177cm Volkl AC4 & Mantra
Where: Skied the set at Alta on 3/5/06. Provided by Deep Powder House Ski shop.
Conditions at Alta: 6 to 12" of new natural snow fell on 3/03/06; however the traffic on Saturday skied most into a firm base where groomed and to a soft mogul field where left natural. No bottomless conditions to be found. Blue sky, 18F at dawn, 35F at 3PM.
My specs: 5? 11", 215lbs. male, 40th season skiing, former USSA & High School 7-day-a-week competitor in New Hampshire. I use a modern carving technique and I like ice as much as I like soft snow. (maybe a little more?)
Boots: 2003 Salomon Course (red, 130 flex).
Ski: 177cm Volkl AC4
Comments: This is a great ski with multiple talents. I enjoyed the edge to edge quickness and the giant slalom or even slalom like turn shapes. The ski responded to tip pressure and could be steered aggressively even in soft choppy snow. At 177cm, it will give you long turns with superb stability and then throw down a series of rapid shorties like it was an RX8. The ski was not especially tiring or demanding to use, yet was very responsive to aggressive input regardless of conditions.
Ski: 177cm Volkl Mantra
Comments: Not the best ski for the hard snow conditions. It will carve on hardpack, but it?s impossible to adjust the line midturn without provoking a skidded turn. It also was not superior to the iM 88 or AC4 in the soft crud and bumps. It took it across a cut up bowl at high speed to see if it would flatten the uneven surface. I got enough shin bang to dim my enthusiasm. This is not an all mountain ski by my definition.
Cheers,
Michael