Short-turning and high-performing, the 2024 Volkl Deacon 72 Master is here for your race-room feel and tight-carving character. These Master skis from the Deacon line feature a real-deal race feel and it shows in the build. There’s a whole lot to like here when you’re dealing with a sturdy construction and a more slalom-like feel. Volkl has a long-standing tradition for excellence in the race game and that translates to a strong front side acumen as well. This ski is no different. Unchanged but for a slight graphic alteration for 2024, the Deacon 72 Master also gets a new length, so this ski opens up to a slightly broader audience. Other than that, though, this is a pretty specific ski with a slightly narrow window of skier type. It’s more of a fringe ski, and Volkl is okay with that since most of their emphasis is on the skier experience, and there are very few, if any,skis out there that can do what this 72 Master is capable of. 

Built with their World Cup ash wood core, the Deacon 72 Master has a very strong and sturdy base. On either side of the core is a dual metal laminate that only adds to the burly and demanding character of the ski. We’re also seeing Volkl’s 3D Glass frame and Tailored Carbon Tips added to the mix, and these ingredients add stiffness and responsiveness to the overall feel. In the tips, the carbon stringers are designed to make turn initiations quite quick while the 3D Glass makes the ski stiffer and more energetic. Placing fiberglass in a 3-dimensional format makes it considerably more reactive, and skiers can definitely feel that in the rebound and energy that the ski creates. Instead of a system binding on this ski, we’re getting a real-deal WC Marker Piston Plate that lifts 10 mm off the ski. You’ll have to get your own binding, and it’s going to have to be a Marker XComp in order to fit the hole pattern. With the plate, the ski hits 2440 grams in the 173 cm length, so you’ll know you’re on a pretty hefty ski.

By adding the 168 cm length to the rotation, we’re seeing a ski with a slightly shorter turn radius than most. In the 178, we get a 16.4-meter arc, and that gets down to 14.5 in the 168. This is shorter than we see in the wider Deacon 76 skis, and when that mixes with the narrower waist, it gives this ski more of that short-turning mentality for sure. It’s super grippy because of the combination of shape and build, but the profile allows the ski to still be approachable to all non-World Cup racers. There’s some tip and tail rocker going on here, and it makes it just a bit gentler to get the ski up on edge and release from turns. If you put this build in a fully cambered format, it’s just pretty darn harsh.

High-end skiers and former racers will love the crispness and sharpness of the Deacon 72 Master. It does feel a bit heavier on the feet, but that leads to better stability and power on the back side of the equation. While most skiers will fall a bit short in the skill requirement category to truly operate this ski to its highest potential, those that are up to the task will find a whole lot to like.