Ski: 2024-2025 Volkl Revolt 114, 184 cm
Test Location: Crested Butte Mountain Resort, CO
Days Skied: ~10
Available Lengths: 177, 184, 191 cm
Blister’s Measured Tip-to-Tail Length (straight-tape pull): 182.6 cm
Stated Weight per Ski (184 cm): 2315 grams
Blister’s Measured Weight per Ski: 2288 & 2291 grams
Stated Dimensions: 146-114-128 mm
Blister’s Measured Dimensions: 146-114-128 mm
Stated Sidecut Radii (tip / waist / tail, for 184 cm): 24.6 m / 19 m / 22.4 m
Measured Tip & Tail Splay (ski decambered): 62 mm / 22 mm
Measured Traditional Camber Underfoot: 6.5 mm
Core Materials: poplar/beech + fiberglass laminate
Base: sintered P-Tex 2100
Factory Recommended Mount Point: -7.8 cm from center / 83.5 cm from tail
Boots Used: Lange Shadow 130 LV & Atomic Redster CS 130
Bindings Used: Marker Griffon 13
Intro
Historically, if you wanted a freestyle-oriented ski from Volkl, you’d be looking at their Revolt collection, which spans from park-and-pipe options like the Revolt 84 to the big, surfy Revolt 121.
However, for the 23/24 season, Volkl added a new ski to that collection, and the Revolt 114 looked like a bit of an outlier. For starters, it didn’t have a twinned tail, it had a more traditional mount point, and Volkl was emphasizing its big-mountain freeride capabilities.
We’ve been spending time on the Revolt 114 since Volkl unveiled it at the 2023 Blister Summit, and after getting more laps on it this season, it’s time to weigh in.
First, we’ll dig into the design of this ski (which returns unchanged for 24/25, aside from the new graphics, courtesy of Benjamin Güdel).
What Volkl says about the Revolt 114:
“‘BUILT TOGETHER!’ Again! The design concept of the Völkl Freeski Family goes into the fourth round! The entire Revolt Range was designed by Swiss illustrator Benjamin Güdel. At first sight you might say the mid-width with 114 mm closes the gap between Revolt 104 and 121, but looking closer you’ll realize, the concept is rather different: the Revolt 114 is a completely independently designed, thoroughbred freerider. In terms of construction and riding characteristics, numerous top riders such as Ross Tester, Ian McIntosh, Kye Petersen, Sam Smoothy, Markus Eder and Paddy Graham to name just a few, were involved in the development of the Revolt 114. Looking at the new, modern outline without Twin Tip you will immediately notice the flat ski tail and the early ending shovel in the front. This shape clearly classifies the ski for the big mountain league. Technically experienced and trained riders who prefer to draw wide, fast turns in open terrain, with a cliff every now and then, should definitely take a closer look at the new Revolt 114. Equipped with 3D Radius Sidecut and full sidewall wrapped around the Multilayer Woodcore, this tip & tail rocker ski is designed to take on the sickest off-piste powder missions. For experienced freeriders who give everything and demand everything.”
For more detail on the background of the Revolt 114, check out our Brand Lineup video with Volkl from Blister Summit 2023:
Construction
Like the other Revolts, the 114 features a fairly simple combo of materials, especially compared to the complex constructions that Volkl utilizes in some of their other skis. The Revolt 114 features a “multi-layer wood core” (reportedly a mix of poplar & beech), fiberglass laminate, and sintered P-Tex 2100 base.
Shape & Rocker Profile
The Revolt 114 has a notably more directional shape and rocker profile than the other Revolts. The 114 has a pretty wide shovel that features much less early tapering than the wider and more freestyle-oriented Revolt 121. The Revolt 114’s tail does taper a good bit, but its overall effective edge is notably longer than the Revolt 121 and some other playful pow skis.
The Revolt 114 features notably deep tip and tail rocker lines (with camber between them), but it has a much flatter tail profile with less splay than freestyle-oriented twins.
Flex Pattern
Here’s how we’d characterize the flex pattern of the Revolt 114:
Tips: 7.5-8
Shovels: 8.5-9
In Front of Toe Piece: 9-10
Underfoot: 10
Behind the Heel Piece: 10-9
Tails: 8.5-7.5
Overall, this is a strong ski. It’s not very soft at the ends, and then it stiffens further (and does so pretty quickly) as you move toward the middle of the ski.
Sidecut Radius
The Revolt 114 features Volkl’s “3D Radius” sidecut design, which means it blends longer radii at the tips and tails with a tighter radius underfoot. The goal is to get the best of both worlds — minimal deflection or “hooking” from the tips and tails while maintaining the ability to make tighter turns from the middle of the ski.
In the case of the 184 cm Revolt 114, Volkl lists its tip / waist / tail radii as 24.6 m / 19 m / 22.4 m.
Mount Point
At about -8 cm from true center, the Revolt 114’s recommended mount point is notably farther back than the other, more freestyle-oriented Revolt skis, but not as rearward as some more directional skis, like Volkl’s Mantra and Katana skis.
Weight
Our pair of the 184 cm Revolt 114 came in just shy of 2300 grams per ski, which is pretty heavy, even for a 114mm-wide ski. However, that weight can be a big help in certain scenarios, as we’ll get into below.
For reference, here are our measured weights for some notable skis. Keep in mind the length differences to try to keep things apples to apples.
1710 & 1744 Atomic Bent Chetler 120, 184 cm
1808 & 1809 Line Pescado, 180 cm
1833 & 1894 Head Kore 111, 184 cm
1835 & 1820 ARV 116 JJ UL, 185 cm
1859 & 1864 Ferreol Surfeur 112, 184 cm
1863 & 1872 Atomic Bent 110, 188 cm
1873 & 1878 Line Vision 118, 183 cm
1885 & 1914 Moment Wildcat Tour, 190 cm
1920 & 2006 RMU North Shore 110, 186 cm
1921 & 1927 Fat-ypus D-Sender, 184 cm
1938 & 2008 Volkl Blaze 114, 184 cm
1998 & 2024 Head Oblivion 116, 189 cm
2009 & 2018 RMU North Shore 114, 184 cm
2011 & 2023 Dynafit Tigard 114, 188 cm
2027 & 2052 K2 Reckoner 112, 184 cm
2043 & 2046 4FRNT Inthayne, 188 cm
2060 & 2075 4FRNT Hoji, 184 cm
2072 & 2092 Peak 110 by Bode, 188 cm
2082 & 2089 Blizzard Rustler 11, 186 cm
2078 & 2131 Moment Countach 110, 188 cm
2086 & 2088 Nordica Unleashed 114, 186 cm
2083 & 2137 Blizzard Hustle 11, 188 cm
2105 & 2185 Head Kore 117, 189 cm
2117 & 2132 Atomic Maverick 115 CTi, 185 cm
2127 & 2161 RMU Professor 121, 188 cm
2147 & 2286 Prior CBC, 184 cm
2163 & 2166 Moment Wildcat, 184 cm
2180 & 2195 DPS Koala 111, 184 cm
2181 & 2190 Parlor McFellon Pro, 185 cm
2183 & 2258 DPS Koala 118, 189 cm
2196 & 2211 Rossignol Sender Free 110, 184 cm
2212 & 2215 Armada ARV 116 JJ, 185 cm
2216 & 2246 Meier Leeper, 185 cm
2240 & 2250 Volkl Revolt 121, 184 cm
2243 & 2287 Salomon QST Blank, 186 cm
2259 & 2279 Black Crows Anima, 189.2 cm
2260 & 2293 Line Bacon 115, 188 cm
2280 & 2286 Icelantic Nomad 115, 191 cm
2288 & 2291 Volkl Revolt 114, 184 cm
2302 & 2342 Dynastar M-Free 108, 192 cm
2318 & 2322 Line Blade Optic 114, 186 cm
2318 & 2377 Prior Northwest 116, 190 cm
2328 & 2370 Rossignol Sender Free 110, 191 cm
2341 & 2357 Dynastar M-Free 118, 189 cm
2343 & 2360 J Skis Friend, 189 cm
2371 & 2375 Moment Wildcat, 190 cm
2438 & 2492 Rossignol Blackops 118, 186 cm
2445 & 2498 Dynastar M-Pro 108, 192 cm
2534 & 2543 Heritage Lab FR110, 193 cm
Now, let’s get into on-snow performance:
FULL REVIEW
Luke Koppa (5’8”, 155 lbs / 173 cm, 70 kg): Our reviewers (and attendees) got their first laps on the Revolt 114 at Blister Summit 2023, then we got back on it at the end of the 22/23 season, and we’ve since logged several more days on it throughout the 23/24 season (Jonathan Ellsworth will be chiming in with some of his thoughts shortly). We’ve been fortunate to get it into some properly powdery conditions, but we also skied it in a lot of less-ideal snow, so let’s get into it:
Untracked Powder
Luke: At 114 mm underfoot, the Revolt 114 is definitely a ski built with powder in mind, but Volkl describes it as more of a “freeride” model than a powder specialist. With that in mind and the fact that we’re testing the 184 cm model (a bit on the shorter side for my personal pow-ski preferences), I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this ski in deep conditions.
I was able to give it a proper test over the course of a big January storm cycle at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, and on one of those days on the Revolt 114, I skied the best snow I’ve ever experienced at CBMR. By the time the lifts started running, I think about 16” / 40 cm had fallen since the prior evening. Then at least another 8” / 20 cm fell throughout the day. And all that snow came in with frigid temps and zero wind — a recipe for some ludicrously light and deep conditions.
On my first ride up the Silver Queen chair, I saw runs littered with folks stuck in the snow, seemingly due to their boards and skis not being able to keep them afloat. This made me seriously consider running back into Blister HQ to swap to a bigger ski, but I stuck with the Revolt 114 for the whole bell-to-bell day, and I came away really impressed.
For its size, the 184 cm Revolt 114 performs very well in deep snow. Now, I wouldn’t say that it offers mind-blowing flotation in super deep conditions in terms of staying high up in the snow. As evidenced by Taylor Ahearn’s awesome photos shown here, I didn’t actually see the Revolt 114 very often that day. But more importantly for me, I had very few unpredictable tip-dive moments on this ski.
My first few runs were spent figuring out what sort of weight balance this ski would prefer or require in really deep snow, and I found it pretty adaptable overall. I definitely couldn’t get way over its shovels, especially on low-angle terrain. But, apart from really flat spots with tons of untracked pow, I didn’t feel like I needed to ski backseat to keep its big tips from diving and throwing me “over the handlebars.” On steeper terrain, I could ski it quite centered or get my weight over the front — always nice to have options.
The Revolt 114 is also quite surfy and easy to slash around in soft snow, despite its much less tapered tips and tails, relative to the Revolt 121. The 114 is not as ultra-loose as that ski, but in soft conditions, I found it very easy to roll the Revolt 114 across the fall line and make all sorts of drifts and slarves. Or, I could just make big, arcing carves. While its swing weight is substantial, this kept me enjoying it in both very tight and very open lines.
Before and after that all-time day, I’ve also skied the Revolt 114 in less deep and denser pow, and my experiences there were similar — I think it’s a really good pow ski for its width. That said, I think what makes it really stand out from other pow skis is how well it handles both untracked and tracked-out snow.
I.e., if I wanted a ski that I’d primarily use in untouched pow, especially on lower-angle and/or tighter terrain, I’d probably opt for something wider, more tapered, and probably lighter. But I’ve thoroughly enjoyed using the Revolt 114 for all parts of a resort “powder” day — which means lots of not-pow skiing, too.
Soft Chop
Luke: I love soft chop. And I particularly love skiing it on the Revolt 114.
Everything I just talked about regarding the Revolt 114’s flotation and maneuverability in untracked snow applies to cut-up pow. I didn’t find it very prone to diving if I smashed it into a deep, dense patch of chop, and I found it quite easy to release, pivot, slash, and slarve in order to make last-second line adjustments or quickly shed speed.
That latter aspect is important, because I view the soft, forgiving surface and plentiful takeoffs provided by soft chop as an excuse to go fast and take chances. The Revolt 114 agrees.
This ski is pretty heavy for its size, it’s also quite stiff, and it has a big, fat shovel up front. All of that adds up to a ski that does an excellent job of blowing up / through piles of cut-up pow without getting easily deflected.
At the same time, the Revolt 114 very rarely feels locked into a specific type / style of turn (at least in soft snow; more on that in a moment). I can easily feather its tails to modulate between carved and slarved turns, and I can quickly throw it sideways to shed a lot of speed. If I try to do that while I’m really backseat, it can still work in deeper, lower-density snow. But especially if you’re hitting a firm base underneath the soft chop (or shallower untracked snow), the Revolt 114’s stiff, fairly flat tail will remind you it’s there, and that you’re not on a really soft, forgiving, twin-tipped ski.
All that said, the 184 cm Revolt 114 isn’t the most stable ski I’ve tried in soft chop. I imagine the 191 cm Revolt 114 would be a top contender for that title, but I also don’t have much interest in skiing that version. Especially for CBMR’s numerous tight and technical lines, I suspect that the 191’s increased stability wouldn’t be worth (for me) how much more sluggish and demanding it would be at slower speeds. The 184 cm Revolt 114 is one of the most composed chop skis I’ve used, but there are better alternatives if that’s your #1 priority (see our Deep Dive comparisons).
Firm Chop & Crud
Luke: The Revolt 114 is supposed to be the “big-mountain freeride” model in the Revolt lineup, and for me, that brings to mind lots of less-ideal conditions that often litter various aspects of bigger mountains (and most freeride competition venues).
In chop and crud that is still soft enough to sink into a bit and/or cut through, I still really enjoy the Revolt 114 for all the reasons I outlined in the Soft Chop section. It’s damp, composed, supportive, and still maneuverable.
However, in really firm, rough snow — think refrozen or wind-scoured crud — this ski feels less at home. It’s still a strong, hefty ski with a shape that isn’t very prone to deflection, but it’s also 114 mm underfoot. Trying to rally it through really firm, inconsistent snow left my ankles and knees feeling pretty taxed, pretty quickly.
To put this into perspective: I think the Revolt 114 would be the Volkl ski I’d use if I had to compete on a venue that had recently seen some fresh snow, then gotten a bit skied out, but not been warmed and cooled by the sun (something like the conditions shown on Rambo, above). If that snow had thawed and refrozen a bit, or it hadn’t snowed in a while, then I’d probably resort to something narrower and less rockered, like the excellent Volkl Mantra 102.
Moguls, Trees, & Tight Terrain
Luke: On one hand, the Revolt 114 feels quite maneuverable in terms of being easy to pivot and slide — especially in soft conditions. On the other, it’s a big, heavy, and stout ski. So its overall performance in tight terrain is a bit of a mixed bag.
In untracked snow and soft chop, I found the Revolt 114 surprisingly maneuverable overall. Especially if I kept my momentum going (instead of frequent stopping & starting), I could easily make lots of tight turns, whether I was driving its big shovels or skiing more upright and centered. And when making these sorts of quick but fluid turns (i.e., not erratically flicking the ski from side to side), I didn’t think the Revolt 114 felt particularly sluggish.
On firm snow, the Revolt 114 becomes notably less easygoing in terms of stance — when the snow doesn’t “give,” it wants you to stay off its tails. And when bashing through firm moguls via more of a zipperline or “windshield wiper” approach, the front of the ski starts to feel pretty heavy and a bit unwieldy.
So, no, this big-mountain ski doesn’t excel in big, firm moguls. It probably shouldn’t. But relative to its high-speed stability, the Revolt 114 is impressively maneuverable in tight terrain when that terrain is covered with snow on the softer end of the spectrum.
Groomers / On-Piste
Luke: I don’t think this will be a high priority for most people considering the Revolt 114, but it’s worth pointing out that it carves really well for what it is. When you focus on driving it, the Revolt 114’s big shovel gives you nice engagement when initiating a turn, and then once you get it on edge, the Revolt 114 holds a carve quite well — even on pretty firm groomers. As in other conditions, it’s happy to make a variety of both carved and slarved turns on piste, apart from really tight carves.
Similar to nasty crud, carving very firm, scraped-off snow on the Revolt 114 doesn’t feel all that great — since it does hold an edge well but is quite wide, it puts a lot of torque on your knees and ankles.
But I’m not complaining — the Revolt 114 makes groomers interesting and enjoyable, which is a trait I value in a resort pow ski (I never want groomers to feel like an afterthought).
Playfulness (and Mount Point)
Luke: For starters, the Revolt 114 is not very playful when compared to the other skis that share its name. E.g., the Revolt 121 and Revolt 104 feel far more freestyle-oriented, and skis like them are much better choices if you prioritize a balanced swing weight, the ability to land and take off switch in soft snow, etc.
That said, the Revolt 114 feels well suited to the modern freeride-competition style of skiing. E.g., high speeds in variable snow, but often with lots of straight airs, some 360s, and a flip or two thrown in. Not nose-butter 9’s or triple corks (but kudos to anyone who can do those on this ski).
[Editor’s Note: of course, right after we posted this, Mikkel BK started doing absolutely absurd things on this ski in the park. And he has it center-mounted. Hats off to you, Mikkel.]
The Revolt 114 seems like it was built with more traditional freeride skiing as the primary consideration, but with notable attention being paid to the fact that many modern freeride skiers have at least a bit of a freestyle background and like to use it.
I’m someone who doesn’t spin or flip that much, and I’ve probably landed less than five successful 180s into deep snow in my life. Given that, the Revolt 114 is “playful” enough for me and my preferences for a resort pow ski. It still lets me ski quite centered in soft conditions, it’s very surfy in that sort of snow, and while its swing weight is significant, it doesn’t feel all that unbalanced in the air.
Oh, and one benefit of the Revolt 114’s flatter tail is that it’s very supportive when landing (forward). Between its strong, buoyant shovels and stout back half, I’ve found the Revolt 114 to make for really confidence-inspiring landing gear in all sorts of conditions. I rarely found myself getting bucked over its shovels when I landed a bit too frontseat, but its tail is less prone to “wheelie-ing out” than many twin-tipped skis when I land a bit backseat.
As for mount point, I never really felt the desire to stray from the Revolt 114’s recommended line (which is about -8 cm from true center). You could probably go a little forward or back, depending on your preferences, but it felt really well matched to both the overall design of the ski and my personal skiing style.
Length
Luke (5’8”, 155 lbs / 173 cm, 70 kg): As I touched on above, 184 cm is slightly on the shorter side of things in terms of my preferences for powder-oriented skis (I typically like them in the 186–191 cm range). However, the 184 cm Revolt 114 definitely feels like the right length for me. My main worry was that it wouldn’t float well enough in very deep snow, but that wasn’t an issue. Unless I was skiing big Alaskan faces in really deep snow or really rough conditions, I highly doubt I’d prefer the extra flotation and stability of the 191 cm version over the better maneuverability and playfulness of the 184.
Who’s It For?
Luke: The Revolt 114 is for those who want a ski that can be fun in deep, untracked snow while doing a great job of staying composed in the tracked-out conditions that follow on a resort pow day.
More specifically, it seems like a very nice middle ground between some of the more directional, less maneuverable options in this class and the more forward-mounted, less stable ones.
Provided they fit the description outlined in my first paragraph above, I think many decidedly directional skiers could get along very well with this ski, and so could more playful skiers who aren’t frequently landing switch in deep snow or throwing massive spins.
Who is it not for? Those who prioritize a low swing weight, a forgiving tail, and/or maximum maneuverability and flotation in low-angle terrain.
Bottom Line
We were a bit surprised when we first saw the Volkl Revolt 114. It bore the same family name as their very playful, freestyle-oriented models, yet its overall design shared traits with their much more directional freeride skis.
Fortunately, the end result isn’t some weird mutant with disparate qualities working against each other. Rather, the Revolt 114 very effectively blends elements of modern freeride and freestyle skis into a cohesive package that is a blast in fresh snow, almost just as fun in tracked-out conditions, and adaptable to a variety of skiing styles.
Deep Dive Comparisons
BLISTER+ members and those who purchase our Digital Access Pass can check out our Deep Dive comparisons linked below. Not a member? Become a BLISTER+ member today or get our Digital Access Pass to get access to this and a LOT more, including the best worldwide Outdoor Injury Insurance, exclusive deals and discounts on skis, personalized gear recommendations from us, and much more.
Check out our Deep Dive comparisons of the Revolt 114 to see how it compares to the Volkl Revolt 121, Volkl Katana 108, Moment Wildcat, Rossignol Blackops 118, DPS Koala 118, DPS Koala 111, Rossignol Sender Free 110, Dynastar M-Free 118, Rossignol Sender Squad, Meier Leeper, J Skis Friend, Prior Northwest 116, Black Crows Anima, Line Blade Optic 114, Salomon QST Blank, Icelantic Nomad 115, Moment Countach 110, Nordica Unleashed 114, Moment Deathwish, 4FRNT Hoji, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, Head Kore 111, RMU North Shore 114, Head Oblivion 116, Parlor McFellon Pro, Nordica Enforcer 110 Free, & Blizzard Rustler 11.
I’d love to give it a try!
Great review. Not too much info on this ski yet so it’s appreciated! I’m 6ft 180lbs and feel like I’m a bit in between sizes. I’m on a Mantra 102 in 184 for low snow days, and Rustler 11 in 188 (that I feel is a hair too short/soft) for pow. I primarily ski Whistler so is the 184 or 191 the call? Previously also loved my 186 Confessions….