in the way of new equipment, delving into the details on new products and their significance in the global scheme of things.
Roughly one out of every three models will be new for the 2015 season, and most of that action, mercifully, is among models measuring 100mm or less at the waist. This ratio holds true in the all-important All-Mountain West category (95mm-100mm), where several mainstay brands are sprucing up their offering.
There probably wouldn’t be an All-Mountain West category if it weren’t for the Völkl Mantra, a seminal stick that emerged some 8 seasons ago. Völkl had figured out with their iconic Snow Ranger that it was possible to build what amounted to a GS race ski with an inch more ski between the edges. With the Mantra they just slimmed and shaped the silhouette down to about 95mm, but kept the burly, race-bred construction intact.
Since its inception the Mantra has inspired dozens of would-be competitors without losing its appeal, remaining one of the top performers in an elite field. It’s stayed ahead of the pack by subtly tweaking the design every other year, such as adding a millimeter to the waist width or introducing a bit of early rise to the tip.
For 2015, the Mantra has once again shed its skin, this time re-emerging as a kinder, gentler ski in a slightly plumper profile (100mm underfoot). Growing in girth by another 2mm- a natural part of the aging process, it would appear – isn’t the most important change in the product.
That distinction belongs to a change in the flex profile that makes the new Mantra much easier to bow without losing its signature edge grip. Some Völkl insiders kindly allege that this humble scribe’s notes on previous iterations of the Mantra played a small role in the decision to soften their hallmark ski.
While I can’t say for certain whether this is true, I can attest that I found the Mantra to be a precise, demanding and utterly exhilarating ski. In other words, great for those with talent and in shape, not so nifty if one’s skills were sketchy or endurance low.
Making the Mantra easier to press into an arc should improve edge contact and control for experts with limited opportunities to ski or train. But if what you love about your current Mantras is their imperturbable support at speed, you might want to click on the FIND button next to our review of the 2014 Mantra and grab a pair while there’s still a supply in the retail pipeline. I’m not trying to suggest the new Mantra will in any way displease the legion of Mantra-philes, only that it’s bound to feel a bit different underfoot.
Speaking of things that feel different underfoot, while at the ski trade show I met a delightful mad scientist named Gordon Hay. Gordon is obsessed with feet, or more accurately, stance. He’s created an insole that one doesn’t mold or do much to custom-conform to the skier. It doesn’t function like any other insole I’m aware of, and therein lies the point.
Gordon Hay doesn’t want to immobilize your rear-foot or confine your forefoot. Hay wants your feet free and fully functional, as they would be if they rested comfortably atop the dome of a trailer hitch, which is more or less the signature impression one has when first settling onto an A-Line insole.
I’ve yet to get the chance to ski in the insoles Hay slipped into my loafers, but I’m very interested in the concept and what it may deliver. What makes the A-Line insole so interesting is its focus on the role of the transverse arch, not just in achieving an optimal stance, but in how liberating this area also affects hip rotation.
I love a new idea that challenges virtually every tenet of conventional wisdom. Iconoclasts and evangels like Day are the people who move the conversation forward, leading even when they can’t be sure anyone is following.
Obviously there’s much more to cover in the world of new gear. But it will have to wait until after we’ve been on-snow with a broad swath of next year’s crop, slated to transpire next week.
– Jackson Hogen
