These things rip. If you are a former racer, grab a pair of 191s and don't look back. They turn like a GS ski in the groomers, and the width gives them great float in the pow. Definitely my go-to ski for almost any condition.

I have the '08 model in 176cm. (I'm 5'8" and 145lbs) I love them. I also love my GS skis. Hopefully if you're looking at these skis you're primarily an off-piste skier, because that's what these are really for. They're very stiff, so they're not a dedicated powder board, but when conditions start getting weird, these skis are there for me. The stiffness gives the mountain a very smooth feel because they'll blast through a lot of crud and stay on top of powder and slush. They're pretty damp and I haven't found a speed limit for them yet except on refrozen crud and mank. They still work on that stuff - it's just not as much fun. I also find them to be very nimble, although the next size up was a bit much for me if I went in the rocks and trees. I really love the width because I think that's a big part of the stability of these skis. I'm landing much bigger airs with them than I would choose to do on my previous skis (K2 Public Enemies.) If I had to ski only one ski for a whole season, it would be these.

There are two things about these skis that I don't like. One is moguls. They're a big, heavy ski and while I can navigate them through a mogul field and even do pretty even, consistent turns, they're a lot of work. I've seen people on Mantras making moguls look easy, so it's definitely doable. You'd just better be really good. The other is that I had trouble staying on top of the super-light powder in Colorado (I usually ski Tahoe.) I definitely still had more fun with it than I would have had with any other ski I've owned and probably more fun than with some powder skis I've tried, but if I put a Duke on this ski at some point, it's going on 1cm back of the factory line.

It is hard to believe that only a few years ago a ski this width would be considered fat, now by western standards at least, this is a mid fat, all mountain ski. In the big winter that was 2008 in Utah, I skied these a ton. I put a Duke on them, so used them for moderate length tours, but also skied them many days in resort. This is a great ski for an area like Park City, or even Stowe - they work in such a wide variety of conditions. However, when it gets really deep you want something fatter (think Katana or Gotama). What is nice is you can throw this ski on if you don't really know where you are gonna ski, or with who. If you end up on groomers, they can hold their own, but if you get pulled into crud, powder or a little sidecountry, you still have the right tool for the job. They get squirrely if you ask them to perform on steep, icy, hard snow. There, they feel a little like an old straight slalom ski, somewhat skiddy - but to be fair that is not what Volkl had in mind when they designed this ski. The term "one ski quiver" is an overused cliche, but appropriate for the Mantra.

The Mantra is as good as it gets for a one quiver ski. Now that I've got that out of the way, lets talk about it's deficiencies because there is more than enough praise going around. I'm 5'11", 175 lbs, expert ability, and I ski the 184. So, let's break it down into the various situations where the Mantra isn't EXACTLY perfect. First off, when I'm charging hard or straight lining down steeps that have been chopped up, the ski isn't quite as stiff as I would like. Now, bear in mind that most people will never push the ski to this limit. Also, it's not as if the ski is flopping all over the place... it's just not quite the tank that some other more one dimensional skis are. Secondly, it doesn't have that "floaty" feel in powder like they would have you believe. It doesn't sink out of sight, and it definitely isn't a struggle in powder, but it just isn't a pure powder ski. Lastly, if you intend on ever going near the park, this probably isn't the ski for you. This ski works in almost ANY other situation on the hill including ice, moguls, groomers, etc, but if you try taking it into the park you will realize that it has no place there. It is simply too stiff. Now if you're paying attention, you'll have noticed that I complained of it being both too stiff and not stiff enough, which is what you would expect with a ski that is meant to perform all over the mountain and under almost any conditions. This brings me to my final point. All in all, if you are an advanced/expert skiier and you can only buy one set of skis, the Mantra is for you, end of discussion.

Let's start off with specifics. I'm 6'2" and weigh anywhere from 225-235lbs during the ski season. I previously skied Seth Vicious 189's (way too soft) before the Mantra. Now i'm on the Mantra's (191) with a salomon lab binding.
The Good - My first day on these skis was at Crystal Mtn (WA) and it was 35degrees with about 10" of super heavy snow - typical cascade concrete. The Mantra's absolutely killed it. The tip BLASTED through the crud like it wasn't even there. -almost zero deflection in the tip. I was making 2-3 turns where i had to make 15 cowboy turns with the Seth's. I couldn't help but smile when bombing down to the lifts (my teeth were cold from doing so). Top end - not sure if the Mantra has one...incredibly stable at speed. Powder - becasue i'm a heavier guy, the tip naturally comes up to the top. If you're a light guy, then you could potentially submarine occasionally in deep snow - just a guess.

The Bad (ish) - you better be in shape. Let me say that again...you better be in shape. The mantra has energy for days. This ski doesn't get tired, although you just might. Stiff Tail - while great for bombing runs, you will always know where it is.

Final thought - the Backcountry review is spot on. The Volkl Mantra kills it. Don't be confused though...it will either slay the mountain or you.

I'm 6'1" 225#. 50 YO. Been skiing for 40 years. Very aggressive, strong and athletic skier. I demoed a pair of Mantras at Keystone for two days this past March. Great fun. Even as wide as they are I could easily string together tight slalom turns. Letting them loose in big super G style runs was awsome. They were very fast and very stable at speed.(54mph by GPS) Handled the afternoon ice with ease. I did have trouble with them in the bumps. But I had a huge grin on my face everywhere else.

First off i'll say that i am not a 5 star or no star reviewer. seem like everyone likes to give 5 star to something they like, i try to reserve that for something truly exceptional.

That said i think the mantra is a great ski. Demo'd it today in whistler and really liked it. No powder so cant comment on that, but on nearly everything else this ski was real solid. easy to carve, and also its fairly happy to do tight quick wiggles, not bad for a fairly fat ski. Felt solid as a rock on ice, and happily ate its way through crud. Didn't feel quite as comfy going through moguls, but hey, you cant have everything. All in all a great ski, and giving serious thought to buying it. However it didn't blow me away enough to quit searching for alternatives just yet, got a few more skis to try before i make a purchase, but this is at the top of my list so far.

Did you grow up racing, or love skiing on your carving skis. But now you need something for softer, deeper snow. Take a look at these. With a layer of metal in them, not too aggressive sidecut, and 96mm waist, these things are oversized gs skis. These fat gs skis, provide great stability, excellent edge hold, and the ability to carve all over the mountain. Unfortunately there is a down side to this. They are heavy and do not float as well in the pow as similar skis in this category. If you are looking for some better soft snow performance, check out their big brothers, the Gotama.

I mounted these in a new 2009 184's with some hammerhead tele bindings. Just took them on their first big tour yesterday. We skinned up 2500 feet then cycled some great spring corn for another 1500 of vert of uphill skinning or so. These are not lightweight skiis! but I knew that going in.. I don't like light skiis or boots (my boots are the rockin garmont energ). Not for the meek. I'll give 'em 4 stars for now until I've got more time on 'em.

These things look to be da bomb! My legs are wasted but then I'm soon to be 45 years old and still crankin tele turns baby!

I've done a lot of demoing of mid-fats and fat skis over the past couple years. I'm a very aggressive skier and typically spend about 40% off piste, 60% on. These skis truly defined versatility for me. They drive through crud, effortlessly float powder, and love to throw down GS turns on the groomers. I've taken them through trees, steeps, powder bowls, hucked cliffs, and even skied moguls. I've felt nothing but love for these skis. I ski mainly in California and would say that you might want something a little fatter in the lighter CO/UT pow, but this is a great every day ski for Mammoth or Tahoe. Can't go wrong if you're looking for a one ski quiver. For a sick setup mount the Marker Jester (Big-Mountain freeskiing) or Duke(AT).

So I skied these skis for 6 days in every condition there is....i love them. if i could throw money down on a new ski this would be it no questions asked. the mantra is at home any where on the mountain. i am in idaho and blasted through freshies, crud, groomers, and left-overs in these bad boys and ripped every second. It is not a ski for someone who does not want to put in work but if once you get them dialed, you will slay the mountain...i promise. They are phat under foot but still can catch and hold edge. So sick, i love them.
Negatives (lets face it thats why we read reviews) - you do have to push this ski to catch and turn. you feel the tail alot, i got crossed up a few times. It has a wide radius, more like a gs turn than anything else, if you want short tight turns get something else or get ready to put in work.
Overall - they bust through crud like no ones business. i was making my own turns on top of a steep cruddy chopped up black with no worries. this f*in ski rips if you can get dial it in. I would be happy with this ski for any condition but it does chatter on fast hard pack.so stay in the pow and backwoods. cheers

I disagree with the above posting. My 177cm Mantra's with Z12 Ti bindings are the lightest ski's i've ever had on my feet. My 170cm Tornado's are even heavier. I recently tried a 189cm K2 Obsethed with a Griffon binding and OMG, after a couple hours my knees were already tired of being on the long chairlifts. Thought the K2 was a great ski but the weight is not for me, typical K2 though. My wife just bought a pair of Aura's and she thinks they are super light as well. The Mantra is a very hard ski to beat for an everyday no matter what condition ski. Carves like a race ski, super quick when needed, good bomber, the tip does dive some in powder, and a little rough riding when the snow gets choppy. The metal in it is responsible for this I'm sure. Haven't found a ski yet that puts a bigger smile on my face than the Mantra but am still out there looking. Trying an Rossi S6 next.

2/2/09
I never thought a ski design could make so much difference. I'm 55, 198lbs (wet), 5' 10" (dry) and pretty sporty but no marathon man.
I started skiing 14 years ago to get my 14 year old son into the sport - We live and ski in New England. Specifically Maine and New Hampshire's ice laden Hills!
The Good
I stepped out of my Atomic Supercross 160's and strapped these 177 fats to my boots during a recent demo day at Sugarloaf. The deal was I could try up to 3 different skis during the day - the reality was I never got past the first pair - The Volkl Mantra with Marker Griffon binding @ 177cm was (is) the ski for me.
I'm not a tree or mogul skier but I like to try and take on whatever the day and the conditions dictate. My Atomics were great on fresh groomed or virgin pack. But with my moderate to advanced skier skill I had trouble in late afternoon crud and powda' over 6". The Atomics would run away from me and in those conditions. I would hunt down virgin corduroy or simply justify my age and head for the bar! The Mantra on the other hand has me doing the opposite - the crud and powda' is Mantra heaven. I was now looking for late afternoon build up, the thicker the better. Hard messy tracks were no match for these stix and I'm sure when New England turns on the fresh, the Mantra will exceed my limitations as a skier. Who ever thought a tool could make craftsmen. The Mantra makes me look (or at least feel) just that. I can't wait for them to take me to the status of a (senior) master Yedi knight! Meanwhile the bartender will have to wait till dark before he'll see me again!
The Bad
I had to pay Volkl for the privilege.

The ski that mhc142418687 mentions is probably the Aura, which is actually 94 under foot, and is the same as the older Mantra from 2 years ago, a red ski . The Aura is, as mentioned a great higher performance women's ski. The newer Mantra is 96 under foot. black this year, white last year, and a great ski for more off-road than on road. Wouldn't want to see this ski on front side use only. Wood core, vertical side walls, basically no speed limit, but firmer tail, so if you are looking for a casual ride in soft snow, then probably not for you, look to the Coomba from K2. softer, 102 under foot. And don't transfer an "old" binding from something in you closet. The newer bindings do work better with the wider skis. As mentioned, the Duke, if you want to climb, or the Jester if you don't want to climb, are good light choices, but remember, the raised toe height will feel different. Or go with the newer Sal. Z12 or Sth(14 or16) , wider AFT, great boot/binding/ski purchase. And lastly, not that this web site will like it, but buy locally!! Most shops do discount at the rack now, so support them and they will be around for you to touch the new toys of tomorrow.

Bought this ski based on reviews and never demoed it. This is my first year on the Mantra (Griffen bindgings) and just spent 10 days in Big Sky, MT skiing powder, crud, hard-pack, mogels, trees and ice and was shocked how much better my Mantra preformed compared to my old Volkl AC4. Simply put, if you need a ski that can handle everything (in the west) this is the ski for you. FYI, I'm 50, 170 lbs, 5'8" tall and an expert skier who likes off piste more than on. I purchased the 170 over the 177 because I like a quick turning ski in the trees.

There are threads about the binding position being forward on the Mantra (see TGR forums). Not sure if that's good or bad. I mounted mine on the factory mark. My 184 Mantras did feel short at first compared to my 183 Scott Missions (me: 6'2", 180lbs. Bindings Sal Z12 on both pair of skis). The 184 Mantras have a 22m radius and my 183 Scott Missions have a 15.5m radius and a more rear binding mount. So the Mantras initiate more easily but don't try to turn across the hill like my Scotts do. So they're more mild mannered in the turn, but running flat on firm the Mantras swim (that's w/ the factory tune).

The Mantras also pound through crud better than the Scotts which got deflected more so I feel more confident on the Mantras and will let them run more. -1 star for the swimming--my Scotts don't do that.

Both skis ride the hardpack well, maybe less chatter from the Mantra. The Mantra is lighter than the Mission (actually made by Fischer).

I have last year's Mantras (184's) mounted with Bomber Bishop tele bindings and completely love this set-up. Float well through the pow but rail on the groomers and stable at high-speed.

Agree the 08 (gold) Mantras are "Like fat GS skis". I ski a lot of bumps and trees, and venture off piste as long as the conditions make it worth while. Well, last year with these skis there was a lot more "worth while" than ever before (and a lot of OB terrain too :).

For years I've preferred longer lengths and at +175lbs I started out buying a 184cm pair. This was after demoing an 07 (red) 177cm pair that skied very short (likely a bad mounting position with the crappy rental bindings attached). So off I went on the 184s, but whoa they liked to run scarey fast, too fast through the woods and too straight in the bumps. Luckily I was able to go swap these for a new pair of 177cm (gold again) and skied hard for the last 3 months of the season on them. I can't say how much improved the 177cm was for my style... aggressive, turny, ski everywhere. I would rate these at 100% everywhere except icy conditions (icy goomers or bumps) when only a race ski would help.

I'm a bit older now, but still manage to yoyo bump runs and yes... most of the time make it look easy. Spent the other 50% of the time in the trees snapping twigs and LOL all the while having a superb time.

Having skied a bizillion pair of demos, no way would I say these are heavy. Rather, look at the bindings you mount and judge accordingly. I had mounted a pair of very light and low Salomon STH 12 bindings, which worked great. Wouldn't think of using a BC binding in the bumps, that would be crazy.

Having skied Colorado for the last umpteen years, I'm use to the light snow we had there. I'm now up in the NW area - pass at Schwietzer this year, so we'll see how these work in slightly wetter conditions.

In Colorado, I did find the 08 Mantras slightly narrow and slightly too stiff for soft pow. This was true for both the 184 and 177cm. Wishing for a pair of Gotamas for that extra float. However, the Gotamas are a longer turning ski (and ultra fat) which I don't like in the trees and bumps.

I tried them this past week in Telluride. They were my first fatter ski. I am an East Coast skier and currently ski the Nordica SUV 14 170, 115-70-99, this was abit of a change. They were so fluent and excellent in the Pow and moguls, but I felt I was working a bit on the groomers. I blame that on the change from 16m sidecut to a 20m, as well as the 70 under foot to 98, and my skills not adjusting that quickly. They did get very fast very quickly on the groomers like a race ski.

I tried the 177, I think if I bought them I would go with the 170, the sidecut is 18.2, but still has the fatter footprint I am looking for.

Demoed the Mantra on the East coast and also the west. Park City and the Canyons. 2 Ft of snow on a monday and I found freshies Thursday, Friday and Sat. Crushed through everything I could find. Quick through the trees, light to hop around on some steep chutes, Overall an incredible ski. Also been a racer my whole life and never have skiied on anything else than Race skis, on east coast groomers and Ice these skis held up to quick slalom and fast GS turns. I am 6'5" 205 and have skied the 177 and 184. Purchased the 184, could probably go longer but I tend to enjoy a shorter ski. Still need Bindings???

best things i ever put on my feet, handles everything well if not superbly. just got back from 3 Valleys in French Alps and did not feel like I needed any other ski, whether is was sneaking out of bounds and taking a whole day to ski back to a trail, or barrelling down the groomers to get back to the condo. yeah, they don't float exactly like a TRUE powder ski, but do a damn good job and are very maneuverable in any type of snow. chop doesn't stand a chance, and tolerates big drops and hits to hidden boulders very well. super stable at high speed, almost felt like they begged for more. For those with questions on bindings for these skis - Salomon STH 14 on mine, awesome, solid, reliable with release when you expect/need it. Did not try Marker Griffen, but felt very plastic-y in shop. Am sure all would be fine. again, awesome ski to handle anything extremely well if all you can have is 1 set of skis.

These skis are sick!!! They ski everything well. I am stuck skiing in Michigan for most of the year and they handle groomers and crud very well for a fat ski. I only get out west skiing about once or twice a year and was stoked to see how well they handle powder. If you are looking for a do anything ski look no further.

I also don't had out 5 stars often, but these skis are 5 star worthy.

Demoed these for a week on a trip to Red and Whitewater. Ended up with a drought, skiing on 2 week old snow which meant zero tree's and lots of groomers. I've never gone faster on ski's before in my life. I grew up skiing in New England, and straight line bomb groomers. These things were rock solid, just point and go. Unfortunately, I was not able to put them anything deep.

The only thing I didn't really like was the slight twin tip. I keep my ski's very close I guess and the tips seem to get a bit hung up on each other at times. Prolly something I would get used to.

I think I'm going to pick up a pair of the 184's, once I get some scratch saved up.

I had a chance to ski these on a 4 day, heavy snow trip to Targhee. I was expecting it to be a very dull, float-at-all-costs ski that completely fell on it's face when it left the deep stuff, but I was pleasantly surprised. I found it to be very lively, suitable for the gamut of turn radiuses, and even just fine ramming it through some fluff-topped bumps. But where it really excels is in the crud and powder - completely effortless. As an old-timer expert, I cut my teeth skiing the steep and deep on long, narrow slalom skis (think, Rossi ST 207s, etc) - this ski is just as lively as those old sticks, and about 1/10th the work! My main complaint about this latest generation of skis is that they don't really let you get down into the snow where the action is, but still a lot of fun. They seem to have found a way to make a ski float like hell and still actually feel like a ski should!

Great ski that can do anything. With Marker Jester bindings and Garmont boots and these skis I feel confident with any condition the mountain has to offer. I'm 5'10 and 170lbs. I bought 177's. You may want to test drive a size larger, but happy non the less.

After a day of a demo run, I purchased Volkl Mantra (online).

The ski is incredible for powder, crud, and groomers with loose snow. I'm having a tough time navigating on hard pack runs with them, but that may be user error.

The order process on backcountry was a breeze, and delivery fast enough to beat the next storm.

The Mantra's are flat money! If you only have the cash for a one quiver ski this is it! GS turns on boiler plate no problem. Charging turns thru crud say it ain't so! Good flotation on blower days, you betcha.

In my quest to find a complimentary ski to my 175cm Volkl Super Sport 6-Star carve ski and after hearing great things about this ski last year and learning that Volkl didn't change anything substantial about the Mantra for 2008/09 I was pretty excited when the snow started falling this winter. I have to admit that I didn't ski on the Mantra at all before buying a pair of the 2007/08 when I found them for a great deal which is a unlike my normal ski buying habits where I want to try before I buy but the deal was too good to pass up and they were well liked last year. I opted for a pair of 170's with the Marker Griffon bindings as I am 6' 165lbs expert skier, but wanted to stay with a shorter ski length to be able to stomp anything in sight. I also ended up switching out the brake for the 110mm rather than the 90mm brake arm that came with the Griffon bindings I got to provide the needed clearance since bending the 90mm brake arms just wasn't going to work well with these bindings. Some thought the 110mm brake arms would be too wide and hangup on eachother, but I have had no problems with them after bending the inside arms in towards the binding slightly (not even sure if that was necessary but I did it anyway before I even took them out).

Like I said, these are a complimentary ski to my carve ski which I still prefer whenever the conditions get hardpacked or icy, but on a good powder day or even a few days after when it is all tracked up but still cold dry snow I pull the Mantras out and go anywhere and everywhere. They are very different from my carve ski, but then again they are supposed to be and that is why I picked them. As for those who feel the Mantra is a "heavy" ski, believe me these are some of the lightest skis Volkl has made in a long time. Volkl is an enthusiasts ski, not an everyday intermediate skier. Every car or motorcycle enthusiast has their favorite ride and most are not comfortable for just a Sunday drive - same goes for Volkl you either love 'em or hate 'em - I LOVE 'EM!

We awakened to about six inches of new fluff and it was still snowing hard when we loaded the chair. We made our first run down Crazy Horse, me on my Rossi Z 9s, and all we realized the conditions demanded fatter skis.
At the base area, we trooped in and selected demo skis. I chose a pair of 177 Volkl Mantras and we headed back up asap. We opted for a blue cruiser - Calamity Jane - as a warm up. My God what a fantastic ski: smooth, supple, excellent flotation, quick to answer skier input. I deliberately skied behind my friends, cutting across their wakes. Smooth as silk. No spooky change in speed, no hooky tips when snow consistency changed. After Calamity Jane, we headed for the ungroomed, steeper slopes, off piste. We hooted and hollored all day, and I really put those Mantras through their paces in just about every condition the day offered and they responded beautifully.
We skied down a blue groomer in the afternoon and they held as well on the "harder" surface as I am accustomed to experiencing with my Z -9s.
Truly, the Mantra can do it all.

I have the women's version of these skis, which are identical to the men's but adjusted for height and weight differences. As a former racer who loves to rip 14" powder lines after a 45 minute hike up Aspen Highlands, I'm pretty demanding of my skis. These are the ONLY skis I've had that can both float AND carve, and are the ski I ride most in my quiv of race skis and fat boys. If you're looking for a burley, versitile, fun, and fast ski, slap a pair of Dukes or Jesters on these and let 'em rip. :)