Blizzard rustler 9 review full#
Blizzard rustler 9 review series#

This ski pulls you into a relatively short radius carve and I got the most out of it whilst doing short to medium radius turns.

Solid, snappy, and energetic at the end of the turn had me whooping when throwing my feet quickly underneath me. This is not a bad option when the storm rolls in. This added performance in the soft stuff, for me, pushes it towards that вЂњOne ski quiverвЂќ category. The large tip splay also keeps the skis from wanting to dive, keeping you bouncing with joy on top of the white gold. This is where losing some effective edge on groomers due to the rocker cashes in and gives this ski great float in the soft stuff considering its 94mm waist. Not quite as playful as some more freestyle orientated skis of similar dimensions but as directional skis go I had a lot of fun all over the mountain on these. The Rustler 9 with its softer, rockered tips and tails make light work of slashing features and getting in the air.

Blizzard rustler 9 review series#

The Rustler series is a departure from the mainly aggressive style of ski we have come to know from Blizzard. In the air, these felt light and were easy enough to whip around while doing shifties and spins. Like a train riding on magnetic levitation rather than steel wheels. This translates into how it skis, it feels considerably more nimble than the Bonafide. This ski comes up light for its size and comes in around 260 grams lighter per ski than the Blizzard Bonafide, for example. By no means does this mean I felt like I was going to slide to my icy demise but there are skis in this class that have more crampon style abilities. This is a compromise that allows for better performance elsewhere on the mountain. However, when conditions become more bulletproof and icy the deep rocker profile and large tip splay of the Rustler means that the effective edge is reduced, reducing the edge-hold ability. The Rustler grips well on groomers thanks to the torsional strength underfoot. This makes the ski feel more playful, more forgiving, and more maneuverable while also retaining that stability in the middle of the turn you come to expect from Blizzard. The tips and tails are by no means noodly but compared to the Blizzard Brahma or the Blizzard Bonafide they are much softer. The Rustler has a balanced flex pattern with relatively soft tips and tails but a strong, stiff underfoot section thanks to the titanal plates. You can earn that rewarding rebound at the end of the turn but without feeling like your feet are glued to the mountain, you have got more freedom. However, the relative stiffness through the middle of the ski creates the feeling that you can drive through the front of this ski with confidence akin to a more directional trail orientated design. The lack of titanal plates at the tip and tail of these skis combined with the rocker makes it easy to disengage the edge when making a turn, meaning they are fun to smear and slash. Skis Tested: Blizzard Rustler 9 188cm (127.5-94-117 mm at 180cm length)Д«indings Used: Marker Griffon Demo DETAILS Feel This is a candidate for my tentatively curated вЂњOne Ski QuiverвЂќ category and due to its lively yet forgiving and fun flex pattern, it suits beginners up to advanced skiers who want a ski that really can do everything.

So if you tend towards a short radius turn and want something versatile and maneuverable, you can not do much better than this. These factors contribute to an energetic, playful, вЂњtake me everywhereвЂќ feel that is great fun to throw around on and off trails.ДЇor me, this ski felt like it was more comfortable turning on a shorter turn radius and was happier going edge to edge quickly as opposed to letting the ski run and laying large GS style turns. The Rustler 9 also has significant rocker profile and a larger tip splay than most other skis in this category. This creates great torsional strength underfoot while allowing the tips and tails to be softer and more playful.

Blizzard rustler 9 review full#

Similar to other Blizzard models the Rustler 9 has titanal plates that run through the middle of the ski but these taper towards the tip and tail, unlike the Brahma, whose titanal plates run the full length of the ski. The 94mm waisted ski draws upon construction concepts from across BlizzardвЂ™s range with the carbon Flipcore DRT technology. Who Does the Blizzard Rustler 9 Suit Best? SKI ProfilesвЂ™ Flex Feel: Medium-Stiff (7.5/10) I rode this many different days and it can pretty much do it all, it wants to be ridden everywhere, can you handle it? Overall Rating The Blizzard Rustler 9 is an all-mountain ripper that can chew up and spit out any terrain and snow condition you throw at it standing on this ski I felt pretty invincible.