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2022 Völkl Blaze 94 W

SkiTalk Test Team

Testing skis so you don't have to.
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Elemmac: If you’re looking for a dance partner; the Blaze has all the moves. It will salsa, tango, or get rowdy in a mosh pit. Versatility is its specialty. The Blaze 94 W felt very similar to its predecessor, the 90Eight, but it is quicker edge to edge and a little more friendly on piste. This ski let me easily execute shorter slalom-like turns but didn’t buck when I tried to open them up. Its light weight didn’t impact its stability in crud or a little fresh snow. This is the Völkl for skiers who have shied away from Völkl’s traditional stiff, damp feel.

Insider tip: Völkl sells a pre-cut skin for this ski. Add a Duke PT and you have a 50-50 resort/touring ski.​
Tricia: This is another ski that I skied a bit shorter than usual. I found it to be nimble and playful in a variety of conditions, especially moguls. I really think it is an amazing all-mountain ski with an off-piste bias in the 170 length that is suited for my usual skiing.
It turned well, hopped into moguls, and transitioned well for a variety of turns. Now, get me on the next size up and I'll give you more for your money.

Insider tip: For a bit more grip, give the Secret a try.​
 
Who is it for?
Someone looking for a lightweight, playful ski that isn't wimpy.
Who is it not for?
Someone looking for that traditional Völkl feel.
Skier ability
  1. Intermediate
  2. Advanced
  3. Expert
Ski category
  1. All Mountain
  2. Powder
Ski attributes
  1. Moguls
  2. Off Piste
  3. Trees
  4. Touring/Backcountry
Segment
  1. Women

Specifications

right ad
Available sizes
151, 158, 165, 172
Dimensions
134-94-116
Radius
33/14/25@165cm
Rocker profile
  1. Camber with tip and tail rocker
Size Scaling
  1. None
Construction design
  1. New graphics
Binding options
  1. Flat

Tony S

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As documented in this thread, I got a deal I couldn't pass up, and thus have been on these skis recently for two May days at Sugarloaf and five in Summit County, Colorado. Conditions were generally soft in one way or another. I really like the ski, and in particular I like how it differs in feel and flex pattern from more standard offerings in the category.

@Lauren 's review at the top of the page lines up with my experience, as do the reviews from Andy Mink and Erik Timmerman under the structurally identical "men's" version. so I guess I'm just piling on here with a little more detail.

Me: 59yo, 5' 7" 140+ lbs.
Ski: 2021-22 Volkl Blaze @172cm

Let's just get it out of the way that while this ski is easy enough to get up on edge for some medium-radius railroad tracks, it's not something you'd buy as a daily driver for New England hardpack if you are the kind of person who appreciates a high performance carver. It's not a matter of edge grip, per se; it's more about composure and the ability to control radius easily. (Maybe I just never figured out the "3D Radius" thing.)

The Blaze 94 is nearly a reverse camber ski. It has very short section underfoot with a tiny amount of camber. Otherwise the entire forebody and tail of the ski exhibit a very low rise that extends deeply - nearly to the binding toe and heelpiece. The tip shape from both the top view (taper) and side view (splay) are conservative/traditional. The tail shape is very rounded with modest turn-up. (See pic.) The flex pattern is relatively stiff at the extremities and noticeably soft underfoot. Taken together this is a much differant approach to handling off-piste conditions than the more "standard" design of my other mid-90s ski, the Elan Ripstick Black, which is pretty soft at its well-splayed tips, stout underfoot, and has a shallow rise with signficant camber in the middle 1/2 of the ski.

If you are looking for a true all-mountain model for somewhere that has more than the occasional groomers-only day, a ski like the Ripstick has much better carving chops than the Blaze. On the other hand, the Blaze is an absolute joy in softer conditions, trees, steeps, and bumps. Its design happens to mesh very well with my style and preferences. YMMV, of course. For a 94mm ski, it floats effortlessly in modest amounts of fresh. Specifically it tends to plane up predictably, rather than plowing the way a ski with a softer more abrupt tip turn-up does. The soft middle means that you have the whole front half of the ski angling up through the powder or wind buff (as in 2nd video) and spreading the pressure evenly over a large area of snow. In moguls the pivot-y nature of the short contact area when flat is ideal, and the rounded tail is never punishing. Moreover the moderate overall flex means that you have to try really hard to hit something in a jarring way. On steep pitches the Blaze bends easily into scarved turns and comes around very intuitively and supportively, releasing easily on demand. This, combined with the light weight, is very confidence-inspiring.

GS-ing through groomer piles and crud is not a strength of the Ripstick or the Blaze. The Ripstick plows - no good. The Blaze slices more, which makes it better, but it's just not beefy enough once the speedometer needle moves around the dial. For me, personally, this is an okay tradeoff for its compliance in bumps and steeps. Another person would probably want the Mantra instead.

Bottom line, this is an under-rated ski that is a perfect daily driver for folks of modest size living in places like Colorado where soft snow is the norm but big dumps are not.

PXL_20220511_142454269.MP-02.jpeg



medium density powder:


dense wind buff:
 
Last edited:

tch

What do I know; I'm just some guy on the internet.
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If you are looking for a true all-mountain model for somewhere that has more than the occasional groomers-only day, a ski like the Ripstick has much better carving chops than the Blaze. On the other hand, the Blaze is an absolute joy in softer conditions, trees, steeps, and bumps. Its design happens to mesh very well with my style and preferences. YMMV, of course. For a 94mm ski, it floats effortlessly in modest amounts of fresh. Specifically it tends to plane up predictably, rather than plowing the way a ski with a softer more abrupt tip turn-up does. The soft middle means that you have the whole front half of the ski angling up through the powder or wind buff (as in 2nd video) and spreading the pressure evenly over a large area of snow. In moguls the pivot-y nature of the short contact area when flat is ideal, and the rounded tail is never punishing. Moreover the moderate overall flex means that you have to try really hard to hit something in a jarring way. On steep pitches the Blaze bends easily into scarved turns and comes around very intuitively and supportively, releasing easily on demand. This, combined with the light weight, is very confidence-inspiring.
This analysis of flex is intriguing. I have to confess, I have thought skis with soft ends and stout center (like @Tony S says about his Ripstick) made most sense in soft. But this gives me something else to consider.
Hm.....interesting.....
 

Tony S

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This analysis of flex is intriguing. I have to confess, I have thought skis with soft ends and stout center (like @Tony S says about his Ripstick) made most sense in soft. But this gives me something else to consider.
Hm.....interesting.....
Could be "analysis." Could just as well be BS.

I do stand by the way I experienced the behavior.

:huh:
 

James

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I have thought skis with soft ends and stout center (like @Tony S says about his Ripstick) made most sense in soft.
I have a ski like that, a 14/15 Stormrider 95. Soft tip. It’s shockingly bad in 3-d snow, but good on groomers.

Tony contemplating the turning ability of the Blaze in Pallavicini-

CED4F0B2-3DD8-43D1-95BB-26F2091466C6.jpeg
 

GregK

Skiing the powder
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Every ski out there has softer flexing tips/tails and going stiffer underfoot. The Blaze 94 has stiffer tip/tails vs skis like the Ripstick and not peak as high in stiffness underfoot. More uniform flex throughout in the Blaze 94. I prefer a more uniform flex

They don’t have the shorter lengths on Soothski but here are similar lengths of the Ripstick 96 Black vs the Blaze 94. You can see the Ripstick is softer near the tips(similar in the very tail) and peaks higher in the middle of the ski.

8BAD81C4-13C9-4E5B-8A66-93E979FB9DDF.png
 

Tony S

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The Blaze 94 has stiffer tip/tails vs skis like the Ripstick and not peak as high in stiffness underfoot. More uniform flex throughout in the Blaze 94.
I think that's what I said. Maybe you are backing it up with actual data. :)
 

GregK

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I think that's what I said. Maybe you are backing it up with actual data. :)
You said “soft underfoot” and it’s been now proven with data it still goes stiffer underfoot vs the tips/tails but that middle section is definitely softer than many skis including the Ripsticks. So you’re been proven with graphs what you were were sensing on the snow! :golfclap:

All my Faction CT skis are the same-stiffer tip/tail than most but don’t peak as high underfoot. Find them more forgiving than the normal “peaky” skis yet the tips aren’t flopping around in rough snow.
 

Jerez

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Is the softer underfoot (than normal) as compared to tips and tails something akin to, or a different way of doing, what the Keyhole thingie that Bode is selling is supposed to do? :duck::popcorn:
 

James

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Lol, that’s the 186, 188!
Things can change a lot in 3-4 sizes.
 

Tony S

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Is the softer underfoot (than normal) as compared to tips and tails something akin to, or a different way of doing, what the Keyhole thingie that Bode is selling is supposed to do? :duck::popcorn:
There's always an instigator.
 

Tony S

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Lol, that’s the 186, 188!
Things can change a lot in 3-4 sizes.
Plus my Ripsticks are the older Black model, not the 21-22 edition. I elected to let it all go because I'm guessing the basics are probably still correct, and none of it changes my reported experience.
 

GregK

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I choose the longer lengths as that’s all they had on file but longer lengths of every ski usually will follow the same flex pattern trend but at a stiffer level throughout the ski.

Every manufacturer out there changes to SLIGHLY thicker cores as they go up in length to arrive at stiffer skis with similar flex patterns. In many model lineups, the longest length gets a larger core thickness jump between the second longest like the Blaze 94 does.

22F1030E-8103-4A59-8B5C-1973373A5860.png


Even when compared to the standard Ripstick 96, you still see a similar result to what is shown in the longer black versions.


F6C5934D-A417-4699-8859-2B46BE4EB00E.png
 

GregK

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Is the softer underfoot (than normal) as compared to tips and tails something akin to, or a different way of doing, what the Keyhole thingie that Bode is selling is supposed to do? :duck::popcorn:
The “softer underfoot” causes are usually more a combination of shorter height core and sidewall thickness in the Center of the ski along with not decreasing the thickness as quickly towards the tip and tail. Metal, fibreglass weight, carbon reinforcements can all be added to increase stiffness as well.

When listening to Bode’s describing the flex pattern of the Peak skis, he is describing a ski with a similar flex pattern to these Blaze 94, Faction CT series, Nordica Enforcer Free series etc.
All use core/sidewall heights different than some of their other lines to maintain a more even flex throughout.

A perfect example is the Enforcer 100 vs 104 Free. Both use 2 sheets of metal yet the flex is more even on the 104 due to core/sidewall changes. If you were to just cut a hole on the metal of the Enforcer 100 and do nothing else, it wouldn’t even show up on the graph.


A9B32F93-90C8-4720-9C18-0444860942BE.png
 

Jerez

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Thank you @GregK I was mostly being a smart donkey but do appreciate the informative education.
 

James

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The keyhole is supposed to have a torsional flex effect. Who knows if it’s anything. The whole package is what counts.
 

KingGrump

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The whole package is what counts.

The (w)hole should be greater than the sum of its parts.

One can agonize for days over the number, charts, construction, profile and whatnot. The proof is when one tosses the skis down the hill. Smile or no smile.
 

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