Volkl Aura

[AussieSkiDiva]

This is my first post on this site. I think it is very cool that women can get advice on what skis might work for them and I have to add my opinion of the Volkl Aura.

I've been a K2 girl for years, especially since they are ahead of the curve with regard to women skis. I'm skiing the Burnin Luv and I think they are great. I decided that I needed to add a powder ski to my quiver since we actually have snow in New Mexico this year! I based my decision on the Ski Press magazine ski test review and the Volkl Aura was the highest rated women's Freeride Fat ski.

The Aura has got to be the most ripping and stable ski I have ever been on! It is 94mm underfoot, but it carves short turns on hardpack even better than the Burnin Luv! I know, that is difficult to believe, but they are amazing skis. My husband said that I was skiing so strong that I looked like a expert male skier - I think he was trying to give me a compliment!!!

The Aura will kick your butt if you don't keep a carving (wide) stance because they are so fat, but are incredibly stable and light (for their size), rip through crud, perform well in the bumps, and are great in the powder (of course). If you are looking for a fatty then I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Volkl Aura.

 

[Lori_K]

Hey! Good to see another New Mexico skier on here. :D

I have a set of Salomon Pocket Rockets that I use for just about everything, and I've been eyeing the Aura's for when the PR's wear out. Sounds like they are a pretty similar ski.

(I love my Volkl S5 for the groomer days, so I'm not surprised by the good review of the Auras!)

 

[chitownski]

Quick question - did you demo the Phat Luv at all? I'm on the Burnin' Luvs right now and I think they're awesome, but I definitely want to add a powder ski to the mix. I'm between the Aura and the Phat Luv (and leaning toward the Aura, based on your review and others).

 

[num]

Another breif sidenote, chitownski, where do you ski?

 

[cloudpeak]

Quick question - did you demo the Phat Luv at all? I'm on the Burnin' Luvs right now and I think they're awesome, but I definitely want to add a powder ski to the mix. I'm between the Aura and the Phat Luv (and leaning toward the Aura, based on your review and others).

Last year I skied the Phat Luv, and this year I'm skiing the Aura. IMO, it's no contest. The Aura is a better ski. It does everything, including powder, better than the Phat Luv. Between these two skis, I'd recommend buying the Aura.

By the way, the other ski I've considered is the Head IM 88. It has a great reputation.

 

[altagirl]

Last year I skied the Phat Luv, and this year I'm skiing the Aura. IMO, it's no contest. The Aura is a better ski. It does everything, including powder, better than the Phat Luv. Between these two skis, I'd recommend buying the Aura.

By the way, the other ski I've considered is the Head IM 88. It has a great reputation.

I own two pairs of Phat Luvs (a few years old) and I'd go with the Aura. I haven't even tried it, but I LOVED the Mantra when I demoed it. And I LOVED the i.M.88 too - I bought those about a month and a half ago! :D

 

[chitownski]

num - I ski mostly out West (Utah, Colorado, Wyoming), and I just did my first day at Alpine Valley, which was fine, but certainly no substitute for out West.

I'll look into the Head IM 88, but the more I'm hearing about the Aura, the more I think it's going to win out. Thanks!!!

 

[dloveski]

I love the Pocket Rockets, but my daughter loves her Head Sweet Fat Things for soft and all-around soft conditions.

 

[SkiBaby]

Just had to say hey, as I'm also in Santa Fe. (No, I did not mean for that to rhyme.) I'm also on Burnin' Luvs but you have peaked my interest with your rec of the Aura. I demoed Lotta Luvs in the last beautiful bunch of powder we got here - but it's always good to hear about new toys. Welcome to the forum!

 

[Lori_K]

Ok, I had to go out and demo the Aura to see what all the fuss was about. Saturday we got 5-6" of fresh powder, although it was heavy thick stuff. I stopped up at one of the ski rental areas in Taos and they had the Aura in a 163cm. My hubby also demo'd the Mantra (same ski, unisex version) in a 177. We both currently have Salomon Pocket Rockets for powder/all mountain skis. I am a advanced/expert skier, pretty much ski all the blacks and double blacks, although not always with finesse and grace. :o

First few runs were interesting. The snow was so heavy and sticky that you couldn't glide at all on the flat areas. Got into some untracked powder, and it was pretty much just point the skis and go. Turns optional. At first I thought the tails of the skis were a bit grabby, but I think now that it was just the heavy snow conditions. As the day went on, either the snow got better or we just got used to it. We went into some black diamond glades, and there the Auras started to shine. I felt that the Auras were a bit easier to initiate turns, and I was pulling off shorter radius turns in the glades than I could do with the PR. Went down some groomer runs which were a mix of groomer on one side and powder on the other. The Auras switched easily between conditions, and I never felt bounced around in the cut up powder. Bumps were also easily do-able with the Auras, possibly a little easier than the PR. Even took them down a short black groomer section, and didn't get any chatter or sliding, edge grip was good.
We did one hike along the Highline ridge, and at the top my husband commented that he thought the Mantras were a bit heavier than the Pocket Rockets. (You tend to notice these things after hiking with the skis for 15 minutes!). Funny, I thought the Auras were a bit lighter than the PRs, but I guess that's one benefit of the 20% lighter women's construction!

All in all, a VERY nice ski. Early on, I wasn't sure that the Aura was much different than the PR, as the overall dimensions are very similar. As I put the Auras through their paces during the day, the subtle differences stood out a bit more. The Auras seemed to be a bit stiffer overall, which made plowing through the cut up snow easier. The slightly narrower tail on the Aura allowed me to transition turns in the trees and bumps more easily. A well-mannered ski, willing to take you through whatever conditions are out there.

The hubby also liked the Mantras, and thought it would be a good replacement for the Pocket Rocket.

 

[catmac]

Hi everyone,

First post for me! I am a Canadian gal who skies in the Rockies both at the resorts and in the backcountry. I have been mostly on a tele setup this year (Scotty Bobs) but just bought a pair of Auras because they were a smoking hot deal $430 US from evogear.com (vs. $975 Cdn at my local shop). I am mounting them with a pair of Fritzche freerides from last year. I did demo them before I bought them on a catskiing day in the BC interior and they were super fun! I will write more when I have a chance to ski them under more conditions. My only concern is that they are a little short. I bought 163s and am concerned that I should have gone for the 170s. I'm 5"6, 145 lbs with a racing background. If anyone has any opinions on this, I'd love to hear them.

 

[Lori_K]

Catmac, I could see going to a 170. I thought the 163 that I demo'd skied pretty short. (I'm 5'3", 135lbs). Super fun ski, though, either way!

 

[ski now work later]

The Solomon Scarlets also received rave reviews for a women's powder ski that will hold an edge on the groomers and I'm considering buying a pair. I like that they have twin tips so I could ski switch, fool around, and play around in the park a bit with them. There are a couple of reviews of the Scarlets on this site and they are positive. All of my other skis are Volkls so I am sure that the Aura's are amazing. I am looking for a softer powder ski with a twin tip for Western skiing however as I found my AC3s kind of stiff out at Big Sky last month.

 

[IdahoSkiGirl]

Great info! I have been thinking about buying the Mantras or the Auras. I would also put the Fritschi Freerides on them so I can take them into the backcountry. I may want more advice about length if I decide to buy.

 

[catmac]

I posted above about buying a pair of Auras and I got to try them on the weekend at Sunshine Village in Banff on mixed conditions - soft groomers with a skiff of fresh snow, hardened spring crud and some wind slab in Delirium Dive. Bottom line is they were super fun and made me feel like a superstar in all conditions (except an icy slope at the bottom but that's to be expected). The 163s are fine - very quick turning and still quite stable at speed. I think the 170s would also have been great although I'm guessing there would be a trade off with stability vs. turnability. They have good stiffness - you need to work them to get the most out of them.

 

[Bella Skier]

My first post! I was pleased to discover this site while searching for reviews on the Aura and the Phat Luvs and would appreciate some more advice! What I find interesting is that I seem to be only one on earth to have struggled with the Auras when I demo'd them. After hearing such rave reviews, I took them out at Whistler where I usually ski and had a tough time. Unfortunately, it hadn't snowed in a couple of weeks so the conditions were hard. Then I demo'd the Phat Luvs last week at Red Mountain where the conditions were softer and I had a blast on them. I would prefer to buy the Auras but am wondering why I struggled! I think maybe the 163s were too long? The Phat Luvs I tried were 153 and probably softer, so that could have made the difference. Here are my specs if you have any insight: I'm 42-years-old, 5'4", 120 lbs, I used to be an almost expert skier with close to 40 days/year but now since I've moved away from a close ski hill, I'm slipping towards advanced with only about 20 days/year - maybe I need something softer? My other skis are the stiff Head iM 75 with the Chip for no-snow days, which I love, and the Pocket Rockets which I find waaay too soft. Did all you Aura lovers find them fairly easy to manoeuvre in all conditions? Am I getting too soft?! :-(

 

[altagirl]

Did all you Aura lovers find them fairly easy to manoeuvre in all conditions? Am I getting too soft?! :-(

Something to consider -

When I first got my Phat Luvs, they definitely felt stiffer than Pocket Rockets. However with age and use, they've gotten pretty noodly. Pocket rockets deteriorate a lot with age too. They're both foam core and tend to do that.

Wheras the Aura is a wood core/sandwich construction ski and will keep its liveliness. So it's a little stiffer to start with and will stay stiffer in the long run to make a much bigger difference.

 

[ski diva]

......Pocket rockets deteriorate a lot with age too. They're both foam core and tend to do that.

Wheras the Aura is a wood core/sandwich construction ski and will keep its liveliness. So it's a little stiffer to start with and will stay stiffer in the long run to make a much bigger difference.

Interesting. I had a conversation with a guy who manages a ski shop at Sugarbush who said exactly the same thing!

 

[altagirl]

Interesting. I had a conversation with a guy who manages a ski shop at Sugarbush who said exactly the same thing!

I don't manage a ski shop, though the people who visit our garage tend to think we do...

 

[Bella Skier]

Aura advice

Thanks for your replies on the Aura versus the Phat Luvs. The wood core is one of the reasons I'm trying hard to convince myself I was just having an "off" day when I demo'd the Auras! The other reason is the Aura is made in Germany and the Phat Luvs are made in China. Regardless, I need to demo the Auras again, maybe in a shorter length, so I can justify buying the Auras even though I skied the Phat Luvs better!