VÖLKL Mantra 88 W Skis 2026 (also known as Volkl)

The Mantra 88 W is Völkl's flagship women's all-mountain ski for 2026, and it earns that title through construction rather than marketing. The frame combines a poplar-and-beech multi-layer woodcore — denser beech rails running along the edges for grip, lighter poplar through the center to keep torsional flex honest — with what Völkl calls a Tailored Titanal Frame: a single titanal sheet below the core plus segmented titanal pieces along the tip and tail perimeter above it, and a second, thinner titanal plate in the binding zone. Völkl also runs carbon through the tips to add response without dead weight up front. What that translates to on snow is a ski that tracks with serious authority at speed. The titanal frame damps vibration on chatter-prone hardpack and locks the edge into the hill on steep groomers; the carbon tips keep turn initiation lively so the front of the ski doesn't feel like a plank. The Rocker/Camber/Rocker profile — short rocker zones at the tip and tail, proper camber underfoot — keeps the ski maneuverable in chopped-up and variable snow without trading away the snap that drives a clean carve. The 3D Radius sidecut (23.5m tip, 13.2m center, 21.3m tail at 163cm) means the ski has a quick enough center cut to steer without muscle, but long enough radius geometry at the ends for stability that doesn't wash out when things get fast. This is a flat ski — pair it with your own binding.

This ski is built for advanced to expert women who want a true daily driver — one capable ski across groomers, firm off-piste, and variable spring crud — and who ski hard enough to load the camber and actually feel what the titanal frame is doing. If you ski mostly groomed terrain at moderate speed, or if you want a ski that rewards finesse over aggression, the Mantra 88 W will fight you; it asks for commitment and returns grip, not forgiveness. Intermediate skiers and anyone who prefers a quick, light feel should look instead at the Mantra 84 W, which runs narrower and turns faster without demanding the same driver's input. On the other end, skiers logging significant days in soft snow or working powder will be better served by the wider M7 Mantra W, which adds width and float where the 88 W starts to feel planted.