Like the Kore 93 and Enforcer 93, the new Rustler 9 from Blizzard is the narrowest incarnation from a family of fat, emphatically off-trail skis. Its signature feature, Dynamic Release Technology (D.R.T.), consists of a Titanal plate that’s edge-to-edge in the mid-section and quickly tapers to blunt tongues, freeing the extremities to twist as needed in choppy terrain. The relatively loose tip and tail conform readily to the abrupt contours of today’s moguls and generally facilitate direction change using less than textbook turns. Scott from Aspen Ski and Board sketched the Rustler 9 profile as “light, with perfect playfulness/stability ratio. Also, rocker is not over done, good loft with minimal tip vibrations.”
Blizzard’s Black Pearl 88 is the super-model of the women’s market, a mega-star that for the first time in the annals of ski sales sold more units in the U.S. than every other ski, men’s or women’s. The Black Pearl had been the anchor of Blizzard’s women’s line for several years when the brand rolled the dice and re-designed it 3 years ago. The switch to a Women’s Specific Design (WSD) was part of an umbrella initiative called Women to Women to create a community of women whose shared experiences could contribute to design directions. Anyone from a first-time ski buyer to a seasoned vet can hop on a Pearl 88 and have the time of her life. Noticeably light and silly-easy to turn, it’s easy to balance on for intermediates and a gas to cut loose on if for skiers that have the skills.
The deeper the freshies or the heavier the slop, the brighter the Rustler 11 shines. Feeding it crud is like giving it oxygen. The tip that’s busy looking for something to do on groomers is in its element, rolling up and over wind berms and generally conforming to whatever it meets. The solidity underfoot breeds confidence and the tail is supportive when it needs to be. “A big mountain charger,” assesses Lucas from Footloose. “Surprisingly playful for its size, it’s a confidence booster.”
The experienced tester can tell in the first 100 yards that the Blizzard Bodacious is going to require some room to express itself. Like leaving the station on a bullet train, it doesn’t take long to realize speed is intrinsic to the experience. The Bodacious aims for the bottom of the mountain and annihilates any snow condition in its path. As stable as Gibraltar, the skier can trust the edge to hold through the thickest porridge or the thinnest ice crust; the Bodacious can’t be knocked off its course by anything made of snow.
The fact that the Firebird Comp can be coaxed into a long arc doesn’t mean it doesn’t prefer to zip in and out of turns to a faster beat. Its carvilicious tip likes to pull into a new turn more than its relatively narrow tail likes to hold onto it, so the Comp behaves like a turn-seeking missile. Mike from Granite Chief portrays his experience on the Firebird as “popping between turns like a pogo stick, yet it still held its own at speed,” Mike marvels. “Very snappy and responsive,” pens another Firebird fan. “I liked this one the most out of the Firebird series. “You gotta ski it, but a nice feel for that serious carving person. Rad!!”
