2023 Blizzard Thunderbird Sport Ti

The 2023 Blizzard Thunderbird Sport Ti carries forward this year, and remains an awesome choice for recreational and higher-end front side carvers who are looking for the ultimate in edge hold, fun, and clean, round carving power. Built on the same platform as the Thunderbird R15 WB, the Sport Ti has one less sheet of metal, and is without the Carbon Armor laminate. This makes the Sport Ti a bit more flexible, lighter, and quicker, without losing too much in terms of performance. In fact, our experience on the Sport Ti led us to believe that this ski will be a fantastic option for a larger number of skiers who aren’t looking for that race-like performance, but still a really high-end carving power and precision. Another slight change from the R15 WB is that the Sport Ti has full camber, with no 2 mm rocker profile, giving the Sport Ti a bit more precision and ease of engagement to the tips of the ski. This can be done in a ski like this, as it’s not quite as stiff or heavy, so Blizzard does a nice job in making the Sport Ti react and perform like more of a race ski, but without the heavy demand levels that the R15’s or the Firebird line possess.

Bob St.Pierre skied the 170, and noted that while it’s true to size, it’s too short for him. At 6’2” and 220 pounds, this is not a huge surprise. “The thing about the sizing with these skis is that they top out at 175, so even at that length, it’s likely not going to work for larger and more aggressive skiers.” These skiers are going to be pushed into the R15’s which are 182 and 185 cm lengths, and that’s going to be just fine with the bigger skier population. Bob scored the ski 5’s out of 5 for quickness and maneuverability, with lower scores of 3 out of 5 for stability and versatility. “Obviously, in this length, the skis are going to be incredibly quick, and I was ready for that, and they held quite well, it’s just such a short turn for me that it’s almost too hard to keep up with. I think for intermediate and advanced skiers who are looking to spend most of their time on groomed terrain, this is going to be a fantastic ski with a huge upside. I kind of wish they made it in a 180 or longer, because it has a lot of merits that I just couldn’t access at that length. If I’m going to ski a 170, it’s going to have to be more of a slalom ski. Regardless, I still had a lot of fun, and could certainly feel the energy and suppleness of the True Blend wood core.” Skiers looking to get into a carving ski who are on shorter lengths can certainly gravitate to the Thunderbird Sport Ti.

Jeff Neagle was also on the 170, and notes about the sizing that it skis “true to size, or maybe skis a little short... 170 was ok for me, I think that's the right length for how this ski is supposed to feel.” Similar to Bob, Jeff’s high score was a 5 out of 5 for quickness and maneuverability, with 4’s for overall impression, forgiveness, and playfulness. These are some fairly high scores overall for a ski, and when it’s on the short side for a tester, it’s nice to see that these top marks can still be achieved. “The Thunderbird Sport Ti feels like a high-end carving ski that's designed for an intermediate. Just because you're not the best skier on the mountain doesn't mean you can't also enjoy nice things, right? That's kind of how I think about it. An expert level skier who's looking to charge will push this past its limits pretty quickly. It took me a moment to adapt to its feel after coming off the Thunderbird R15 WB. The single sheet of metal is nice, but doesn't have as much stability as the R15 construction. For lower level or less aggressive skiers, that's a benefit, not a drawback. It's easier to manipulate this ski and it responds to skier input quickly, but not in a way that feels like it's going to run away from you. Easy to stay on top of it through your turns and it can handle reasonably fast speeds, it's just not a speed demon. A lot of the skiers I see racing in the Stowe beer league/ski bum race would honestly be better off on these than the World Cup GS skis they all seek to own. I feel like a common problem for skiers is wanting "the best," which then points them towards crazy-stiff skis with huge turn radii. Realistically, not too many skiers need skis like that, and I think a lot of people would be surprised if they gave the Sport Ti a chance, or if that's not quite enough, just bump up to the R15!”

The 2023 Blizzard Thunderbird Sport Ti has a lot of hidden treasures in it, and a lot of skiers will really reap the benefits of these great skis. Thanks to the new True Blend on-piste wood core and the generous 76 mm waist width, the Sport Ti loves to be on edge, and is a smooth, strong, and stable performer that is just a whole lot of fun. Like Jeff noted, you don’t have to have a strong racing background or heritage to enjoy carving, and these skis will offer what you need to get you there.