In the world of ski touring, there’s a lot of different directions you can go. Not only from an actual directions standpoint in terms of one way or another when you’re in the mountains, but also in terms of gear and equipment. Touring, to some, can mean that you do one lap up and down on the resort in the morning before the lifts run. For others, this could be a multi-day wilderness tour in the deepest realms of the planet. Either way, or somewhere in the middle, Volkl’s touring ski department has got you covered. The 2024 Volkl Rise Beyond 96 is one of the more versatile skis in this grouping, leaning a bit more towards the lighter side of the spectrum without being a full-on skimo racing ski. Regardless, this one is meant to be used in an uphill format for sure, but also shares many components that allow it to be one of the more stable and predictable skis at this weight, and that’s great news for skiers who are looking for the ultimate in versatile downhill performance and uphill efficiency.

One of the big things that Volkl does with their Multilayer Woodcore Light is milling out sections from the underside of the core. By doing this in a vertical format, they’re able to retain much of the same properties involved in a true all-mountain ski, but are able to accomplish it at a much lighter weight. With lighter weight wood at the forefront of the engineering conversation, it stands to reason why this ski weighs in at a paltry 1262 grams per ski in the 170 cm length. There’s also a binding retention plate in the underfoot zone and some added materials on the topsheet in sort of a mini-frame configuration, but at the end of the day, it’s a pretty simple build for a ski. Volkl uses their cap construction on this ski for efficiency and durability, allowing skiers to put them to the test whether near or far.

Like many other mid-90's underfoot skis, this one has a good amount of versatility, but it doesn’t quite come from the profile. There’s some tip rocker for flotation, and that’s boosted by a slight tip taper shape, but from there on back, it’s a very traditional profile. With no rocker in the tail and a pretty square taper, the ski is built for the uphills. With a skin attachment point back there, it makes sense because for uphill efficiency, having a flat tail keeps more skin on the snow and prevents sliding back when climbing. One of the high-tech features of the shape is the implementation of Volkl’s 3D Radius Sidecut. In the 170, we’re registering a 16-meter arc underfoot and 22 and 20-meter cuts in the tips and tails respectively. This creates a more natural and free-flowing character of the ski and allows the skier to have better control and confidence on the way down, altering between long and short turns at their whim.

Light, easy to ski, and more one-dimensional than some of the hybrid touring skis we’ve seen come along lately, the Volkl Rise Beyond 96 is a quick and fast climber that also has some great attributes when it comes to downhill performance, smoothness, and stability. While few skiers will see this ski as having resort applications, that’s okay, and allows for a greater difference between true touring skis and resort/backcountry options.