Great addition to your quiver

By Bretr Ranked #1301 - Alpine Fat Skis January 14, 2009

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!

View Details: Volkl Mantra Alpine Ski

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