The Volkl Yumi is back for 2018, but has been updated with Volkl’s new Titanal Band construction. Volkl wanted to retain the lightweight, easy-skiing feel that the Yumi has always had, but give it a touch more strength and stability with Titanal Band. The Yumi has a 84 mm waist width, tip and tail rocker with camber under foot, and a subtle amount of early taper in the tips and tails. It’s become a favorite among intermediate and less aggressive advanced and even expert skiers over the past few seasons. We sent out a whole slew of women on the new Yumi to see how it compares to the previous version and get their feedback.
Carly Monahan tested both the 161 and 168 cm lengths and described the Yumi as being a “very playful, light, fun ski.” She thought that it felt “stable and solid at various speeds.” The new Titanal Band definitely helps the ski stay calmer and quieter. Carly thought they were “more burly feeling than previous season’s Yumis, but still light, forgiving, and not too burly.” Carly is an excellent example of a skier the Yumi would be a great choice for. While she’s exceptionally athletic, Carly hasn’t been skiing as long as some of our other testers and isn’t as aggressive as some. She also thought it had “decent edge hold on firm snow and decent float in deeper snow for a ski of this width.”
Karly Acker, on the other hand, comes from a formal ski racing background and has been skiing her whole life. Her everyday ski is a Volkl Kenja, which has much more metal than the Yumi, so it’s very interesting to compare her thoughts to Carly’s. Karly A skied the 161 cm length and thought the Yumi felt “quick and easy to turn.” She commented that personally she wants more power out of her skis for carving, but she’s used to driving race skis and the Kenja. Karly did mention that she thinks the Yumi is a good choice for “lightweight intermediate to advanced skiers” and thought that it had a “great turn shape.” Chloe Wexler’s thoughts were pretty similar to Karly, and they are relatively similar skiers, so that’s no surprise. Chloe thought the Yumi made “fun medium size turns,” but found it to be “a little chattery at higher speeds and through choppy snow.” Those that are looking to really charge like Chloe and Karly may want to consider bumping up to the Kenja.
Kristi Brown, although being a very advanced skier herself with arguably a stronger skiing background than any of our testers (men included), found the Yumi to be very enjoyable. Although she skied the 156 cm, which might be a touch short for her, she commented, “The Yumi continues to impress as an intro to the all mountain category. It’s an ‘ability-enhancer’ as it’s super user-friendly and forgiving.” The Yumi really does provide less aggressive skiers a platform that they can excel on. It doesn’t require tremendous skier input or energy to get in and out of a carving turn and also is quite maneuverable thanks to the light weight and tip and tail rocker. Kristi did say that the “new construction boosts stability and energy” so if you’ve skied a Yumi in the past and felt it left something to be desired, you might find the new version with Titanal Band to be just what the doctor ordered.
Overall the Yumi retains its strength as a great choice for intermediates or less aggressive skiers of any ability levels. In fact, it’s so approachable we think athletic beginner skiers could even get on a pair right away and would probably be fine. On the other end of the spectrum, expert skiers can enjoy its refreshingly light, quick, easy feel. After all, we’re not all competing in the World Cup, so we don’t all need multiple sheets of metal and super heavy skis.
