2022 Volkl Secret 102

The Secret 102 is the widest ski in Volkl’s women’s All Mountain Freeride collection. It’s designed for aggressive skiers who want a powerful ski that can handle a variety of different snow conditions. Volkl builds the Secret 102 with essentially the same materials and construction as the narrower, more firm-snow-focused Kenja 88. We get a Multi-Layer wood core, which is found in a lot of Volkl skis, and their Titanal Frame laminates. Metal is focused along the edges of the ski in both the tip and tail and that metal does not connect underfoot. This provides a strong, stable feel on edge, while allowing Volkl to shed some weight on the final product. This is one of Volkl’s first skis to feature 3D.Radius sidecut, which uses longer radii in the tips and tails and a tighter radius underfoot to allow for different turn shapes depending on how you’re weighting the ski.

Ann MacDonald tested the 170 cm length and just after a quick glance at her scores, it’s clear she enjoyed the Secret 102. 5 out of 5 scores from Ann for stability, quickness/maneuverability, playfulness, torsional stiffness/edge grip, and overall impression. It’s important to note that Ann is an extremely accomplished skier, so what feels quick and playful for her, might not feel the same way for a less aggressive or more intermediate-level skier. “Love this ski! It’s solid. Can stand on it and trust it. Surprisingly quick turning for its width. Good on groomers, slabby snow, crud, and light powder too. It’s a bit heavy for dense powder. Great for aggressive girls who like a ski that has some beef! It skis its length, which I love.” No need to size up on the Secret 102! With a strong build and low-splay rocker lines, you get a very nice effective edge and a ton of stability. Danielle Nichols also hopped on the 170 cm length and had a similar reaction to the Secret 102. Not terribly surprising, as Ann and Danielle are both very strong skiers. 5 out of 5 scores from Danielle for stability, quickness/maneuverability, playfulness, and surprisingly, forgiveness! We’ll recommend taking that one with a grain of salt, as similar to Ann, not all skiers will find the same levels of quickness or forgiveness in the Secret 102. “I think this is a great ski for hard groomers with a bit of crud. Had a great tune on it and skied it pretty hard. Would definitely recommend to friends!”

Carly Monahan admitted that the Secret 102 isn’t a ski that she would normally choose for herself, but sometimes getting feedback from skiers who wouldn’t choose a ski can be extremely valuable, as is the case with Carly. 5 out of 5 scores for stability and torsional stiffness/edge grip, but for Carly, playfulness and forgiveness both dropped to 3 out of 5. “Classic Volkl feel; super stable, fairly stiff, and when skied in a forward, aggressive stance they really shine. I don't often ski stiff AND wide skis, so I had to pay attention to not getting bucked into the backseat in choppy conditions. If you're an active/aggressive/heavier skier, looking to charge hard at all times, the Secret 102 will hold its own for ya! If you're looking for something wide that needs less weight/power/force to drive, check out the Blaze instead ;).” A very accurate assessment from Carly. The weight and flex pattern of the Secret 102 does ask for a lot of skier input. You need to be actively engaged when skiing it, otherwise it will take you for a bit of a ride.

The Secret 102 is the real deal. It’s pretty stiff, it’s very stable at speed, it has tremendous edge grip, and that 102 mm waist will tank through just about anything you point it towards. Some skiers will really appreciate this performance and the capabilities of the Secret 102. In fact, we strongly recommend it for strong, capable skiers who want a ski that can handle softer snow conditions, not just perfect corduroy. On the other hand, an intermediate should approach it with some caution. It could work for lower-level skiers, but it’s going to be a bit of handful and relatively fatiguing. So, if you’re still developing your technique, maybe take a page out of Carly’s book and check out the Blaze.