2023 Volkl Deacon 72

A new model for 2023, the Volkl Deacon 72 blends a few attributes from skis current and prior. There’s no Deacon 74 anymore, and the Deacon 72 brings back the rMotion binding system that went away for a brief year in favor of the Master series of Deacons, which had a Marker Piston Plate for a legit race binding. The rMotion seems a slightly better fit for more skiers who maybe aren’t looking to use this in a real race course, but who do want the best possible on-trail carving performance with basically no exceptions. These skis are available in a wide range of length options, ranging from a 158 all the way to 178, breaking every 5cm, so that’s a pretty tight spread. In the 173, the skis generate a 15.4-meter turn radius, so they do have more of a slalom mentality to them versus the more GS-oriented Deacon 76’s. Either way you look at it, these front-side performers are great for advanced and expert skiers who are looking for something narrow and precise that can hold an edge on the firmest of snows.

Joshua Matta notes that the Deacon 72 in the 173 skied true to length, but was short for him. He gave unsurprisingly low scores of 1 out of 5 for flotation, and 2 out of 5 for versatility. Given the more pigeon-holed character of the Deacon 72, we’re expecting to see greater variation in scores versus a well-rounded all-mountain ski. On the flip-side of those 1’s and 2’s, Joshua gave the ski 5’s for torsional stiffness, edge hold, quickness, and maneuverability, and a 4 for overall impression. The grip seems to be the big selling point for Joshua, here, as he states that the Deacon 72 is a “short little ice talon. Too small for me, but still a very decent carver. Very energetic and grippy.” These shorter-turning skis can be quite the task at a place like Stowe, where most/all of the runs are top to bottom, so you have to make a ton of turns if you’re on a 15-meter radius ski like this.

Mike Anglin, ever so confident, notes that his 173 was “just right. True to size, I think.” Mike’s top scores were 5’s out of 5 for overall impression, torsional stiffness, edge hold, playfulness, stability, quickness, and maneuverability. Mike notes that “The Deacon 72 from Volkl is a front side turning machine. Quick notice of the vertical sidewalls and beefy construction was a nice foreshadowing of what was ahead. Very strong, damp and stable ski that loves medium to short radius turns in a variety of snow conditions. Really shows its true colors when snow is hard, and the volume gets turned up. Intermediates to the hard charging expert will love the feedback these skis give the skier.”

There’s a lot of room for a ski like this out there on the hill. Front-side carvers and skiers who spend a lot of time on groomers will love the Deacon 72. With the rMotion binding, this combo opens a lot of doors for advanced skiers who value edge grip, quickness, and agility more than anything else.