One of our testers compared the Volkl 100Eight to a Porsche 911 Targa, saying you could appreciate its power, masterful control and uncanny grip even if you weren’t going very fast. Which is true, this ski feels accurate and balanced even just getting off the lift. In short and long turns, that purring sense of power beneath your feet was remarkably consistent. Throttle the ski up a little bit, and get it off-piste into some mixed snow conditions, and the 100Eight’s authority is even more pronounced. The 3D.Glass/3D.Ridge Construction has a lot to do with that, by placing denser, more active more active materials beneath the binding and along the center of the ski, where they are easier for the ski to engage as they pressure and steer each foot. As the aforementioned tester put it, you do feel very much like you are in the cockpit of a well-tuned, well-balanced machine, expertly driving the ski at the speed and radius that you see fit.

Granted, that radius is most effective at a little more than 20-meters per arc, and at moderate to higher speeds where the 100Eight is in 4th or 5th gear to carve best. The ski does have a damp, snow-holding feel that might not excite someone looking for a little active flexing underfoot. A couple of testers also wrote that they thought the ski might benefit from more rocker the deeper they went off-piste. Which led to slightly lesser scores in the Sluff-ability classification, and probably also resulted in the ski not getting “Favorite” status from any of our testers in the Powder Category. The 100Eight’s calm authority, superior handling and easy-to-access performance – along with its lightweight feel – should make it a strong consideration for anyone in the market for an all-mountain ski with good ability in the powder, or for a go-to big mountain touring setup.

Overall

The Volkl 100Eight got 8s (out of 10) on every test card in the Overall classification. Its sports car like handling, incredible smoothness from edge-to-edge, and fact that it offers such consistent power in a variety of turn shapes and conditions, make it one of those skis in the Powder Category that a lot of skiers will like. The ski did not earn any “Favorite” rankings from our test team, but everyone who skied it rated it as “Excellent.”

Sluff-ability

In the Sluff-ability classification, the 100Eight got good, but not great marks. With a 6 as its lowest score, and 8s as its highest score, like the Nordica Enforcer 110, the Volkl just didn’t seem to really get out of its penchant for making perfect arcs to start schmearing through the powder when the situation warranted it.

Stability

As mentioned in the Full Review, the Volkl 100Eight feels accurate and balanced just getting off the lift. The 3D.Glass/3D.Ridge Construction is key to creating a very stable ski by placing denser, more active materials beneath the binding and along the center of the ski, where they are easier for the ski to engage as they pressure and steer each foot.

Float

With a couple of testers saying they would have liked it if the 100Eight featured a little more tip, it actually came as a bit of a surprise that when it came to marking down scores for how well the ski did in the Float classification, every test card had an 8. Apparently it has enough rocker to get higher than average scores for Float.

Hard Snow Pleasure

The Volkl 100Eight’s elegant, consistently powerful, all-terrain handling certainly extends to its Hard Snow Pleasure. As one tester wrote, “It continues to feel strong underfoot, and it’s super easy to engage and pressure the edge.” That statement could easily apply to anywhere we skied the 100Eight. We give this ski a good recommendation for all-mountain and powder day use, in the backcountry or at the resort.