2013 Blizzard 8.0 Ca Review

When I test skis I grade them from 1 to 5 on 9 different characteristics. The best possible score, of course, is a 45. Out of the 35 skis I demoed at the Stratton On-Snow, the Blizzard 8.0 was my second favorite ski with a score of 44. Before I get to the why let's talk about the how.

The Blizzard 8.0 Ca is a wood core ski, with a full length vertical sidewall, and an 80 mm waist. The "Ca" in its name stands for carbon. Carbon makes skis energetic, lightweight, stable at high speeds, and torsionally rigid.

The why...The Blizzard 8.0 is light on your feet yet extremely accurate and very stable. The carbon makes the 8.0 extremely quick edge to edge and the rebound, or snap, when transitioning to your next turn is unparallelled. There is a burst of speed at the end of every turn, sort of like a rubber band being held back and released.

Although the Blizzard 8.0 wouldn't be the type of ski I'd buy for myself, I had a really hard time giving them back. I prefer skis that have 1 or 2 layers of metal because they are faster, more stable, stiffer, and more precise. My only complaint about the Blizzard 8.0, and the reason it loses a point, is the fact that it is a bit nervous. I like a ski that does what it's told, so for me, the 8.0 kind of felt like it was telling me to keep tipping them. Overall, this is a great ski because it is the type of ski that nearly anyone can enjoy. From lower level intermediate to expert, the Blizzard 8.0 is a perfect fit for the frontside all-mountain skier.

Thanks for Reading,

Ryan

Ski Haus, Inc.
1611 Route 22
Brewster, NY 10509
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