2007 gotamas - first impressions

[dude_le_skibum]

as i got back from skiing today there was a little purolator paper on my door. yeah ! brand new pair of 190 gotamas. first of all, made in china. second of all. burly, bulk, heavy. these are defenetly thicker . defenetly stiffer, snapier. i think that there is no metal in thise ski, the recommended drill bit was 3,6 amd there are no obvious metal on the sidewalls. next to the 184 mantras they are not much longer. anyhow, we got 20 on tues and 25 overnite, tomorrow they are calling for bluebird.

[dude_le_skibum]

so like eh, fat ride eh ?

[irul&ublo]

Made in China? So much for K2 saying that Volkl would remain a Euro produced ski.

[DownhillRider]

So, no longer a good touring ski then eh?

[adam]

How does the sidecut affect the ski?

[bio-smear]

The red bases are cool. White...pffft.

[YoEddy]

China? :cussing:
OMFG say it ain't so.

[irul&ublo]

The red bases are cool. White...pffft.

Not that I really care about cosmetics....but you might not think those red bases are so cool when you go down to the local shop to find some red p-tex to fix your base.

[bio-smear]

Not that I really care about cosmetics....but you might not think those red bases are so cool when you go down to the local shop to find some red p-tex to fix your base.
Agreed. Ok I change my mind...fuck those red bases! Any base repairs in this house better match up perfectly.

[irul&ublo]

Besides...RED bases...made in RED China. Its goddamn communism, I tell ya.

[dude_le_skibum]

it might be made in china, it looks like a tight ride. the cosmetics make it look smaller, but its defenetly heavier and thicker.

[irul&ublo]

When I was at the str8line camp one of the coaches was Chris Collins who skis almost exclusively on Gotamas (183s BTW). He was complaining that the 2007 had more sidecut and would be too turny. What do you think dude?

[schindlerpiste]

Volkl often changes skis for the sake of change. The did it to the G4. THey did it to the Explosiv. Now, the did it to the Gotama. Hell, IMO, its best skis were the G31 and G41.

[SLSki]

Oh snap! That would be terrible to get black baseweld in your red bases, then no one at the lodge would gawk over your skis;)

[irul&ublo]

Oh snap! That would be terrible to get black baseweld in your red bases, then no one at the lodge would gawk over your skis;)

Exactly....and as Fernando observed, "It is better to look good than to feel good."

[dude_le_skibum]

When I was at the str8line camp one of the coaches was Chris Collins who skis almost exclusively on Gotamas (183s BTW). He was complaining that the 2007 had more sidecut and would be too turny. What do you think dude?

from the living room point of view, get a 190.

but honestly, this looks like a better ride...

[Summit]

still thinking 04-05 gotamas are the best design cosmetically and for skiing!

[good4nothing]

for sure


still thinking 04-05 gotamas are the best design cosmetically and for skiing!

[extreeski]

That's it, I am getting some 05-06 gots before they're sold out.

That's all there is to it.

[roorfan]

volkl will have to start manufacturing single skis once everybody starts losing them in the snow. next summer i am going to check the trails for them and pick myself up a pair for free.

[jpcmoriarty]

volkl will have to start manufacturing single skis once everybody starts losing them in the snow. next summer i am going to check the trails for them and pick myself up a pair for free.


That was my thought exacly. White top sheet=bad idea.

[bossass]

Skied the 07 183s last week at JH.

Solid ski. I didn't find it too turny, but I don't really have a good base knowledge of actually skiing on older versions to make a comparision.

Still one of those great, solid, skis you don't even think about when your are shredding Alta 0 and 1.

Me likes.

Still have to put my 06 190s though the paces though.

[snocat]

still thinking 04-05 gotamas are the best design cosmetically and for skiing!

Agree, the stiffest of the different years so far.

[skifishbum]

volkl will have to start manufacturing single skis once everybody starts losing them in the snow. next summer i am going to check the trails for them and pick myself up a pair for free.
:nonono2:
Last May I f'ed up and went for a ride @ Alta. Some greedy fucknut did exacly this and kept my lost ski. So I am kind of hoping you forgot to include a smilie or winkie in your reply so here they are.;) :biggrin: :smile: .
Thanks Dude let us know how they ski.
I am hoping PM gear puts out a comperable ski next season.

[squaretail]

I may regret doing this, but I guess it's my turn to chime in here.

1) Sidecut. Yes, there is more sidecut on the 0607, but we're not talking a huge change here, folks. The net change in sidecut radius is slightly less than 1m per size. More importantly, we really feel that it is an improvement. The ski has received good reviews from almost everybody that has skied it during the trade show/mag test season, including the POWDER editorial staff last week at JH.

Sidenote about any comments attributed to Chris Collins: Chris is a great dude. As the biggest Gotama fan of them all, his input was used in the new design. The concerns relayed by irul would have occured before Chris skied them, so let's keep that in perspective.

2) White graphics. Ummm...no comment. I voted for the black one. The artwork does look nice on the snow, and if you're worried about losing one, put some stickers on the tip. Many people do this anyway.

3) I don't want to get too far off track here, but I'd like to address schindlerpiste's comment about changing skis just for the sake of change. The Explosiv ran for 10 years and saw only one major tweak - the attempt to make it a semi-twin during the wizard years. After the Gotama was developed, we reverted to the standard squaretail design...I guess you all know what my favorite model is now.

The "G" skis saw a major change between the G40 and G41. There were no major changes between the G41, G4, and AX4. Considering we're talking about a 5 year run (1999-2003,) I don't think that is excessive change.

4) Summit, the 0405 graphic was my fave as well. For a beer, I'll tell ya what the writing says.

5) bossass, were you in jackson for the powder event? You ski with GC? PM me if you want...I'm curious if we know each other.

6) Orient Express. I'd love to say something smart or funny here, but I can't. What I can say is this. I assure you that Völkl designs, including graphics, are still our intellectual property...K2 has nothing to do with them. The development teams are totally separate entities.

Because some of you will ask, the Karma, Mantra, Sanouk, Aura, Queen, and AC4 are made in Straubing.

7) The first meeting to plan the 0708 collection is very soon. Keep it intelligent, and I will bring your feedback with me.

Peace,

ST

EDIT: spelling, and I didn't like all the ... I used in the original.

[altagirl]

Sidenote about any comments attributed to Chris Collins: Chris is a great dude, probably the single coolest sponsored guy we have. As the biggest Gotama fan of them all, his input was used in the new design. The "concerns" relayed by irul would have occured before Chris skied the finished product, so let's keep that in perspective.


When he was coaching at the Maggot camp a few weeks ago he said he still had not tried next year's Gotamas.

[HR Huck'nstuff]

squaretail,

Why are all of the Volkl freeride skis, but the Gotama, still made in Europe? Seems strange that only the Gotamas are made in China (not doubting anyone, just curious).

[marshalolson]

squaretail,

Why are all of the Volkl freeride skis, but the Gotama, still made in Europe? Seems strange that only the Gotamas are made in China (not doubting anyone, just curious).

just a guess... but as the goat is the only new ski/ new shape this year, they are switching over to china as new shapes come out...

[dude_le_skibum]

so like you guys were expecting this eh. well i just got back to the house, no need to say that i am drunk. apres-ski is the best because by 10 you are fucked face and in bed. today was epic. no need to say that zero pictures were taken. this morning was real bright, sun is starting to poke out real early. showed up some time before first chair, didn't get it, but no need to say that it took a couple laps to cross any tracks. so here is the situation, three quarters of the resort has been closed due to the 40 + cms we have got over the last few.

so the skis.

these compared to me 84 mantras have 2-3 cm more over the contact point. My roomates 91 mantras are a few cms longer then these. if you are not a crazy monkey, 190 is the way to go. There is a mounting rage from fs to fr, mine are mounted fr, on the dot. the tail looks a little bit short with the fr. damn they ride good. ok, so i am coming from a 84 mantra, my previous ride was a 94 shanouk, i had a 86 legend and some 90 woden sidewall gotama so 80 and 90 explosive. With my old job, i use to go through a set of ride every season and well I rode 2 season a year. anyhow, lets cut the bull, this ride is nice.

One important test for ski is the bang-test. Grab an unmounted ski and tap it against a hard floor and feel the vibrations of the ski, usually voklks have a very glue-ey epoxy type vibe. A legend pro will have a very base damp sound. its the tune of the ski. this one is right in between. anyhow. the ski, right. solid top of the line commander. thick beefy dominating. a nice thick solid wood feel to the ski. not the liveliest one of the bunch, but that long solid stiff-shanouk-like tip type allows you to really charge. this skis floats with the tip and plows with the underfoot if you want to lift that thick wall .i have also had the opportunity to huck a couple features. no need to say that the general beefyness of the board and the softer then front tail gives you that general solidness. i liked the ride.

on the minus, my skins don't fit on the rounded tail they slide and fuckin snow on the glue and the fucking skins come off and i get mad. so like that tail is still too big, and too rounded. this ski is trying to play the role of backcountry jib and big mountain ride.

[El Chupacabra]

One important test for ski is the bang-test.

The truth comes out: what you internet weirdos do with your skis on those dark cold lonely nights:

http://www.loloville.com/kwbro61805b.jpg

[verbier61]

squaretail, being a euro fan of sanouks, I'd like to know why volkl decided to have them available only in US in 06-07

[gonzo]

Squaretail: Thanks for the skinny. I'm sure you will get some good feedback from folks around here. You'll also get some jackasses, but hopefully they won't scare you off.

Tell MC one of the retards from CO says hello.

Dude le, this was my favorite part:


on the minus, my skins don't fit on the rounded tail they slide and fuckin snow on the glue and the fucking skins come off and i get mad...and I go to box and I feel shame. Then I go free.

[irul&ublo]

Squaretail is correct, Chris' statement to me about the new sidecut was before he had skied the 07 version. I apologize if I was unclear. I did find it interesting that given his level of skiing (godlike) and size, he felt the 183 was more than enough ski.

And Squaretail is right, Chris is also a really nice guy.

[StormDay]

Squaretail (I would feel much better if it was swallow tail;)) ,

Thanks for all the info.

A. Keep the sanouk around. Really surprised it hasn’t taken off w/ the heli ops. Seeing more and more of them in Tahoe.

B. Definitely getting interested in the 197cm Gotama. But, I’m also a fan of the black graphics (this yr and last). Way too much red in 06/07 line.

C. 190 Sumo looks nice, but I would like a bigger version of the Sanouk (200cm or/and 120mm under foot)


At this pt I should probably mention that I have Sanouks, Mantras, and 6-Stars (all have black top sheets) in my quiver.

[irul&ublo]

At this pt I should probably mention that I have Sanouks, Mantras, and 6-Stars (all have black top sheets) in my quiver.

Impressive...but what you really want is a pair of the original neon skinned Explosivs, isn't it?

[StormDay]

Impressive...but what you really want is a pair of the original neon skinned Explosivs, isn't it?

If there are not going to be black, they might as well go for the late-80's/early 90's neon look. :p

[addict]

Squaretail, good to have your input and info setting it straight here. I've ridden volkls for a while and loved them. This year I switched because of both circumstance and lack in the line. It seemed there was no ski for us guys that like a bigger ski, less sidecut and length (no more Explosive). The 190 Gotama to me just felt too short, but I guess the new 197 will fill that niche. Still, you lost a customer in me because of lack of long options. I started on the 191 Mantra. It was mismoutned and I ended up on a different brand, but it was a good thing. No offence, but I found the Mantra a bad ski. Waaay too much sidecut and a flappy, unstable ski for what's marketed as more or less a big mountain ski. I think they'd be a fine ride for a small guy or a girl specific ski, but they are REALLY easy to overski. I realise that to many people thy're a fine, intermediate powder ski, but if I want that I'd go to Salomon. Also, I know Volkl pushed the "light" angle, but they ski way too light and the bases (not to mention topsheet) were a LOT less than strong. I always looked to Volkl for serious skis (Explosive, G4, et al) this season there was none in x-large :( So saying, from a marketing standpoint I'm sure those skis don't sell in volume, hence many companies not breaking 190cm anymore. I otally undersand why, I just don't like it. I hope the 197 Goat fills this, but I'll never know....

Sorry if this sounds like a whinge, it wasn't meant to, I do recommend Volkl to everyone in the market for a new ski. I think they're 1 company that puts quality in. And as for making skis in China, so what? I'm sure there's strong trees in China too!!

[dude_le_skibum]

your jacket and probably and a bunch of stuff you own is made in china.

[moresnowplease]

as i got back from skiing today there was a little purolator paper on my door. yeah ! brand new pair of 190 gotamas. first of all, made in china. second of all. burly, bulk, heavy. these are defenetly thicker . defenetly stiffer, snapier. i think that there is no metal in thise ski, the recommended drill bit was 3,6 amd there are no obvious metal on the sidewalls. next to the 184 mantras they are not much longer. anyhow, we got 20 on tues and 25 overnite, tomorrow they are calling for bluebird.


How much did they set you back if you dont mind my asking?

[squaretail]

squaretail, being a euro fan of sanouks, I'd like to know why volkl decided to have them available only in US in 06-07

I don't know specifically. The factory makes about 500 pairs of Sanouks a year, 400 of which are sold in North America. The smaller European distributors probably just wanted to move on.


I’m also a fan of the black graphics (this yr and last). Way too much red in 06/07 line.

Roger that.


190 Sumo looks nice, but I would like a bigger version of the Sanouk (200cm or/and 120mm under foot)

I usually can't reveal too many of our ideas, but the odds of this happening are pretty low, unfortunately. As it is, 193 is such a specific ski that is costs a lot to build and doesn't sell many, so making an even more specific size doesn't make a lot of financial sense.


a bigger ski, less sidecut and length (no more Explosiv).

Noted.

I would respectfully disagree with your Mantra comments, but I would submit that it skis 'shorter' than the Explosiv does. I could say we missed the boat and should have considered making a 200cm Mantra, but the shops ordered very few of the 191cm (as opposed to over 1,000 pairs of the 184), so investing in a 200cm mold is a tough decision.

Thanks for the comments.

[lemon boy]

you guys need to come up with one of the funshape pow boards or be left holding the sidecut bag.

or maybe you already have one, who knows

[addict]

[QUOTE=squaretail]
Noted.

I would respectfully disagree with your Mantra comments, but I would submit that it skis 'shorter' than the Explosiv does. I could say we missed the boat and should have considered making a 200cm Mantra, but the shops ordered very few of the 191cm (as opposed to over 1,000 pairs of the 184), so investing in a 200cm mold is a tough decision.[QUOTE]

I totally realise that, but a 200cm ski would be like a flagship car, more for marketing than outright sales. Funnily enough the 191s seemed to sell out well before the 184s around my area. I searched for 191s and could only find184s, same with the Gotamas. So maybe the shops are a little behind the trends? And disagree on the Mantras you may, but that's just what I found. And I've always been very pro-Volkl biased.

[dude_le_skibum]

i loved my mantras and i rode them at 84. its similar to an explosive a huge tips gives you float and the sidecut is ok. i can of dig the softer feel...

[addict]

Don't get me wrong, I like medium and soft flex skis, that's not really my complaint. My favourite skis are the elan 777 and the supercharger blower. But they are both torsionally strong and very stable at speed. Before that I had G4s which were also fairly stable. I just found the Mantra became very easy to overski at the speed or aggression levels that things usually get fun. They were definitely not a confident ski at very high speeds. I think it's more integral than just length, I think it's the overall design of the ski. But they were fine at cruising to moderately fast speeds, I just expected more out of them. That's just my opinion.

[StormDay]

Adjustable about mounting points on the integrated binding systems would be nice.

We got a pair of AC4s for my wife this year. After demoing, she thought she being more forward would be better. So, We got the AC4's flat and put Tyrolia railFlexes on them. Sure enough +1.5cm was perfect.

I think adjustable mount point would make the skis work better for wider variety of skiers ( in this case small women).

(It is my understanding that the mounting pt could not be adjusted on the 04/05 AC4s)


I usually can't reveal too many of our ideas, but the odds of this happening are pretty low, unfortunately. As it is, 193 is such a specific ski that is costs a lot to build and doesn't sell many, so making an even more specific size doesn't make a lot of financial sense.

I understand.

Probably end up going the custom route when I replace the Sanouks.

[upallnight]

The red bases are cool. White...pffft.

Gotta say that when I saw the first pics of the 06/07 Volkl line, I was underwhelmed when I saw the Gotama...I think they got it so right in the 05/06 version (and the prior 2 years both looked good to my eye, too).

However, someone was rocking them in the Tram line today...and in person I thought they looked pretty great.

I also liked the looks of the tamed twin; the only flaw with the 05/06 (in my opinion) was that the twin was way too big.

How they ski is the biggest question, natch.

I didn't expect to like 'em so much in person.

[bossass]

Gotta say that when I saw the first pics of the 06/07 Volkl line, I was underwhelmed when I saw the Gotama...I think they got it so right in the 05/06 version (and the prior 2 years both looked good to my eye, too).

However, someone was rocking them in the Tram line today...and in person I thought they looked pretty great.

I also liked the looks of the tamed twin; the only flaw with the 05/06 (in my opinion) was that the twin was way too big.

How they ski is the biggest question, natch.

I didn't expect to like 'em so much in person.

183 2007 Gots are fun as shit. I have 05/06 190s and I might need to pick up some 183s to replace my 179 Made'ns. And, yes, while I am partial to the ninja black, the white with red bases looks way better in person.

[extreeski]

This year I've loved my mantras. They've skied pow, deep and deeper pow, crud, groomed pow, deep heavily cut up crud, and everything in between. I've been able to adjust turn radii at will and effortlessly.

I just got an 05/06 gotama to complement the mantras. (Mantras are really meant to be my touring ski and I want to save them for that purpose.) Anyone for a tour up at hood this week?

But funds wouldn't let me buy two pairs at once. Now that I have a quiver of three, 183 Gots will be my in-bounds, sidecountry (read south and northback etc...) pow pow ski.

[skimasterflex]

I may regret doing this, but I guess it's my turn to chime in here.

1) Sidecut. Yes, there is more sidecut on the 0607, but we're not talking a huge change here, folks. The net change in sidecut radius is slightly less than 1m per size. More importantly, we really feel that it is an improvement. The ski has received good reviews from almost everybody that has skied it during the trade show/mag test season, including the POWDER editorial staff last week at JH.




I skied them at on snow in Mammoth this year and I couldn't agree more with the changes. Whatever you did the new got stole the show in my mind. I skied it toward the end of the first day and I was starting to feel the six hours and eight skis I had already skied, it was cooling off and the chunder was setting up. I skied the 183cm and I am 6' 200lbs and it destroyed. I would definitely go with the 190cm for myself but No other ski that short could impress me that much this year, except maybe the Nordica Jet Fuel but for TGR purposes that doesn't count because it's under a 90mm waist :biggrin:

I don't care where you make it, and white is really the new black people. Two thumbs up for the new Gotama. I don't work for them either, in fact I haven't been a fan of many of their skis for a couple years now. Ever since they stripped all the metal out of their line they all felt way too glassy. I'm stoked on next years line because the metal is back.

[bagtagley]

The issue w/ white topsheets isn't style (well, for me at least), it's the fact that they'll be unpossible-er to find if lost.

[stuckathuntermtn]

oooooh 07/08.
ugh, i new k2 buying volkl would mean bad things. but both companies do make nice skis, i just wish they weren't made in a country with no ski industry

[descender]

I did find it interesting that given his level of skiing (godlike) and size, he felt the 183 was more than enough ski.



I got some 183s this year cause there were no 190s left. I have the 190s also. I prefer the 183s 90% of the time. They rule. Sometimes I wish I had more float in untracked light snow, but I think I will get something wider for that anyway. Big thumbs up on the 183s from a previous 190 ex/got lover.

[contender]

Will the 197 be available in Europe too? I just mailed my dealer in Germany that already has 183;190 in the 06/07 version and they said no 197 exist. Im skiing the 190 05/06 right now and I like it, but considering im quite tall I think I would benefit from the 197.

And is it completely impossible to buy a new pair of sanouks in europe?

And a last question, on the Whistler demo days, why no Völkl? Whistler should be a big market for good powder skis? I see a good deal of Sumo,Sanuoks and Gotama here.

[HitMe]

Don't get me wrong, I like medium and soft flex skis, that's not really my complaint. My favourite skis are the elan 777 and the supercharger blower. But they are both torsionally strong and very stable at speed. Before that I had G4s which were also fairly stable. I just found the Mantra became very easy to overski at the speed or aggression levels that things usually get fun. They were definitely not a confident ski at very high speeds. I think it's more integral than just length, I think it's the overall design of the ski. But they were fine at cruising to moderately fast speeds, I just expected more out of them. That's just my opinion.

I also think its an intergral part of the design (specifically the wider tip), but at the same time I consider the Mantra a more all round ski (read more in my comment in this post: http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49539&page=2 ). I would actually go so far as to say the Mantra is a better designed ski since it gives us great performance and ease of use (won't go into details here, nor do I consider strength). The point is that the Explosive is a ski without compomises and as such easier to design. Make no mistake, I love the Explosives and will never sell mine, but I definitely see myself skiing it less and less since I can negotiate the Mantra in Explosive territory with some extra concentration while the Mantra does a couple of things for me that the Explosive just cant do. So, unless I'm in for a whole day of "Explosive specific" skiing, I suppose the Mantra will be my ski of choice (and this will keep my Explosives fresh for a longer time too...). It might be worth noting that I am a light (150lbs/68kg, but a pretty strong and aggressive) skier though (on the other hand I've used the 184 Mantra).

One thing that may be overlooked here is that the Explosives (at least 02-03) had their recomended mounting point a full 6 centimeters behind that of the Mantra. There has been lots of debate about Mantra mounting, but I'm pretty confident in that is skiis better rear mounted, say 2cms (this is still a whopping 4cms ahead of the Explosive). I suspect lots of people that bashes the Mantra and thinks it skiis shorter/smaller than the length indicates (or compared to Explosives) have it mounted on the mark. I'm not saying the Mantra would ski good mounted 6cm behind (you will get problems controlling the tip probably) but mounting point IS something to consider here. It would be interesting to know how for example addict had his skis mounted.

By the way, I until recently also considered the (198) G4/G41 to be a great all round ski. After having skied the Mantra (and some others) I now think its seriously dated (only the 168 G4 is still fun for small hills and groomers). I don't think its my pair that has gone bad, simply that ski design has moved on.

[Magnoe]

Being very, very restricted by money, the only Gotamas I could score this year were in the 176 length. Somebody gave me a great deal on used Gots with bindings, but I was really concerned about the length. All the 183 lengths that were sold kept going outside of my budget. Well, at 172 lbs, I can't believe the float I get. I would like to have the 183 length but when beggers can't be choosers, even the 176 does a great job.

ahhh. It feels so good to admit that. I feel like I'm at an A.A. meeting.

Me: "Hi, my name is Magnoe"
Everyone: "Hi, Magnoe"
Me: "I'm here to admit I ski on 176 Gotamas. The first step to recovery is admitting I have a problem".

Anyway, I love the Gots and eagerly await the day I could afford them in a longer length.

[Schmear]

Ugh, white? :nonono2: Just when I was getting ready to buy some Gotamas...

[waxman]

"i just wish they weren't made in a country with no ski industry"
supposedly there are 200+ ski resorts being built in China over the next couple of years

[burny]

i skied the 0607 gotama a little this season and i loved it. i have the 0506 model at the moment, its my contest and everyday ski. to choose between the gotama 0607 and the 0606 i'd take the 0607 because it feels much better. a little stiffer, better profiled nose so it floats better, i guess the change in sidecut was made due to the stiffness but it really turns great without feeling sloppy or nervous while skiing fast.
so, the ski is ordered for me for the next season and if i dont manage to build a bombproof ski myself until then it will become my contestski.
yea, length must be 190, anything below that is useless (im 177cm and wheight about 70kg, i have no idea about the hight but i guess those are 145lbs … exracer). maybe the 197 version would go even more stable at high speeds.
critics:
-the tail is still useless … who needs that? my guess: marketing … and besides, my skins slipped off it. (BD sts, they usually stick to everything). why dont you make some kind of buttcrack to be able to fix the skins into?
-if i had the money i would prefer a birdos: puderluder. but as the völkl are kinda cheap for me i go with those.
please change: the tail … even though i seldomly use them for touring, sometimes i click in my securefix an have a little walk, the tail is really a pain in the ass to fix the skins on.
produce the 197 version!!!! long=speed
switch back to straubing … so i can just get them there and i dont have to wait until they deliver from china …


edit: mistakes … probably still many …