Best Women’s Freeride Ski (Big Mountain Charging) 2018: Völkl Aura

The Völkl Aura is one of those skis that always has your back, no matter where you take it or how hard you push it

Despite the name there’s nothing abstract about the Völkl Aura! This is one seriously full blooded freeride ski, built to slarve into the gnarliest of chutes, stomp the mandatory air halfway down then rage GS turns out into the open faces below.

The Aura is an example of what Völkl do best: blending uncompromising high performance and stiff metal construction with sublime shaping to produce a ski that somehow ticks all the boxes. They’ve used a mixture of ash and poplar wood in the core for a sharp snappy flex, then overlayed it with titanal for a bit more beef and race ski style vibration dampening. They also sport a full rocker profile – a long and low continuous curve without a flatspot – for better manoeuvrability. This curve matches the radius of the sidecut, so the further you tip the ski on edge, the longer the section of edge that comes into contact with the snow.

The performance is simply mindblowing. The Aura is capable of charging at full speed even in seriously lumpy snow, but can be pivoted and shut down on a dime. It somehow manages to be unerringly stable arcing high speed carves – even on hard snow – AND uncannily nimble pivoting and slashing tight turns in technical terrain.

No matter how challenging the conditions the Aura remains smooth and predictable, with a bombproof construction you can rely on. They have your back, even on the most remote backcountry missions.

Völkl Aura 2017/18 Specifications:

• RRP: £585
• Lengths: 156, 163, 170
• Dimensions: 132-100-118
• Turn radius: 19.3m @ 163

Want to learn all about the best new ski equipment for the 2017/18 season? Head this way to get the bumper Fall-Line Skiing Gear Guide.