Volkl Revolt 114

[Bandit Man]

Finally got out on my 2024 Revolt 114's in some softer conditions, so I thought I would capture my initial impressions. The TL/DR is that they line up pretty well with the Blister Gear review. Also, I decided to start a dedicated thread since I hate scrolling through pages of banter to find relevant info about a specific ski. Yeah, I know this is TGR, but what's so bad about raising the bar a bit? I also skied my 186 Black Ops 118's the later half of the day, so I'll compare those as appropriate.

Initial Impressions Review

Ski: 2024 Volkl Revolt 114 - 184-cm length
Binding and Mount: Look Pivot 14 mounted at recommended
Boot: Tecnica Cochise 130 Dyn
Skier Info: 5' 8", 200-lbs.;Not as skilled as many here, better than most gapers at the local hill on any given day.

Location and Conditions: Stevens Pass, WA; 6+ inches of fresh medium density snow on top of a hard, spring base. Some wind loaded pockets were deeper. Lots of opportunity to evaluate performance in "soft variable" conditions.

Groomers - With the sensor-wood core and 19-m sidecut underfoot, I hoped that these would be decent on groomers. Turns out, they are among the most comfortable and capable 110-mm+ waist skis I've tried. Skis like the OG Rustler 11 and Enforcer 110 would be slightly better. Bombing the freshly groomed Skyline was actually enjoyable. Stable at speed and confidence inspiring when edges are engaged. The only caveat is that you need to stay in the middle of the ski. That tapered tail is stiff, but doesn't do a ton to help turn if you get lazy.

I skied my 186 Black Ops 118's later in the day. I'd say that the BO118's is "quieter" on the groomers, but that the Revolt 114 is a more natural carver. Both are good/above average for wider skis, but the edge goes to the Revolt.

Powder - It wasn't super deep, but as one would expect, these are happiest in soft snow. As others have shared, they have a very directional feel, but also pivot and smear so easily. Happy to slash at will. When I had room, they were stable at speed and floated easily. Nice balance of charging and playful-ish. Based on some other video and online reviews, I expected them to feel like a lot ski, which really wasn't the case. Quite intuitive and tend to seek the fall-line. I was comfortable on them in both tight quarters and open spaces. I'd love to try them in deeper conditions, but am encouraged with soft snow performance so far.

Between the BO118 and Revolt 114, both felt great. The Revolt skied looser/was eaiser to pivot in pow where they BO118 floated a bit better.

Soft Chop/Soft Variable - The Revolts handled these conditions well. They are a pretty heavy and stiff ski, so it's not surprising. I could let them run and they would push through and not get deflected. The pivoty tail allowed me to change direction quickly to avoid more set up/denser patches.

Again, bot skis did well in the soft chop/variable, but the BO118 wins out. The added mass and mute out everything nature of the BO118 is unmatched. The Revolt is capable and fun in these conditions, but not quite as damp and thy require a bit more input from the skier.

Firm Variable - I'd say that the Revolt 114 is above average in firm variable conditions, especially for a ski without metal. I found that if I throttled back a bit, I was able to handle these conditions just fine, but I'm not sure if that is a limitation of the ski or me. They didn't suck here, but some may think that they transfer a bit more feedback than desired. It was in firm variable where I was exposed to the less than forgiving aspects of the tail. Get in the backseat and get spanked. Happened once on a steep pitch and that was enough for me to focus on staying forward. That tail will be a welcome aspect for some who want that kind of firmer rearward support when maching through crap snow of dropping big airs. YMMV

As far as the comparison goes with the BO118, same comments as the section above, the BO118 is the winner.

Bumps - The Revolt was quite manageable in bumps. Again, the stiffer tail can be an issue if you get pushed in the backseat, but the 184 was easy to snake through firm, steep, bumps.

While the BO118 is more damp and mutes out vibrations, the Revolt felt easier to manage in the bumps. I suspect that the lower overall weight and swing-weight of the Revolt was a factor here.

Final Thoughts

The Revolt was a much more versatile ski than I would have expected. It's Volkl heritage shines through in it's stiffer flex and damp feel. The directional but loose feel should make more "traditional" skiers happy. I look forward to taking them to someplace like Whistler-Blackcomb where you get steeps and varied conditions up top, but lots of groomers to get back to the lifts.

I'm a really big fan of the BO118 and really enjoyed their strengths as more chop and varied conditions showed up later in the day. However, I had more "fun" on the Revolt, as the lower swing-weight, directional nature and pivoty/loose feel urges you to ski in creative and fun ways. I only wish I would have picked up a pair earlier in the season as there are a lot of days this year they would have been the perfect call.

[phatty]

Why do you have to keep making me want to buy more skis!

[1000-oaks]

Awesome post, any more comparisons to Enforcer 110?

How does the R114 differ from K108, besides obviously being looser and a more forward mount?

Skied Wrenegade 108 today and appreciated the looseness in fresh soft, but missed that Volkl carve getting back to the lift. It's hard to give it up.

[jacob_dbu]

I've skied the Revolt 114 several days this year. Agree with everything BanditMan said. I usually ski ON3Ps and comparatively I found the Volkls to be less damp, more feedback through firm is very much true. But on the flip side, they are a very dialed ski on the groomers unlike ON3P (sorry it's true...). I agree that Whistler or a place like Palisades is the ideal spot for the Revolt 114.

They feel a bit like a Moment Wildcat (torsional stiffness / feel) x ON3P Woodsman (shape and slarvability) x traditional Volkl.

[Bandit Man]

I've skied the Revolt 114 several days this year. Agree with everything BanditMan said. I usually ski ON3Ps and comparatively I found the Volkls to be less damp, more feedback through firm is very much true. But on the flip side, they are a very dialed ski on the groomers unlike ON3P (sorry it's true...). I agree that Whistler or a place like Palisades is the ideal spot for the Revolt 114.

They feel a bit like a Moment Wildcat (torsional stiffness / feel) x ON3P Woodsman (shape and slarvability) x traditional Volkl.

Totally agree with your take on these. I like your Wildcat/Woodsman/Traditional Volkl mashup. I kept thinking about my old 190 Bibby Pro while skiing the Revolt. Definitely some similarities but with that Volkl feel. And ON3P’s do suck on groomers. No arguments there.

[Bosco]

I have a pair still in plastic if anyone is intererested. Given it's the end of season and sales going on I'm not sure what is an acceptatble price. I'm open to offers. Although I'm still interested in skiing these and have binding ready to go.

[jacob_dbu]

Totally agree with your take on these. I like your Wildcat/Woodsman/Traditional Volkl mashup. I kept thinking about my old 190 Bibby Pro while skiing the Revolt. Definitely some similarities but with that Volkl feel. And ON3P’s do suck on groomers. No arguments there.

I’ve owned the 2020+ Wildcat 108 and 118 always found the Wildcats to be too planky for Washington snow. Especially when it comes to floating over manky soft chop. I always struggled a bit with tip dive. They are great in Utah / Colorado and absolutely rip groomers. The Volkl seems to find a nice balance.

Though I have mixed opinions on the topsheet…sometimes I love it sometimes I hate it. Wildcats have some of my favorite topsheets.

[MNazWIcoWA]

I’ve owned the 2020+ Wildcat 108 and 118 always found the Wildcats to be too planky for Washington snow. Especially when it comes to floating over manky soft chop. I always struggled a bit with tip dive. They are great in Utah / Colorado and absolutely rip groomers. The Volkl seems to find a nice balance.

Though I have mixed opinions on the topsheet…sometimes I love it sometimes I hate it. Wildcats have some of my favorite topsheets.

I have the Praxis MVP 108 (very similar to the Wildcat) and agree with the planky feel and it not being the best for WA snow. The ON3P Jeffrey 100 I was on recently were definitely an upgrade with regards to dealing with that type of snow, but were laughably poor on icy, hard pack, groomers, etc. I've most enjoyed the DW 104 and 112 for WA snow, which I attribute to the triple camber. I even felt Moment's Chipotle Banana was better than the Jeff 100 all over the mountain. For it being 122 underfoot and full rocker I could still rail a groomer and get some grip on icy steeps.

[beeeom]

Great post!

How would the revolt compare to a Billy Goat? I'm super revolt curious, but I just can't shake my fave ol' 2014 Billy Goats...

[jacob_dbu]

Great post!

How would the revolt compare to a Billy Goat? I'm super revolt curious, but I just can't shake my fave ol' 2014 Billy Goats...

Bandit will be able to give you a better answer (don’t you have like a billion pairs?) but I’d say they float nearly as well, but they are more progressive of a mount point.

From what I remember skiing a Billy goat is that it’s a -9ish mount and you pressure the tips quite a bit except when you ease off you can slash really easily. I’d say the Volkl prefers a more centered stance but can still tolerate some tip pressure due to the excellent float.

[Qilimanjaro]

Why do you have to keep making me want to buy more skis!

This

[Bandit Man]

Bandit will be able to give you a better answer (don’t you have like a billion pairs?) but I’d say they float nearly as well, but they are more progressive of a mount point.

From what I remember skiing a Billy goat is that it’s a -9ish mount and you pressure the tips quite a bit except when you ease off you can slash really easily. I’d say the Volkl prefers a more centered stance but can still tolerate some tip pressure due to the excellent float.

There are definite similarities between BG’s and Revolts from a shape and rocker profile. At first glance, sitting side by side, the Revolt kind of looks like Volkl’s attempt at making a BG. That being said, the BG skis more damp and my take is that makes them a bit more forgiving. I’d also say that the BG is going to be a bit looser in the tail, especially in dense, coastal snow. I haven’t tried the Revolt in those conditions yet, so that’s a bit of deduction on my part.

Please note, I did NOT just say that they ski or feel exactly like a Billy Goat. Just that there are some similarities. Time will tell how accurate that sentiment is. I do believe that the Revolt is a more versatile and well rounded ski of the two. Kind of like a hybrid Big Mountain/Pow ski that does everything pretty well, as long as you stay on top of them.


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[kid-kapow]

At first glance, sitting side by side, the Revolt kind of looks like Volkl’s attempt at making a BG.

yeah - this has always been my take on that ski too, though I have not skied them - I moved my pair on before skiing them.

They kinda seem like the answer to the question "what happens if you take a BG, replaces the RES with standard sidecut, replaces the bamboo with poplar/beech, modify the front taper lines to give them a more engaging bigger Volkl style tip and increase the taper in the rear while also increasing the rocker depth out bak". So seemingly a more carvy yet very loose and capable freeride ski.

The design looked a bit off to me - very deep rocker lines mated with a lot of taper in the rear with a really wide shovel up front - which is the main reason I moved them on. They just did not seem like the ski that would make me sell my BGs. But, they do look fun though and yes, I am still debating if I should get myself a pair to try them

I mounted my new BG without RES clones aka Volkl Revolt 114s today, put them next to my BGs and Lotus117, did not terribly like the shape of the nose / taper points up front (they look turny and not as good at cutting through stuff (wider shovels, narrower waist) and then decided to keep the other two. I meant to take a side by side r114 vs BG pic, but forgot to.

I know I moan a lot about the hard snow prowess of BG, but man - the 2016 version's shape is so dialed outside of that one performance requirement.

And yeah, the asym and 182 outgoing BG118 are super nice as well.

dammit - I am looking forward to getting some time on my BGs and C&Ds

Edit to add the pics
Attachment 475903Attachment 475904Attachment 475905
The taper lines on the R114 is a bit different than the other two out back, just like the BG is the happy medium in terms of taper up front. The tails have less splay on both the Revolts and Lotus117s than the BG

compared to the BG:

Attachment 379629

[milkman]

Thanks for the review BM. Much appreciated. The 114 is on my short list to replace my Rustler 11 next year. I’m just torn between 184 and 191. I’m on the R11 in 188, and sometimes find myself wanting a bit more ski, but the Revolt 114 seems to be more of a charger, so 184 might be ok? I’m 6ft 180lb and pretty much only ski Whistler. I have a 184 Mantra 102 for low snow conditions too…..


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[MNazWIcoWA]

Thanks for the review BM. Much appreciated. The 114 is on my short list to replace my Rustler 11 next year. I’m just torn between 184 and 191. I’m on the R11 in 188, and sometimes find myself wanting a bit more ski, but the Revolt 114 seems to be more of a charger, so 184 might be ok? I’m 6ft 180lb and pretty much only ski Whistler. I have a 184 Mantra 102 for low snow conditions too…..


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I have yet to get on the Revolt 114, but I wouldn't want to be on less than the 184 at my height of 5'9" and weight of 173-174lbs. It is definitely a described as burly, traditional freeride ski, which is exactly why you should not opt to go short. Its made for open bowls and big lines i.e. freeride-type skiing.

[SkiJitsu]

I just picked up a pair of the 184 Revolt 114's and was pretty surprised how close the shape and rocker profile was to my 187 Billygoat 118's.

The forum won't let me add photos anymore but here's a side by side photo:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L-l...ew?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1y_l...ew?usp=sharing

[chicken feathers]

I grabbed a pair of 191’s. Weigh in 2468g and 2476g. Trying to figure out where I will mount them…most likely will end up at recommended, but I was contemplating -1cm or so at first glance. They’re different than the traditional Volkl’s I’m used to. Replacing 189 100eights mounted at plus 1cm.

[robnow]

I liked them forward, +1. Tried line, +1, +2. +2 felt good too but figure more tip float in soft so +1 was good compromise. I'm traditional to centred in stance, i.e. I like where BGs are at.

[kid-kapow]

just from owning a pair mounted at rec that I moved on before skiing, this seems like sound advice to me

... The Revolt 114 is the hardest charger of the group, a bit stubborn at slower speeds (at 175/5'8" I would mount it (the 184) +1.5 and detune the tips quite a bit)...

source

Their shape seemed a bit bit imbalenced to me mounted at rec standing next to pre-asym-BGs. I would def not go back - wouldn't that just make what people report to be a strong tail be even more so? The tips will provide ample float regardless, so I would not move back on that account.

[chicken feathers]

Appreciate the feedback. Makes me think recommended would be best for me then.

[jacob_dbu]

I have them and ski at recommended. It feels very dialed. I wouldn't move them, I doubt it would ski better. Between the pintail and big shovels I think moving the mount would definitely imbalance the ski.

[GoldenBC]

I’ve messed around with the mount and recommend on the recommended line.

[milkman]

Any real world feedback yet on 184 vs 191? I liked my old 186 Confessions and feel my 188 Rustler 11’s are very good but a bit undergunned (especially after the hill is a bit tracked out after a pow morn)…..Just a Whistler skier.


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[Bosco]

I still have a new, unmounted, pair of the 184's if anyone is interested.

[chicken feathers]

Any real world feedback yet on 184 vs 191? I liked my old 186 Confessions and feel my 188 Rustler 11’s are very good but a bit undergunned (especially after the hill is a bit tracked out after a pow morn)…..Just a Whistler skier.


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I’ve got 191’s to mount and ski. All I can say is
straight pull on the 191 is like 189.5 IIRC. Almost exact same length as 189 100Eights in my quiver.