The Volkl Deacon 76 is a brand new ski for 2019 and gives carving enthusiasts a new ski to get excited about. The Deacon line takes technology that was developed for their 3D.Ridge skis and repurposes it into a more traditional construction. That technology is 3D.Glass, which is essentially a new way of using fiberglass in a ski. There is more fiberglass in the tips and tails, as well as fiberglass running up along the sidewall and out along the edges of the ski. It’s been proven to strengthen edge grip and the overall ski. At the core of the ski is Volkl’s Speedwall Multi-Layer Woodcore, and the Deacon also uses titanium laminates, much like a traditional race ski. On paper it’s a ripping ski, so let’s see if our testers thought so. All of our testers were on the 176 cm length.
Jason Krupsky definitely agreed after his time on the Deacon 76. He scored the ski 5 out of 5 for stability, torsional stiffness, and overall impression. Those are the scores we’re looking for in a high end carving ski. He also, however, gave it 4 out of 5 for playfulness and forgiveness, which suggests that perhaps the Deacon 76 isn’t as demanding as a dedicated race ski. It seems Jason thought so because his description of the ski was, “solid and stable. The Deacon 76 is a good ski for skiers looking for the feel of a race-constructed ski with more forgiveness. Confident edge hold and predictable turn shape.”
Benny Wax also gave the Deacon 76 a 5 out of 5 for overall impression, although his feedback focused more on energy and quickness than Jason’s. Benny’s first comment was, “hippity hoppity, lively and springy!” Benny did give the Deacon 76 high scores for stability and torsional stiffness as well, but his comments really focused on quickness and fun. He thought it would be a great choice for “anyone who wants to fly down the groomers with precision and comfort.”
Hans von Briesen also found the Deacon 76 to be a fantastic frontside carving ski. He too gave it high scores for quickness, playfulness, and torsional stiffness, as well as a whopping 5 out of 5 for overall impression. The Deacon 76 actually had very consistent scores from all of our testers. Hans thought it was an “ideal frontside carver. Strong, solid, versatile. Advanced ski for an advanced skier looking to rail fast turns.” Hans really felt like the Deacon 76 was best suited for the frontside, ending his comments with “of the frontside category this ski is the most accurate to the name.” It’s at home on firm snow, that’s for sure.
James Stewart found a lot of quickness in the Deacon, much like the rest of our testers. He commented that they felt “damp as the code, but felt quicker.” He found them to be “surprisingly easy to ski at modest speeds, but has lots of energy if you ski it aggressively.” That’s quite a compliment for a high performing frontside carving ski like this. Often they are very demanding and only like to be skied fast, but it’s nice to know the Deacon 76 is fun at slower speeds too. James was “really impressed with this ski as an all-around hard snow ripper.”
Volkl has done a fantastic job with their new construction in the Deacon 76. It has the power and stability you expect out of a frontside carving ski, but the 3D.Glass construction seems to have given it a little more energy and quickness than one might expect. All of our testers gave it high scores for overall impression and all seemed to be impressed by the responsiveness and satisfying feeling when you’re linking carving turns on the Deacon 76. Great work, Volkl!
