2023 Volkl Flair 79

As far as front-side skis are concerned, the Volkl Flair 79 is a super-solid performer. It hasn’t changed in years, and since people keep buying it and liking it, there’s not a whole lot of motivation to change. As a result, we get the same great carver with a new graphic, and we’re all about it. These skis have amazing edge grip, energy, and predictability. Built with a wood core and powered by a steel layer, the Flair 79 is damp and stable at a variety of speeds. The 3D Ridge adds even more power and silence to the ski by bolstering the central chord of the ski. Underfoot, the Flair 79 is a full sidewall, but that tapers to a cap construction in the tips and tails. This makes the ski a bit easier to get on edge and more accessible for a variety of skiers, but it doesn’t allow the grip to suffer in the underfoot zone. In the 156 cm length, we’re seeing a 12.7-meter turn radius, so these things are built to turn on a dime. While they excel in carved turns and firmer snow, we do miss out on some all-mountain versatility, but that’s kind of the point with these front-side performers.

Susan Dorn skied the 163 and noted it was an okay length for her. She scored the ski 4’s out of 5 for overall impression, versatility, torsional stiffness, edge hold, forgiveness, and stability. A lowly 2 for flotation is not surprising. Susan notes that the Flair 79 is good for an “advanced skier. A bit stiff. Feels like it flexes equally over the entire ski where some flex more or less in either tip or tail. Would be nice on hard groomers but did well in the crud.” Nice to see that there’s a smattering of versatility there, but we mainly agree that they’re best suited to hard groomers and in carved turns.

Also on the 163, Allison Kozar called the length perfect. Her top score of 5 out of 5 was given for stability, with 4’s going for forgiveness, quickness, maneuverability, and overall impression. She calls the Flair 79 “Very damp but great at fast speeds, and still did very quick edge to edge maneuverability. Nice and light to move.” A lot of skiers really seem to like the blend of quickness with stability and grip. These things don’t often go together, and that’s one of the reasons for the sustained excellence and overall love for the Flair 79.

In reality, the majority of most skiing is done on groomed terrain, so it makes sense to have conditions-appropriate equipment to tackle those slopes. If you’re looking to make clean and round turns on the groomers and increase your carving ability, the Volkl Flair 79 is the ideal tool for the job. Thanks to Volkl’s engineering and design, this tried-and-true ski is the way to go for good balance, damp and stable feel, and excellent edge grip.