2021 Blizzard Cochise 106

The Cochise has always been a powerful, charging ski that loves to go fast through un-groomed terrain. For 2021, Blizzard has made some tweaks to the Cochise, which is now the Cochise 106, and these tweaks were intended to retain its powerful nature, while making it a little more versatile. Perhaps the most notable change is the ski's smaller turn radius. The 24 m in the 185 cm length is still pretty big, but that's 3 m smaller than the previous version. We still get two sheets of metal in Blizzard's Carbon Flipcore construction, but the tips and tails get a little bit more taper, which combined with the shorter turn radius, should give the ski a slightly more maneuverable feel both in terms of carved turns and skidded/smeared turns. The orange color signifies this is an athlete-level ski for Blizzard, and there's a good chance you'll see some Freeride World Tour guys on this ski due to its strong, powerful nature.

Jeff Neagle skied the 185 cm length and gave the Cochise high scores (5 out of 5) for stability, torsional stiffness/edge grip, and overall impression. "I always enjoy getting a chance to ski the Cochise, and this new version is just as capable as it's always been, but in my opinion a little more fun to ski. The smaller turn radius is definitely noticeable, and I have an easier time getting the ski to come across the fall line, which makes it a little less demanding and fatiguing." Although the change from 27 m to 24 m in turn radius may not seem like much, it's good to know Jeff found it noticeable in terms of performance. "It still has limitless stability and power, just makes a quicker turn when you want it to compared to the previous version. Probably still best for a western skier who likes to ski fast through open terrain. I can understand why the Big Mountain athletes choose this ski. It's strong, it's powerful, and you can trust it in just about any terrain and at any speed. I do think it's important to add that it requires at least an aggressive advanced skier, and it's almost one of those skis I'd put in the expert-only category." Jeff makes a good point. The Cochise 106, although a little easier to ski for the 2021 season, would be too much ski and hard to handle for an intermediate level skier.

Bob St.Pierre shared a similar opinion with Jeff after also testing the 185 cm length. Like Jeff, his highest scores were for flotation, stability, and torsional stiffness/edge grip. "Very heavy, damp, and stiff. Not a ton of energy, but rather a lot of dampness. Plows through rather than floats over crud and deep snow." Bob makes a good point there. The shape and construction of the Cochise 106 is designed for stability and charge-through, plow-through performance. Skiers looking for a ski that feels floaty and has more of a preference to skim over the snow surface may prefer the float and feel of something like a Rustler 11, but the Cochise 106 is great for skiers that want a ski that tracks well and will go through anything you point it towards. "Better be a burly, rugged skier with stiff boots and strong legs to get the benefits of this ski." That's a fair warning from Bob. The Cochise 106 is a stiff, powerful ski. A soft flexing boot won't be able to deliver enough power from your body, and at the same time, you as a skier need to be similarly strong and powerful.

Skis like the Cochise 106 aren't for everyone. It's designed for a relatively specific application, that being powerful skiing through un-groomed terrain. While it's not the most versatile ski on the planet and certainly not the easiest to ski, it does the job it's designed for, and it does it really well. If you want to ski fast and aggressively through un-groomed, off-piste terrain and not worry about what's in front of you (other than rocks and stuff, don't run into rocks) it doesn't get much better than the Cochise 106!