Unleashing the Flair 78’s point-guard quicks is close to effortless, making this Frontside femme fatale a suitable mate for the ambitious intermediate. Its stability and liveliness are largely due to the combined contributions of spring steel, which reinforces its Dual Wood Core, and XTD Transmission, raised shoulders over the edges that help keep them connected to the snow for the full length of the ski.
Völkl has been making superior powder boards since the days of the Snow Ranger and Explosiv. The Confession is the modern version of a venerable wood-and-metal construction with camber underfoot, a retro touch that gives the ski liveliness to go along with its power. As a concession to the Confession’s 117mm waist width, the metal contribution is only one laminate and is confined to a central band rather than running wall to wall.
The Bash 116 is the top model in Völkl’s twin-tip series. This conjures images of swimmy baselines and flopping tips, and there’s some validity to these apprehensions, as the Bash has a fully rockered baseline and a tapered tip. But everything else about this powerhouse is as solid as cement. Once you put it in motion, there’s no sensation of its twin-ness; it behaves 100% like a directional ski. Why anyone would want to throw a freight train like the Bash in reverse is beyond my understanding.
You expect a race slalom ski to be comet quick, and the Völkl Racetiger Speedwall SL UVO doesn’t disappoint in this signature department. What you don’t expect is the grace to accept longer turns when requested and a ride so polished it feels like the ski is doing all the heavy lifting. As nimble as teenage gymnasts, these Völkls nonetheless never act nervous. Their imperturbable calm is attributable to the UVO dampening element affixed to the forebody, allowing the skis to maintain snow contact through any turn shape.
The Völkl GS proves that not only is power an aphrodisiac, but absolute power is irresistible. So what if it’s impatient with short turns and thinks of going slow as a waste to its precious time? If you were wooing a super model, would you expect her to do the dishes? Just let the Racetiger be itself and its UVO shock-damping device will reward you with spectacular security at speed.