Volkl Yumi 80 — Review

The Volkl Yumi 80 is the lighter women's all-mountain entry in Volkl's women's lineup — 80 mm waist, Glass Frame construction (no Titanal), 3D Radius Sidecut and a chassis tuned for low effort and easy turn initiation. It sits below the Mantra 88 w and Kenja-class skis as an option for lighter or intermediate women who want a forgiving all-mountain partner.

The Yumi 80 is a low-effort ski. Without a titanal frame, swing weight is very low — the ski rolls onto edge with light input and the 3D Radius Sidecut delivers a 14-16 m carving radius across the length range, easy to flex and easy to release at the end of a turn. On harder snow it lacks the high-edge-angle authority a metal-reinforced ski has, but at typical intermediate-to-advanced speeds it carves cleanly enough on groomers. Off-piste, the 80 mm waist and Tip & Tail Rocker handle soft chop on the side of the trail; in deeper snow expect it to need more skier input than a wider ski.

Multilayer wood core with Glass Frame (fiberglass reinforcement, no titanal layer), 3D Radius Sidecut for variable turn shapes, Tip & Tail Rocker profile. Sidecut 121 / 80 / 103 mm. Per-length radius (R1 / R2 / R3): 16 / 11 / 14 m at 147 cm, 18 / 13 / 16 m at 154 cm, 19 / 14 / 17 m at 161 cm, 21 / 15 / 19 m at 168 cm. Lengths 147 / 154 / 161 / 168 cm. Weight 1240 g per ski at 147 cm — among the lightest women's all-mountain skis at this waist.

A confident intermediate woman who wants a forgiving, low-effort daily ski for groomers with the occasional soft-snow detour. Compared to the Volkl Mantra 88 w it gives up a fair amount of high-speed stability and freeride capability in exchange for much less effort — the Mantra 88 w is the choice if you push hard, the Yumi 80 is the choice if you don't. Against the Head Total Joy the Yumi 80 is narrower and lighter on the foot, with a more carving-biased sidecut; the Total Joy has more all-mountain spread. The Volkl Yumi 84 is the wider sibling — pick that if you want a bit more off-piste utility.

Pros

• Very light — 1240 g per ski at 147 cm makes it easy to swing all day.
• 3D Radius Sidecut gives natural-feeling turn variety.
• Forgiving construction (no titanal) suits intermediate skiers.
• Tip & Tail Rocker makes turn initiation accessible.
• Four lengths from 147 to 168 cm cover small to mid-tall skiers.

Cons

• No titanal layer means it loses authority at high carving speed.
• 80 mm waist is limited in soft snow.
• Not built for race-style aggressive carving.
• Glass Frame chassis has lower long-term stiffness than metal-framed skis.

Verdict: A light, forgiving women's all-mountain that prioritizes ease over high-edge-angle authority. Excellent for intermediate skiers wanting a low-effort daily; advanced skiers should look at the Mantra 88 w or wider freeride options.