Over the unusually long arc of its existence, the Mantra has morphed every few seasons, putting on a few mm’s of girth one year, adding a dab of early rise to the tip another. The latest stage in its evolution, which debuted two seasons ago, was also the most dramatic, resulting in a significant change in the Mantra’s personality.
Völkl didn’t change the Mantra’s composition – it’s still a classic combo of wood and Titanal – but they changed everything else, going from a fully cambered ski to a double rocker design that is bone-flat underfoot and rockered at tip and tail. The alterations allow the new Mantra to swivel around in soft snow, making it much more forgiving in the off-piste conditions. The premium previously placed on pilot proficiency and precision no longer pertains.
The Faction Nine.5 is an All-Mountain ski that favors any Finesse skier from intermediate to advanced; its broad ability range could be attributable to Faction’s unique transition zones between the rockered tip (10mm elevation) and tail (5mm) and the cambered (2mm) center section that make a long, strong ski feel shorter and easily re-directed. If the Nine.5 has a particular affinity for off-trail conditions, the culprit lies in its baseline that pulls the front rocker back 20cm from the tip and keeps the tail off the snow for 10cm. What remains in contact with mother earth is fairly stout, bolstered by a full sheet of Titanal that won’t let the Nine.5 get bossed around in set-up crud.
A typical encomium from one of the Footloose faithful encapsulates the Pinnacle 95’s personality: “Stable, responsive, very lightweight, not bulky. Holds edge through crud but remains playful and can change directions in an instant. Loved this…” Note the aptitude for instant direction change: the Pinnacle 95’s lightweight core contributes to lower swing weight, reducing turning effort, and its well-rockered baseline offers no resistance to foot steering.
If the Line Pandora 95 had a theme song, it would be “Surfer Girl.” When she isn’t surfing she’s swimming sideways, setting up for the next wave. Asking it to carve a clean arc on hard snow is like compelling an adolescent to stay after school and clean the erasers. It will do it, but only at her own pace and she will resent you forever for it.
If you think of the Soul Rider 97 as a skinnier Patron, it’s appearance among our Recommended models for the all-mountain Finesse skier should come as no surprise. Its twin-tip design, a rarity among our Recommended models, descends directly from the double-rocker DNA of the Patron. The turned-up tail isn’t an invitation to ski backwards – the Soul Rider 97 is a directional ski – as much as a silent plea to be taken off-piste, where this poppy, playful ski is in its element.
