SKI CANADA TEST 2022
VOLKL BLAZE 94 * NON-METAL ALL-MOUNTAIN
BEST FOR: The skier who plans to do it all by adding a Marker Duke AT binding.
In our opinion, the ultimate travel ski would have a mid-90s width, be relatively lightweight in your bag, have enough performance to ski hardpack (but not be so demanding that we can’t handle it on day six) and have enough float to stay aloft in whatever Mother Nature delivered. It’s a hard balance, but one the Blaze 94 delivers. Men and women tested this ski in everything from Mount Washington’s best blower powder to ice, bumps to steeps, trees to wide open bowls. “Stable,” “reliable” and “consistent” were common adjectives, but those same testers also said “bashed through crud,” “quick” and “nimble.” One lightweight said simply “half touring ski, half tank.” A complex made-in-Germany construction of poplar and aspen, a milled-out centre area, Titanal underfoot, and dampening materials in the tip and tail provide the secret sauce of performance and easygoing. Steve Draper sums up the consensus well. “Like a bottle of pop: ready to explode with fun. When can I buy it?”
LENGTHS: 165, 172, 179, 186
DIMENSIONS: 134/96/116 @ 179
RADIUS: 17 @ 179
OTHER MODELS: Blaze 102, Blaze 86
SUGGESTED RETAIL: $750
