The last two seasons have been tough on fat skis. In spite of that, Voile has managed to produce two winners in two years that not only give the sort of delightful response in soft snow you would expect from a company that develops products in Wasatch pow, but in real conditions too. In fact, prior to the V8 and this season’s V6, that might have even been considered a genetic limitation since it is far easier to build planks that deliver miles of smiles in powder than something that works in crud, mush, and on ice.

V8 – Light yet Sharp

The reality is Voile makes stuff for the backcountry; the ability to drive through crud and hold an edge on hardpack are necessary traits for a ski you intend to rely on in a variety of conditions. When I first had a chance to ski the V8 it was on polished powder, the weeks old variety that has been manicured to a slippery, hard-to-hold-an-edge surface. With a waist width of 112mm on the 176cm model I figured I’d be lucky if I could merely hold an edge; though I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a veritable racing carve the only ski to outperform the V8 on that day, and I skied several narrower skis, was a ski from a different price league: Volkl’s equally fat (112mm) V-Werks Katana. Equally impressive was the V8’s weight; less than 8 pounds per pair.

V6 -Lighter still

This year Voile takes the winning formula of the V8 and makes a more svelte version that comes in around 100mm at the waist, and for a comparable length, almost a pound lighter per pair. First impressions for the V6 were in a thin coating of fresh Utah pow over aged packed powder. In other words, dust on crust, with just enough fresh snow off piste to remain nervous about what sort of texture was hidden beneath the surface. This is where construction becomes important and Voile’s combination of an Aspen wood core with just enough carbon in the fiberglass layup yields a ski that has a lot more mettle than its weight would imply.

V6’s rockered tip kept it near the surface and any rough patches that threatened to derail my trajectory were easily cast off with the rockered tail. Back in home territory in drought stricken California the V6s were able to show off in the aftermath of last season’s lone two-foot storm and they rocked. Flotation was as expected, with smooth round turns on open slopes and a fast, nimble dance through the trees as needed. This was particularly notable as the sun returned and transformed the fluff to mush.

If there was any limit it was on hardpack with an admittedly underpowered tele rig. With a locked heel the V6, and its bigger brother the V8, handle just about anything with aplomb. Generically speaking I tend to put the limit of what a pair of T2’s can adequately drive at around 100mm and the V6, while delivering admirable performance with Switchback X2 bindings and T2X boots couldn’t hold a tele edge so well, although I’m sure with TX-Pros and an NTN binding that limit could be overcome.

In the backcountry the V6 did just what you would expect it to. Ample rocker in the tip levitates the ski to the surface when you’re breaking trail, as long as you have a free pivot touring binding. There may be lighter skis available, but not for the width. Stuffing your tails on a switchback is not as easy as with a straight tail, nor is it impossible. Few people I know would be willing to sacrifice how easily the slight rocker in the tail makes switching leads in deep snow just to stuff the tails on a switchback.

You can certainly find a ski that handles crud and junk better, but not without adding more than a pound per pair. Likewise for carving snow on hardpack, but again, not for the weight. And you certainly won’t be able to pack all that performance into a single package for the price.

Voile
V6
MSRP: $650

Length (cm)	163	173	183	188
Dimensions (mm)	116-96-103	121-98-107	124-100-109	127-102-111
Radius (m)	17	18	19	20
Weight (pounds)	6 lbs., 2 oz.	6 lbs., 9 oz.	7 lbs., 6 oz.	7 lbs., 14 oz.
Weight (kg)	2.8 kg	2.98 kg	3.35 kg	3.57 kg

© 2014