To continue this tale of brand transformation, once the new Gotama with the flat baseline was accepted, Völkl applied the same technique to its Frontside carvers and with the same result: the RTM 84 won instant adherents. Each passing season saw another venerable model pass through the modernization machinery. Last year the men’s Mantra and women’s Aura metamorphosed into fully rockered baselines; this year the Kendo and Kenja receive double rockered baselines with just a remnant of camber underfoot.
Maybe Völkl has finally figured out the exact formula for taming their technical properties, maybe our testers have finally figured out how and where to ski the new designs, maybe the Kenja and Kendo were great skis to start with, but the new, dab-of-camber baseline knows how to harmonize edging power with ease of operation. As their legions of current owners know, these models were already very, very good.
Well, now they’re better.
One disappointment of last spring’s test was the late arrival of two new Völkl models, the 90EIGHT and RTM 86 UVO. Along with the 100EIGHT, RTM 84 UVO and RTM 81, they form part of a posse of new all-mountain models built around the 3D.RIDGE core that first appeared on the V-Werks Katana. While we had the chance to try some of the new 3D.RIDGE models, we only got a tiny taste of the 90EIGHT and RTM 86. Without enough scores in the ballot box, we can’t recommend a model but we do know enough to issue a brief report and links to shops that carry the new 3D.RIDGE rides.