2023 Blizzard Phoenix R14 Pro

For ladies who love the thrill of fast corduroy and laying deep trenches, the Blizzard Phoenix r14 pro will be your new favorite race ski. Boasting a narrow waist of 70 mm and a sturdy, reliable build, you will feel more confident than ever relying on the guaranteed edge grip upon even the firmest snow conditions. Built with Blizzard’s Trueblend wood core and a double titanal laminate, you get the best of both worlds as far as distributed weight through the ski for the purpose of stability and flexibility. With denser stringers underfoot, you have a solid foundation directly beneath the bindings and lighter wood towards the tips and tails. The addition of the titanal rounds out this ski by providing ultimate grip and power through the mid-section, ideal for holding tight in deep, arcing turns. This ski doesn’t mess around, and if you are seeking a solid race ski with high-performance, this is your solution.

Brooke Mars tested the 165 and felt that it was too long for her and would size down. This sentiment may have affected her scores, as she had a mixed bag of 2’s, 3’s, and 4’s. She found that it performed its best as far as flotation, stability, and maneuverability, which says a lot considering she was on a length that was too long for her. As for torsional stiffness and versatility, she gave 2’s, which is interesting given the ski’s intended purpose. She noted “This ski was longer than I’m used to riding and I found it challenging to engage the tips. This ski did do well with both short/quick turns as well as carving. The ski felt flexible but I had to be aware of the pressure on both skis in order to keep engaged throughout the entire turn.” It sounds like she had a hard time with the length, which ultimately affected her overall experience though she was still able to find the sweet spot. Kristi Brown also skied the 165 and noted that it skied true to length, and other than a lowly 1 out of 5 for flotation, Kristi scored the rest of the categories all 5’s, showing a more well-rounded experience on these skis. Kristi commented “the Phoenix took my breath away literally and figuratively!!!!! World Class Snow Globe Winner in a class of her own setting the bar for the rest to catch up. Lock and load for an absolute thrill ride leaving you wanting more and more! Expert, beer league!!!!” If you can’t tell by the number of exclamation marks, Kristi really enjoyed herself on the Phoenix r14 pros. For someone with an extensive racing and alpine background, it’s especially helpful to hear this from a skier of her caliber.

Another tester on the 165, Alli Ruschp noted that it was “perfect.” She scored the ski 5’s out of 5 for stability, quickness, maneuverability, torsional stiffness, edge hold, and overall impression. These skis certainly can hold an edge, and Alli was all about it, noting that the Phoenix R14 Pro is a “Powerful, fun, front side carver. Wants to turn, great for skiers looking to make a lot of turns. Not meant for everyone, more aggressive than the typical front side carving ski, without being a race ski level. I enjoyed making quick slalom-like turns on this ski but my legs felt the amount of turns I was making more than an all-mountain ski.”

For skiers looking to charge groomers with precision and maximum edge grip, the Blizzard Phoenix r14 pro will dominate corduroy and leave trenches in your trail. An impressive ski overall, its high performance and responsiveness will build confidence and leave your legs crying for more.