SkiKitInfo.com has all you need to know about Völkl’s new range of Blaze freeride skis.
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NEW VÖLKL BLAZE SKIS
Blaze is a new range of lightweight freeride skis from Völkl for winter 20/21, including four models across two widths; 106mm and 94mm widths: Blaze 106, Blaze 106 W, Blaze 94 and Blaze 94 W.
Superseding the 100Eight and 90Eight
For winter 15/16, Völkl released the 100Eight, 100Eight Pink and 90Eight. The next season they introduced a 90Eight for women, as well as dropping the word Pink from the 100Eight name for women. These remained in the range through the 19/20 season.
The 100Eight and 90Eight skis performed in a wide range of conditions. They felt light on your feet, gripped well, floated nicely in the softer stuff; all decent attributes of freeride skis.
Five seasons is pretty much the lifecycle of most ski models in a range, so they were due a change.
They’ve been superseded by the new Blaze range of ‘Pure Freeride’ skis from the Bavarian powerhouse, but are these new planks any good?
Spoiler alert – they rock!
Wood and synthetic core
They all have a woodcore, made from beech, poplar and paulownia, with an Isocore synthetic material down the centre. This combination, know as a Hybrid Woodcore, provides a really lightweight, smooth flexing yet stable platform.
Shock absorbing bumper
The tip and tail have a surround of TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), and Völkl refers to this tech as Suspension Tips & Tails.
This elastomer is inlaid to act as a shock bumper, absorbing changes in snow consistency such as powder to wind-slab or skiing through tracked snow. It also means the skis are really easy to engage into and release from a turn, due to this easy flexing material and the rocker.
Rocker
There’s a long rocker up-front with a moderate rise through the tail. This gives the skis a lot of lift in softer snow, even in the narrower 94mm width.
Titanal
Underfoot, Völkl’s inserted a 0.3mm thick Titanal metal plate above the core. This serves two main purposes; improving binding screw retention as well as adding power and grip underfoot.
Touring bindings can exert a massive force on their mounting screws, so a layer of metal here is always welcome.
For such a light ski they provide surprising performance on hard snow, illustrating the benefit of increasing lateral drive directly under the skier.
Adding metal only underfoot can impact the consistent flex through the ski. Völkl’s managed to navigate around this by reducing the width of the metal plate directly in the centre of the binding, so the flex underfoot isn’t overly stiffened.
3D Radius Sidecut
The 3D Radius Sidecut we discussed last season (was called 3 Radius Sidecut) is also brought into the Blaze skis.
Here, you have a less pronounced side curve through the front of the ski, getting tighter underfoot then relaxing again towards the tail.
This is all pretty tech’ers, but in essence it’s the main centre sidecut that typically get’s quoted and this is also more indicative of how the ski behaves. You don’t get a weird GS then slalom then GS turn sensation; it’s not that locked in, thankfully.
For clarity we’ve quoted all three figures for each model, below, showing the radius in the front section of the ski / centre of the ski / tail of the ski.
Touring skins
Not sure about skins? Check out our Touring Skins 101 article to learn more.
Völkl skins are made by the Tyrolean mountaineering company, Kohla.
The Blaze skins feature Kohla’s new Smart Glue tech. This is a traditional style glued skin, but intended to be easier handling; if the skin sticks to itself it’s easier to separate but the skin-to-ski adhesion is still very strong.
They have a 70% mohair / 30% nylon mix to give an easy glide (mohair) with enhanced traction on steeper sections (nylon). They’re laser cut to perfectly fit each model and length in the Blaze range.
These can be bought separately or as a package with the skis.
Völkl Blaze 106
Lengths: 165, 172, 179, 186cm
Sidecut: 146-106-128mm in all lengths
Radius: 36.0m / 17.0m / 28.0m in 179cm
Weight per ski: 1,830g in 179cm
Price: £625 / €649.90 / $700 (ski only)
The wider of the two width offerings, the Blaze 106 for men and Blaze 106 W for women give more floatation than the narrower 94 models. The construction’s the same, so you can read about how this build skis in the Blaze 94 test, below.
Völkl Blaze 106 W
Lengths: 158, 165, 172cm
Sidecut: 146-106-128mm in all lengths
Radius: 29.0m / 14.0m / 23.0m in 165cm
Weight per ski: 1,600g in 165cm
Price: £625 / €649.90 / $700 (ski only)
Apart from the width, the other difference to the Blaze 94 is the geometry of these skis through the 3D Radius Sidecut. The Blaze 106 models have a closer ratio of the radii in the middle and at each end. The centre turn radius is the same as the equivalent length Blaze 94, with a shorter radius quoted at the front and back than the 94’s.
Still nimble, still reactive, just shaped more for soft snow. Makes sense, as you’re not getting a 106mm ski if you’re intending to ski on groomed slopes much.
TESTED: Völkl Blaze 94
Lengths: 165, 172, 179, 186cm
Sidecut: 134-94-116mm in all lengths
Radius: 38.0m / 17.0m / 31.0m in 179cm
Weight per ski: 1,570g in 179cm
Price: £575 / €549.90 / $650 (ski only)
In March 2020 we managed to meet up with the guys from Marker Dalbello Völkl and they kindly loaned us a pair of Blaze 94 to test. Given how light these skis feel, we were super keen to jump on them and find out their strengths and weaknesses.
Construction
The build details are the same across the range so, rather than repeat what you’ve just read, you can click here to take you straight to the copy above for a recap.
Light is right
The first thing that struck us was just how light these skis feel. At 1,570g per ski, in the 179cm length we skied, this is pretty darn light for a freeride ski.
For comparison, the Völkl M5 Mantra (96mm) is 2,060g in 177cm, Rossignol Blackops Escaper (94mm) is 1,800g in 178cm, Elan Ripstick 96 is 1,650g in 180cm, Salomon QST 92 is 1,850g in 177cm and Fischer Ranger 94 FR is 1,850g in 177cm.
It is a similar weight to the Head Kore 93, which is around 1,587g in 180cm.
The weight feels like a freetour product, and the Blaze 94 would therefore be a great match for something like the Duke PT freeride touring binding.
How do they ski?
The Blaze range is described as Pure Freeride by Völkl. They’re light, nimble and have a pretty easy flex. They’re not super soft, so you can still give it some beans; it was surprising how stable they are for their low weight.
They’re not intended to compete with twin metal skis, like the Völkl M5 Mantra or Faction Dictator 3.0. That construction is designed to be powerful, stable at speed and great for charging; the Blaze skis compliment that type of ski.
They’ll work for a wide range of skier abilities, from intermediate skiers wanting to develop their off-piste skiing right through to experts seeking a lightweight rig that skis really well without being tiring.
Floatation
The front section has quite a long rocker, so they pick up really easily in soft snow. The moderately long tail rocker means you’re not locked into a turn and can readily get out of trouble in challenging conditions.
Despite being only 94mm underfoot they float really well and have the sensation of a wider ski. That rocker shape and smooth, easy flex means it’s a cinch to change turn shape or ski shorter swings.
Turn shape
Radius through the centre of the ski is 17m, so if you angle the skis over they carve relatively short turns on firm snow. Often freeride skis have a far larger radius, making them a little trickier to use when the slopes are busy, but the Blaze 94 is a lot more manoeuvrable.
Versatility
Even at less than 1,600g you can still ski pretty hard on the Blaze 94’s. We skied them using 130 flex downhill boots, and strong boots can often overpressure skis with a forgiving flex. This was not an issue with these skis.
The addition of the metal layer in the centre helps with stability a little, as well as the combination of materials through the length of the ski. The metal certainly boosts grip.
The real beauty is how easily you can ski different turn shapes and at varying speeds. The Blaze 94 ski really is a joy to use on firm and soft snow. You don’t get the hard snow grip of a performance piste ski, but apart from that they’re eminently suitable for most groomers, even though this is not what they’re intended for.
Pure freeride pleasure
Head away from the corduroy and that’s when the really big smile starts. Nothing’s too difficult or challenging off-piste on these skis. It can feel a little like cheating that they make it so easy, but that’s how they’ve been designed. They really are a lot of fun in soft and variable snow.
If you do like to do some skinning, the Blaze 94 is a great option. Mount a freeride touring or freetour binding, pack some skins and it’s a perfect one ski set-up to take on the whole mountain.
Völkl Blaze 94 W
Lengths: 158, 165, 172cm
Sidecut: 134-94-116mm in all lengths
Radius: 33.0m / 14.0m / 25.0m in 165cm
Weight per ski: 1,460g in 165cm
Price: £575 / €549.90 / $650 (ski only)
Just like the men’s Blaze 94, but available in a shorter 158cm length, along with 165 and 172cm. As it’s the same ski, you can see just how good the Blaze 94 W in the Blaze 94 test, above.
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Like the Völkl vibe?
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Quoted Prices
*Prices quoted here can be a mixture of recommended retail price from the brand and prices that you can currently get the skis for from retailers in that territory. The prices may therefore be less or more than you can find in-store / online and are only intended to give you a guide as to what you may expect to pay for the skis.
Always ensure you do adequate research when buying ski equipment to ensure you’re getting the best service and advice from the retailer, combined with a price that works for your budget. Don’t always assume that cheaper means better value.
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