2026 Volkl Katana V-werks

The 2026 Volkl Katana V.Werks is a carryover model for this year, bringing a carbon-based construction and a unique fully rockered profile. This ski, because of its V.Werks moniker, means that there’s a lot of design freedom and capabilities here, as Volkl uses that V.Werks department as research and design for the future as well as current performance. These skis fall firmly and squarely into the freeride category, with a wide waist, a rockered profile, and a lighter weight for touring potential. It’s never been quite clear as to who this ski has been marketed to, but those who have skied on it certainly have strong feelings about it.

Built with a very thin multi-layer wood core consisting of poplar and beech, these skis have a nice and energetic feel to them. By adding a full carbon jacket to the mix, they are keying in on using the forcefulness of carbon to go along with the thinness of that material in a lighter weight standpoint. By using a ridge format, they keep the central spine of the ski stronger and sturdier, so if you do encounter non-fresh snow, the ski will stay composed and poised. In the 177 cm length, the ski sits on the scale at 1846 g/ski putting it on the lighter side for a 112 mm underfoot ski.

The profile of the ski is the big story here, as we just don’t see too many fully rockered skis anymore. Volkl, though, uses longer rocker and flatter camber in their all-mountain and freeride skis than most other brands, making the Katana V.Werks not a total outlier for the company—in reality, it’s only a little bit more rockered than a Mantra 108 or something similar. Full rocker means no camber, though, and in soft and deep snow, this is a very attractive proposal. With a sidecut of 143/112/132, the Katana V.Werks hits a 23.5-meter turn radius in the 184 cm length. This is on the long side, and when given the full rocker profile, it makes for a very smeary and drifty character. These skis, amazingly given their thin profile nature, are about as sideways-oriented as it gets—the full rocker gives them a ton of potential for creative freeride skiing.

Given the width and overall carbon-powered nature, the 2026 Volkl Katana V.Werks is a very rare and unique ski. While it’s prototypical in nature, it’s actually been around for a few years, so it’s also quite established. They put a lot of carbon in here, paired with the thin and curved profile, to create an individualistic look and feel. As a result, this ski won’t be great for everyone—it's more of a ski for a specific skier looking for a specific use case.