2023 Blizzard Brahma 88

The Brahma 88 has been a mainstay of Blizzard’s freeride Flipcore collection since its lauded launch many moons ago. It has retained its relevance over time with a series of subtle refinements, without ever straying from its roots. It many ways, it is a perfectly balanced ski, built on the time-tested foundation of wood, metal and carbon. Part of its enduring popularity is that it will dance to whatever tune you want to play. It doesn’t impose its personality on the pilot, but the other way around: whatever one wishes comes true. The 2023 Brahma hews to this tradition, with yet another slight modification: the core has been given a bit of a trim, so the ski is easier to load. One consequence of this relatively minor tweak is that when choosing between two sizes, it’s possible to go for the stability of a longer length without the bigger ski feeling harder to bend. Theron Lee, a former coach and current world-class ski tuner and bootfitter, called the modestly modified Brahma 88, “the ultimate all mountain ski. It can go anywhere and do just about anything. Excellent carving capabilities yet easy to drift and scrub. Very smooth and tractable, with a tip that seemed smoother than last years. The thinner core does not affect its strength nor its smoothness, especially in the tip and tail. Lots of power in the tail,” concluded T Lee. Dallas Goldsmith, one of the rare shop owners who tests nearly everything he sells, called the latest Brahma 88, “One of the best skis in the industry. Has always set the bar in the 88mm category. Flipcore is a beautiful balance of camber and rocker. Made in Austria with metal so it’s a real ski for real skiers.” If some skiers shy away from the Brahma 88 because they’ve tried an earlier iteration and came away unimpressed, they should reacquaint themselves with its bottomless power reserve. The Brahma 88’s refusal to jump on the Lighter is Better bandwagon pays off in spades when it’s late afternoon and even the groomed runs look like hell warmed over. Don’t forget, the Brahma 88 is the Bonafide 97’s little brother, so it has the same crud-busting genes.