Blizzard’s Black Pearl 88 is the super-model of the women’s market, a mega-star that for the first time in the annals of ski sales sold more units in the U.S. than every other ski, men’s or women’s. The Black Pearl had been the anchor of Blizzard’s women’s line for several years when the brand rolled the dice and re-designed it 3 years ago. The switch to a Women’s Specific Design (WSD) was part of an umbrella initiative called Women to Women to create a community of women whose shared experiences could contribute to design directions. Anyone from a first-time ski buyer to a seasoned vet can hop on a Pearl 88 and have the time of her life. Noticeably light and silly-easy to turn, it’s easy to balance on for intermediates and a gas to cut loose on if for skiers that have the skills.
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.
What a lovely ski. This was the first season that Realskiers engaged with Liberty, catching the brand just as it debuted a new series of Frontside models with a fresh technical story. VMT stands for Vertical Metal Technology, a process that uses two strips of 5000-series aluminum alloy laid vertically between bamboo laminates that straddle the core’s centerline. Two full-length carbon sheets and a central carbon stringer create a powerful platform that’s reinforced with steel mounting plates. While other brands are busy trying to make their tips lighter, Liberty has tacked on metal tip and tail protectors that add mass and damping. Put it all together with a cambered baseline with just the slightest tip rocker and a 92mm waist and you have the V92.
The Amphibio 88 XTI’s scorecard looks like that of a straight-A+ student, with marks well above the field average in all criteria. Considering that this ski is clearly oriented to carving on a corduroy carpet in a genre that prioritizes versatility, it’s apparent that our testers didn’t care if the Amphibio 88 XTI was predisposed to carve; it was so damn silky and easy to steer, why wouldn’t it be a kick to ski in light pow, bumps and trees? Because of its intuitive ease of operation, neck-rein response to pressure and security on edge, we award the Amphibio XTI a Silver Skier Selection.
