2026 Volkl Mantra 88 Ski Review

The 2026 Volkl Mantra 88 is a new ski for this year, bringing forth many of the influences of Kendo performance and shape and blending them with Volkl’s newest construction techniques. It’s been interesting to see the career arc of the Volkl Kendo/Mantra 88 over the years. At first, the Kendo set the bar for 88/90 mm underfoot powerful dual-metal all-mountain skis, but as time progressed and competing skis became a bit more accessible without losing top-end performance, the Kendo felt a bit outdated. When Volkl moved to a titanal frame instead of two full sheets of metal, they gained back a lot of ground, moving from what some skiers (myself included) found to be “planky” to the new realm of sophisticated energy. Volkl does an amazing job at harnessing precision and power in their skis, delivering massive edge grip and rugged performance. Amazingly, they accomplish this without absurdly heavy weights or overly dramatic camber profiles. Instead, Volkl focuses on combining high-tech construction and engineering with an innovative shape to create the 2026 Mantra 88 ’s sportscar-like ride and snow feel.

There’s a lot to talk about when it comes to the build of these skis as Volkl implements a gigantic amount of ingredients here. Starting with the multi-layer wood core, the ski consists of poplar and beech. While many ski companies take the denser wood and put those stringers in the middle, Volkl goes the other way. By placing the denser beech on the sides, closer to the edges, they put more emphasis on grip and control. With the lighter poplar in the central spine of the ski, where it’s unencumbered by the titanal frame, Volkl allows for increased torsional fluidity so the Mantra 88 can flex appropriately and keep more ski on the snow for boosted smoothness. There’s a single sheet of metal below the core and a tailored titanal frame on top. The three pieces of the titanal frame operate in conjunction with each other and the wood placement to somehow create a seamless flex. Normally, we’d consider one laminate of titanal to be more consistent, but Volkl’s engineers are mad scientists when it comes to utilizing materials efficiently. The central part of the laminate does extend forward and rearward into the fore and aft frame parts, so there’s overlap, but since they’re not directly connected, this trichotomy delivers smooth, natural, and predictable flex from tip to tail. Admittedly, it’s difficult to describe in words, it’s far more helpful to see it in person and ski it on snow.

At a Glance:

2026 Volkl Mantra 88 Skis

For 2026, we get updates in the frame technology as well as a new tailored carbon tip laminate. Volkl addressed a delamination issue, more specifically with the rear frame, by angling the metal away from the edge in the first centimeter or so. This hopefully reduces potential issues without affecting performance. They’re always playing around with the tailored carbon tips and how they interact with the metal frame, so it’s not surprising to see a slightly different look here, ultimately making turn initiation crisp, easy, and predictable while keeping swing weight down. We measured a 177 and it came in at just under 1900 grams as opposed to Volkl’s stated weight of ~1950 g/ski in that length with variances due to production cycles. The 184, which I own, is right around 2000 g/ski, putting it on the heavier side, but not the heaviest. Nordica Enforcer 89 and Blizzard Anomaly 88 are a bit heavier and are in direct competition with Mantra 88 in terms of stability, performance, and power.

The shape is where we see differences from the 2025 version, and the profile is flatter overall. With 2026 sidecut measurements of 134/88/114 in the 177 opposed to a narrower cut of 129/88/113 for 2025, we’re getting a bit more width, most notably in the tip. When this is paired with the flatter shovel and the mix of titanal frame and carbon, the snow connection is increased resulting in smooth and predictable carving performance. The interesting part, and something that is unique to Volkl skis of this range, is the flat profile with long and low rocker in the tips and tails. Back in the day, the Volkl Mantra experimented with full rocker, as did the 100Eight, Confession, Bridge, and more. They’ve always been on the flatter/fully rockered train, which I find interesting since their reputation is so focused on the precise and rocker by nature flies in the face of precision.

So how do they make a ski that’s basically fully rockered perform and function in the way of the Mantra 88? For the most part, it is the mix of power in the build paired with the 3D Radius sidecut. By implementing strong materials over the edges, the Mantra 88 is rock-solid when up at angles. Getting to those angles, though, is a huge function of the 3D Radius. Volkl incorporates a longer radius of 29.2-meters in the shovel and 25.5-meters in the tail to play against a shorter 16.2-meter arc in the middle. This allows skiers to feather the ski into turns and achieve higher speeds with greater stability and less hooking while also allowing for shorter, more slalom-like turns in the middle. Varying edge angles is much easier on a than it is on an Enforcer 89 because you’re not fighting against the flex of the camber. It’s a preference, to be sure, so keep that in mind when going about a ski search. The construction of the ski holds you tight through the tail of the turn, delivering proper rebound and pop into the next carve. In addition, the flatter profile works great in softer snow, delivering an uncommonly smeary character when needed—not many/any other skis in this range can boast of that quality especially when paired with the strong on-trail performance. Overall, this is a highly unique shape and profile for any ski, much less a high-octane all-frontside performer like the Mantra 88.

On snow, and specifically on-piste, the construction of the ski keeps the Mantra 88 on the demanding side of the spectrum. Despite the flatter profile, this ski rips carved turns and has no issues whatsoever with firm snow and ice. Feel free to push it as hard as you want to, as it will respond very accordingly to your input. If you’re an expert skier with a race background, you’ll have no issues with grip and control. If you’re past your prime or looking to improve, the Mantra 88 will provide a solid platform that can be manipulated at lower edge angles to suit your moderate speed and needs. As a slight downside, the skis do make a strange sound—it's very metallic and somewhat unnerving. That said, it does nothing to negatively affect performance, it just sounds pingy. But it doesn’t feel pingy—these skis are strongly connected to the snow with minimal chatter and vibrations. While there’s nothing spectacular in the build, other than the metal, in terms of vibration absorption, they nevertheless feel smooth and stable even in the harshest of conditions. This was exemplified in a trip we took to Killington this winter after a rain/freeze event. The Mantra 88 was totally in its element, even if the skier (me) wasn’t. This was one of those times when I wish I had a racing background to take full advantage of the Mantra’s performance. Alas, I had to settle for shorter turns on the steeps and was able to let it run when it mellowed out. The short turns with energy are somewhat difficult, as the ski wants to run a bit faster, especially in the 184. The skis have more confidence than the skier on firm snow. When it gets softer and turns to crud and chop, the power kicks in and the skis do great. They do not float that well due to the stiffness and weight, but they cut quite well to the bottom and eventually find something firm to hold on to. For me, speed is key and these Mantra 88’s operate at speed and in longer turns.

Off-trail, it’s a good thing these skis have a flatter profile otherwise they’d be relatively unwieldly. When you get into the bumps, if you want to take a direct line, you better have some skills. If you want to be more meandering, they’re totally fine, but they still feel a bit planky, kind of like the older skis. They get deflected by firmer moguls because they’re rigid skis, but in softer bumps, they’re totally fun—it really depends on the conditions as to how these skis respond. That same Killington day, we skied some ice bumps as a joke, and it was quite difficult to flex the skis in the troughs. In between the bumps, it was nice to have the grip, but overall, I wouldn’t say moguls are a fun experience on these skis. Trees are somewhat similar—the softer they are the better, as the skis are incredibly precise when the snow gets firm. You can feel every bump and imperfection in the woods, and the ski likes to react to those things whether you want them to or not—that's the price you’ll pay for admission when it comes to the performance on smoother, firmer snow. When soft, though, Mantra 88 does just fine—it's not a standout performer here, and I’d rather be on the Anomaly or the Enforcer because they’re just not as precise as the Mantra and therefore can be manipulated a bit easier, even if they’re a bit heavier or stiffer—the precision is the key qualifier here, and it just doesn’t translate as well to tighter trees and firmer bumps. Selfishly, I still want to spend more time on these skis in bumps and softer snow and slower speeds to figure them out a bit more.

As accurately portrayed by the technical-looking graphics, these skis are very digital in nature. They’re either on or off. When they’re on, you’re getting an insane amount of power and precision in every turn. When they’re off, you are going to have to fight a bit to get them back on course. It’s not like they’re punishing skis, but if you do make a mistake or get in the back seat, they’ll let you know about it. Sizing down is a good option here, especially for those who are more moderate in nature but still want a sturdy ski. I’m in the 184 and enjoy it, but there are times when I wish the 177 was on my feet. With a multi-radius sidecut, a flatter profile, and an insanely engineered construction, the 2026 Volkl Mantra 88 is a totally unique ski with no equal when it comes to combining ingredients. Nothing else out there has this mix of power, precision, and shape to go along with an incredibly high-performance ceiling.

Now Available for Pre-Order:

2026 Volkl Mantra 88 Ski Pre-Order