Gotta love a good sibling rivalry.
When the firstborn golden boy aka the Mantra is being contested by his fitter, sprightlier, and quicker little bro, he can't rest on his laurels. The Mantra will go down in skiing lore as one of the most recognizable names ever. For years it was the ski that all others were compared to. And not just skis in its class: almost everything from race skis to powder skis was measured against the Mantra at one point or another.
The Mantra is dead! Long live the Mantra! To paraphrase ol' Samuel Clemens, the reports of the Mantra’s death are greatly exaggerated. In its third season, the current 100mm reverse-camber Mantra still fits a need. It has the power that you want and expect, yet the absence of camber allows the ski to be worked like no previous generation could. There is a slight cost in hard-snow precision, but the added versatility in mixed conditions makes up for it.
The 90Eight is the direction of the newer, friendlier Völkl 2.0 resurgence. The 3D-Ridge construction that Völkl started integrating a few years back on the V-Werks Katana has really taken over and given it the ability to offer wonderful skis like the 90Eight. No, the 90Eight does not have metal, but it is still damp and smooth, and the camber gives it the positive feel and firm connection to the snow that you want from a ski in this category. It actually reminds me of a modern incarnation of the original Mantra, the white one.
When the firstborn golden boy aka the Mantra is being contested by his fitter, sprightlier, and quicker little bro, he can't rest on his laurels. The Mantra will go down in skiing lore as one of the most recognizable names ever. For years it was the ski that all others were compared to. And not just skis in its class: almost everything from race skis to powder skis was measured against the Mantra at one point or another.
The Mantra is dead! Long live the Mantra! To paraphrase ol' Samuel Clemens, the reports of the Mantra’s death are greatly exaggerated. In its third season, the current 100mm reverse-camber Mantra still fits a need. It has the power that you want and expect, yet the absence of camber allows the ski to be worked like no previous generation could. There is a slight cost in hard-snow precision, but the added versatility in mixed conditions makes up for it.
The 90Eight is the direction of the newer, friendlier Völkl 2.0 resurgence. The 3D-Ridge construction that Völkl started integrating a few years back on the V-Werks Katana has really taken over and given it the ability to offer wonderful skis like the 90Eight. No, the 90Eight does not have metal, but it is still damp and smooth, and the camber gives it the positive feel and firm connection to the snow that you want from a ski in this category. It actually reminds me of a modern incarnation of the original Mantra, the white one.
- Why choose the Mantra? If you spend a lot of time in wind buff and 3D snow, I am not sure there is a better power ski in this range.
- Why choose the 90Eight? The 90Eight is better on firmer snow, so if you like a bit more pop out of your skis, save a few bucks and go with it.
- Other skis in the class: All too many, including Blizzard Bonafide, DPS Wailer 99, Dynastar Cham 97, Head Monster 98, Line Supernatural 100, Rossignol Experience 100.
