2025 Blizzard Rustler 9

The current Rustler 9 from Blizzard isn’t a little bit better than its predecessor; it’s much, much better than its namesake. Among its myriad changes is a slight boost in its overall width, which tipped the new Rustler 9 into the hotly competitive All-Mountain West genre. Instead of slipping in the standings, it rose from a middle-of-the-pack position among All-Mountain East models to near the top of the All-Mountain West category. No other new ski in the 2023/24 season made as great a leap up the performance ladder as the Rustler 9. When all criteria are considered, the Rustler 9 remains a Finesse ski, but only by the slimmest of margins. It’s still a forgiving, easily steered ski, but it now has a reserve power supply accessible to any skier who can lay it on edge. A great all-terrain ski has to be able to smear or carve on command, a trick the Rustler 9 has down cold. The tip is strong and connected enough to engage at the top of the turn, but the ski can also find the edge by smearing sideways, then tipping the ski so the edge latches onto a carve midway through the turn. This facility at finding an edge anywhere along a mid-radius arc is one of the qualities that distinguish the best all-terrain skis from the also-rans. If a single sobriquet could capture the essence of the Rustler 9, it would be “balanced.” Balanced between its facility at short turns or long. Balanced in its flex pattern. Balanced in its aptitude for handling adverse snow conditions. Balanced in its appetite for speed: it’s not trying to break the sound barrier, but it won’t wobble at any speed that’s safe in the resort environment. While it remains essentially a Finesse ski, the new Rustler 9 excels at all aspects of high performance, all-terrain skiing.