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 technical minutia matters because of the end-to-end glass layer that lies below the 3-piece Titanal Frame. Breaking the top Titanal layer into disconnected segments allows the fiberglass arch in the camber zone to be compressed more easily, storing the energy that gives the Secret its signature rebound. The perimeter-weighted tips and tails are reinforced with carbon inserts that make the extremities so damp and connected you forget they’re rockered.
Stacy from Squaw Valley filed this detailed report of the Secret’s proclivities: “Conditions: hard pack, chunder. Stiffer than the 90Eight’s, the Secrets are a solid performance ski designed to blast through all of the variable snow. They’re a great balance of lightness to performance, These skis can crush all types of terrain and still felt super stable and confident at high speeds despite some chatter. Carves well.” As the Secret should, for it harbors a lot of carving instincts in its ostensibly off-piste character. “Great ski for woman who skis on piste more and loves to turn,” declares Penelope from Boot Doctors. “Easy in the bumps and holds edge well on hard pack. A Winner!”
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. Julie Matises from the Squaw Ski School describes the Secret as “playful and easy. You can be easy-going or more aggressive entering the turn and still get performance,” declares the veteran instructor.