Ski Canada Test 2019 On-Slope Reviews
BIRD ON FIRE
From full FIS to laying trenches, Blizzard’s Firebird collection is all about going really fast on firm snow. Most of the 16 models are focused on the racecourse, whether it’s for the World Cup, your beer league or just dropping your buddies. All the skis include Titanal, some have the new C-Armour technology and most incorporate C-Spine technology, two strips of carbon laid vertical in the middle laminates of the wood core. Running the length of the ski, both technologies give the Firebird rebound and energy, just the kind of stuff that helps pop a ski from edge-to-edge and makes high-speed groomers a ton of fun. (from $700-$1,100; blizzardsports.com)
BLIZZARD FIREBIRD COMPETITION
$1,000 * BEST FOR: Making you a faster, better carver no matter your ability.
LENGTHS: 154, 160, 166, 172, 178 * RADIUS: 14.5@172 * SIDECUT: 121/70/104
We don’t hand out awards because we think no ski is perfect for every skier, but if we did, the Firebird Competition would get a gold star. Every tester who clicked into this ski came away amazed. Not only was it a high-performance weapon, but it was forgiving enough to ski just about anywhere on the mountain. After touring the Firebird Competition around Lake Louise, Paul Cunnius, one of our most experienced testers, was shocked: “It provides a surgical level of silky-smooth performance and a seemingly bottomless range of grip as speed, turn shape and arcing of the ski increases and decreases. It combines all the performance elements at the highest levels. There is no compromise.” All that and the ski is pretty light, too. Jeff Cusick thinks it shouldn’t be pigeonholed as a carving ski: “Great all around the mountain to build confidence and create a competitive edge.”
by RYAN STUART in Buyer’s Guide 2019 issue
