Volkl Mantra 88 w — Review

The Volkl Mantra 88 w is the new-for-26 women's all-mountain workhorse that replaces the long-running Kenja 88 in Volkl's lineup. With an 88 mm waist, Tailored Titanal Frame, Tailored Carbon Tips and 3D Radius Sidecut, it brings the men's Mantra 88 chassis into a women-specific construction tuned with a lighter overall flex and tip-rocker behavior.

On groomers the Mantra 88 w carves cleanly with the same authority that made the Kenja 88 a multi-season favorite, but with a touch less effort thanks to the lighter layup. The 3D Radius Sidecut blends a 13 m mid-body radius with longer tip and tail radii, giving it both quick short-turn engagement and stable longer arcs. Off-piste the 88 mm waist and titanal frame handle chopped soft snow at the side of the trail confidently; in deeper snow it floats reasonably for the segment but is not a powder specialist.

Multilayer poplar/beech wood core with Tailored Titanal Frame (less metal in shorter lengths, more in longer), Tailored Carbon Tips for torsional stiffness, sintered base. Rocker-Camber-Rocker profile. Sidecut 134 / 88 / 114 mm at 177 cm (129 / 88 / 113 at 163 cm), 13 m radius at 163 cm. Lengths 163 / 170 / 177 / 184. Weight 1710 g per ski at 163 cm — light enough to swing easily, heavy enough to feel stable at speed.

A confident intermediate to advanced woman skier who wants one ski to handle 70/30 piste-to-snow with real authority on hard groomers. Compared to the men's Volkl Mantra 88 it carves with a slightly lighter, more accessible feel — same DNA, lower demand on the driver. Against the Head Kore 87 Ti W the Mantra 88 w is more piste-bound and more stable at high carve angle; the Kore 87 Ti W rewards lighter off-piste use. Compared to the Volkl Rise above 88 w, the Mantra 88 w is far more piste-focused and skips the touring-friendly construction; the Rise above 88 w is the choice if you tour.

Pros

• Direct successor to the Kenja 88 with proven 88 mm all-mountain heritage.
• Tailored Titanal Frame holds high edge angle without overweighting smaller sizes.
• 3D Radius Sidecut is genuinely useful: easy short turns, stable long ones.
• 1710 g per ski (163 cm) is reasonable for the segment.
• Four lengths fit a wide range of skiers.

Cons

• 88 mm waist limits soft-snow capability — not a powder ski.
• Titanal frame adds mass over the Yumi-class lighter chassis.
• Demanding driver gets the most out of it — light intermediates may outride a 163 cm.
• Not built for touring; alpine-only.

Verdict: The natural Kenja 88 replacement and one of the most balanced 88 mm women's all-mountain skis on the market. Pick this if you live in the on/off-piste mix and want a chassis with real authority.