Tester: Cara Williams
Throughout the course of my ski career I’ve been involved in several research and development initiatives with various snow sports companies such as Columbia Sportswear and Rossignol. It can take years to engineer change as well as a hefty budget and commitment from both the company and the testers. So, when I was approached by Tecnica Group in 2015 and asked to join a global focus group to develop a line of women-specific Blizzard skis and Tecnica boots. For years, women’s ski equipment had been marketed to women but not really designed for us. “Shrink it and pink it” was the norm: basically companies made shorter, softer versions of men’s models, with traditionally feminine graphics and colors in place of their masculine counterparts. Blizzard and Tecnica were out to change the game. I was excited to be involved.
Blizzard/Tecnica US Marketing Manager Leslie Baker Brown led our initial meeting in Park City, Utah Throughout the weekend we talked about everything from color trends to cold feet. We established a name—Women to Women (W2W)—and a mission statement; “Women to Women is a global Blizzard Tecnica initiative with the mission to specifically design authentic women’s products that will take all committed and passionate skiers, regardless of ability, to new levels of confidence, excitement and freedom.” We talked a lot about what we felt was missing from women’s equipment and how best to communicate with women. Meanwhile, an Italian contingent partnered with the University of Verona and conducted biomechanical research that was focused on the basic anatomical position of women on their skis.
In 2018 Blizzard introduced a women-specific design that incorporated what they’d learned about carbon to make a ski that’s lighter without compromising performance. The new shapes and side cuts proved to be more user-friendly at turn initiation. You had to wonder, ‘How can they make this any better?’ But they just keep doing it. I have been a part of the W2W movement for nearly six years now and the technology that Blizzard has created out of our feedback is getting better. Enter TrueBlend Woodcore.
TrueBlend Woodcore features strategic side-by-side sections of high-density stiff beech within the traditionally used lower density soft poplar laminates. The gradual increase and decrease of the two species of wood runs the length of the ski—layers of beech are utilized underfoot for firmness and strength, while poplar is predominantly used to soften the tip and tail and improve the ease with which the ski initiates the turn. By utilizing this Lego-esque construction, Blizzard achieves a perfectly balanced ski—one that features a balanced flex in the core and is designed to perform in all conditions. In my experience the Black Pearl 88 skis as well as a high-performance Frontside ski on groomers while handling the changing snow conditions of a typical first chair/last call ski day. With more confidence and control we can ski longer and have more fun. And I think we can all agree that beer tastes better with a side of wobbly legs.
During vigorous (yet fun) on-snow testing, the W2W group engaged in myriad conversations that led to the creation of the women-specific Black Pearl collection. The new Black Pearl 88 delivers stability at high speeds and in all types of conditions. Period. The 2020 skis are actually slightly heavier (+150g) than the previous model, but I discovered after only 3 or 4 high speed turns, is that once you click in, the function and performance outweigh the literal weight of a ski – it’s more important to be the right weight than light weight. The new Black Pearl 88 is less nervous, especially on harder and steeper snow, which is partly due to a women-specific Titanal platform in its midsection that runs edge to edge underfoot. The subtle rocker at tip and tail has less contact with the snow, for added float and liveliness. In all conditions the Black Pearl 88 conveyed a smooth and confident feeling that will benefit skiers ranging from novice to expert. Blizzard added a 177cm length and changed to 6cm size breaks that give the buyer more options. Every length is calibrated to create an optimal, round flex that travels well in all conditions.
