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Review: Völkl Secret 96 Skis · Women's · 2023

Published on 11/30/2023 · 3 min readCurated Expert, Sierra Vickers, has tested this product to give you their unbiased, definitive take.
Sierra Vickers, Ski Expert
By Ski Expert Sierra Vickers
9 photos
Photo by Sierra Vickers

The Curated Take

4.8/5

The Völkl Secret 96 Skis are excellent for more advanced skiers who enjoy a variety of terrain. With Tailored Titanal Frame technology, these skis offer great stability on groomers, impressive flotation in powder, and exceptional maneuverability in trees, making them a versatile all-mountain ski. They are lightweight yet durable, featuring a poplar/beech core, and react well to slight edge pressure. The ski excels in high-speed turns and provides a playful ride. These are ideal for those who want a responsive, fun ski and can easily handle diverse conditions.

Ideal for
  • Great stability and handling on groomers
  • Excellent flotation on powder
  • Exceptional maneuverability in the trees
Not ideal for
  • Takes a very forward stance to be able to really control these skis
Turn Ease
Sierra Vickers, Curated Expert
These skis are light and easy to turn, even in tight quarters, like in the trees. They react well to edge pressure and hold true in high-speed turns. They also...Read more
High Speed Stability
Sierra Vickers, Curated Expert
One of my favorite features of this ski is how well they handle at high speeds. I barely feel any chatter at high speeds, even when the conditions are far...Read more
Playfulness
Sierra Vickers, Curated Expert
The Volkl Secrets allow me to change my mind at the last moment and switch gears to a different terrain, which is the playfulness I like in a ski. I...Read more
Carving
Sierra Vickers, Curated Expert
The Volkl Secrets' edges have 3D radius technology, which sees a longer radius at the tip and tail and a shorter radius in the middle of the ski. This radius...Read more
Durability
Sierra Vickers, Curated Expert
Because of the stiffness of this ski, the durability can cut through the toughest icy chunks. It stays steady and strong with the titanal frame and carbon tips, which makes...Read more
Versatility
Sierra Vickers, Curated Expert
Even though the Volkl Secrets have a slimmer waist, they still perform quite well in powder. This ski does wonders on groomers, but I was pleasantly surprised on the first...Read more

Curated Experts are not sponsored by brands. Their reviews are based on their honest experiences testing products.
About the ski gear
  • Model: Völkl Secret 96 Skis · Women's · 2023
Test conditions
  • When I bought these: November 2022
  • Where I’ve used them: My home mountain, Whitefish Ski Resort, and in groomers, choppy conditions, trees, and powder.
  • How many times I've used it: 20

Expert Reviews of the Völkl Secret 96 Skis

Sierra Vickers More advanced skiers will best enjoy the Volkl Secret 96 Skis. The ski's Tailored Titanal Frame gives it a recoil that only the most seasoned ski legs can handle. This ski is very maneuverable and quick to react to the slightest edge pressure. It holds fast on groomers and shows its playful, light side in the powder and trees due to the poplar/beech core. The Volkl Secret is a versatile all-mountain ski that can deliver an exciting ride to the lucky skier at the wheel.

Product Specs

Age GroupAdult
GenderWomen's
Includes bindingsNo
Model year2023
Ski typeAll Mountain, Freeride
Skill levelAdvanced, Expert

Review Ratings

Turn Ease

5/5
Sierra Vickers gave 5 of 5 stars. These skis are light and easy to turn, even in tight quarters, like in the trees. They react well to edge pressure and hold true in high-speed turns. They also don't sink down in powder, so floating turns through the powder are smooth and so much fun.

High Speed Stability

5/5
Sierra Vickers gave 5 of 5 stars. One of my favorite features of this ski is how well they handle at high speeds. I barely feel any chatter at high speeds, even when the conditions are far from ideal with chop and ice. The edges hold true and keep me feeling safe and confident when I'm in "race mode."

Playfulness

5/5
Sierra Vickers gave 5 of 5 stars. The Volkl Secrets allow me to change my mind at the last moment and switch gears to a different terrain, which is the playfulness I like in a ski. I can swap from tight turns to big, sweeping turns, then back to tight turns without much effort. They even react well in choppy moguls and pop back in the rebound for an effortless hop turn.

Carving

5/5
Sierra Vickers gave 5 of 5 stars. The Volkl Secrets' edges have 3D radius technology, which sees a longer radius at the tip and tail and a shorter radius in the middle of the ski. This radius contrast between tip, center, and tail allows for much easier turn entry and exits while keeping a firm edge down when needed most.

Durability

5/5
Sierra Vickers gave 5 of 5 stars. Because of the stiffness of this ski, the durability can cut through the toughest icy chunks. It stays steady and strong with the titanal frame and carbon tips, which makes the ski much lighter but keeps its fortitude. The flexibility of this ski is also noticeable through moguls and tight tree turns.

Versatility

4/5
Sierra Vickers gave 4 of 5 stars. Even though the Volkl Secrets have a slimmer waist, they still perform quite well in powder. This ski does wonders on groomers, but I was pleasantly surprised on the first powder day of the season. The skis reacted well, even when there wasn't forward pressure controlling them. Due to being lightweight, they were still maneuverable when turning through a foot or so of powder.

FAQs

What do you love about this product?

Sierra Vickers I went from extremely heavy and stiff race skis to the Volkl Secrets, and they feel like a dream on my feet. They are very light but can handle the iciest, steep turns without chatter or losing an edge. Since they are light, whipping them around in tight quarters is easy, and floating on powder is also an excellent feature of this ski. They react to the slightest pressure, which is what I like, especially after having to put way more effort into my movements with my old race skis. I feel confident that the ski will take me through fast turns without letting me down. It's an all-around fun, solid ski. I can't get enough.

What was your favorite moment with this gear?

Sierra Vickers I think my favorite moment with these skis was my first run on them. As I mentioned, my previous ski was a heavy, stiff race ski, so I was nervous to try such a light ski, but my first run was a dream. I squealed and laughed joyfully down the whole first run and almost every other run that day. I couldn't believe how well these skis took very tight, fast turns and held an edge. These skis kept me confident at high speeds and reacted so well to my direction. They also did incredible in the powder and didn't sink like my old skis.

Why did you choose this product?

Sierra Vickers A Curated Expert recommended these skis to me. She helped pick a few options, and I was able to demo this ski and the Head Core, but I ultimately went with the Volkl Secret because I had so much fun on them and thought they reacted to my directions better than the Head Core skis.

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