Got my new Blizzi Rustler 9's a few months ago but there was so much deep snow at Mammoth that they had to stay on the back burner in favor of the Rustler 11s and the Nordica Enforcer Frees for most of the season. Finally, the snow stopped coming after a record year and I got to get on the Rustler 9's this weekend to put them through their paces. Conditions were, as you would expect, firmer morning groomers that quickly softened at lower elevations and then, spring corn and mush/moguls-mashed potatoes at higher elevations.
For context, I previously had the Enforcer 94s filling this slot in my quiver which is the narrowest spot in my quiver. I liked the E94's quite a bit, very precise and powerful BUT I was looking for something that was maybe slightly less powerful and a bit more playful and fun all over the mtn including moguls. The changes to the Rustler 9 were intriguing and received some strong early impressions from people who skied them. I prefer skis in the 185 to 191 range and so the 186 is a good fit for me for this slot in my quiver. I'm a 6/3" 195lbs and a strong skier and Mammoth is my home mountain. I prefer almost exclusively off-piste skiing but still like a ski that can carve nicely when its too firm off-piste.
Bottom line: I am impressed and really enjoyed this ski. I found the ski to be very stable in variable slush/chop and extremely predicable as snow quality changed from the top of the mountain to the bottom. On the second day, I really felt like I found the sweet spot and felt that I could drive them about has hard as I wanted without worrying about erratic tracking or unexpectedly getting pitched forward or back in highly variable snow. They felt much better in these conditions than what I remembered from old Rustler 9. I think the E94s are SLIGHTLY more powerful and likely would've just plowed over every slush pile in my way but R9 didn't give up much in terms in stability and I felt it was a significant upgrade in playfulness. They easily engage with subtle weight shift and a roll of the ankles and yet don't hook and grab erratically. They are super fun to pop off small bumps and side hits yet still have that Blizzard directional DNA that makes them pretty unflappable in weird snow. They carve very well on groomers for a ski of this width and they were extremely fun and easy to navigate through big slushy bumps. In fact, they were a big upgrade over the E94s in bumps. Much more forgiving and felt lighter and easier to get around even as the snow was trying to grab the skis b/c it was so wet. Obviously, I have not skied them in mid-winter conditions and certainly not in powder but that's not my main concern for these skis. These are my all mtn skis for the West and I'm really happy with my choice.
If you prioritize pure power in your skis then the E94's are still fantastic choice in this class of ski. If you want a really solid all-around that is more powerful than it used to be, than I'd look closely at the R9s. So fun in so many conditions and just easy to ski in some conditions that could be fairly challenging. Spring slush can really wear people out in years past has worn me out. The last run of the day yesterday was very grabby slush all the way to the bottom but I was feeling it and I just let them rip and they gave it back exactly as I wanted. I had a ton left in the tank but the conditions were starting to deteriorate so it was time to shut it down, but I ended on a massive high and think these skis are really darn good for where I ski and what I'm looking for.
For context, I previously had the Enforcer 94s filling this slot in my quiver which is the narrowest spot in my quiver. I liked the E94's quite a bit, very precise and powerful BUT I was looking for something that was maybe slightly less powerful and a bit more playful and fun all over the mtn including moguls. The changes to the Rustler 9 were intriguing and received some strong early impressions from people who skied them. I prefer skis in the 185 to 191 range and so the 186 is a good fit for me for this slot in my quiver. I'm a 6/3" 195lbs and a strong skier and Mammoth is my home mountain. I prefer almost exclusively off-piste skiing but still like a ski that can carve nicely when its too firm off-piste.
Bottom line: I am impressed and really enjoyed this ski. I found the ski to be very stable in variable slush/chop and extremely predicable as snow quality changed from the top of the mountain to the bottom. On the second day, I really felt like I found the sweet spot and felt that I could drive them about has hard as I wanted without worrying about erratic tracking or unexpectedly getting pitched forward or back in highly variable snow. They felt much better in these conditions than what I remembered from old Rustler 9. I think the E94s are SLIGHTLY more powerful and likely would've just plowed over every slush pile in my way but R9 didn't give up much in terms in stability and I felt it was a significant upgrade in playfulness. They easily engage with subtle weight shift and a roll of the ankles and yet don't hook and grab erratically. They are super fun to pop off small bumps and side hits yet still have that Blizzard directional DNA that makes them pretty unflappable in weird snow. They carve very well on groomers for a ski of this width and they were extremely fun and easy to navigate through big slushy bumps. In fact, they were a big upgrade over the E94s in bumps. Much more forgiving and felt lighter and easier to get around even as the snow was trying to grab the skis b/c it was so wet. Obviously, I have not skied them in mid-winter conditions and certainly not in powder but that's not my main concern for these skis. These are my all mtn skis for the West and I'm really happy with my choice.
If you prioritize pure power in your skis then the E94's are still fantastic choice in this class of ski. If you want a really solid all-around that is more powerful than it used to be, than I'd look closely at the R9s. So fun in so many conditions and just easy to ski in some conditions that could be fairly challenging. Spring slush can really wear people out in years past has worn me out. The last run of the day yesterday was very grabby slush all the way to the bottom but I was feeling it and I just let them rip and they gave it back exactly as I wanted. I had a ton left in the tank but the conditions were starting to deteriorate so it was time to shut it down, but I ended on a massive high and think these skis are really darn good for where I ski and what I'm looking for.
