2023 Volkl Revolt 90

The addition of the 2023 Volkl Revolt 90 to the lineup signifies a newfound commitment to the competitive sport of freestyle skiing. This is a new, competitor-level ski that has its foundations rooted in slopestyle and halfpipe competitions. With the same construction as the rest of the Revolt lineup, the main difference is in the shaping and profiling. Built with a symmetrical shape, with dimensions of 118/90/118, this thing also has central camber, so it really fits the bill of being truly multi-dimensional. Available in lengths ranging from 168 to 186, the ski also lengthens the radius accordingly, going from 18.2-meters in the 168 to 23 in the 186. If you are on the lookout for your next park and pipe competition ski, this is the way to go. All of our testers were on the 180 cm length.

Hans von Briesen noted that the ski felt true to length, but if it was his everyday ski, he’d size up to the 186. Hans’ top scores were 4’s out of 5 for torsional stiffness and edge grip. He also gave 3’s for overall impression, versatility, playfulness, and stability. He notes that the Revolt 90 has “Classic Volkl reliability. Skis strong and stable but a little twitchy in the shovel. Likes bumps and carving but does not transition between the two without intention very fluidly.” That’s most likely a function of the symmetrical shape, as there aren’t a whole lot of skiers who spend a lot of time on skis like this. Also on the 180, Brad Moskowitz found the ski to be a bit short. He had some higher scores than Hans, with 4’s out of 5 given for overall impression, versatility, forgiveness, playfulness, quickness, and maneuverability. 3’s filled up the rest of his card to give the ski a pretty high baseline and average of scores. While not a freestyle competitor, Brad does offer some great feedback on the all-mountain side of things: “On firm and fast conditions this ski ripped! I was pleasantly surprised with its ability to rail turns and hold an edge while also being able to break loose and scrub speed. In spite of its ability to hold an edge, it showed its playful character in the air and popping off small hits. A great combination of stability and freedom for a twin tip center mounted ski!”

Jeff Neagle is more of the skier that Volkl envisioned when making the Revolt 90, and it shows in his comments for sure. Jeff scored the ski 5’s out of 5 in overall impression, forgiveness, playfulness, quickness, and maneuverability. A 4 for versatility was the next step down, with 3’s running the rest of the table. “If someone asked me to design my ideal park ski, I would basically want exactly the Revolt 90. I think 90 is the perfect width for a serious park ski, it's symmetrical, and it has the perfect blend of rocker and taper in the tips and tails. Designing a park ski is all about balance. Balance in its swing weight and also balance in its shape. Too much rocker or taper and the ski doesn't feel supportive on landings. No rocker or taper and the ski feels catchy on switch takeoffs, butters, and landings off rails. Volkl nailed it with this shape. It has good grip for big landings and has a snappy, responsive feel, but it's also forgiving on takeoffs and landings when you're a little off balance. There's a reason why all of Volkl's athletes have switched to this ski for slopestyle competitions. They have a lot of options between the Revolt 86, 90, and 95, and it seems they're all choosing the 90 now. Makes sense to me. Because it's a symmetrical twin tip, it does have some limitations as a directional all-mountain ski. You can still ski it around the whole mountain, and a park skier won't mind the way it feels at all, but if you're a directional skier looking for a fun twin tip, there are better options. A symmetrical shape is great in the park, but if you're not skiing park, I wouldn't ever recommend a perfectly symmetrical ski. They feel weird to non-park skiers. Dream park ski! In my opinion this is the perfect ski for anyone committed to park. Competition level Slopestyle ski. Kinda floppy in the tips and tails, but that’s a good thing. Strong under foot for landings, but forgiving in the tips and tails so you don't catch. Not the best all mountain ski because of the center mount, but also perfectly fine for someone who wants to be center and doesn’t only ski park.”

The fact that you can use this in both the X-Games and as an everyday all-mountain ski is a testament to Volkl’s ability to build a great ski. There’s not a whole lot that can’t be accomplished with a simple wood core and some creative shaping, and Volkl takes a lot of pride in doing so with all of their skis, not just the Mantras and Kendos of the world.