Most Valuable Gear: 2015 Völkl Mantra

The legendary Völkl Mantra: better than ever for 2015!

Since the original Mantra was released nearly a decade ago, it has established a strong reputation as one of the most versatile skis on the market. Featuring a floaty mid-fat waist, high performance sandwich construction and race ski stiffness, the Mantra has always been the choice for skiers who want a hard snow crusher with excellent edge hold, low chatter and responsive turning, combined with performance on soft snow, crud and bumps. Upgraded for 2015, the Mantra now features a slightly wider 100 mm waist as well as a full-rocker profile, while retaining the same responsive stiffness and versatile all-mountain performance of previous models.

Here are 3 reasons why we love the 2015 Völkl Mantra skis!:

1. All-Mountain Versatility

The Völkl Mantra is a true all mountain crusher that is unlike nearly any other ski on the market today. Sandwich construction provides excellent power transfer to the edges of the ski, torsional rigidity and superior edge hold, while titanium sheets in the core provide race-ski stiffness for vibration dampening, responsiveness and rebound. These qualities provide amazing performance on groomers and ice, while a 100 mm mid-fat waist and rockered shape allow the Mantra to float through soft snow and crud with ease. Additionally, the Mantra is fully capable of crushing Vermont bump runs and navigating tight trees.

2. Redesigned, Full-Rocker Shape

 The Mantra has evolved over the years to incorporate new ski shape technology. As rockered designs have become more prevalent in the all-mountain segment of the ski industry, Völkl has incorporated this design trait into the Mantra and other skis in its line. This year, Völkl redesigned the profile of the ski, eliminating underfoot camber. The 2015 Mantra has a "full-rocker" shape, but the rocker profile leaves the ski flat underfoot with tip and tail rocker. This new shape increases soft-snow float and performance, while maintaining the amazing edge hold and control on hard snow that the Mantra is known for. 

3. Hot New Graphic

The Völkl Mantra has always had a fresh, exciting aesthetic design to match the hard-charging nature of the ski. This year's model is no different, with a subtle geometric pattern rendered in a bright red on the topsheet and a clean red wordmark contrasting with the plain black base. The Mantra will turn heads for how it looks as well as how it skis!