2013 Volkl Gotama Review - Big Mountain Ski Favorite

The Volkl Gotama has had a strong following among big mountain skiers as a versatile all-mountain ski, loved from coast to coast for its versatility.

Recent generations of the Gotama  have dropped traditional camber in favor of a continuous rocker profile, what Volkl calls ELP, or extended low profile rocker, basically meaning the ski has a continuous upward curve from tip to tail, but it’s not as aggressively upward turned as some other rockered skis. Volkl skis embraced full rocker early with a number of models, and has really been able to fine tune it for more than just powder ski performance.

That change has made this ski a little more polarizing that in the past – some fans of the early model missed the traditional camber, while others liked the improved powder performance and quick-slashing maneuverability the new profile brought.

And there’s no doubt of the current Gotama’s powder skiing performance – it floats extremely well for its medium width, pivots, slashes and surfs in soft snow in a way that makes it incredibly playful - a great choice for both expert big mountain skiers and those who struggle a little when getting into deep snow.

On firm snow, however, is where skier preference comes into play. The sidecut is designed to align with the rocker profile, so when you turn the ski up on edge, the two profiles come together to give you full edge contact – basically like the ski is pre-loaded into the turn.  This makes it quick and playful while carving too, but you don’t get the load-drive-rebound transitions of a traditionally cambered ski, so it can feel less energetic to someone who is used to a racier feel.

Sierra Jim tested the latest iteration of the Volkl Gotama at Mammoth Mountain:

“There was not much new snow on the mountain, but a lot of other challenging snow conditions. The first thing I noticed was this version of the Gotama is much more stable than the previous fully-rockered version. It was more solid and predictable in mixed and challenging snow. My first runs on groomers feels more or less like a conventionally cambered ski up on edge.

Later in the year I got to ski the Gotama in 12-18 inch deep conditions – both untracked and cut up – and while the Gotama is not as floaty as a wider powder ski, it was very capable. In the cut-up snow, it had a very stable ride. The Gotama is now back in the running as an every-day, quiver-of-one for the big mountain skier.”

Greyson first tested the Volkl Gotama in the epic winter that hit Tahoe two years ago, skiing deep powder, tracked out, chopped up powder and crud at Alpine Meadows all day long:

“This was my first fully-rockered ski, and I didn’t know what to expect. I thought it would be un-stable – that I would have to constantly have it up on edge. But first, I was headed into untracked powder. Out of habit from skinnier, traditionally-cambered skis I leaned back into the backseat a bit – but the tips skimmed along the surface of the snow. I gradually leaned forward – first into a neutral, and then even a more driving stance – yet the tips didn’t dive. My smile continued to broaden – these skis opened up a whole new style of powder skiing for me – and I began to understand the terms ‘surfy’ and ‘slarving’ as I was able to pivot freely, spinning the skis sideways on a dime to scrub speed.”

Dropping into the groomed run back to the lift, I expected to feel squirrely, but again I was surprised. They were happier making quick turns, transitioning from edge to edge – but it was incredibly easy to do so without losing much speed.”

Beyond being a great big-mountain ski, the Gotama can be a great first powder ski, depending on the user – with enough width for lighter skiers and not as tough to get up on edge as bigger, more intimidating powder skis on the markeTech specs:

The Volkl Gotama dimensions are 139-107-123, and it has a full wood “Sensorwood” construction.