2021 Volkl Deacon 80

Front side lovers who can't get enough of the carved turn will love the graphically updated Deacon 80 from Volkl. In its second year, the Deacon 80 fits right in the middle of Volkl's front side lineup, but that doesn't mean that it's a middle-tier ski. While it does have slower speed compliance, it's still a top-end performer capable of leaving deep trenches in its wake. Great edge grip is pretty much a given from Volkl at this point, and in terms of the build, it's a great mix of high-performance and mid-weight technology. Easy to ski but with a high gear, the Deacon 80 crosses a lot of lines in terms of who can and will use it to the best of its and their ability. We've had everyone from former college racers to recent snowboard converts as well as skiers on the older end of the spectrum all rip and enjoy the Deacon 80. Volkl has taken the benefits of the titanal frame technology that's found on the Kendo, Mantra, Deacon 84, etc, and brought that feature to the Deacon 80, but in a fiberglass format. As opposed to a titanal frame, the glass frame of the Deacon 80 keeps the snappiness and quickness of the build style, but with lighter and slightly more forgiving materials. The glass is more energetic than the titanal, which is better suited for absorbing vibrations and increasing stability. At 80 mm underfoot, the skis are right in the sweet spot for a front side cruiser so if you spend the majority of your time on-trail, this is a must-look. Our contributors loved the energy and the lightweight nature of the Deacon 80, with pretty much all overwhelmingly positive results and scores.

One of the guys we like to use a lot in our videos is Ryan Daniel. He's a former collegiate racer who makes some of the fastest and nicest turns on the mountain. He also has a ski quiver to rival all quivers, with about 50 pairs of mounted skis ready to go. When he gets on a 177 cm Deacon 80 and loves it, we're going to take his word for it that Volkl has a sharp winner on their hands. He even says: "Love it. Great edge hold. I found it easy to make all radius turns." Most likely due to the 3D turn radius, Ryan seems right at home with the Deacon's versatile turn shapes and styles. His scorecard certainly leans to the high side, with all 5's out of 5 except for flotation (n/a) and playfulness (4 out of 5). But for a pretty much straight up carving ski, to get 5's from Ryan pretty much all across the board speaks volumes as to the success of these skis. In terms of energy, Ryan does note that it "did not offer a ton of rebound, but that was not a bad thing." The glass frame is the likely culprit here, but as Ryan states, it's certainly not a deal breaker.

Also on the 177, Marcus Shakun notes that he'd take the longer length, but the 177 wasn't all that bad. He gave a top score of 5 out of 5 for versatility, especially when it comes to turn shape and style. He calls it the "most versatile all-mountain carving ski. Truly all-mountain. can do just about every turn other than a legit slalom turn. Great flex in the shovel that allows it to be more versatile off the tail." This is a great way to describe the feeling of the 3D radius, as it's often hard to just talk about versus actually getting out there and skiing it. It's almost like you flex into the turn, and how hard you flex one part of the ski affects the way the rest of the ski will respond.

The Deacon 80 is one of those skis that kind of comes out of nowhere. They take the best parts of a lot of Volkl's products and smashes them all together in a carving/all-mountain package. The glass frame combined with the 3D radius and the full sensor wood core really make for an energetic, fun, and accessible ski for a lot of front side and all-mountain skiers of many different levels.