Volkl Pearl '09 Review

[ski now work later]

Manufacturer: Volkl
Model: Pearl
Length: 169
Category & Dimensions Freestyle (park and pipe) ski. 111-84-111 cm, 18.8 m turn radius

Bindings: Marker Griffon

Tester Info.: This is my 5th season skiing, I'm a strong intermediate skier with an interest in skiing switch and in the park, so these will be my soft snow day/park/play skis. I'm 5'7", 145 lbs., 49 years old. My carver skis are the Volkl Fuegos in 161 and my powder skis are the Volkl Aura in 163. I came back to Volkl for a park ski as they improved the Pearl considerably since the Kaya (precurser to Pearl) was first introduced in the '06 season and I like skiing the same brand skis for quality and because it's so easy to transition from ski to ski.

Snow conditions: Okemo, Southern Vermont. Perfect snow conditions today, 100% of terrain open! Packed powder, piles of powder, soft snow, a little frozen granular here and there where it was skied off, very carveable snow everywhere.

1=Poor 2= Fair 3=Average 4=Very Good 5=Excellent

Short Turns: 4
Medium Turns: 4
Long Turns: 5
Rebound:
Stability: 4
Forgiveness: 5
Grip: 4
Steeps: 3-4
Crud: n/a
Powder: n/a (they are not rated as a pow ski)
Ice: 3-4
Overall Impression: 4-5

They do 360s pretty well on snow and are light so they should be easy in the air and great in the park.

Tested Length Felt: Just right
Ski Sidecut Felt: Just right, more would be problematic in the park
Ski Flex Felt: Just right (didn't expect it to be stiff, in fact, it had more substance than I thought it might and was very pleased)

Best Described As: nimble, playful, and pretty. I love the graphic (sorry oragejuice!)

Notes: Go for a longer length in this ski (if you can find them, the 169 is the longest length and I searched hard to find a pair in that length). This will provide stability and speed. This ski loves large GS turns. I was super pleased with this ski. I mounted the bindings in the traditional mount position to ski them all mountain and that worked well for me. The Griffons give marvelous control and give a lot of power and control to a ski that might be a little weaker in carving ability. Takes some power to release the back of the Griffon binding however.

Here are some links: Pearl on the french Volkl site (great site), videos about the Pearl, and videos about the Griffons.

 

[oragejuice]

Hah. I just don't like them as much as last years. But they're still kind of cool.

I've been very temped to get a pair of these, for park, and for days when I just don't feel like rolling the Auras around. 169 is as long as they go? How are they at speed? Travelling around without you telling them to? Or are they good?

 

[ski now work later]

I've been very temped to get a pair of these, for park, and for days when I just don't feel like rolling the Auras around. 169 is as long as they go? How are they at speed? Travelling around without you telling them to? Or are they good?

Yes, 169 is the longest length which really ticks me off; does Volkl think all women park skiers are short and/or lightweight? Maybe they're thinking that those women would buy the male version (I think it's the Bridge), who knows. It was almost impossible to find in a 169 and two stores couldn't get that size from their distributor, so I found them through an on line search from a ski shop in PA.

The Pearls are much easier to ski than the Auras, especially with those Griffon bindings. I was surprised at how fast they go because they are not rated as a fast ski. They "obeyed" me well and held a decent edge in steeper areas. Just a little pressure brings a great response and it makes carving a breeze. The French Volkl site rates them low for "hors piste" which I assume means off the groomed, but I would like to try them in those conditions as well. They are a fun ski, responsive and totally not demanding. I was really, really impressed. I can't wait to ski them again.

 

[oragejuice]

Ill have to jump on a pair when we get a break from all the dumping. =)