Whether you say “ree-volt” or “revolt”, the Volkl Revolt family has been a staple in our staffers’ quivers. You’ll find many skiers on the 104 day to day out here in Colorado, with the 121 coming out more often than you’d imagine for such a wide ski. The 114 made a splash for folks with a more directional style. But, between the metal laminate chargers in their line and the more playful Revolt and Blaze series, Volkl felt like they were missing something. The elusive playful charger, in an all-mountain chassis. Enter: the Volkl Revolt 101. When we first saw this ski in December, we thought this might cause some buzz. We break down who it’s for, where it excels, and where it doesn’t in our Volkl Revolt 101 review.
Volkl Revolt 101 Review: Field Notes
The Volkl Revolt 101 is a brand new ski to the Revolt line. It doesn’t replace any existing ski in the line already, just a new addition. The best way to conceptualize the lineup is if the Revolt 104 is the little sibling to the 121 (more playful, more symmetrical rocker and shapes), the new Revolt 101 is the little sibling to the 114. You’ll recognize the directional, squared-off, pin-shaped tail with minimal taper.
Volkl also used the same core in the 114. Where the 104 and 121 have softer flexes (especially at the front and backends of the ski), the Revolt 101 and 114 are a little stiffer, especially right underfoot and in the tail. You get all the fixings from Volkl on the tech side, with their multilayer woodcore, 3D Radius Sidecut. The Revolt line is unisex, so you’ll find just one model in the lengths they offer. Here’s the other specs:
Sizes: 168, 175, 182, 189
Weight: 2,000 grams/ski (182 cm)
Radius: 19m (182 cm)
Dimensions: 133-101-115
I’m 5’8″ and 135 lbs, and I ski the 175cm. I’m pretty happy on this length; it is a little on the long side in tight terrain, but thanks to the ample tip rocker, it feels pretty easy to initiate turns. I tend to like skis on the longer side, so this suits me well. But, someone who likes something more true to size or is concerned about length in tight terrain, can happily ski a shorter length without concern for stability.
I’ve tested the ski at Vail early season along with a few days at Loveland this spring. As the owner of a beloved Volkl Secret/Mantra 102, I’ll make some comparisons below. I’ve also included some feedback from our amazing staffers who hopped on this ski at our annual Ski Test.
Groomers
Living solidly in the wide all-mountain category, we expect a ski like this to carve adequately. And boy, is the Revolt 101 adequate. This ski feels locked into turns. You tilt, it holds. I was super impressed with the stability at speed, and the ski feels quite planted. No real chatter throughout the ski, or at the tip where there’s substantial rocker. The planted ride keeps it from feeling super lively, but for a skier who likes a smooth ride, the box is easily ticked.
I feel silly for wording it like this, but there’s no better way to say this: I just like how it turns. You don’t feel yanked into a certain turn shape. It flows steadily from one turn to the next and accepts a different turn shape if you’ve got solid pressure up front. I think that’s part 3D Radius Sidecut (I sort of like how all Volkls turn), and part the blend of taper and rocker they have at the tip. The Revolt feels significantly more intuitive than the metal laminate all-mountain option in the Mantra.
Despite the lack of metal, Volkl did a great job making this ski feel torsionally rigid. It supports steeper edge angles and feels predictable throughout the whole ski. Sometimes we ride skis right around ~100 that feel more narrow or wider, but this feels right on the money. It’s not hyper nimble like an Atomic Maverick, but not as sluggish as a Mantra 102 or Enforcer 104.
Matt: Rails carves like Volkl should. That directional tail really helps the skis track and remain nimble yet supportive.
Bumps and Trees
Getting into tighter terrain, the Revolt 101 will ask for a little more attention. The directional shape and stiffer construction require you to be a bit more heads-up when taking tight turns. But, without heavy metal, and with a relatively progressive mount point and rocker profile, the Revolt 101 isn’t a total tank. We thought it navigated tight lines well, and feels quite intuitive off-piste just as much as on-piste.
I was out on a frighteningly firm morning this spring, with very frozen bumps. The Revolt doesn’t fully shock absorb the terrain like a heavy metal ski will. But, it does stay extremely predictable, and just about as stable as I could hope for in conditions like that. It also has the added benefit of being easier to ski. Sometimes skis with lots of metal in them can feel a bit cumbersome at slow speeds, and when you want to ski slow (because conditions, your fear, whatever) necessitate it, the ski feels like more work than what you need. The Revolt shines here by being very solid and planted at slow speeds, but also intuitive to turn and get around tight terrain.
The shape works well here. I felt like I could easily swivel the skis around when I needed. The nice rocker at the tail helps get the ski where you need it to be and feels playful in that way, but the stiffer flex and directional shape help it hold when you need it. It somehow reads your mind and responds accordingly.
At the same time, this is no progressive twin tip. The Revolt 104, for example, will be happier to get sideways and take quicker pivots with less work on the skier’s part. Something like the ARV/ARW 100 or Rossi’s new Sender Free 100 will also offer more energy and a more dynamic ride.
JB: Stable, but snappy in tight terrain. Really has a progressive flex on the tips, but the tails hold well despite all the rocker. Strong when needed, playful when not. It’s a do-it-all weapon for those 9 to 5ers with a wild side.
Powder and Mixed Snow
We haven’t gotten to ski the Revolt 101 in true powder, but certainly plenty of mixed snow. We’ll update here when we get this ski into some deeper snow, but with the tip profile and taper, I have no doubt that this ski will feel surfy in untracked snow.
But let’s be real. Most things ski pretty well in powder. The real story is how it skis in the choppy snow. I’ve been riding this ski mostly this spring, so I’ve gotten my fair share of variable snow. At Loveland, patrol has been able to open Porcupine Ridge this year. I knew that a lap up there would be the finest test of a ski I could find. Porcupine is a northwest-facing ridge that sees about as much wind as the top of Everest, so there’s plenty of wind drifts and funky layers if there’s no fresh snow.
Despite the lack of metal in this ski, I was beyond impressed with how the ski tracked through the funky snow. It planes really nicely, feels planted and predictable. If I trusted the ski and kept pushing through rough snow, it stayed smooth and reliable. In big-mountain terrain, this ski also feels like it can fully open up for longer turns. It’s a solid platform and feels confidence-inspiring at speed. I think the stiffer, directional tail helps provide support at the rear of the ski and makes holding turns feel solid. That’s all you can really ask for in big-mountain terrain, right?
That said, the low-slung, deep rocker helps you pick your way through tighter terrain, too. The ski can get sideways, and you can easily shut it down when you need it to. Like I mentioned above, the ski doesn’t feel overly burly at slower speeds, and you can easily get this ski around terrain with a forward stance.
At the same time, it doesn’t have the “crud-busting” feel of a metal ski. The tip has a progressive flex, which is great in helping provide some suspension through the front of the ski, but can provide a little bit of deflection in refrozen crud. But if it’s at all soft, the ski pushes and cuts through snow smoothly.
Downsides?
More often than not, around here, downsides are more trade-offs than negatives. It’s all about what you prioritize.
I wouldn’t call the Revolt 101 particularly energetic or lively. Other skis in this waist width give you more rebound when coming out of a turn. A Blizzard Rustler 10, Dynastar M Free 100, or the Sender Free 100 are skis with a bit more backbone than a softer ski, but have higher camber and more pop than the Revolt 101. But, I do find all those quite a bit more loose. They have more tail rocker or splay, and just don’t carve quite at the same level as the Revolt. If you really value that pop out of a turn, I think you’ll miss some things from this ski.
The Revolt also isn’t loaded with metal. A Nordica Enforcer 99, Volkl Mantra 102, or Kastle Paragon 101 will have more heft, but require more input to ski. In turn, these skis are planted and can feel heavy. The swing weight on the Revolt is pretty light, compared to these other skis. Even though it’s right around 2,000 grams (which is a great weight to push through rough snow), it feels pretty flickable and easier to maneuver in the air. If you’re dealing with a lot of firm snow conditions or know you prioritize the crud-buster aspect of it all, you could consider something with more heft.
Volkl Revolt 101 Review: Bottom Line
The Volkl Revolt 101 ranks highly for new skis we’re excited about for the 2025-2026 season. It’s just good. Balanced and well-rounded, with a high ceiling of performance and a relatively unique feeling ride in a world where skis start to feel very similar.
We think it works best for the folks who like to ski with a directional style, but want something with a little more fun and a little less gas. It will absolutely rail harder carves and harder turns through mixed snow if that’s your jam. But it has just enough rocker, taper, and a balanced core that lets you drift around or wiggle through tight terrain. It slots pretty perfectly in that “playful charger” category.
Justin: The Revolt 101 is an ideal blend of playful jibbiness and a stable, turny carver. Shrinking down the 114 shape to a narrower footprint makes for a more directional ride than the Revolt 104, without sacrificing much versatility at all. Great daily driver for the skier out west who favors a playful ride.
