Volkl describes the all-new Revolt 121 as a "powder ski for freestyle-oriented skiers," and we like that. Sometimes the ski folks get a bit carried away with their descriptions, and other times, they're pretty much right on. With the Revolt 121, they've certainly got it right. Volkl is doing a nice job with consolidating their skis into the appropriate categories, so the Revolt line takes on a whole new life. With skis from an 86 mm waist to the 121 and everything in between, this lineup for freestyle skiers has something for everyone. At the top end of that list in terms of width and powder performance sits the 121.
ROCKER PROFILE
Rocker / Camber / Rocker
CORE MATERIALS
PREFERRED TERRAIN
Powder, Big Mountain
The Revolt 121 is a takeover of the Two's and Three's of yesteryears that brings performance to a new level. Those older models were fully rockered and a bit on the light side, so the top-end skiers in Volkl's team couldn't really sink their edges into the steeper stuff with any real confidence. By adding some camber underfoot, top athletes such as Markus Eder and Tanner Rainville got a boost of performance without sacrificing much in the way of powder playfulness. The tapered shape is one of the big selling points of these skis, as the widest part of the tip doesn't really hit the snow for a bit, giving it an extremely floaty personality that planes smoothly over powder. Skiers who find themselves in proper deep powder conditions will feel this taper instantly, as it allows the ski to also maintain a shorter and more playful turn radius than some of the other fat skis in the industry. Built with Volkl's multi-layer wood core, these skis have a tremendous amount of energy and Volkl does a good job in keeping it simple with the build. It's really all about the shaping and the profile that sets these skis apart. At 121 underfoot, you're going to float on pretty much anything, and the taper and rocker allow for a multitude of different turn shapes and styles. For pillow lines, wide-open bowls, and big backcountry faces, the 2021 Volkl Revolt 121 is a playful masterpiece with freestyle on the brain.
Our lone in-house contributor for this ski was Phil McGrory. He skied on the longest length, the 191 and his scores were fairly obvious. 5 out of 5 for flotation should be a given for this ski, and his score of 4 for playfulness is on par with what we'd expect from the freestyle-oriented Revolt. Versatility, torsional stiffness, and edge hold are obviously going to take some hits, with appropriate scores of 2 out of 5. At the end of the day, these skis are not built to be stiff-the more the ski flexes with the deep snow that it's on, the more fun and playful they become because you become part of the snow as opposed to just skiing on top of it. Phil notes: "This ski is so FUN in the right conditions. Obviously at 121 underfoot the ski is intended to be skied in deep snow. I mean really deep snow. Tip and tail rocker with camber underfoot combined with a huge surface area makes this ski float like a boat." But it's not just for fresh powder as Phil found out, one of the other fun times is in the spring: "On a warm spring day when the snow is corned up, this thing is a blast. It definitely takes some commitment but once you roll that ski over on edge, the Revolt 121 will grip and rip." When asked about the really strong points of the ski, Phil responded: "Super-playful in the tip and tail make this thing a great ski to bring out on any powder day or rip up some open corn snow while working on your goggle tan." Sounds like a plan to us, Phil!
Best for advanced and expert skiers who will be able to make the most out of the wide platform, the Volkl Revolt 121 will occupy a big place in skiers' hearts who are able to access the terrain and snow conditions that are best suited to these playful monsters. Freestyle skiers looking for that backcountry booter of their dreams had better be on a pair of these when they find it!
