The Blizzard Black Pearl 88 is the Michaela Shiffrin of the U.S. ski market: now in its fourth year of dominance, it’s crushing the women’s field and setting sales records that leave all the men’s models in the dust, too. Like a cartoon snowball rolling downhill, its sales success grows each season as a new legion of adherents joins the chorus of praise, spreading the gospel in countless one-on-one chairlift chats. When contemplating this amazing feat of sustained excellence, one has to wonder, just what is it about the Black Pearl 88 that makes it so special?
If you break down the dynamics of a ski sale, you’ll discover how the Black Pearl 88 edges out the competition. Every sale hinges on a description of a skier’s current status and her wish list of what she wants the new ski to be able to do for her. It almost doesn’t matter how a recreational skier assesses her ability or her desires, the Black Pearl 88 will end up on the very short list of most desirable alternatives.
The Pearl 88 can be legitimately recommended to any ability range from terminal intermediate to budding expert and is suitable for any terrain from groomers to 18 inches of fresh. That’s an 8-lane freeway in terms of how many different skier styles and preferences can be accommodated by this one ski. It’s light, easy to skid or carve, ideal for developing confidence in off-trail conditions and won’t wilt under pressure on hard snow. And for 20/20 it comes in a 145cm, suitable for women who weigh no more than a whisper.
Clare Martin of Peter Glenn penned these words about the Pearl 88 last year: “Great all-around ski. I skied a little longer than I originally thought I should, but it plowed through end of the day slush nicely while still maintaining and edge on the afternoon Ice on the other side of the mountain.” Liz Elling from Gravity Sports, like her husband Mark an elite instructor, pegged the Black Pearl 88 as possessing “less stability than the big sister 98 but carvy easy to turn not planky as in the past. Love the changes they made last year.”
If there’s a boundary to its performance envelope, it’s the lifelong expert who grew up in gates. This gal doesn’t need help in any conditions, God bless her. But for the majority of women who want a performance ski that will boost their confidence off-trail while developing their skills on-trail, the Black Pearl 88 remains the brightest star in the firmament of women’s skis.
