Volkl Attiva Fuego

[Quiver Queen]

"Fuego" = Spanish for "something that is burning" This hot ski is well-named, I'd say. I first demoed this last spring on a glacial New England day with a group of about six men in a testosterone challenge, and it flew, kept up with the maniacs, arced with confidence and inspired trust. Then came this season and I tried out a few other skis but had to rely on my memory of that spring day when it actually came time to purchase. Today was the first day on my new pair, and they didn't disappoint.

Classification: Expert Carver
Length: 154
Dimensions: 121-73-105
Radius: 11.6 m

Short turns: 5, check out that radius!
Medium turns: 5
Long turns: 5, face it--it just likes to turn
Rebound: 4
Stability: 5+, begs you to trust it
Forgiveness: 4, lets you mess up with only a little 'tsk-tsk', wide tail
Grip: 5, superb edge hold, handled hard pack exceptionally well
Steeps: 5
Crud: 4, a pleasant surprise
Speed: FAST!!
Quickness: 4 - 5, easy edge-to-edge
Bumps: No real bumps to try them on
Straight: 4

As I whizzed past all those poor souls on their average boards, they could hear me squeal, hoot, and giggle. My grin was so big, I got tooth-freeze!

 

[ski diva]

Wow! Now THIS is a positive review!

I know you were torn between these and the Nordica Firefox. Sounds like you made the right choice. Congrats on making such a great addition to your quiver, Quiver Queen!

 

[w.ski]

I have to agree with everything Quiver Queen has said. I picked mine (161) up Saturday. Held an edge like a charm on anything hard, crusty, icy and went through the heaps with ease. I skied on Monday In cut up ungroomed snow, some trails I was skiing from ungroomed stuff to blown off hard and back to deep cut up. The ski took on everything and begged for more. Very confidence inspiring. Needless to say, I love my new skis!

 

[Lori_K]

Great review. This appears to be Volkl's replacement for the Attiva S5, a ski I demo'd and bought last year. I loved it so much after the demo that I went right into the ski shop and made a down payment.

Volkl gave the Fuego a few more mm width this year, 121-73-105. Compared to my S5, which is 115-69-100.

I'd be interested in any updates if you girls get this ski in the bumps. My S5's are a bit stiff in the tails to maneuver easily in the bumps, but I am amazed what this ski will put up with!

 

[dartmoorskier]

I've just bought the Volkl Attiva Arena (in Europe this is the replacement
for the S5) It's 115-69-100 and I bought it in a 154. I tried a few pairs of different skis and loved this ski ! I considered myself an 'intermediate' skier before I bought this ski. Not now!! Boy, has this ski improved my skiing! Brilliant carver, superb edge hold, great in the crud and the bumps, and I'm now a speed freak!

 

[lindseyinalaska]

I tried these yesterday at Sunday River in the 161s. They were okay but not what I expected after all the postive reviews I heard from everyone about their Volkls. I thought they were extremely snappy and happy to make short and medium radius turns but to me they felt unstable at high speeds making GS turns in the softer snow. We got rain and 40 degree temps yesterday so the snow was pretty soft and bumpy in places. It was too early in the day and I couldn't find that lovely skied off icey stuff to try them on though.

 

[IdahoSkiGirl]

I bought the Attiva S5 last year and love them. Hold on because they really only know one speed..FAST!

I also bought the Volkl Auras this year and took them in some nasty crusted snow this past weekend and they were wonderful. I'm really impressed with Volkl's womens line.

 

[Quiver Queen]

I finally got to try the Fuegos on bumps and totally inconsistent New England-hard-pack-chopped-and-fluff and was very impressed. Sure, they're not specifically bump skis, but I managed quite well on them and the tails didn't punish even once. They're also terrific crud-busters, tolerated inconsistencies, and inspired confidence. After I was totally pooped I was concerned they'd spank me, but they were very well mannered and still a joy to ski.

 

[TahoeTara]

I just demo'd the Fuegos this past weekend at Squaw Valley and loved them! (161s) It was my first time skiing this season and I felt great on them from the get go. Many of the steeper slopes were a bit hard and crusty, and the Fuegos gripped really well. I also skied much faster than I normally would on my first few runs. After not feeling great about my last ski performance, they definitely boosted my comfort level and confidence.

The skis I currently own are no longer working out for me (Dynastar Venus 9s, 170s). I've skied on them for 7 seasons now and they've lost their snappy feeling. They're also much harder to control and turn than they used to.

So...I'm now in the market for new skis. While I loved the Fuegos, they are a bit pricey (I generally ski 6-10 times a season) and I wouldn't mind something that's a little narrower in the tip.

Any suggestions?

I was not able to demo skis other than the Fuegos because when I kept returning to the demo shop, all the other higher-end skis were out.

I'm 39, 5'7" and 130 lbs. I'm an intermediate/advanced skier and ski groomed most of the time but like to venture off piste on occasion. I love steeps but not moguls. I've heard good things about the Lunas but don't know how they'd compare to the Fuegos (would they be a big letdown?).

It's important to me to have skis that are a dream to turn, stay stable at speed and grip the hard/icy stuff well.

 

[Quiver Queen]

The Nordica Conquers are a great alternative to the Fuego's, and I think the MSRP is a little lower, but what you end up paying is dependent on where you get them. Good luck!

 

[lucine]

Manufacturer Volkl
Model Attiva Fuego
Length 154
Category & Dimensions AM CARVE POW
I am 5'4" and 155 pounds I am a strong skier lacking perhaps in finess.
Ski mostly Blacks, bowls and bumps, some trees.
1=Poor 2= Fair 3=Average 4=Very Good 5=Excellent
1 2 3 4 5
Short Turns 5
Medium Turns 5
Long Turns 4
Rebound 4
Stability 4
Forgiveness 4
Grip 4.5
Steeps 4
Crud 4
Powder N/A -yet
Ice N/A -yet
Overall Impression: These are my new skis. I need a little more time to really try them out in all conditions and under extreme uses.
For now I can only say that with these puppies I can turn, even though it is marketed as a groomer ski, I've taken them through 4 inches of new snow, In the Bowls at Vail with loads of crud and tracked up lumps andhave confidence that they will not throw me.

Tested Length Felt:
Too Short Just Right Too Long
though it may take some getting use to the shorter length

Ski Sidecut Felt:
Too Much Just Right Too Little Love the turns!

Ski Flex Felt:
Too Soft Just Right Too Stiff

Best Described As:
Nimble Balanced Burly

Notes: I am coming from a very heavy Burly ski with Demo Bindings.
Was looking for something to make lots O' turns on , yet still ski everywhere (Maybe not super deep powder but I still have my Apache Recons)
These where the skis that gave me confidence and whipped around with ease on the bumps- where I spend a lot of time. I love them

 

[jaydog]

I seem to be the odd diva out here- not entirely thrilled with the Fuego. I demoed it in a 161, and I'm 5'5", 130 lbs, and an advanced (but not expert) skier. Conditions were groomed slush, and heavy wet (former) powder.

What I found was that the steepness of the terrain pretty much dictated what radius turn it wanted to make. It would make perfect, beautiful medium radius carves on intermediate terrain, and nice tight short carves on steeper terrain. One degree off and I'd be skidding the turns- not exactly what you'd want from a carver!

Normally I love bombing down the groomers/hardpack. I had a blast on the last carver I tried, which was the Speed Magic. I guess that the ski was either the wrong length/ability level for me, or that it just plain doesn't fit my style.

 

[volklgirl]

Hmmmm..that wasn't my experience on the 161 at all. I found them perfectly willing to make any size turn on any terrain (although they always preferred med to short radius). Did you get a chance to check the tune before you took them back? A bad tune or neglected edge can really kill a ski demo impression.

 

[jaydog]

Yeah, the tune was good- the shop I demo from always runs a quick wax/edge grind on any demo ski they hand over. I think it could be a length issue; perhaps the 154 would have been a better fit.

 

[volklgirl]

That's very possible.....I loved the 161 and thought the 154 was a little skittery for me, but I outweigh you by, ummmmm, A LOT!