The Blizzard Brahma has been one of the most popular all mountain skis on the market for the past few seasons. It has undergone a few changes, much like its bigger brother the Bonafide. The most recent change moving into 2018 is, in our opinion, the most significant. Blizzard has decreased the turning radius very slightly, has given the ski a more abrupt tip shape, and it now has a slightly lower rise rocker. The idea was to increase responsiveness, quickness, and to smooth out turn initiation without sacrificing what has made the Brahma so popular already: its power, vibration dampening, and versatility. The new 2018 Brahma received a lot of high scores and our testers were pretty psyched about the changes to the ski.
Dave Marryat tested the 173 cm ski and went as far as calling it “a perennial favorite for a reason!” Dave also really enjoyed skiing the Brahma CA, and we think there are going to be a lot of skiers choosing between the two, but he preferred the confidence inspiring feel that metal provides. According to Dave the ski is “smooth, stable, and confidence inspiring. This ski will take any terrain with grace; it can hold an edge in the firm and smear in the soft.” He thinks it’s a fantastic east coast all mountain ski, which we certainly don’t disagree with, and he even gave it the title of “east coast quiver killer.”
Justin Perry also thoroughly enjoyed skiing the new Brahma. He tested the 180 cm length and referred to them as a “perfect all mountain ski” thanks to their ability to do a little bit of everything. Justin described the ski as being “quick to turn, and quick to cut through anything the trail puts ahead of you.” He also brought up a good point, “this isn’t one of the most popular skis on the market for nothing.”
Jake Inger, someone who competes in east coast freeride competitions and often can be found on wider skis, was blown away by the Brahma in the 180 cm length. “This ski was amazing. It handled everything well. It was able to carve and act like an all mountain freeride ski at the same time. I could see myself competing on this ski or just taking it out on a normal day. It wasn’t too stiff, but could handle really icy chunder.” The Brahma has always been known for its quiet, calm performance when skiing fast through chopped up snow and you can rest assured the new 2018 version is no different.
Matt McGinnis, per usual, had a really nice, all-encompassing response to the Brahma. He also skied the 180 cm length and gave the ski 5 out of 5 for stability, quickness, torsional stiffness, versatility, and overall impression and had this to say about the ski: “The Blizzard Brahma is what it’s always been: stable, fast, and reliable. Compared to previous years the redesigned rocker profile (lower rise tip) only amplifies the skis edge hold capabilities. Combine that with two layers of metal and you’ve got an incredibly stable platform that you can count on at speed and in choppy terrain.” The Brahma truly does have an impressive level of stability, which has made it a favorite among aggressive skiers.
Matt concluded his response to the Brahma with a nice recommendation for whom the ski is best: “This ski is probably a bit much for the beginner or intermediate skier. The metal adds stability at the cost of playfulness, resulting in a ride that might be hard to steer for skiers who aren’t yet confident. Of course, that’s what the Brahma CA is for and it handles that job well.”
