 Poster: A snowHead
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What a fantastic combination - skied these last week in Verbier with a lot of fresh snow, followed by a couple of harder snow days. My comparison was an earlier pair of mk3 Mantras with Marker Duke's (much heavier). For reference they are 184 length and I'm an 85kg 6ft male who manages to ski about 4 weeks per year, probably 50:50 on/off piste although more off piste if possible when conditions allow!
The tips felt a lot more flexible, which made off piste even less effort than the old pair (first test in a foot of fresh snow on Gentianes), but on harder snow they held their edge extremely well - a more playful version of the old Mantra with no performance loss felt at all (if anything a stronger rebound if you pushed them hard). Absolutely rock solid with short or long radius turns on piste but easier in moguls (not really their intended use) than the old ones. You can be slightly lazier with these skis (the old ones virtually threw you off if you leant back or were not paying attention).
Feedback from a big hire shop was interesting - lots of people trying these and then returning them because they felt too stiff - definately not what I encountered, but it's all relative.
I only played with the touring mode on the shifts (lots of time later in the season), but they felt much easier on the uphill - I suspect due to the very different pivot point when compared to the Marker Duke's, rather than the weight difference.
In my opinion - definitely worth a demo as a quiver of one!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@oui4ski, the reports I am getting are somewhat “marmite”. All from folks Whose opinions I respect.
I expect to take a pair out to play this week, unless they’re all rented.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@oui4ski, glad you enjoyed Verbier. Which shop did you rent them from?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| BobinCH wrote: |
| @oui4ski, glad you enjoyed Verbier. Which shop did you rent them from? |
They're his own 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| spyderjon wrote: |
| BobinCH wrote: |
| @oui4ski, glad you enjoyed Verbier. Which shop did you rent them from? |
They're his own |
Mine, all mine ...
Ski Service (halfway between Place Central & Medran) have them available to rent however.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| under a new name wrote: |
@oui4ski, the reports I am getting are somewhat “marmite”. All from folks Whose opinions I respect.
I expect to take a pair out to play this week, unless they’re all rented. |
Indeed - I heard very similar marmite reports from local skiers - disliked by those currently enjoying more bendy skis (i found them far more flexible than the mk3's but you can't lean back and ski them on their tails very easily). My daughter was talking to the Volkl rep a few weeks ago and was told that they had changed the characteristics to be easier to ski (compared to earlier generations of the Mantra).
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That's true, the new Mantra M5 (for "Fith generation") is quite different from previous models.
The goal was to make a ski easier to handle, with a thiner waist and a smaller radius. They also changed the Titanal plates design.
To be franck, I prefer the older versions, but the M5 is a very good ski.
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@oui4ski, I don't think the old Mantras were hard to ski. But that's me.
I didn't take them out in the end, we weren't in Cham as much as expected and the snow wasn't so fabulous that I was inspired.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Neither I (they're in my quiver), but they were criticized for low manoeuverability and had a very large turn radius (over 25 meters).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| oui4ski wrote: |
| spyderjon wrote: |
| BobinCH wrote: |
| @oui4ski, glad you enjoyed Verbier. Which shop did you rent them from? |
They're his own |
Mine, all mine ...
Ski Service (halfway between Place Central & Medran) have them available to rent however. |
Excellent. Ski Service are running a free ski test this weekend up at the Les Ruinettes branch so will see if I can grab a pair. Always been a Volkl fan but never skied the Mantras.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@under a new name I don't think the old Mantras were hard to ski. But that's me.
Agreed - I loved the old Mantras for nearly 10 years - they weren't hard to ski!
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