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Volkl Mantra & Marker Duke Review
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead

I am 6ft and 73kg and skiing the 177cm.

When I picked the skiis up with binding mounted, the first thing that hit me was the weight. If your looking for a set up for long tours, this is not it. It weighs about the same as my 189 Seth's with alpine bindings.

First day was on soft fast piste and the ski handled very well. It carves very easily for a wide ski although the slight stack height left me a little unsteady on occation.

By the second day I had forgotten all about the stack height and was very comfortable everywhere. The second day got a bit icy and again they performed well. I went to try some moguls and couldn't believe how well they handled it.

Mid week we had about 40cm and I can honestly say, I've never had so much fun. This set up rips hell out of powder and particularly through the trees. I did the same run 4 times it was just sooooo good! It's so responsive and glides so effortlessly through the pow. Running flat out through the trees I never doubted I would make the turn and pushed harder and faster every time.

In the afternoon we hit a couple of wide bowls & valleys. In the untracked it performs as you'd expect. Awesome. Where this ski really excells though is the tracked out, variable stuff. It just ploughs through the lot and is almost as much fun as the untracked. I have used the same ski guide for the last couple of years and she hasn't changed her skis for 5 years. After seeing the way I was skiing that day (and the ridiculous smile on my face) she has decided to try them out but I dont know the outcome yet. I wouldn't like to take these in the park but jumps in the powder are super stable.

It will be interesting to see how they perform in really deep stuff but they seemed to have more than enough float for me. I didn't actually do any touring but I'm back out in April so maybe I'll update the review then.

I found I couldn't ride them lazy, you have to be on top of them all the time but the rewards are amazing. For European skiers where we are faced with very varied conditions I can't believe a better ski exists. If you want a pair of skis that can take you EVERYWHERE, this is it. I read mixed reviews about the marker binding but they didn't fail me once, so i'm happy.

Alongside my injection moulded boots, this was the best money I have ever spent on ski equipment. Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person

We really do need a 'Smug Git' smiley. . . . wink
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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?

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzyawnzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz yawn yawn Toofy Grin Toofy Grin Toofy Grin
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
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stone88, yes indeed Toofy Grin
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Aha... Just the guy i need to speak to.

What bindings were you on before? How much difference is there between them and the dukes?

I am considering a pair of markers for my next ski's and have concerns about the extra height and the difference it will make - given that i wont be doing lots of touring.

cheers.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.

matricks wrote:
Aha... Just the guy i need to speak to.

What bindings were you on before? How much difference is there between them and the dukes?

I am considering a pair of markers for my next ski's and have concerns about the extra height and the difference it will make - given that i wont be doing lots of touring.

cheers.


I think they're great. You get used to the stack height very quickly and the only time it might cause any problems is carving but you can compensate for it. I tried these and the freerides but I think the Dukes are basically an alpine binding with touring capability and the freerides are a touring binding with alpine capability.

As said I haven't actually used them for touring yet but the mechanism is very simple
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

stone88 wrote:
.....You get used to the stack height very quickly and the only time it might cause any problems is carving.....

Carving is exactly were the height helps due to the additional leverage etc. The height of the Duke/Baron is no difference to a conveentional rai mounted binding system.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!

Must just be me then but carving was the only time I felt at all uncomfortable
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