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- Dec 2, 2015
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I got a chance to ski next years Volkl Mantra M5 for a couple of runs so I thought I'd give a heads up. It is in shops now actually.
This is a ski that should be demoed since the category of skis is jam packed with choices. Particularly if you liked the original, frequently push the speed envelope, and are looking for a bonzai charger.
Having said that, if you buy blind, don't worry.
Volkl Mantra M5
184cm
134/96/117mm
21.2m radius
Cambered. Tip and tail rocker though tail is really more flattened and then upturned at the end. (Really liked the tail)
Skis true to length.
Tester: 195 lbs
Conditions: Firm to loose sugar up top, going to full on spring corn for most of the mountain.
On the chairlift, clack test. (Knock the tips together, feet hanging loose)
Holy cow. This thing is solid. Almost sounds like a steel plate. Very tight, solid, construction. Metal and fiberglass, but it's as if it's molded under super high pressure. Dense. But lightish. This ski is light, not a lightweight. Interesting construction.
On the snow that same sound on the chair comes through in the feel. I didn't get the sense there's any rubber dampening layer. It dampens through density of construction as opposed to an absorption layer. Is a little loud on hard snow, a bit like the Kastle FX95 hp.
It carves fine, wants to go. Releases easily. Want to go from carve to smear at speed? No problem. The front end is just a bit...undecided. It's not diving in, grabbing the turn, making it happen now. That could be a positive or a negative, depending on your skiing style and likes.
The upshot is, it does what you want it to do.
In the soft deepish corn, the thing I really liked about this ski was mid to tail. That was something of a surprise. There's actually a range from nuance to power available. Smear it out, or let it dig in and stomp it, it has a very wide range of inputs it accepts. It likes to be creative in that 3-d snow. A lot of time could be spent exploring that aspect.
I'm not sure I'd call it playful, but it's serious fun.
The ski handled speed through the sea of corn fine. Tips went through and or over the piles without complaint. I never got the sense it was not going to handle it, but it doesn't have a front end that just screams "I will slay this, bring it on". So, mach schnellers likely might be dissappointed. Or, they should get the longer ski.
The next week I got on a 183 Stockli AX. Although a much narrower ski, the tail profile reminded me a lot of the Mantra. A bit of rocker, but really more flattenening. Want to carve?, great, want to smear? That's fine too.
That's where I think Volkl nailed the profile for this ski, mid to tail. It's just fine with both techniques. The smearer isn't going to complain of a hooked up tail and will enjoy the finesse available, the high edge angle skier will love the power by staying on it and stomping the tail to rocket out.
If the radius seems long, I wouldn't worry. It will make shorter turns just fine. Maybe not super snappy in those short turns, but a very controllable ski for turn shape.
All in all, a solid ski. Literally too. For a somewhat light ski, this thing is super solid. I really did enjoy the back end. That would get me out on it again. There's a lot of fun to be had there.
Edit:added tail photo
This is a ski that should be demoed since the category of skis is jam packed with choices. Particularly if you liked the original, frequently push the speed envelope, and are looking for a bonzai charger.
Having said that, if you buy blind, don't worry.
Volkl Mantra M5
184cm
134/96/117mm
21.2m radius
Cambered. Tip and tail rocker though tail is really more flattened and then upturned at the end. (Really liked the tail)
Skis true to length.
Tester: 195 lbs
Conditions: Firm to loose sugar up top, going to full on spring corn for most of the mountain.
On the chairlift, clack test. (Knock the tips together, feet hanging loose)
Holy cow. This thing is solid. Almost sounds like a steel plate. Very tight, solid, construction. Metal and fiberglass, but it's as if it's molded under super high pressure. Dense. But lightish. This ski is light, not a lightweight. Interesting construction.
On the snow that same sound on the chair comes through in the feel. I didn't get the sense there's any rubber dampening layer. It dampens through density of construction as opposed to an absorption layer. Is a little loud on hard snow, a bit like the Kastle FX95 hp.
It carves fine, wants to go. Releases easily. Want to go from carve to smear at speed? No problem. The front end is just a bit...undecided. It's not diving in, grabbing the turn, making it happen now. That could be a positive or a negative, depending on your skiing style and likes.
The upshot is, it does what you want it to do.
In the soft deepish corn, the thing I really liked about this ski was mid to tail. That was something of a surprise. There's actually a range from nuance to power available. Smear it out, or let it dig in and stomp it, it has a very wide range of inputs it accepts. It likes to be creative in that 3-d snow. A lot of time could be spent exploring that aspect.
I'm not sure I'd call it playful, but it's serious fun.
The ski handled speed through the sea of corn fine. Tips went through and or over the piles without complaint. I never got the sense it was not going to handle it, but it doesn't have a front end that just screams "I will slay this, bring it on". So, mach schnellers likely might be dissappointed. Or, they should get the longer ski.
The next week I got on a 183 Stockli AX. Although a much narrower ski, the tail profile reminded me a lot of the Mantra. A bit of rocker, but really more flattenening. Want to carve?, great, want to smear? That's fine too.
That's where I think Volkl nailed the profile for this ski, mid to tail. It's just fine with both techniques. The smearer isn't going to complain of a hooked up tail and will enjoy the finesse available, the high edge angle skier will love the power by staying on it and stomping the tail to rocket out.
If the radius seems long, I wouldn't worry. It will make shorter turns just fine. Maybe not super snappy in those short turns, but a very controllable ski for turn shape.
All in all, a solid ski. Literally too. For a somewhat light ski, this thing is super solid. I really did enjoy the back end. That would get me out on it again. There's a lot of fun to be had there.
Edit:added tail photo
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