The Völkl Aura underwent an end-to-end overhaul last year that altered everything but the model name.  Völkl tapered the tip, moving the contact point further back, and double rockered the baseline, virtually flipping the cambered arch underfoot upside down.

The changes gave the Aura a personality transplant. It went from being a prima donna who could really sing but should you hit a false note in how you handle her you’d hear about it, to a go-along-to-get-along gal who will smear a turn without throwing a hissy fit.

The data describes a ski that is just as ready to scrub a turn sideways as bite into a continuous carve.  The tapered tip has made the ski more forgiving, particularly off-trail, but hampers its ability to find an early edge on hard snow.  Its best scores serve as a reassuring reminder that the Aura still has two sheets of Titanal around a wood core, as it earned superior marks for off-piste performance, stability at speed and our best measure of versatility, Finesse/Power balance.

“Incredible all-mountain women’s ski!” wrote an obviously excited Kayla from Aspen Ski and Board. She found the Aura possesses “surprisingly strong edge hold for a fairly rockered ski and [is] extremely stable even on the hardpack at speed.”