Ski Reviews

2020-2021 Volkl Mantra 102, 191 cm

Reviewer Username: Obi wan Kenobi

Reviewer Height: 6’2″

Reviewer Weight: 225 lbs

Reviewer Experience Level: Expert

DAYS USED: 10 days

TEST LOCATIONS: Andermatt Switzerland, Wilder Kaiser Austria

TEST TERRAIN: Firm groomers | Softer groomers | Firm moguls | Softer moguls | Fairly steep off-piste terrain

PERFORMANCE RATINGS

(0 = Terrible, 5 = Okay, 10 = Outstanding)

OVERALL IMPRESSION: 8/10

FORGIVENESS: 4/10

MANEUVERABILITY (How Loose / Easy to Pivot & Smear?): 5/10

MANEUVERABILITY (How Quick / Low is the Swing Weight?): 5/10

STABILITY: 8/10

SUSPENSION: 8/10

EDGE HOLD: 9/10

PLAYFULNESS: 5/10

SKI LENGTH: It felt just right (191 cm length tested)

THIS SKI’S IDEAL TERRAIN: Firm groomers | Softer groomers | Low-angle, off-piste terrain | Fairly steep off-piste terrain | Very steep off-piste terrain

THIS SKI’S IDEAL SNOW CONDITIONS: Extremely firm hardpack or ice | Pretty firm snow | Softer, but not deep snow | Soft chop / pretty forgiving cut-up snow | Firm, off-piste chop or crud

WHAT TYPE(S) OF SKIER DO YOU IMAGINE WILL GET ALONG BEST WITH THIS SKI?

Expert Skiers will get the best out of this Ski. It is demanding, but also when used by the right person very rewarding

ARE THERE SIMILAR PRODUCTS YOU’VE SKIED THAT YOU CLEARLY PREFER? IF SO, WHY?

For skiing fast on firm snow – on and off piste – there is no better ski I am aware off

PLEASE ELABORATE ON ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO SAY ABOUT THIS SKI. FEEL FREE TO GO INTO DETAIL!

As an avid reader of Blister, I thought I should share my impressions with this ski.

Me: 6.2 ft. and 225 lbs.
Ski: Mantra 102 (19/20) in 191 cm
Binding: Salomon STH 16 Steel, DIN at 12
Boots: Dalbello Krypton ID

Powder:
I start this right away with a little bit of a letdown. I did not ski this Ski in powder and will probably never will. Why? If there is only a slightly chance of powder, I grab one of my other wider skis to enjoy the powder. It does not cross my mind to purposefully pick the Mantra on a powder day. Will that ski work in powder? Well, are there skis that does not work in powder one way or the other? But yes, I think they will do well.

Soft Chop / Soft Variable Snow:
The ski works very well in those conditions. Stability, control and the easy turn initiation leads to a very enjoyable skiing. There is not much of a surfy feeling to it, for that a more powder-oriented ski would better. What there is, and that is a very positive aspect, that regardless of the speed you can ski through this kind of snow with ease and just enjoy your day in the mountains. But, you may as well decide for yourself to go full throttle and charge through this kind of snow and really enjoy your day in the mountains. Either way, the Ski stays composed, damp and does not need much input. However, we do need to talk later about technical and conditional requirements the Ski needs, and the skier should match.

Crud:
The Mantra 102 makes skiing through crud or any other kind of bad, hard, icy and terrible snow surprisingly fun. To be honest, what we all wish for is powder what we more often get is hard pack, crud and bad snow. On those days you may ask yourself why skiing off-piste? You may think that there is no fun there, let’s get our race carvers out and make this a day on the groomers (or going to the park). Now, I find this is not true when using the Mantra 102. Make these crud days great again. This is where this Ski shines. The ski handles these conditions in the best possible way. Its stays composed, does not deflect, turns easy and is not overall demanding while doing so. Plus, even so there is a speed limit, it is in such a far distance you do not want to go there. The Mantra 102 confirms the reputation the various Mantra Skis over the years have gained: they are some of best skis for these conditions.

Groomers:
The Ski carves well, has lots of edge hold and makes you ski faster that you probably should. Making short turns requires more input and – if you primarily ski short turns – will tire your legs rather soon. However, when skiing with a variable set of turn radii however the ski again is easy to control and very enjoyable.

Moguls / Tight Terain:
I had the chance to ski this Ski in hard, icy and very irregularly formed moguls. It was not fun. I think there is hardly any ski that handles this very well. The good part is that the ski is agile enough, does not fold on you and stays composed with allows you to maintain control and get through that challenge. Since the Ski is agile, the Ski works well in tight terrain. There are of course more playful skis, but the Mantra 102 is not a handful in the trees or any other tight spot.

What is this Ski not good for?
First, the Mantra 102 is to my mind are very versatile Ski. It handles a lot of different snow conditions and skiing styles very well. Deep Powder is not necessarily the best usage for this ski, as well as powder skiing through the trees. There are more powder specific skis that serve that purpose better.. Other than that, the Ski handles everything else well or very well.

Who is it for (and who should rather not buy it)?
This is not a beginner Ski. The Ski is best for advanced intermediates and experts. They will get the most out of this ski. The Ski is constructed to go fast and asks for more active Skiers. I found the Ski works best if driven through a more forward and traditional stance. The better your skiing technic is the more easy and almost playful you will find this ski (well, that is a statement that actually applies to all skies) If you mostly cruise down the mountain in long smeary turns, the ski will still work for you, but you do not use about 70% of the Skis capabilities. For larger and/or heavier folks who only occasionally go off-piste I would not hesitate to recommend this as a daily driver.

A final word on technical and conditional requirements the Ski may have. It should quite clear that the 191cm length requires a solid skiing technic and at least some noteworthy physical stamina. Having said this I also want to stress that the Mantra is an accessible Ski, even in the 191 cm length. It also is quite easy to ski, so you can ski it all day and the next day and the day after that.

Bottom Line:
Völkl managed to build with the Mantra 102 a 191cm Ski that can charge hard, is still easy to ski and provides a lot of fun regardless of the snow conditions. I can recommend this Ski.