2024 Völkl Secret 102

[SkiTalk Test Team]

​

Tricia: It's been two years since Völkl introduced the Tailored Titanal Frame in the Secret 96, as well as Tailored Fiber Placement and 3D Sidecut. Last year we had the pleasure of experiencing that same construction in the Kenja 88. This year Volkl brought this construction to the Secret 102.

If you are just learning about Tailored Titanal Frame and Tailored Fiber Placement, or need a refresher, let me give you a brief recap. Tailored Titanal Frame adapts the width of the titanal frame exactly to each individual ski length to give the skier a tailored experience for their individual size. Same with the Tailored Fiber Placement in the tip, which is also scaled to make the tip responsive in a similar manner, no matter which length of ski you prefer to ski. The 3D Sidecut is a unique way of measuring the radii you can get out of the ski depending on where you're pressuring the ski.

I have skied the original Secret 102 in previous ski tests which gave me a great chance to compare the new construction to the previous construction. Fortunately for me, I was able to spend the better part of the day at Deer Valley on the 2024 Secret 102 after a 20+ inch powder dump. One of my initial thoughts before clicking into the binding was, how much am I going to feel this slight difference in the dimensions and turn radius? It was immediately obvious as soon as I made my first turns. Even though I enjoyed the previous Secret 102, this version is by far more responsive, stable and nimble, while not compromising the power you'd expect from a Völkl. This is a testament to the TTF and TFP construction that proved its salt in the Secret 95 and Kenja 88. The variety of conditions I experienced ranged from 20 inches of blower powder, moguls and chopped up groomers, all of which the Secret 102 handled exceptionally well.

Insider tip: If you're looking for a narrower daily driver, try the Secret 96.​