Volkl RTM 84 Review - New School Carver

Volkl Skis has had a long line of traditional front-side carving skis  built old-school - stiff flex, full camber - generally needing a powerful advanced skier to drive them, and leaving smaller or less advanced skiers wanting something more forgiving.

Enter the Volkl RTM 84 - the first fully rockered (reverse cambered) front-side hard snow biased all mountain ski we've tested. Rocker has always been a tool of powder-oriented skis. It's crept into all mountain skis, and even carving skis in the form of a little tip rocker designed to keep the tip from catching, and helping in quick turn initiation.

So when Volkl came out with the fully rockered RTM 84, we weren't sure what to expect.

Sierra Jim, with his racing background, was a little dubious at first, but was quickly surprised at what this ski could do:
"I first tested the Volkl RTM 84 at Winter Park, Co on very hard snow. The first few turns felt a little weird on the flatter part of the run. Low speeds and low edge angle made the ski feel a little indecisive. But as I sped up the more I was able to lean into the ski, and the RTM had plenty of grip on the icy snow, and it blended different turn shapes from short to long really, really well. Transitioning between turns, the ski released easily.
Later, skiing the Volkl RTM 84 out west, I got into some softer snow and mixed conditions. It liked going through at medium to fast speeds, pushing through choppy conditions with ease. This ski is definitely biased towards hard snow, but it's way better in a wide range of conditions than previous models and others in its class."

Ski Magazine agreed, ranking the Volkl RTM 84 #1 in the category:
"A race-ready ride that begs for the whip on groomers yet skims pushed-up piles of afternoon with grace and ease."

The RTM uses Volkl's extended Sensorwood Core and Titanium construction with 129-84-111 dimensions, adding up to a turn radius between 15.8 and 19.1 meters depending on size.

Shop 2013 Volkl RTM 84 here