Bushwacker
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The fact that the Firebird Comp can be coaxed into a long arc doesn’t mean it doesn’t prefer to zip in and out of turns to a faster beat. Its carvilicious tip likes to pull into a new turn more than its relatively narrow tail likes to hold onto it, so the Comp behaves like a turn-seeking missile. Mike from Granite Chief portrays his experience on the Firebird as “popping between turns like a pogo stick, yet it still held its own at speed,” Mike marvels. “Very snappy and responsive,” pens another Firebird fan. “I liked this one the most out of the Firebird series. “You gotta ski it, but a nice feel for that serious carving person. Rad!!”
Bonafide
The Blizzard Bonafide absolutely, positively doesn’t care about the prevailing snow conditions. It can transition from brittle corduroy to 18 inches of fresh without a hitch in its stride. It’s this chameleonesque character that makes the Bonafide a perennial contender for the title of best all-condition ski, end of story. The Bonafide is able to bully beat-up snow because in many respects it’s built like an Old School GS race ski, which was the powder tool of choice in the era just prior to the proliferation of fat skis. Last year the Bonafide was given a wee bit more shape, making its carving performance even crisper without detracting one iota from its drift-ability in gnarly old snow. Extraordinary performance is the product of insightful design and the quality of its execution; the Bonafide attests to Blizzard’s scrupulous attention to both.
Black Pearl 98
The tale of the Black Pearl 98 is instructive on several levels. On the construction front, this Pearl has been through several phases, including periods when it was a direct copy of a men’s model. It still uses the same tool as the unisex Bonafide – perhaps the greatest all-terrain ski ever – but Blizzard switched to a Women’s Specific Design (WSD) a couple of seasons ago. What’s notable is that the model that most closely matched the Bonafide was a flop, but the WSD Pearl 98 is so well-balanced women want to take it everywhere. The current Black Pearl 98’s became a couple of steps quicker last year when it adopted a tighter sidecut with an earlier contact point. Along with the weight savings from WSD, its new, deeper sidecut makes the Black Pearl 98 feel narrower and consequently quicker edge-to-edge.