The 2024 Volkl Blaze 86W is a ripping choice for ladies who love to ski all over the mountain with agility and poise. It’s funny how the Blaze series of skis from Volkl has evolved. It started out with the 106W being hailed as the flagship model and that everyone should gravitate to that ski. Then the 94W started to gain traction, and Volkl personnel, as well as industry professionals started to fall in line with that ski. Then they came out with the 86W, and while it doesn’t share the higher-end build as the 94W and 106W, skiers began to think that ski held the most impressive balance of performance attributes. These things tend to come full-circle, and we have no issue with that. The 2024 Volkl Blaze 86W returns unchanged for this year with the exception of a graphic refresh, and that’s great news for skiers who are looking for a light weight, agile, and supremely versatile all-mountain ski.

Starting with Volkl’s Multilayer Woodcore Light, the Blaze 86W contains a snappy and energetic wood core that keeps the weight to a minimum. In the 152, we’re seeing the ski register 1290 grams, so it’s right on the cusp of the mythical 1500-gram mark that we like to use arbitrarily for a touring measurement. Obviously, lighter is better for uphills, but there’s got to be a balance in there somewhere that allows the ski to function properly in a downhill format as well. Volkl also uses their Suspension Tips and Tails in the ski, placing rubberized material in the very ends of the ski to smooth out any bumps and keep chatter to an absolute minimum. While the ski doesn’t contain the Titanal Binding Platform of the 94W and the 106W, it does have an extra fiberglass layer in that zone, keeping the energy and torsional stiffness intact while creating some additional material for tech bindings to grab on to.

In terms of shape and profile, the Blaze 86W has a very long and low rocker in both the tips and tails. More accurately, the ski has rocker extending from the binding platform both forward and back. The whole front third and rear third are rockered, making this a floaty ski for the width as well as a smooth initiator and completer of turns. For this level of ski, it’s great to see Volkl’s 3D Radius Sidecut involved here. While some skiers may think that this type of technology is more reserved for the upper echelons of skiers, it actually has more in line with skiers of the intermediate range. Without thinking too hard about it, skiers at this level are constantly trying to change the radius of their turn, mid carve. The 3D Radius allows skiers to do that with more ease and confidence, leading to greater success and more fun out there on the hill. The Blaze 86W in the 152 generates an 11-meter arc underfoot, bookended by 20-meters in the tip and 17-meters in the tail. This makes for smoother turns at higher speeds as well as grippier, shorter carves at lower speeds. At 86 mm underfoot, this ski is highly versatile, ranging from front side carving prowess to backcountry access, and beyond.

While best used by intermediate to advanced skiers, there’s a big world out there in which many more skiers may align with this endlessly well-rounded ski. As a resort-specific option with an alpine binding, budget conscious skiers will get a whole lot for their money. If you’re looking to get out and start touring, but aren’t quite sure where to start, this is a fantastic entry level ski that can be paired with a wide variety of binding options. Amazingly, as these Blaze skis continue to branch out in terms of width, more and more skiers get drawn into this web of awesomeness.