2026 Volkl Mantra 108

The 2026 Volkl Mantra 108 gets a new graphic for this year but otherwise returns unchanged. This hard-charging big-mountain ski has been an athlete's favorite for years, allowing for higher speed skiing in a variety of conditions and terrain. Hefty, strong, and powerful, the Mantra 108 needs to be pushed and brought up to speed prior to seeing any vital performance out of it. Beginners and intermediates will be overpowered here, so this ski certainly belongs on the feet of advanced, expert, and aggressive skiers.

Built with Volkl’s multi-layer wood core, the ski gets two sheets of metal to bring about the power. While the narrower skis in the Mantra line get more tailored titanal frames, the ones found in this 108 are thicker, stiffer, and less sophisticated. This makes the ski feel more traditional in nature and better suited to straighter skiing with fewer turns. In the 177, the ski sits on the scale at 2230 g/ski, so this is no feather. In order to keep things at least slightly mobile, Volkl adds carbon to the tips for agility, but again, when you’re going fast, it’s not a noticeable thing. Tester Jamie Morris gave the ski 9’s out of 10 for overall impression and stability, noting that the ski felt “super solid. Ideal for softer snow and bigger turns.”

In terms of shape, the width is the big story here, as these skis at 108 mm underfoot can float on fresh snow but are way better at plowing through crud and chop. These skis are quite directional in nature so they don’t end up being as playful or creative as many other skis in this width range. They do, however, absolutely hammer through variable conditions and technical terrain. While the Mantra 108 does have tip and tail rocker, it’s a flatter overall profile than you may expect. The Mantra 108 uses sidecut dimensions of 146/108/129 to generate a 3D Radius of 38.5/19.1/33.8 meters in the 184 cm length. While the 19.1-meter range in the middle sounds about average, the tips and tails are quite straight and ready to rock. Tester Josh Matta is of the opinion that it “Skis like a big Mantra 88, This is not a bad thing. It’s the versatility of that ski in a much floaty Package. Would be a good powder ski for an aggressive skier in the east or maybe a one ski quiver for snowy mountains out west.”

These skis are powerful in nature and hefty by design. The more mass the ski contains, the easier it busts through adversity and charges down steep mountain faces. As such, it’s a fairly specific ski with a relatively smaller audience. Not everyone will get along great on these skis as they do require a strong touch on the part of the pilot. If you are an aggressive skier and love to push it out there on the hill, this is a beefy ski that will stand up to the rigors of fast big mountain skiing.