VÖLKL M7 Mantra Skis 2026 (also known as Volkl)

The M7 Mantra is Völkl's benchmark all-mountain ski — 96mm underfoot, built around a poplar/beech multilayer woodcore (denser beech along the outer edges, lighter poplar down the center) running on two layers of titanal. The first is a full sheet beneath the core that gives the ski its damping and backbone; the second is Völkl's Tailored Titanal Frame, a segmented metal frame above the core that runs along the tip and tail and is sized to each length in the run, so a 170 and a 191 feel proportionally consistent rather than one being overbuilt and the other underbuilt. Titanal here does exactly what it's supposed to do — damp chatter at speed, add torsional stiffness at the edges, and keep the ski tracking cleanly when conditions go rough. A low-amplitude tip-and-tail rocker opens the entry and exit without sacrificing the full-underfoot camber that drives the ski through a turn. The 4 Radius Drive sidecut gives the M7 four distinct arc radii across the effective edge (roughly 25m / 40m / 17m / 22m at 177cm), so you can lay down a short, snappy turn or a long, sweeping GS arc depending on pressure and inclination — the ski rewards precise technique rather than forcing a single turn shape on you.

This is a ski for advanced to expert skiers who ski actively and consistently — people who push into variable snow, charge groomers at speed, and can load and release an edge with intention. At 96mm and this stiffness, it eats hardpack, tracked-out pow, and morning groomers with equal competence. Who should not buy it: if you're still building your technical foundation, ski mostly blues, or want a ski that forgives lazy inputs and rewards playful, swingable turns, the M7 will feel demanding and work against you rather than with you. Step down to the Mantra 88 instead — it shares the same Tailored Titanal Frame construction but is narrower, a little more energetic edge-to-edge, and slightly less punishing when you're not perfectly centered. If you're primarily a hardpack and groomer skier who wants the fastest edge-to-edge response in the Mantra family, the Mantra 84 is the right call. This is a flat ski — pair it with your preferred binding.