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.
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.
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.
A superficial assessment of the new Völkl Secret based solely on its sidecut might conclude that’s it’s just a plumped-up Kenja with a millimeter more shape. But a well-made ski can never be reduced to just its dimensions, and the sister ski to the new M5 Mantra doesn’t take its cues from the Kenja or any other women’s ski extant. The differentiator is its Titanal Frame construction that uses .6mm stirrups of Titanal applied to the tip and tail, separated by an edge-to-edge .4mm mounting plate that lives between them. The more aggressive gals who charge the fall line are going to find the Secret a reliable companion that won’t hold them back, and its stability is a boon to those still polishing their skills.
