Blizzard’s new Firebird line this year comprises of three models: the WRC, SRC, and the Comp. The Comp sits in the middle of the three in regards to turn radius, and is the softest of the three because it uses Carbon Spine Technology, and not Carbon Armor Technology like the other two models. As a recreational GS ski, the Firebird Comp is built to make awesome turns on smooth snow conditions. Built with speed and control in mind, the skis perform like a race ski, but are less demanding. At 70 mm underfoot, edge grip will be great, but not flotation. Our testers found it to be perfect for what it is designed for.
Justin Perry sums it up pretty concisely: “Holy $h1t, I saw God.” Justin is referring to the fact that these Firebird Comp’s are really, really fast. Normally, Justin is on a Nordica Enforcer 110 or a Blizzard Bonafide so he doesn’t ski trail-specific skis all that often. He skied the 178 cm length (the longest size option) and loved the stability and torsional stiffness that the skis offered. He scored the Comp’s a 1 out of 5 for forgiveness, so we’re pretty confident that he found them to feel quite stiff. His overall impression was a 5 out of 5, though, showing that although frightening for Justin, he absolutely loved the performance that he got out of the skis.
Also skiing the 178 (and thinking they skied short) was Hans Von Briesen. He thought they were forgiving enough to get some sweet performance out of, and not too abusive to throw him in the back seat. He thought that they were more “entry level carver-specific skis that are easy to transition and adjust. Nice shape for variety but loses out on speed stability.” Hans is touching on the fact that these have a carbon spine, but not throughout, which softens the flex.
Benny Wax rocked the 172 cm ski and gave it a 5 out of 5 for overall impression. Benny loves to turn, so it’s little mystery that he feels this way. He starts his comments with a “Rock and Roll!” Referring to the Comp as a “De-tuned race ski,“ he notes their user-friendliness and continues to remark that the ski “is solid whether quick medium radius turns or nice GS turns. It’s stable and responsive for any aggressive front side groomer attack dog.” Sounds like Benny was perfectly enthralled with the on-trail performance of the Blizzard Firebird Comp.
James Stewart called the 178 cm Firebird Comp “a high performance carving ski in an accessible package.” He certainly picked up on the fact that it did not behave like the upper two skis in the Firebird line, but was pleased nonetheless. “Would be a great ski for an advancing upper level intermediate looking to dial in their hard snow game.” That’s a long way around saying that advanced carvers will love this ski, but we’re pretty sure that’s what he meant. With a 15.5 meter turn radius in this length, aspiring carvers will find exactly what they are looking for.
Jason Krupsky has an awesome take on the 178 cm Firebird Comp: “It’s like the SRC and the WRC had a baby.” Turn radius is in between both. Good all around ski for firm snow and groomers.” Great call here from Jason, who also noted that the skis had awesome torsional stiffness and edge hold.
Sitting somewhere between a beer league GS ski and a de-tuned slalom system ski, the 2019 Blizzard Firebird Comp strikes a balance between performance and accessibility that is not to be overlooked. Advanced skiers looking to lean on their edges will be psyched to ski the Comp.
