Völkl Mantra 84 Review

 The newest addition to the Mantra family of skis is the most frontside-focused yet. All Mantras have two layers of metal, with the top one broken into three pieces—wrapping the edges at the tip and tail, plus an edge-to-edge piece under foot—to make it more approachable without impacting dampness. The wood core is a mix of poplar and beech, with the stiffer beech focused along the edges for excellent grip on hard snow. A triple radius sidecut allows for intuitive turning in just about any shape. Finally, minimal camber allows easy pivots in the bumps and stable carves. The ski is reactive and feels precise, but testers found they could also relax and cruise when their legs were tired. “Typical Mantra: fast, solid, damp, did it all,” said Chris Pawlintsky. “It finishes carves perfectly and even tames ugly variable conditions.”