Volkl Mantra, Gotama, & Bridge
Volkl Gotama
Since it’s been only five years since I’ve done any ski reviews, I made an extra effort this past week to add something new.
While in Telluride I demoed three Volkls: the Mantra, The Gotama, and the Bridge (spoiler: I ended up taking a pair of Gotamas home).
First up: the Mantra. Impressive is the word that comes to mind.
The Mantra really is an all-mountain masterpiece, capable of chopping through practically anything. But it is the Mantra’s capability on hard snow that really gets your attention. Edge grip is astounding for such a wide plank, and the feel is (relatively) stiff and snappy underfoot. Yes, you can run the Mantra as a one-ski quiver, from powder to hardpack to crud. And pity the poor fools on their narrow carvers who are trying to chase you. I say the Mantra is the perfect ski for old schoolers who want something wide for powder days without having to relearn how to ski.
On the other hand, there is a Big Idea sweeping through ski design, and its name is Rocker. The legendary Shane McConkey is credited with bringing rockered skis to market (some say this is his greatest contribution to the sport), and let there be no doubt, the rockered revolution is every bit as significant as the advent of shaped skis. Crusty old school bastard that I am, I still wanted to try a modern, progressive powder ski, so I chose Volkl’s Gotama, fully fearful that I’d hate these shiny new-fangled things as I generally almost always hate anything new.
On hardpack, you’re not totally hosed with the Gotamas, which is something of a triumph in rockered ski design. But get the Gotamas in soft, deep powder, and it’s like a lightbulb going off in your soul. If you’re going to get a dedicated powder ski, give these serious consideration. The Gotama is as superior to the Mantra in powder as the Mantra is better on hard snow. Either way, watch the evolution of rockered skis carefully. They are here to stay.
The Bridge seemed better in concept to me than in actuality. The ski “bridges” the gap between Big Mountain and Park skiing. In practice, it’s a twin tip that sits between the Gotama and the Mantra. I was hoping for a lighter, snappier version of the Mantra with good powder chops. Instead, the Bridge is lethargic on hardpack, and minimally better in deep snow. Park riders may find it perfectly suited to rails and half pipes, but everyone else probably will want to look elsewhere when it comes to skiing the rest of the mountain.
The Bridge to Nowhere
Mt. Whitney: The East Face
PCT: Onion Valley to Cottonwood Pass
North Palisade: the U-Notch
Mt. Russell: East Ridge
Grand Canyon: Walter Powell Route
Mt. San Jacinto: Round Valley Trail
Mt. Langley: Cottonwood Lakes Loop
March 7th, 2010 at 11:23 am
Thanks for putting the definition of rocker into the review for the Gotama. Ski reviewers never bother to define that and for those that didn’t realize that “reverse camber” got changed to “rocker” a few years ago, it was really confusing.
March 7th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Also, between El Nino and visiting CO, seems like you’re forgetting what we usually get to ski on here in SoCal
You’ll need to take plenty of trips to get those Gotamas the snow they need!
What bindings are you going to mount on them?
March 7th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Yeah, it’ll be interesting to see how they fare on less than ideal snow. I’m hopeful they’ll do fine in Sierra Cement, though. I mounted them with the Marker Griffons–a lightweight freeride binding that’s not terribly expensive.
Some people believe Rockered skis are more sensitive to mount position. A binding like the Marker Schizo, which allows you to move the binding fore and aft on the fly, might be a good choice also.
March 7th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
Andy, I think you’ll find that rocker is ideal for the heavy stuff we get in CA. Anything floats in light stuff, but having your tips and tails up out of the snow in manky or crusty snow makes a huge difference.
Skiing Praxis Protests on any day with 8 inches or more changes the way I look at terrain.
March 8th, 2010 at 6:40 pm
Awww…I was hoping these were going to get some Dukes or Barons. Probably smart, though, not hauling that ridiculousness up hills.
March 8th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Well, if the new Marker touring bindings were available (Fall 2010) I’d have mounted those. Still, I’m betting I’ll carry the Gotamas up Baldy Bowl at least once…just because.
March 8th, 2010 at 8:52 pm
I own a pair of AC3′s, myself. Absolutely love them. Tested Solomon, K2, and others. The Volkl just dominated them.
March 9th, 2010 at 7:52 am
Hi Andy,
Great review. My only note is that all the great new boards coming out for BC use have turned tails. This is a major pain in the arse when I want to use my skis to anchor my tent, anchor a rope, or create a field-deck-chair (more on my blog about that later next week). So I’ve been looking hard for flat-tailed skis – and right now I only know of two companies producing them (though a third will be coming out next year).
Cheers
Chris
March 10th, 2010 at 9:25 pm
I ski a set of gotamas as my backcountry ski. They will power through any crud and crap the sierra throws at you(though ice isn’t so nice… so wait until the sun beats it up a little bit). And I’m running them with Marker Baron’s, but hauling that weight up the hill pays off when you’re ripping down through crud.
March 21st, 2010 at 9:55 am
I skied the women’s version of the Gotamas (Kikus) last week. They are brilliant on the powder! I floated with minimal effort and changed the way I skied powder. I no longer had to focus on the up/down motion, but was almost carving the powder. I was really concerned about their on piste performance but had no difficulties. Their performance on icy slopes is not the best, but who wants to ski on that crap anyways?
April 2nd, 2010 at 11:29 am
I just got back from the Pear Lake Ski Hut in the Sequoias and I used a Gotama/Duke set up. Your review is dead on. We had about 1 1/2 foot of fresh the second and third day we were there. The skis are so perfect for the powder, I didn’t even notice that the snow was a little wet and heavy until others in my group pointed it out.
Coming down “The Hump” yesterday, I struggled with turns in the crust near the bottom. The hill had just had about 8-12 inches that was baked for about 3-4 hours. I cut through the trees and found the soft stuff and I ws back in powder heaven.
Ice was a struggle and turned more into “survival skiing.” The trade off for the performance in powder was worth it, no question.