Kendo
The Völkl Kendo has been around so long it should be considered the founding father of the All-Mountain East genre. True, it hasn’t always been the same ski, evolving over the years from a fully cambered, hard-snow centric model to a double rockered affair with a wider waist and tapered tip, all accommodations to improve its off-trail aptitude. The Kendo of today is indeed much more amenable to maneuvering in tracked-up powder than its ancestors of the same name. It’s become more than just a wide carving tool; it’s now the paradigm of the all-condition ski. The 2019 Kendo is a powerful ski, but not in a showy, take-no-prisoners style.
RTM 84
The RTM 84 uses Völkl’s signature 3D.Ridge construction, essentially a thin fiberglass shell draped over a central, wood-core plateau. Last year Völkl added a bottom layer of glass that latches onto the top of the sidewall, converting the RTM 84’s laminate construction into a 2-part torsion box. What this tech mumbo-jumbo means is the 2019 RTM 84 is livelier, stronger on edge, holds better on hard snow and is more resistant to getting batted around in sloppy bumps. The edging power and stability at speed that are practically Völkl trademarks are evident in every turn. Its tip and tail are rockered to take out any ruffles in the turn transition, but it’s the cambered area underfoot that gives the RTM 84 its distinctive bite.
Yumi
The Völkl Yumi isn’t meant for the best skiers, but it may be the best ski for anyone hoping to become one of the best. The Yumi isn’t your typical Frontside ski. Völkl has a full line of Frontside system skis (sold with a matching binding) called Flair meant to serve the full spectrum of ladies who prefer on-piste skiing. The Yumi is more like a transition ski where the next anticipated step will be a decisive move off-piste. The Yumi is often a first-time ski purchase but not by a first-time skier. The prospective Yumi skier currently rents her gear, has out-grown a kid’s set-up or has had it with hand-me-downs. The Yumi won’t be just her on-trail, groomer ski; it will be her all-terrain, ski-whatever-is-open ski.
Kenja
The Völkl Kenja has been the go-to model for expert women for what seems like a generation of skiers. While the spotlight this season shines on the new Secret, the Kenja continues to offer elite performance for skilled skiers who are on the hill in all conditions. Despite its twin sheets of metal, the Kenja is a lively and nimble. Its mass is more bonus than liability, particularly when the snow is either very hard or very chopped-up, and always when charging the fall line. More than any other trait, it’s the Kenja’s stability in all conditions that give advanced to expert women the confidence to go for it, and less skilled ladies the opportunity to move into their league.