The Quattro series from Blizzard keeps churning out high-performance front side skis that a wide variety of skiers will enjoy. The 8.0 Ti sits somewhere in the middle of the product line—narrower than the 8.4, and without carbon. Aimed at high level intermediates and lighter weight experts, the 8.0 Ti is a great choice for skiers who don’t venture off trail too much. We had a total of six testers offer their input on the Quattro 8.0 Ti, and all skied the 168 cm length. The general consensus was that the skis were quick, maneuverable, and fun. Keep in mind that the tested length was probably too short for all of our testers, but that did not limit the amount of enjoyment that they gleaned from the ski.
Bob St.Pierre gave top scores for quickness and maneuverability, and an obvious low score for flotation. At 80 mm underfoot, it’s not going to stay atop of much fresh snow. He called the ski a “remarkable performer considering the size. It loved turning and being on edge. It’s not going to be a great expert all-mountain ski, but aggressive intermediates will take it straight to carve town.” The line between front side and all-mountain sometimes gets blurred, but Bob’s opinion is that the skis are certainly made for the groomers.
Jamie Bisbee thought the ski was quite stable given the length: “Tip it up and ride the edge and you’ll be fine. The ski prefers medium to long radius turns.” Jamie is making a point here that the skis do not like to fight the radius; they’re better off being leaned on rather than pushed.
Jake Inger sided more towards the all-mountain character of the 8.0 Ti. He gave 4’s out of 5 for stability, quickness, versatility, and overall impression. Jake liked the fact that the skis were adaptable to a number of different situations and conditions. “Fun all-mountain ski. Good for an intermediate skier. Was playful yet still held an edge when making large turns.” Jake seems to echo Jamie’s comment that the skis prefer to be ridden according to the radius.
Charlie Roy also commented on the quick and stiff nature of the ski. It does have titanium in it, after all. “Ripping front side carver! The ski was shorter than I normally ski, but was surprisingly stable. I like the edge hold and tight turn radius.” He also compared it to a slalom race ski, but a civilian version. For a target audience: “Great for those who want to rip the groomers.”
Devin Gleason called it “super playful, held great short turns, and very edgy.” He noted as well that he thought the ski would be fun for anybody to ride, giving it a diverse audience to cater to.
Michael Rooney seemed to really like this ski based off the score sheet. He gave the skis 5’s out of 5 for stability, quickness, edge hold, versatility, and overall impression. These are great marks for a ski that’s supposed to remain on trail. “The Quattro 8.0 Ti is built to take it and stay in control. It is happy on smooth snow and crud equally. If you want a ski to stand up for you, this is the one to get.” It sounds like Michael liked the edge control and versatile turn nature of the ski, for sure.
The 2019 Blizzard Quattro 8.0 Ti, sitting somewhere in the middle of the series line, wears a lot of hats for a front side ski. It will make intermediates better and will allow experts to have a lot of fun on a simple, yet stable ski.
