2022 Blizzard Brahma 88

As a long-standing staple of the upper-end all-mountain category, the 2022 Blizzard Brahma 88 loves to be on edge. This is likely the most stable and demanding of the 88’s out there today, and there’s some “stiff” competition. While there are more versatile skis in this shape on the market, there aren’t many that have the same high-end stability as the Brahma. Super-solid on edge and riding flat, these skis can achieve some high speeds for sure. Built with a wood core and two sheets of metal, the Brahma 88 is unchanged for this upcoming year, and is poised and ready to frighten and delight a whole new generation of advanced and expert all-mountain skiers. Best-suited to smoother trails, the Brahma 88 loves to carve clean and round turns, the 183 cm length generates a 17.5-meter turn radius, which is on the slightly shorter side of the ~88 spectrum. The other thing with sizing is that now with the True Blend wood core, the ski is offered in more and better sizing than the older versions. Those previously stuck between the 180 and 187 will be perfectly content on the 183. Our testers continued to feel that the Brahma 88 is one of the burliest and most demanding all-mountain skis on the market today.

Bob St.Pierre got the opportunity to take out both the 183 and the 189, resulting in an interesting experience and experiment overall. At 6’2” and 220 pounds, Bob can/could be on the 189 and he generally prefers the longer ski in a model line. The turn radius in the 189 is 19-meters, so that’s quite a bit longer than the 17.5 of the 183. “I skied the 189 both last year and this year, and had a very similar experience on it both times. They are long, stiff, and planky, and need to be brought up to speed in order to carve a clean turn. If you’re looking for that top-end of speed and stability, the 189 is the way to go for sure. I was not prepared, however, for how much I was going to like the 183. I have a bit of a mental block skiing all-mountain skis under 185, but this Brahma is the outlier for sure. I loved the shorter and tighter turn radius, and the ski gave me ultimate and supreme confidence in a carved turn. I was simply blown away with the turning capabilities and power of these skis, and that’s just a testament to how they’re built and shaped. The 183 totally shocked me and I loved every minute of it. The 189 is fun, but I can’t see too many skiers being able to use it on a daily basis.” So, even for larger and more aggressive skiers, you’re going to want to temper your expectations of the longer size and its ability to be a useful and versatile all-mountain tool.

Matt McAlary was also on the 183, but he found that to be on the long side, at 5’6” this is not surprising. More specifically, Matt notes that “the ski felt true to its stated length, but with a height of 5'6" and a lot of flawed technique, this is too much ski for me and the shorter one would have provided a better experience, hands down.” He scored the ski 5’s out of 5 for stability, torsional stiffness, and edge hold, and those scores are far from surprising. Matt continues by stating that his “first impression of the Brahma 88 was this is was extremely stable. I wish it was a bit firmer for my test runs, but I adapted to the conditions by riding the ski on a longer, straighter arc. With that being said, on sections where it was a bit firmer, I could really lay into the ski and flex it into a shorter turn. I felt it to be a bit dead and boring for the most part. That's not to say it's not a great ski, but I feel like it lacked energy and personality. It is a beefy ski, but it releases easier than expected in those cases where you want to hit the brakes or pivot the ski as you maneuver through bumps or inconsistent terrain. Skiers with an aggressive style would like this ski as an all-mountain ski for when there is little to no new snow.” Not really a floater or soft-snow specialist, the Brahma 88 is certainly happier when the conditions fall on the firmer side of the spectrum.

There’s not much out there in the all-mountain category that has more power than the Brahma 88. Now with more and tighter sizing, skiers get the benefits of an easier carving ski than before, but with no loss in strength or stability. It’s an incredible ski that has a loyal following for a very good reason. Wider trails are more fun on the Brahma 88 for sure.