The Völkl Deacon 74 is an incredible performance piste ski, but the Völkl Deacon 75 is a relatively new addition to the family. We wanted to see if this far cheaper brother could cut-it against its pricier sibling.
Deacon 75 / 75 Black & Deacon 74 / 74 Black
The Völkl Deacon 75 and Völkl Deacon 75 Black are the same skis, just in different colourways.
It’s the same with story with the Völkl Deacon 74 and Völkl Deacon 74 Black. The Völkl Deacon 74 is an incredible performance piste ski, but the Völkl Deacon 75 is a relatively new addition to the family.
You lose some tech
You don’t get the 3D glass fibre layer, found in the Deacon 74, or the tip mounted vibration dampener; UVO 3D.
Rather than Titanium, you get a steel layer in the Deacon 75. The beefy poplar and beech wood core is substituted for a combination of poplar wood and polyurethane. Do all of these changes mean you’re left with a soft noodle?
Not to spoil the surprise, but no, it doesn’t. The softer flex in the shovel and tail of the Deacon 75, combined with a little tip and tail rocker, means this ski’s a dream to initiate and release the turn.
There’s a whole load of grip underfoot for when you ramp up the edge angle and drive hard through the turn. This ski’s also a lot lighter than the Deacon 74 and Deacon 74 Black, keeping it nimble.
For intermediate to advanced skiers wanting to improve their skiing the Deacon 75 is a superb choice. Watch the video to see the full test and find out all you need to know.
Video transcript
I’ve just been on the new Völkl Deacon 75.
It’s very different to the Deacon 74. The construction’s changed on the ski so it hasn’t got the UVO, that sort of anti-vibration device.
It’s taken out a layer of the glass for reinforcement so it’s essentially a lot softer and a lot lighter than the Deacon 74. And you can really feel that, there’s a huge difference between the two skis.
This still has good power on the edge, good grip, but it does feel a lot lighter underfoot and you can feel that softness through the tip and the tail. So essentially I think this is a great ski for skiers that are looking to get into carving, they’re looking to develop their performance. It works really well, it’s very reactive ,high energy, but hasn’t got the absolute full power of something like the Deacon 74.
The other advantage with this change in construction is that it’s a lower price point as well so it’s much more accessible to more skiers.
How are we so confident in our appraisal of this ski?
Mark Jones, instructor trainer, member of the BASI demo team and one of the foremost ski instructors in Europe was on-hand. Watch the video for Mark’s full test report of the Völkl Deacon 75 and now it compares to the Deacon 74.
Mark is a BASI trainer, a director of ICE Val d’Isere, the official BASI training centre in Val d’Isere, France. Mark’s one of the most experienced ski testers out there. He’s been testing skis for major ski publication’s for over 15 years, and has tested around a thousand skis in this time. He’s an amazing instructor and trainer, with a wealth of ski knowledge, and a key part of the SkiKitInfo team.
Thanks to Völkl for letting us test their kit.
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Quoted Prices
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N/A means a price, or the product, was not available to us in that territory at the time of writing this article.
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