Voile HyperDrifter Review

The Voile Hyperdrifter is the widest ski we have ever tested. At 121 mm underfoot, this is a deep-snow specialist. At one point, we dragged our feet on testing skis this big because they were historically so heavy. Somehow, Voile flipped the script and made a giant powder specialist at a very acceptable weight for human-powered skiing. When it seems “too deep to ski” (yes, that happens sometimes), the Hyperdrifter recalibrates your expectations. Since we first tested the Hyperdrifter in 2020, many companies have discontinued their skis of similar width and powder specialty – we are really glad that Voile still makes the Hyperdrifter.

Performance Comparison

Weight

In absolute terms, the Hyperdrifter is light. When we correct for its size, its weight is remarkable. We weighed the 178 cm pair we tested to be 1545 and 1585 grams – that's an average of 1565 grams per ski, or 3130 grams for the pair. In imperial units, that is 7.0 pounds. No matter how you look at it, this is a respectable raw weight point to meet. Bigger skis require bigger, heavier skins, so you'll want to factor a few dozen additional grams in for that. It's also important to note that in soft snow, this wide ski will cart around more snow on its top sheet.

Despite our warnings, you will find these skis to feel light in all the right ways. We don't know of any other skis this big and this light. That is a good thing considering their other performance attributes. On our repeatable, simple “weight to surface area” calculation, the Hyperdrifter nearly tops the chart. The only skis that do better are ridiculously light, but much narrower. Nothing within 20 mm of width comes even close to the weight-to-surface area ratio of the Hyperdrifter.

Firm Snow

You don't take skis like this out on firm snow – don't even bother. We could speculate on why and what about their design doesn't do well on firm snow, but it doesn't matter. You choose to take the Hypderdrifter out for powder skiing, exclusively. For any other snow type, choose a different ski.

We wouldn't be wrong to avoid hard snow and ice on the Hyperdrifter entirely. Nonetheless, we know you will press the issue and try these out in varied conditions, so we did too. We chased down drought-season ski resort groomed terrain on a testing day. To no one's surprise, the edges of this huge ski refused to grab (to put it mildly). Even if you can elicit a little traction in a turn, you risk losing it with the slightest lapse of attention or change in snow texture.

Powder

Our lead test editor has experienced his best-ever powder days on the Voile Hyperdrifter. Huge skis are specialized for powder snow – bigger is better, and these are the biggest. Don't let our enthusiastic words, though, make you think that you need 120 mm skis for deep days. That same day that Jed tested the Hyperdrifter and had an amazing day, other skiers were on all-mountain touring skis and echoed his sentiment. Good powder skiing is good skiing, no matter the equipment.

However, huge skis like this enable more momentum in the deepest of snow. When those “normally” equipped are bogging down and trenching themselves, you might float and gain a little more speed on the Hyperdrifter. More importantly, when avalanche hazard, terrain options, or both push you into gentler terrain on soft snow, big skis allow you to ski deep snow at low angles. If you can have fun on a 25-degree slope in feet of fresh, why take the risks associated with steeper terrain?

Everyone who has tested the Hyperdrifter describes the stance and turn shape as “neutral”, which is ideal for powder skiing. Every tester, in every circumstance, reported that the first powder turn on the Hyperdrifter felt very natural – no excess steering, no weight transfer required, no grabbing or hooking, or submarining tips or tails.

We have to reiterate just how the Hyperdrifter breaks the mold of our testing schedule, which is entirely attributable to the way it enhances an already awesome powder day. In the first season alone, it's safe to assume that our lead tester skied upwards of 50,000 vertical feet on the Hyperdrifter alone. (It was 2020, and he logged 400,000 vertical feet of human-powered turns that season.) We test new skis every year, but we keep coming back to this ski for powder days. After five seasons of skiing the Hyperdrifer, we have about a quarter of a million vertical feet on this single pair of skis. How is that for "long-term testing"?

Crud and Poor Snow

Size does matter when it comes to tough snow types. We can't say it enough; choose these skis for those deepest, best days. However, if you screw up your assessment and things get sloppy or refreeze with a breakable crust, the Hyperdrifter does surprisingly well, or at least as well as similarly weighted skis.

The more we test, the more we find that weight is the primary determinant of a ski's performance in tough snow. All else equal, lighter skis force you into survival skiing in tough snow before heavier ones do. Even when other design attributes seem wildly different – comparing, for instance, the 1500 g, 121 mm Hyperdrifter to a 1500 g, 95 mm all-mountain touring ski – each ski's performance in crud is quite similar. All things considered, the Hyperdrifter's performance in poor snow is acceptable for its weight and size.

Stability at Speed

You choose these skis for deep pow wiggling. They are specialized tools for deep snow. Deep snow is inherently slow, relatively speaking. You might also choose these for shallower snow on gentler pitches. If your terrain is low-angle and the snow is soft, big skis like this can enhance your experience by allowing you to carry more momentum – still, we're not talking about high speeds.

If you try and press these skis into truly high-speed skiing, you will get bucked around. The lightweight frame wobbles and chatters at high speeds. When the snow is soft but fast, the Hyperdrifter will keep up. But if you're used to freeride skiing, something heavier will likely serve you better.

Should You Buy the Voile Hyperdrifter?

First and foremost, it's important to recognize that this is a super specialty ski. That said, if you can muster a good amount of powder skiing, get the Hyperdrifter in your quiver. Trends in design have been moving away from this style of ski in recent years. Buy some now before they are discontinued, and know that you are set for at least 400,000 vertical feet of skiing (based on our experience!)

What Other Backcountry Skis Should You Consider?

There isn't anything else on the market quite like the Voile Hyperdrifter. Nonetheless, if you want a similarly powder-focused ski with a bit more confidence at higher speeds, check out the Armada Locator 112. It weighs almost exactly the same as the Hyperdrifter but arcs high-speed, long-radius turns more easily. The downside is that it isn't as floaty, playful, or just plain fun as the Hyperdrifter. For an all-around touring ski that won't let you down on the best powder days, check out the Blizzard Zero G 105.