I’ll never forget my first run on the Blizzard Bonafide, back when I was a tester-in-good-standing with SKI magazine.  As soon I wheeled into the test-ski corral, my edges smoking, I called Jed Duke at Blizzard and left a message saying, whenever they cut the mold for the 187cm, I want – no, must have a pair –  thank you very much. It wasn’t a flash-in-the-pan dalliance, either. Although I would continue to date other models, my true love would remain the Bonafide throughout its unusually long tenure as a paragon of the All-Mountain West genre.

No model lasts in any important category for this length of time without the occasional tweak, and the Bonafide was given regular upgrades, although none so drastic as to change its essential character.  The Anomaly 94 represents a complete break with the past: it isn’t just a softer Bonafide or some carver/all-mountain hybrid, it’s a new flavor all its own. Its interesting sidecut – note the high delta between the width at tip and tail – encourages a fall-line orientation.  It will make short-radius arcs as long as they don’t stray far from said fall-line, but it would rather mix up a medley of medium to long arcs with the throttle open.

The construction of the Anomaly 94 is an adaptation of the Fluxform design introduced in the Rustler collection last year. Fluxform breaks up the .6mm top sheet of Titanal into a central platform in the binding area and two outer strips running over the edges. The flex is more supple without surrendering an iota of edge grip. Trying to find the perfect balance between fierce edge hold and supple flex was the Bonafide’s ever-elusive Holy Grail; with the Anomaly 94, the quest has found what it has sought for lo, these many product cycles.

Although the Anomaly 94 is a bit softer-flexing than the Bonafide, it’s still a Power stick that rewards a skilled skier. It’s even better than the Bonnie in that it’s easier to bend and finds the edge sooner when drifting into it. But smearing its way downhill isn’t the Anomaly 94’s style. It doesn’t pop off the edge like an Old School slalom, but creates a platform you know right away you can trust. It has great edge grip on hard snow for what is at heart an off-trail ski. It’s even temperament in the face of chunky, chewed-up terrain imparts the confidence to attack whatever lies ahead.  The one trait the Anomaly 94 shares with its forebear is it’s a true terrain agnostic; whatever you want to ski, it can handle without breaking a sweat.

Compared to the clan the Anomaly’s replace, the new 94 is smoother than a Bonafide and stronger than a Brahma.  Within the Anomaly 4-model family, the 94 stands out as the most versatile across all types of terrain.  It’s easy to guide from a relatively upright stance or fully laid-over.  It invites the skilled skier to charge the fall-line, where it’s long, S-shaped carves feel the most fluid. Connection at the top of the turn is excellent for a rockered baseline. Old School experts will find it behaves on groomed slopes like a soft GS, displaying a race-caliber stability on edge that also comes in handy in the hot mess of snow conditions that prevail off-trail.

You don’t have to be one of the best skiers on the mountain to fully appreciate the Anomaly 94, but owning a pair can’t hurt your chances of being considered among this exclusive company.  It earns a Silver Skier Selection not because it’s been detuned for the doddering, but because its ease of handling across a broad speed range demands less precious energy from the pilot.