Völkl Rise Beyond 96 Review: A Lightweight Touring Ski for Long Days Out

Introduction

Touring skis are always a negotiation. Every gram saved on the way up tends to be paid back on the way down, and the shape that makes a ski effortless on the climb rarely makes it feel planted at speed. The Völkl Rise Beyond 96 sits firmly on the uphill side of that trade, and it is refreshingly honest about it.

This is a touring-specific design with a waist in the mid-90s, a milled lightweight wood core, and a build that prioritizes efficient travel over aggressive descending. For skiers whose days are measured in vertical metres and hours rather than laps, that focus makes a lot of sense.

Who the Völkl Rise Beyond 96 Is For

The clearest way to understand this ski is to look at how its dimensions behave in real terrain. A mid-90s waist is a genuinely versatile zone for backcountry touring: it keeps agility, maneuverability and access to varied terrain intact, without locking you into one kind of snow. Go much wider and the ski becomes more specialized for wide open spaces. Go much narrower and you drift toward packed-out snow and more limited conditions.

That balance points toward a specific rider. This ski suits people who want to log more miles, spend longer days out, and cover ground on point-to-point tours rather than chasing a single lap. Multi-day outings and backcountry camping trips, where you are out in the mountains for an extended stretch, are exactly the scenarios this shape was built around.

Main Strengths: Lightweight Touring Efficiency

The headline number is the weight. The 177cm length comes in at 1,235 grams, which is remarkably light for a ski of this width. That figure is the result of a multi-layer wood core that has sections milled out from the bottom, removing material while keeping the structure intact.

Cap construction contributes to both durability and weight savings, and the overall package is a very efficient climber. If your priority is covering distance and conserving energy on the ascent, that efficiency is the whole point.

Uphill Grip and Skin Compatibility

The profile is deliberately traditional. There is tip rocker up front with a tapered shape, and the tail is almost entirely flat, with only the tiniest bit of splay at the very back. That flat tail is not an accident: paired with the skin attachment, it helps the skin sit flat against the snow, which translates into better grip and less sliding backwards on steep, firm skin tracks.

Skin attachment points at both the tip and the tail reinforce the touring intent, and the front shaping is noticeably easier to handle in softer snow than some of the brand’s other 96mm designs. The ski reads as purpose-built for going uphill rather than as an all-mountain ski with touring hardware bolted on.

How It Compares to Other 96mm Skis

Waist width alone does not tell you much about how a ski behaves, and this is a good example. Other 96mm skis in the same family, such as the Mantra or the Revolt 96, use very different front shaping. The Rise Beyond 96 is decidedly the easier, softer-snow-oriented option of the group, and it is the one with touring-specific features like the skin attachment at the tip.

If you are cross-shopping within the 96mm category, the deciding question is not the number on the waist but how much of your day you plan to spend climbing. This ski answers that question in favour of the ascent.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The trade-off is real and worth stating plainly. That low weight costs you on the back end in terms of downhill performance. There are better hybrid options available if what you really want is a strict downhill-oriented ski that can occasionally tour, rather than a touring ski that can occasionally descend well.

The good news is that the design includes a few thoughtful reinforcements: a binding retention plate underfoot, plus a little added material through the forebody and tail. Those touches add stability and dampness when you are skiing, so the ski does not feel like a pure climbing tool once you point it downhill.

If your typical day is one lift-assisted lap or a short sidecountry mission, this probably is not the ski for you. If your days are longer and your goals are further out, the calculation flips.

Bindings, Mounting, and Setup

Because the ski uses a dedicated binding retention plate underfoot, mounting a touring binding is straightforward and the reinforcement is where you want it. The extra material in the forebody and tail works alongside the plate, giving the ski a bit more composure underfoot than its weight would otherwise suggest.

Setup is where you can tilt the experience in your favour. Keep the build light to preserve the climbing advantage you paid for, and pair the ski with a binding that matches your touring ambitions rather than one that adds unnecessary mass.

Buying Advice

Buy this ski for the right reason. The Rise Beyond 96 is an excellent choice if you are into longer tours, multi-day outings and point-to-point routes, and if you value efficient climbing, low weight and predictable handling in softer snow over maximum downhill performance.

If you are weighing it against a heavier hybrid, be honest about the ratio of up to down in your season. Riders who spend most of their time ascending will find the weight and skin grip more valuable than the descent compromise costs them. Riders who mostly want to charge downhill should look at a more descent-focused option instead.

Conclusion

The Völkl Rise Beyond 96 does one job very well: it makes long days in the backcountry easier. A mid-90s waist keeps it versatile across snow depths, the milled wood core and cap construction bring the 177cm length down to 1,235 grams, and the flat tail with tip and tail skin attachments keeps grip solid on the climb.

It is not a downhill specialist, and it does not pretend to be. For skiers whose ambitions run toward longer tours, multi-day trips and covering more ground, that clarity of purpose is exactly what makes it worth considering.