2023 Blizzard Black Pearl 82

For all-mountain versatility and high-end performance, the 2023 Blizzard Black Pearl will appeal to intermediate to advanced female skiers with an eye for terrain ranging from fast groomers to tight trees and everything in between. Don’t be fooled by the narrower waist width, this wide carving ski stands out among the rest thanks to its willingness to not only rip fast, arcing turns but explore off-trail with confidence. Built with a TrueBlend wood core, unidirectional carbon frame and a titanal laminate, you get an ideal blend of lightweight qualities with a slightly stiffer backbone for stability and agile performance. Retaining torsional stiffness and energetic edge-to-edge, Blizzard’s approach factors in a subtle rocker profile in the tip and tail, providing forgiveness and maneuverability as well. Whether you’re looking to bring these up to speed, lay tight, short turns, or pop off trail into softer snow, these skis have a range of capabilities and require little energy to control and master.

Jana Ross tested a pair of 159s and found that while they skied true to size, they would be perfect with a few more additional centimeters. Receiving 5’s for maneuverability, playfulness, and forgiveness, this speaks to the Black Pearl 82s overall personality of friendly and nimble, making them perfect for all-mountain performance. With 4’s given for all other categories; Jana’s overall impression was “These skis were already making turns as I was only thinking about turning them. Super easy to make fast turns, extremely playful, and fun on a groomer. I understand why these skis are so popular with older ladies as they take no effort to turn. You can ski these all day and have fun and not be tired.” A strong and capable ski but not highly demanding makes for an extremely fun and enjoyable ride, no matter what the conditions might be.

Abby Maurice skied the next size up from Jana and found the 165s to be true to size. Her scoreboard was packed full of 4’s, with the exception of one 3 out of 5 for torsional stiffness. Overall, she awarded a 4 for her general impression and thought that the Black Pearl 82 was “Fun, light and floaty. This ski is stable in variable conditions and holds edge with confidence. It has beautiful fluidity with movement and nuance to turns. This ski can maneuver from mellow to quick skiing effortlessly. I would recommend it to an intermediate skier without question.” A resounding yes from both of our female testers, supporting the already positive impression made by these skis.

For ladies looking for an approachable ski with a high performance ceiling, the Blizzard Black Pearl will deliver dynamic energy and power without the daunting weight and demand of metal. For on-trail success and off-piste adventure, take these skis with you and you will not be disappointed.