Mantra 88 Flat 24/25 (also known as Volkl)

The Mantra 88 is Völkl's all-mountain workhorse — an 88mm-waist ski built for skiers who spend most of their time on groomed snow but want a ski that won't fall apart when they push into mixed conditions. It's a flat ski, so pair it with your own binding. Construction is a poplar/beech multilayer wood core sandwiched into Völkl's Tailored Titanal Frame: one continuous titanal sheet below the core and a segmented titanal layer above, with the frame width scaled to ski length so longer sizes carry more metal for added stiffness and damping while shorter sizes give a little back in agility. On top of that, hand-laid Tailored Carbon Tips stiffen the shovel without adding dead weight. The profile is tip-and-tail rocker with a cambered midsection, and a 3D Radius Sidecut — think 29m at the tip, 16m through the center, 25m at the tail on the 177 — means the ski transitions naturally between a tighter arc and a long sweeping carve without you forcing it. On hardpack, the titanal layup provides the damping and torsional grip that lets this ski hold a clean edge at speed without chattering. And when you drive it, it loads up and gives the energy back — this is a powerful, rebound-y ski with real pop out of a turn. Just understand that energy is on tap only when you're forward and working; it's precise and lively, not loose or forgiving.

This ski is aimed squarely at advanced to expert skiers who are primarily groomed-slope carvers — former racers, Eastern hardpack regulars, or any skier who prioritizes edge grip and stability over forgiveness. It does handle mixed crud and some soft snow, but it's stiff and it rewards an active, centered stance — get in the back seat and it'll let you know; in moguls or tight trees it reads as planky compared to a softer all-mountain ski. If you're an intermediate skier, or if you spend most of your days in variable off-piste terrain, bumps, or powder, this is not the right ski — look at the wider M7 Mantra instead, which adds float and a bit more forgiveness without abandoning the Mantra's precision character. If you want to go narrower for a more dedicated frontside carver, Völkl's new Mantra 84 slots in below the 88 and is a natural comparison.