A FREERIDE TOURING SKI THAT KNOWS HOW TO SLICE AND DICE VARIABLE SNOW, the Völkl Mantra V-Werks sees a new top sheet this year but otherwise remains unchanged. A beech and poplar wood core makes for a light and durable foundation, boosting strength thanks to carbon and Titanal bands. It’s stiff, springy, and ready to be driven by an aggressive skier, impressing testers with its performance-to-weight ratio. Camber underfoot delivers a solid bite in hardpack (although keep your speed in check if it’s really firm), with early rise tip and tail that allow turning to feel intuitive. The 99-mm waist of the Völkl Mantra V-Werks made for quick edge-to-edge transitions and the 135-mm shovel kept us afloat after a low- density storm, proving to be a solid daily driver in areas that don’t see quite as much snow.

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