by Jackson Hogen | Aug 31, 2018
The Völkl Kenja has been the go-to model for expert women for what seems like a generation of skiers. While the spotlight this season shines on the new Secret, the Kenja continues to offer elite performance for skilled skiers who are on the hill in all conditions. Despite its twin sheets of metal, the Kenja is a lively and nimble. Its mass is more bonus than liability, particularly when the snow is either very hard or very chopped-up, and always when charging the fall line. More than any other trait, it’s the Kenja’s stability in all conditions that give advanced to expert women the confidence to go for it, and less skilled ladies the opportunity to move into their league.
by Jackson Hogen | Aug 31, 2018
A superficial assessment of the new Völkl Secret based solely on its sidecut might conclude that’s it’s just a plumped-up Kenja with a millimeter more shape. But a well-made ski can never be reduced to just its dimensions, and the sister ski to the new M5 Mantra doesn’t take its cues from the Kenja or any other women’s ski extant. The differentiator is its Titanal Frame construction that uses .6mm stirrups of Titanal applied to the tip and tail, separated by an edge-to-edge .4mm mounting plate that lives between them. The more aggressive gals who charge the fall line are going to find the Secret a reliable companion that won’t hold them back, and its stability is a boon to those still polishing their skills.
by Jackson Hogen | Aug 31, 2018
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by Jackson Hogen | Aug 31, 2018
The Black Pearl 88 is the most popular women’s ski of its generation, but there’s a new gal in town itching for an off-trail showdown. The contender, the Sheeva 9, comes from another branch of the Blizzard model tree, one with a history of making softer off-trail skis that emphasize ease and liveliness over bulldozer strength. The Sheeva’s signature feature, dubbed D.R.T. for Dynamic Release Technology, is visible in outline just below the topskin. It’s a partial sheet of Titanal that’s edge to edge through the midsection and tapers to a narrow tab before reaching either end. D.R.T. allows the forebody to roll with punches delivered by off-trail terrain, leaving the reinforced middle to power its way through the rubble.
by Jackson Hogen | Aug 31, 2018
The Blizzard Brahma comes from a long line of off-piste skis that includes the wider Bonafide, Cochise and Bodacious. Its pedigree is pure off-piste. The addition of a dab more sidecut last season enhanced its hard snow chops, giving it an extra tug into the turn and more carve in its character. This small injection of carvability expanded its turn repertoire, but the Brahma remains essentially an off-trail ski wearing a corset. The most notable advantage of Blizzard’s Flip Core baseline is the rockered forebody never calls attention to itself as it goes about its job. A less touted blessing is the way Flip Core construction, like that used in the Brahma, opens up the envelope of skiers who can both enjoy it and benefit from it.
