2024 Blizzard Rustler 10 Ski Review

While it’s certainly not breaking news at this point, we have new Blizzard Rustler and Sheeva skis for 2024. Last season, on January 9th, we introduced the new collection having just recently seen them for the first time ourselves. In April, we took a deep dive into the narrowest men’s ski with a full Rustler 9 review. Then in May, we switched to the women’s side of things with a long form review of the Sheeva 9. Now, we’re happy to be back into another season, and at this point it’s basically been a full year with these new skis. With a fantastic start to the season here in Stowe and an abundance of soft snow and even borderline-pure-powder days, we seized the opportunity to circle back to the Rustler line with a review I personally have been excited to put together, the Rustler 10.

At this point, we think most people understand the changes to construction and the tweaks in shape to these new skis, but it’s worth a refresher anyways. To start, we get Trueblend in the wood core of the ski, specifically Trueblend Free. In the Rustlers, it’s a blend of poplar and paulownia making up most of the core, with denser beech stringer focused underfoot to provide more oomph. Trueblend is something we’ve been quite impressed by since its inclusion in Blizzards’s skis. As is the intention, it really does seem to give the manufacturer great control over the flex pattern of each ski, and each length within models for that matter. We like it a lot, and it also allowed Blizzard to successfully change the metal laminates in the ski without resulting in overly stiff tips and tails. The new metal application is called Fluxform, which feels like a new technology for Blizzard that we may see trickle into other skis in the future? Time will tell. In the Rustler skis, it’s 3 pieces of metal. Two of them are placed along the edges of the ski, almost from true tip to tail, although it doesn’t quite reach the end of the ski on either end. The third piece of metal is underfoot, and a quick glance at a construction mockup almost gives you the sense it’s one piece of metal, but it’s important that it’s not. This new metal application gives the ski a more consistent flex, although the tips and tails are still a bit softer. The real benefit is there’s less of a hinge point. The previous Rustler 10 often felt like you were slightly folding the forebody of the tip if you gave it too much power, but these allow for more skier input with more confidence, without sacrificing playfulness.

At a Glance:

2024 Blizzard Rustler 10

Shape is more or less the same as the previous Rustler 10, but it does have a slightly different vibe. Not sure why. Maybe it’s the graphics, or maybe it’s the slight increase in splay in rocker profile, but the Rustler 9 and Rustler 10 both kind of feel like they have more freestyle influence. That comes through a bit in performance too, in my opinion, but realistically, on paper, the shapes are very, very similar. The new ski looks and feels rounder to me, both in the shape of the tips and the tails and as an entire entity. Again, when you break down the actual numbers, it’s really not much different, so if anything, it’s just more of a visual cue than an actual change in performance. The change in performance that is there, in our opinion, comes much more from the change in construction.

Which brings us to performance! We’re going to split this into three sections, starting with my experience (Jeff), then we’ll hear from Bob and Matt respectively. I’ve now spent considerable time on both the 180 and 186 cm lengths. More on that later in respect to which I like more. I think the best way to talk about performance of the Rustler 10, at least for me, is its different personalities based on edge angle. Starting with higher edge angles, big sweeping carves, and aggressive skiing, the new Rustler 10 handles it far better than the previous version. I always found there was a limit to how hard I could push that thing, and I don’t really find a limit on this ski. It’s still not stiff, but instead of folding in the shovel, you basically just get pulled into deeper and deeper trenched carves the harder and harder you push it, which is a really fun. No, it’s not a carving ski as its sole purpose, actually far from it, but if you’re the skier that likes to lay arcs through softer snow conditions, it’s far better than its predecessor. I suppose someone might find a limit to power, and I can tell it’s there, I just don’t think I weigh enough to find that limit very easily. Compared to something like the Enforcer 104 Free, which is in the same class, my 160 lbs frame can tell there’s more stability and power to the Enforcer, but I don’t actually think I utilize it compared to the Rustler. It’s an interesting difference, and I expect if I went out west and skied really fast, I might find the Rustler limit more easily, but I’m also not convinced, and there’s the length thing, which I’ll get to.

Skiing at shallower edge angles on the new Rustler 10, I find it to be equally as playful as the previous ski, or if anything, a bit more playful. The slight increase in splay makes edge release just a tiny bit quicker than the previous version. What’s really cool, is there’s more longitudinal stability in the new Rustler as well. So, you can be a bit silly on it, which is reflected in the opening shot in the video review. If you want to be somewhat reckless, the ski can handle it from a stability perspective, then you can shut it down really quick with the ease of tail edge release. The previous ski just didn’t have the composure at speed as the new Rustler 10. So, super fun, super playful, easy in the trees, still easy at slower speeds, but allows for more speed in between your playfulness. So, last thing to talk about is length. Having skied both the 180 and 186, I find myself in a familiar situation. Here in Vermont, or anywhere in the Northeast, I’d choose the 180. Quicker, easier in the trees, less fatiguing in demanding terrain, and there aren’t many opportunities to go fast enough to push it to its limits. Out west, however, it’s the opposite. I’d be skiing faster, going bigger, and doing all those fun things you get to do in more wide open terrain. In that situation, I’d benefit less from the quickness of the 180 and more from the increased stability of the 186. I find that interesting and fun to talk about, as with many skis, I find a certain length and stick to it regardless of where I’m skiing. That’s enough from me. The rest of this article, I’ll leave you to the thoughts of Matt and Bob.

Bob’s Experience:

There are many things to like about the new Rustler 10, but my favorite of those is its ability to pivot. I'm sure most skiers will look to qualities like flotation, or carving, or playfulness, but I've found that these aspects pale in comparison to the Rustler's pivoting capabilities. This may sound or seem minor or insignificant, but it's not and I'll tell you why. Skis that are inherently damp, stable, powerful, and precise don't normally pivot easily. Rustler 10 is a rare exception. The combination of grip and exactitude underfoot marries perfectly with the suppleness of the tips and tails. There's no inconsistency here--the skis simply feel natural from end to end. By blending fairly dramatic rocker and width-appropriate taper to the mix, the Rustler 10 is incredibly easy to unweight the middle and pivot the ski around. This technique is absurdly helpful in crud, chop, and adverse conditions and terrain. No matter where you are on the mountain, or at what aspect, you can feel confident that the Rustler 10 will get around its next turn. That's an invaluable characteristic for a ski to have, and it's not found in a whole lot of products. Sure, those other aspects are great, too, and I love how this ski carves and is smooth and handles crud and chop very well at a high rate of speed. Many skis do these things well, but it's the pivoting that really stands out for me as an outlying quality.

Matt's Experience:

For 2024, the Blizzard Rustler 10 got quite the makeover and to say that it was a success would be an understatement. With a new woodcore and titanal laminate, there is little that this ski cannot do. From soft snow to firm snow and technical off-piste terrain to on-piste groomers the Rustler 10 felt right at home. For context, I am 6’2”, 200 lbs and I was skiing the 186 cm length, which felt perfect for me here at Stowe, Vermont. On trail, the changes on construction and shape translated directly to seamlessly initiating and completing turn after turn. The first characteristic that came to mind when carving was how smooth these 102 mm waisted skis go from edge to edge. Typically, with a ski this wide, more input is required to get the skis up on edge and to hold that edge throughout the turn. That is not the case. The new shape marries extremely well with the new construction which produces quite an intuitive experience from the top of the mountain to the bottom. This marriage really comes through in the form of energy towards the end of the turn where the ski rockets you out of the turn and lunges you into the next. It is truly impressive how much edge grip and torsional rigidity there is in this ski while somehow being incredibly playful at the same time. Generous tip and tail rocker allow for easy turn disengagement and playful maneuvering. Side hits, butters, and spins are just as much a part of this ski’s language as carving and high-speed stability.

In terms of ungroomed and off-piste terrain, that is where these skis really came alive for me. I had the pleasure of fresh snow when out on the Rustler 10 so it was a great representation of how they would handle variable conditions. There is plenty of float provided with its shape and a forgiving yet strong feel with its new construction. One great scenario that explains this perfectly is when I was blasting down firm moguls with fresh snow covering them. The shape allowed the skis to float through the mogul troughs and skip over the tops of the crests, while the construction stayed strong, stable, and most importantly predictable. Then when either changing direction or trying to scrub speed, the torsional stiffness and shape took over to allow the skis to grip the firm backsides of the moguls and be in complete control. Even though the Rustler 10 is close to being 2000 grams per ski, they did not handle or feel like it. Instead, they feel extremely active and quick to maneuver, which was somewhat surprising. For the tight and technical terrain we have here at Stowe, the 186 cm length felt perfect. However, if I was skiing in bigger and more wide open terrain, I think that the 192 cm length would be better for me.

Overall, my experience of the 2024 Blizzard Rustler 10 was a resounding success, and I am left feeling extremely impressed. The shear versatility of performance characteristics and capabilities makes me think that Blizzard has a true winner on their hands here. These skis inspired confidence and creativity no matter where I was on the mountain, which is all that I could ever ask from a ski.