- Joined
- Mar 5, 2017
- Posts
- 1,202
Philpug: This ski blew all our testers away. It is safe to say that it was the overwhelming shocker of the test, in the best possible way. The Deacon V.Werks is a scalpel; yes, we have had skis like that in this category, and while some have had the tenacious grip of the V.Werks, none have had its feel, even the original RTM V.Werks.
Völkl has something special here; I think it is very well the best and most successful application of a carbon-based premium ski. Make sure you bring your A-game, though, because where some skis will let you relax from time to time, the new Deacon demands your attention -- and rewards you in spades when you provide it. It has probably one of the smallest sweet spots of any ski in this class, and it makes no excuses for that.
Erik Timmerman: Super-smooth cruising ski. It's not for me, but what it made me want to do was go to Sun Valley, where I could just stand on it and make big arcs on nice snow. The ski is silky smooth and has beautiful construction, but I felt like it knows what it wants to do. You just have to accept that and get out of the way. If cruising big arcs is your bag, you and the Deacon V.Werks are gonna be best buds.
Drahtguy Kevin: Clicking into the Deacon V.Werks provided a surprise. It is extremely light and extremely connected to the snow. On edge, it grips like a gator but is easy to release at any point in the turn. I varied turn shapes, speeds, and terrain, and the V.Werks handled it all admirably. A consistent flex and predictable tip are other attributes of this ski.
Winks
Size tested: 177cm
Location tested: Mammoth Mountain
Conditions tested in: Fresh corduroy
The Volkl ski you didn't know you wanted! I really enjoyed the carbon Deacon, great edge hold, smooth, well rounded groomer carver. Not a lot to complain about here. I thought it would be a little faster and a little snappier, but carbon is quite stiff material-wise and doesn't like to change shape too much. The ski itself is not very stiff but it does create some weird dead feelings with the carbon underfoot, again not something that bothered me too much as the ski is quiet, I just think the regular Deacon might have a bit more snap that I enjoy from most skis. The only drawback I found was whenever I hit some hard snow or a bump I felt this sort of shockwave move through from my boot, something I didn't like at all but my guess was because the carbon just isn't very good at absorbing shock. It‘s still stable and very fun, but it was bothersome to me whenever I took it up to high speed and hit some crud.
All in all I really enjoyed this ski. It‘s smooth, and has a nice speed limit to it that made big turns very exciting to make. Despite its small flaws I would highly recommend this ski as a fun morning ski. I am never one to ski a groomer carver as a all-day ski, but early mornings, especially in the spring, this thing will be a lot of fun.
Völkl has something special here; I think it is very well the best and most successful application of a carbon-based premium ski. Make sure you bring your A-game, though, because where some skis will let you relax from time to time, the new Deacon demands your attention -- and rewards you in spades when you provide it. It has probably one of the smallest sweet spots of any ski in this class, and it makes no excuses for that.
- Insider tip: If you are in between sizes, go with the shorter of the two. No one will think lesser of you.
Erik Timmerman: Super-smooth cruising ski. It's not for me, but what it made me want to do was go to Sun Valley, where I could just stand on it and make big arcs on nice snow. The ski is silky smooth and has beautiful construction, but I felt like it knows what it wants to do. You just have to accept that and get out of the way. If cruising big arcs is your bag, you and the Deacon V.Werks are gonna be best buds.
- Insider tip: The system binding has a really flat delta. I felt like I could have gotten more out of it if there was a way to change that, but there isn't. It may be just right for you, but it was not for me.
Drahtguy Kevin: Clicking into the Deacon V.Werks provided a surprise. It is extremely light and extremely connected to the snow. On edge, it grips like a gator but is easy to release at any point in the turn. I varied turn shapes, speeds, and terrain, and the V.Werks handled it all admirably. A consistent flex and predictable tip are other attributes of this ski.
- Insider tip: Don’t let the weight fool you; the Deacon V.Werks is a smooth, stable, ripper.
Winks
Size tested: 177cm
Location tested: Mammoth Mountain
Conditions tested in: Fresh corduroy
The Volkl ski you didn't know you wanted! I really enjoyed the carbon Deacon, great edge hold, smooth, well rounded groomer carver. Not a lot to complain about here. I thought it would be a little faster and a little snappier, but carbon is quite stiff material-wise and doesn't like to change shape too much. The ski itself is not very stiff but it does create some weird dead feelings with the carbon underfoot, again not something that bothered me too much as the ski is quiet, I just think the regular Deacon might have a bit more snap that I enjoy from most skis. The only drawback I found was whenever I hit some hard snow or a bump I felt this sort of shockwave move through from my boot, something I didn't like at all but my guess was because the carbon just isn't very good at absorbing shock. It‘s still stable and very fun, but it was bothersome to me whenever I took it up to high speed and hit some crud.
All in all I really enjoyed this ski. It‘s smooth, and has a nice speed limit to it that made big turns very exciting to make. Despite its small flaws I would highly recommend this ski as a fun morning ski. I am never one to ski a groomer carver as a all-day ski, but early mornings, especially in the spring, this thing will be a lot of fun.
- Insider tip: Get it up to speed and make some bigger turns.
- One thing I would change: A bit more material underfoot and under the binding.
- Awards
- Who is it for?
- Good skiers who are on their game and are looking for a light, narrower all-mountain ski need look no further. Groomer zoomers looking for a technical ski that doesn't scare you away.
- Who is it not for?
- While this ski works well at slower speeds, it excels as the mph grows. To paraphrase Col. Jessup, ”You want this ski? You can’t handle this ski.” Anyone looking for a great deal, this thing is pricy.
- Skier ability
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- Expert
- Ski category
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- Frontside
- All Mountain
- Ski attributes
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- Groomers
- Off Piste
- Segment
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- Men
Specifications
- Available sizes
- 167, 172, 177, 182
- Dimensions
- 132-84-115
- Radius
- 15m@177cm
- Rocker profile
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- Full camber
- Size Scaling
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- None
- Construction design
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- Carryover
- Binding options
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- System