Volkl calls the new Yumi an all-mountain freeride ski. It has an 83mm waist that could handle a little bit of variable snow, but it has more frontside characteristics than all-mountain prowess.

It’s lightweight—with no metal in the full wood core, as the Kenja, Aura, and Kiku do. Since it has vertical sidewalls and a torsion box internal layup, it does have some of the edge grip characteristics Volkl is known for. A soft-flexing core, however, makes it feel fun and easy to maneuver. It’s not a hard-charging, ski-on-rails carver. It’s more of a mellow cruiser for an expert skier and a user-friendly carver for intermediates through advanced skiers.

Carving
Volkl has the corner market on edge grip. I felt it with the Yumi but missed the rebound energy I love in other Volkl skis. What’s nice about the way the Yumi carves is that it’s easy to get it on edge. It favors medium to big turns. I had to exert a little more energy to make quick, slalom turns.

Versatility
I noticed the Yumi bumped around a bit in the trees at Snowbird. It has tip rocker and an 83mm waist but I preferred to ski it on soft corduroy.

Stability
The Volkl Yumi is a lightweight ski and for aggressive skiers, that can make the ski feel like it doesn’t have enough underfoot. I felt stable on the groomers, but it felt a little light for me off-piste. That said, I think it feels confidence-inspiring on the groomers.

Forgiveness
It has good edge hold and gets on and off edge easily without hooking up. I think an intermediate-level skier would feel comfortable on this ski.

Value
This is a ski for intermediates to extend their limits or for advanced skiers to use primarily on the frontside groomers. At $775 without a binding (go with a Marker since they’re designed to go together), it’s not cheap. But Volkls have a hand-crafted feel and lots of durability.