2023 Volkl Secret 102

In the world of wider, high-performance women’s skis in the ~100mm range, the Volkl Secret 102 is darn near untouchable. Our biggest gripe going into 2023 is that it didn’t get the upgrades that Secret 96, Mantra 102, or Kenja 88 received. This leaves Secret 102 as one of the only skis not to get an upgrade in Volkl’s all-mountain/freeride lineup. Rest assured, though, these skis were great last year and are still fantastic for this one. Built with Volkl’s multi-layer wood core and titanal frame, the Secret 102 is strong, stiff, and stable—ready and willing to attack the fall line with speed, direction, and purpose. There’s a whole lot to like about this ski when it comes to aggressive skiing, high edge angles, and aggressive charging. While on the wider side for carving, it punches above its level for sure, but that doesn’t always contribute to flotation in the fresh due to the heavier weight and stiffer flex. Overall, advanced and expert skiers who are looking for a resort charger will love the poise and focus of the Secret 102.

Carly Monahan skied the 163 and noted that it was not only true to size, but also very comfortable for her. She gave top scores of 5 out of 5 for stability, quickness, and maneuverability, with 4’s close behind for flotation, torsional stiffness, edge grip, versatility, and overall impression. A low score of 3 for forgiveness is to be expected with such a burly ski. Carly states that “The Secret 102 would be at home just about anywhere on the mountain in just about any conditions! For their width, they’re very nimble; quick edge to edge, easy to pull the tails out of a turn, but also will hold a turn solidly with no fear of washing out. Capable and confident, so long as you’re willing to put in a bit of energy. Will plow through anything!” We said that a lot about the Mantra 102 in that it likes to plow through and over things rather than dance around them, and it looks like that’s carried over to the Secret 102 as well.

Ann MacDonald gets the best of both worlds with this ski. We mentioned her skiing the Mantra 102, which did receive the upgrades, and since that ski comes in a 170 as well as the Secret 102, it’s great to be able to get a side-by-side comparison from her. She had nothing but positive things to say about the Mantra 102, and loved how it felt floatier due to the tailored carbon tips and the more freeridey titanal frame. This is backed up by her scores, too. With the Mantra, she gave all 5’s across the board, but with the Secret, she knocked some of those down to 4’s. Ann notes about the Secret 102 that “This ski is a workhorse. It powers through crud and slush with no problem. It would perform great out west in the chunkier snow! I love this ski but it might be a bit heavy for some girls. It turns surprisingly well for 102 under foot but found it a tad heavy in the powder. It is incredibly stable and great at speed. Really good ski for a strong hard charging girl that likes to point it down the mountain!” I’ll certainly agree with that for a 102 of this heft, it does turn quite well.

While this isn’t going to be most people’s “everyday” ski, it does have a lot of different uses and applications, with most of those spots being taken up by advanced and expert skiers who have a fairly strong alpine skiing background. In its own right, however, the 2023 Volkl Secret 102 has a whole lot to offer skiers of the upper-end ilk.