The 2024 Blizzard Thunderbird R13 LTD is one of the crisper turning skis of the industry these days, placing grip, power, and energy at a high priority while putting any type of all-mountain versatility right at the bottom of the list. This thing is built and shaped to handle firm snow and groomed terrain and is best when on the feet of more accomplished skiers and former racers. As a dedicated front side ski, the R13 is a great option when it comes to linking clean and round turns with high intensity and power. These skis totally rip, making shorter radius turns look a lot easier than they actually are. Front side enthusiasts, and those that are looking to put slalom turns into their repertoire, will love the blend of shape, profile, and construction in these amazing carvers.

Blizzard does a great job with their TrueBlend wood core construction. They’re able to mix in different woods to access the performance of the ski and create a particular effect. By utilizing the strength and power of the 11 beech stringers to balance the liveliness of the 3 larger poplar blocks, the R13 feels stable and planted in the snow. The central portion of the ski is mainly beech, with the stringers shortening as they get closer to the edges. In the forebody and tails, along the sides, the poplar is the main wood here, allowing for a slightly friendlier overall feel while keeping the energy at an absolute maximum. Underfoot, we get Blizzard’s Active Carbon Armor, which links into the binding plate to create a stiffer, yet free-flexing unit that keeps the ski incredibly responsive underfoot. We get an upgraded system plate overall, as well as an XCell 12 binding to go along with it.

From a shaping perspective, the R13’s narrow waist comes in at 70 mm. This is bookended by 120 mm tips and 104 mm tails in the 160 to generate a 12-meter turn radius. This is right in line with a slalom cut, creating shorter and more precise turns with tons of energy and edge grip. There’s not a whole lot to talk about when it comes to taper and rocker, as there’s virtually zero of both. Built with true tip to tail camber and squared-off tips and tails, this ski is built to be on the snow, and not a whole lot else. The overall shape and profile of the ski lends to true front side and racing prowess and not much else. In that realm, though, it’s about as good as it gets.

There’s not a lot to talk about here other than the fact that this ski absolutely destroys fresh corduroy and firm snow. While it’s still a build down from the upper-end race skis, it’s still all there. Because of Blizzard’s strong racing heritage, this ski gets a lot of benefits of that technology, making it feel like a race-specific ski without actually being in the racecourse. Skiers should know what they’re getting with this model, as it clearly has more of a one-dimensional format, but in that zone, it’s a great option.