2025 Volkl Secret 96

The powerful all-mountain weapon that we have known and loved from Volkl has received exciting upgrades for the 2025 season, offering aggressive female skiers a smoother, more precise feel and deliverance. Maintaining its place at the top of the pack, this ski continues to deliver high-performance all-mountain versatility in an authoritative manner, this year with greater responsiveness and rebound. The Secret 96 has always been a strong, demanding ski that has a wide enough waist width for off-piste terrain yet the characteristics of a frontside, high-speed carving ski. With the recent alterations, Volkl wanted to keep its reputation going while at the same time, create a more dynamic, compliable feel. With the introduction of 4D Radius Drive, plus tweaks to the construction and shape, the Secret 96 is even better than before.

When it comes to designing top-quality, high-performance skis, Volkl is one of the best in the game. For this year’s Secret 96 build, we start with the same multilayer wood core that we saw in the previous model. Consisting of poplar and beech, the foundation is sturdy and consistent from tip to tail. The real secret to this ski’s enhanced performance lies in the use of Volkl’s innovative Tailored Titanal Frame. In contrast to the previous design, which featured a full sheet of metal on the bottom and a three-piece frame on top, the width of the frame is now adapted precisely to each individual ski length. Positioned above the sidewall along the tip and tail, the titanal content is dependent on the length of the ski. For a lighter skier on a shorter length, the ski will offer the same level of performance but will feel more manageable as opposed to a longer length with more titanal content. New Tailored Carbon Tips are light, fine-tuned, and allow an agile shovel reaction with less effort. While the build is still incredibly high-powered, the overall feel is slightly more agile and maneuverable.

The real topic of discussion surrounding the new version of the Secret 96 is 4D Radius Drive technology. Brand new for this year and gaining notable attention, the concept behind this innovative design focuses on the ability to vary the turn radius and combine easy handling for uncompromised stability. Essentially, Volkl witnessed the proven success of the 3D Radius sidecut and developed an enhanced version with an additional radius for maximum versatility for various snow conditions. Looking at the 170 cm length, the dimensions are 24/38/15.2/20 meters, measuring tip/waist/tail/aft. With the shorter radius providing tighter control, the longer radius adds greater resistance to disturbances and stability at speed. Tester Alli Ruschp thoroughly enjoyed her time on the new Secret 96, sharing “it's no secret that I love the secrets! Adding Volkl's 4D radius just made this ski even more fun and versatile. This is a great everyday ski that can carve and hold an edge on ice while still having a little float for powder. It's true power is the crud crushing ability, never worry about the little piles of snow this ski will go right over that stuff.” Tip and Tail rocker return and make total sense when considering the 4D Radius. Factor in the 96 mm waist width, bookended by 139 tip width and 121 tail width, and the flotation and soft snow performance is quite impressive for such a strong ski.

Designed to perform on the feet of skilled skiers, advanced to expert level skiers will find the new Secret 96 slightly more responsive and willing while still requiring a commanding driver. Providing impressive all-mountain capabilities, those who want the carving capabilities of a frontside ski with powerful off-piste behavior will love the overall nature of this redesigned ski.