Skis Reviewed: 2015 Volkl Mantra
Size: 184cm
Bindings: Marker Griffon Demo
Full Rocker/Early Taper
Weight: 14.6lbs
Dimensions: 132-100-118
Turn Radius: 25.4m @ 184cm
The Volkl Mantra for 2015 has undergone some big changes. The ski is now Full Rocker and 100mm in the waist. What does this mean for the Mantra you know and love? This means that in softer snow it will have more float and with the early taper easier turn initiation. As most of you know I am not a huge fan of skis with metal just for my style of skiing, however I do love a few like the Prophet 115/Influence 115 and also found the new Supernatural 100 a lot of fun as well. The new 2015 Mantra, in my opinion, has to big of a turn radius at 25.4. With the amount of stability in this ski I would have really liked to have seen a slightly wider tail so when I was on groomers I could make shorter more nimble turns. The 25.4m turn radius is great when cruising at higher speeds and for skiers that like to smear their turns the new full rocker will allow for more of that as well. I still feel with the 100mm waist that camber would have gone a long way on the groomers, the full rocker is excellent in soft snow and fresh snow, but for hard packed Northeast skiing there is still something to be said for having some camber under foot. I did really enjoy how nimble the ski was and felt that it skied pretty short because of the new early taper and full rocker. If you are looking to replace your old Mantras you will probably love the new Mantra as it still has that race stiff and stable feel. If you are looking for something more playful you will want something softer in the tip. For skiers who ski fast I would certainly say the Mantra has no speed limit and craves the speed.