User Reviews

 This is a pretty kick-ass ski.  It's kind of like a really wide GS ski (96mm underfoot.)  It's at its most natural going really fast on firmer off-piste snow.  It will do short-radius turns, but it has to be muscled a bit and it's not necessarily pretty.  Moguls are a lot of work.  On groomed slopes, it holds a carve almost as well as my GS skis, but it's definitely slower edge-to-edge.  In fresh powder, the nose sometimes dives a little at lower speeds, with the bindings mounted on the factory mark.  They're still tons of fun in those conditions, though.  I also like skiing among the rocks and trees, and these skis are agile enough for that and wide enough not to sink when I give them a good shove to initiate a turn.

 

I bought these skis to be my all-conditions ski.  I've been loving them for that purpose.  I do wish I'd had the binding mounted 1cm back, but I suppose I might whine about the slower turn initiation and less tip control if I did.

I purchased the original version of the Mantra prior to is release in the 05/06 season.  The original ski was a gray color topsheet and had a waist width of 94 mm, and it was mounted with Fritchi Freeride alpine touring bindings.   This was the first wider ski I had purchased and it really made the off-piste and backcountry much easier.  Very versitile ski that can go from groomed to deep snow comfortably.  Volkl Mantra Review 2005

I demoed these recently at sugar bowl.  They were recently waxed, but the edges were very rough and could have used a tune.  The conditions were 3-5" of fresh (it was still snowing when I was up there).  I am 5'6" and about 125 lbs.  My previous ski was the Fischer RX-6.  I consider myself to be a level 6 skier.  I skied the Mantra the second half of the day after trying the Nordica Enforcer.  I found the Mantra to be better than the Enforcer in crud, but not necessarily hard snow or powder.  For the first hour I was fighting with the ski trying to figure out how to ski it properly on harder snow.  Eventually I just sort of gave up on the harder stuff and moved onto the crud off of Disney chair; and i'm glad I did.  The Mantra handled so easily in crud.  Much better than the Enforcer, in my opinion, which tossed me around occasionally.  All of a sudden the same ski that used to feel bulky and unwieldy felt amazingly manuverable.  I ended up having too much fun and lost track of time while laping Disney chair so unfortunately I never got a chance to test these in any powder.  It took me awhile to get used to the wider waist and the longer ski, but once I did I really enjoyed the ride that the Mantra was able to provide.

I bought these 08' mantras this year (2009-2010) and got a great deal.  They're the 177cm length.  I'm about 6'1" and 200lbs and these ski great!  Very stable, responsive, smooth yet solid flex, and a pleasure to ski on overall.  Only problem is that I've noticed that the graphics side of the ski gets cut up very easily, but I guess that happens with any ski.  Other than that, these are awesome!  Definitely highly recommended.

One of the best one ski quiver you can get.  If you live in a ski area you can have the luxury to have multiple skis based on conditions BUT if you're like me and live where you must travel to the mountains, a one ski that does it all pretty well is very important. 

I got these skis for big powder days.
I got a deal - and probably got them too short - 177 cm.
They ski great - and can handle groomers just fine.
Big wide turns - really wide to float on powder - plow through crud.
Like most Volkls - can be pricey.  But I like 'em.

 Bought these skis because I wanted something stiffer than the K2 Coombas I'd been using for a couple of years.  They are brilliant... float well, cope with pretty much all conditions, hold an edge like a GS ski.  I honestly cannot fault these skis.  So the Coombas are now my touring ski and the Mantras do everything else...   One word of warning - these are a relatively stiff ski and imho need a stiff boot to drive them properly.  I tried them with my touring boots (5 seasons old Garmont Adrenalin) which work well with the Coombas and did not like the lack of control at all... switched back to my Alpine boots (Lange Comp 130) and loved them again.  Short turns are surprisingly easy, moguls are OK as long you attack them - these are not the skis to use if you want a gentle easy going ride, but thats not what they sold for...

This ski is the ultimate one ski quiver. It has enough side cut to hold well on the groomers but is fat enough for Eastern powder days (where i ski). You have to be a strong/ agressive skier to turn this baby. You really have to power the ski around. Great ski

Had my eye on these for a year...I ski the Gotama or the Scott P4 as my pow skis, the Head Chip as my frontside ski but was lacking an all-mountain ski to take with me when I wasn't certain what conditions might hold.

 

Demo'd the newest ski over Christmas in Sun Valley, ID and found it to be as close as I could get to a single-ski quiver. Bought it at soon as last year's model went on almost 1/2 price sale. Rips GS and Super-G turns with barely any chatter on hardpack/groomers, absolutely slaughters crud and pow (under 8 inches or so, passable in more). Really unflappable all over the hill.

 

Cons - skied it first 2 days of January at Snowbird with 8 inches first day (great) and about 14-16 inches the next day. While it was certainly acceptable in the deep pow (drifts were often about the knee), I was longing for more underfoot, like the gotama or the P4. It's a bit stiff in the shovel and i found myself sinking in the pow a bit, not able to totally charge it without the occasional sinking.

 

Also, not a great bump ski but what is anymore except for specialized boards?

 

Overall, this is the ski I would take on almost any day if I could only pick one. It's just perfect for the typical Colorado/Idaho day where snow is good on the groomers, it hasn't snowed for 3 days but there's still good crud in the bowls and some occasional fresh lines in the trees. Highly recommended.

Got the 07/08 (gray) model on-line, added some Dynastar Big Trouble bindings. Got in two really great days @ Alpine Meadows last year with NASTC on these skis. Great in anything over boot-top deep, but they're too wide for packed snow carving (for me, anyway). Since they're are an addition to a quiver, they were just what I was looking for.

Likie it in up to a foot o so. Deeper snow it wanted to urn on its own instead of waitn for me to tell it too.

All around a good ski. I only go to ski on it for a week as I bought it towards the end of the season, but was impressed. I'm a 5'4" female ~140-145lbs, and love them though they do take some strength to turn quick.

 I agree with the other reviewers after skiing the Mantras during the 08-09 season.  I own a pair of Fischer RX-9's for hard pack and ice, and a pair of Salomon Pocket Rockets with Marker Duke's.  I love the Pocket Rocket that started out as a powder ski and are now considered an all-mountain plank.  I was having problems with the Rockets here in the PNW due to our high water content snow that we typically have.  The cut up powder sets up quickly, and threw the Rockets around because of their lightness.  I figured the Mantras would do a better job in the crud and that proved correct.  I just skied them in May Mount Bachelor slush and they handled well too. This was the first ski in years that I've purchased without demoing, and took a leap of faith purchasing it after reading Epic Ski reviews.  I am very pleased, with the exception that the Mantras stink in the bumps.  But it is now my favorite ski.  

Ski had some edge delamination within 6 months. A heavy ski, lacks feeling, not nimble - do not use this in trees!. Although advertised as a powder ski that can take on the rest of the mountain, its a compromise. It performs well in powder but not exceptional. It can take on Groomers but its heavy and slow to turn.  It does grip on ice. I like the idea of a versatile ski but this doesn't meet my expectations - perhaps the Grizzly would have been better?

The Mantra does it all. Sweet Ride. A must have for the die hards. Cruises on crud, floats in powder, drives on ice. Long, Med, and short turns....The mantra has it all.

Tried and true the Mantra returns the same way it was last year...Perfect!  This ski has been around for a few years now and at 96mm underfoot it maybe the top 3 skis for a one ski quiver out there.

It likes speed.  Loves deep snow.  Desires a real rider to be on them.

Its the whip.