2025 Blizzard Anomaly 88

The 88mm-waisted All-Mountain ski has become a permanent fixture in many major brand’s collections because it hits the sweetspot for the plurality of skiers who plan to deploy the same pair of skis day-in, day-out. It’s the archetype for a model that lives in the middle of a series, able to perform like a Frontside ski on groomers and magically morph into an off-piste crud buster when summoned to perform off-trail. Because every brand structures its line a little differently, an 88 can be the top model in a Frontside-focused series or the narrowest member of an all-terrain clan. Regardless of the angle one views it from, an 88mm-waisted ski is expected to excel. The Anomaly 88 inherited the slot in the Blizzard line previously occupied by the Brahma, and it continues to offer the same, all-the-turns-you-can-eat menu. Its relatively narrow tail won’t hang up in mutilated moguls, and it has enough surface area to float near the top of 18-inches of powder. It has sufficient power and agility to keep a skilled skier amused even when the off-piste is kaput, yet it isn’t geared so high it won’t take the time to slow down and help a less talented enthusiast learn the ropes. Its performance envelope is huge but doesn’t extend into the extremes of bulletproof boilerplate, which is never fun, or bottomless powder, which is rarely encountered. I’m leery of the term “intuitive,” at least as it’s applied to computer software. But the Anomaly 88 feels intuitive on snow in that it has no agenda of its own, so it’s ready to do whatever you feel like doing. It’s unperturbed by high speeds or tracked-out terrain. The edge grip feels clean and accurate, and the ski remains compliant throughout the speed range. Its only limitations are intrinsic to its 88mm-waisted shape; it can’t cut corners as fast as a wasp-waisted slalom, or float like chubby Big Mountain model. These are limitations most skiers can learn to live with.