Volkl Secret 96 Review

The newest iteration of the Secret 96 is far more accessible to mere mortals than versions of this ski we tested previously. Strong-legged ladies will appreciate the speed this Volkl ski lends its driver, and despite a kinder flex pattern, this powerful ski was still created with hard-charging beefcakes in mind. The most meaningful update is Volkl's 4-Radius Drive, an upgrade to their 3D Radius sidecut. This innovative design builds a 20-meter, 40-meter, 15-meter, and 25-meter radius into a single sidecut, which makes it even more versatile through a variety of turn shapes than the skillful, beloved, and now sadly discontinued Secret 92.

Performance Comparison

Stability at Speed

The Secret 96 is at home in the fast lane, regardless of snow conditions. This ski can make large-radius, high-speed turns whether you're skiing firm snow, bulletproof ice, post-powder-day chunder, or even deep powder. (Although there are some limitations to this last instance, as we will discuss below.) Even though it wins an award for stability at speed, the Secret 96 could have just as easily earned the award for confidence on hardpack, where it truly dominates our lineup.

Our testers loved that the Secret 96 is a touch more forgiving than recent versions yet still provides that heart-pounding rush of adrenaline and confidence at speed. It doesn't deflect in choppy snow and reliably drives forward through every turn. Within a carved turn, however, a skier will only get out as much as they put in. If you give it your all, then the Secret 96 will provide a dependable ride. Anything less, and this ski will feel overwhelming and less accessible.

The Secret 96 absolutely prefers to be on edge rather than smear turns, and this characteristic holds true across the mountain. It's rare to find a ski in the all-mountain category that doesn't have at least a little flop in its tip, but our test team all agrees that the Secret 96 is the most solid ski they came across this season. One tester even admitted she “could hear this ski say 'I've got you' all the way down the mountain” – her trusted secret weapon.

Carving Ability

The Secret 96 rewards solid body movements and dynamic skiing and is incredibly brawny when skied well. Even though it's significantly more forgiving and much more fun than its predecessors, it still takes a confident skier to unlock its full carving ability. On her first run, our lead tester exclaimed, “You need a two-factor authentication to get it to let go of the turn!”

It appears that Volkl has traded in their standard fare of “chew it up; spit it out” – the secret ingredients mixed into the Secret 96 make it much more palatable to the masses. The newest version of this ski requires less force to flex, and it responds with more energy when you release pressure, which aids in turn initiation.

Turn Radius

The Secret 96 performs carved turns with a tenacious edge grip and is particularly impressive through medium-to-large radius turns. Although Volkl touts the combination of four different sidecuts comprising their 4-Radius Drive design, our testers all agreed that they could only ever feel one radius through a single turn.

The combo-sidecut claims an average turn radius of 15.2 meters, but everyone who tested it feels like it skis more like a ski with an 18-meter sidecut. Perhaps much heavier skiers could make it bend that tightly, but close-cutting carves were not easy for a majority of our testers. It's really in those larger radius turns that the Secret 96 unleashes its power.

Powder Performance

In deep snow, the Secret 96 is a bit of a puzzle to unpack. To score this metric, our testers typically first ask the simple question, “Does it float well?” But with this ski, we had to ask, "Why is it floating in some turns and not others?"

Waist Width

Our testers learned that when they took a more traditional approach to skiing powder – a pivoted, short-radius turn with a narrower stance – the 96-millimeter Secret 96 didn't resurface regularly enough to keep it afloat.

They eventually discovered that if they made medium-to-large radius turns with higher edge angles, it consistently popped back to the surface. We shouldn't have been surprised – the Secret 96 wants to rip turns in powder, too.

In the oft-used short turn, you simply don't have the momentum to build enough pressure to bend this stiff, hefty ski to drive rebound. It's much more comfortable to build pressure through fast, larger-radius turns, adding in a retraction movement for extra force just before the turn transition. Then – pop – the Secret 96 rises to the snow surface. Because we had to force this ski through higher speeds and larger turn radii, we don't recommend it for novice powder skiers or for folks who want to ski deep snow in tight trees or couloirs.

Crud Performance

High scores in this metric have eluded most competitors in our review in recent years. The Secret 96 breaks that cycle by crushing and bashing its way through poor snow conditions. The torsional rigidity supported by the tailored titanal frame helps it slice through chunky snow, and the stiff yet smooth flex pattern blasts through all but the very worst refrozen debris.

To ski chopped-up snow, some of our testers like to adapt their technique by popping from one turn to the next – they can avoid some of the more difficult parts of their turn by staying airborne. However, the weight and relative lack of rebound in the Secret 96 make this an impractical approach. Once these testers understood how they could simply ram through choppy snow in a high-velocity turn, they decided to take that approach instead.

It's important to point out that you can't just jump on this ski and expect it to do all the work for you. The Secret 96 demands a confident driver to reap the benefits of this high-octane ski. If you try to make skidded, short-radius turns in difficult snow, you'll end up on a bumpy ride in the backseat. The Secret 96 rewards fast, aggressive skiing – like carving on this ski, you'll get out what you put in.

Terrain Playfulness

The Secret 96 is not a playful ski in the traditional sense. At 8.4 pounds per pair (at 170 cm), it is one of the heaviest skis in our lineup. This alone makes it more challenging to get off the ground, but nothing about this ski feels particularly agile. Even though rebound and responsiveness are much improved compared to older models, it still lacks the playfulness of other skis we tested.

Yet, it is definitely still really fun to go fast on this ski. Our testers rejoiced while hauling down steep groomers and crushing through crud. As a result, they tended to score the Secret 96 higher than other comparably heavy, stiff skis. Then, there is the puzzle of powder skiing. Just as a difficult Suduko is much more entertaining for experienced players, powder skiing is much more engaging for advanced to expert skiers.

Bumps

As we've discussed more than once already, the Secret 96 prefers to be on edge and carve larger-radius turns, which makes for a tough time in moguls. It's not quite the worst ski we tested – some of the skis wider than 100 mm have a harder time in the bumps – but its disdain for flat, pivoted turns is difficult to overcome.

By taking a wider stance and turning up the speed a bit, the Secret 96 can maneuver through moguls to a degree. It was pretty fun to fly through medium-sized, slushy spring bumps, for instance. But in tight zipper lines or in springtime wiggles that demand sliding your tail through the turn, this ski falters.

Should You Buy the Volkl Secret 96?

If you're a hard-charging skier who prefers speed to precision, you will love the beefed-up Secret 96. You should favor making longer, faster turns and should be willing to sacrifice some ability to make short, pivoted turns through moguls and trees. But if you are an advanced- to expert-level skier who already loves skis with exceptional edge hold, you will surely appreciate the confidence that the powerful Secret 96 instills at high speeds.

What Other Skis Should You Consider?