Ladies looking to re-claim their glory days of racing will love the narrow waist and burly build of the new 2022 Blizzard Phoenix R14 Pro. At 70 mm underfoot, these skis have edge grip for days, and will hold tight to the firmest of snow, allowing you to really get into the ski and let it carve out some deep trenches through the corduroy. Built with Blizzard’s all-new True Blend on-piste wood core, the Phoenix R14 Pro features a wood core that has denser and more stable stringers underfoot and more flexible and lighter wood in the shovels and tails. This, when combined with the double titanal laminate, allows for rock-solid grip through the mid-section of the ski and a bit more compliant feel and performance in the ends of the skis. In addition, Blizzard uses their Carbon Armor that stiffens the ski in front of and behind the binding system to really drive the point home that these skis mean business.
ROCKER PROFILE
Camber
CORE MATERIALS
TrueBlend On-Piste, Carbon Armor
PREFERRED TERRAIN
Groomers, All Mountain
On the 165, generating a 14-meter turn radius, Alli Ruschp noted that it was “perfect.” She scored the ski 5’s out of 5 for stability, quickness, maneuverability, torsional stiffness, edge hold, and overall impression. These skis certainly can hold an edge, and Alli was all about it, noting that the Phoenix R14 Pro is a “Powerful, fun, front side carver. Wants to turn, great for skiers looking to make a lot of turns. Not meant for everyone, more aggressive than the typical front side carving ski, without being a race ski level. I enjoyed making quick slalom-like turns on this ski but my legs felt the amount of turns I was making more than an all-mountain ski.” Those comments certainly back up Alli’s score of 3 out of 5 for versatility, as these skis are definitely more comfortable in a carved turn on hard snow than pretty much anything else. Nifer Hoehn was also on the 165, and did note that she felt it a little short. Blizzard does move the mount point a bit forward for the women’s skis, so that might account for some of that feedback. Nevertheless, Nifer gave the Phoenix R14 Pro high scores of 5 out of 5 for stability, torsional stiffness, and edge hold, with 4’s for quickness, maneuverability, and overall impression. She states that “This is yet another strong Blizzard contender in their women's line. They are a fun ski to make tight turns on, and are light, zippy, and playful. They hold up well at speed and have great edge grip. I would recommend these for intermediate to strong female skiers looking for a groomer ski that is responsive and fun. The one drawback, the waist and camber make them a little less versatile than some of the other options I tested today.” At 70 mm underfoot, you’ll definitely feel the lack of versatility, but that’s not what these skis were built for, that’s for sure.
Kristi Brown skied the 165 and noted that it skied true to length, and other than a lowly 1 out of 5 for flotation, Kristi scored the rest of the categories all 5’s, showing a more well-rounded experience on these skis, and we’re all about it. Kristi notes that “The Phoenix took my breath away literally and figuratively!!!!! World Class Snow Globe Winner in a class of her own setting the bar for the rest to catch up. Lock and load for an absolute thrill ride leaving you wanting more and more! Expert, beer league!!!!” If you weren’t counting, that’s 9 exclamation points in Kristi’s comments, and that’s a whole lot of excitement. She’s got a pretty extensive racing and alpine carving background, so it’s really nice to hear this from a skier of her caliber.
If you’re looking for a ski that will absolutely hammer on the groomers and leave nothing but deep trenches in their wake, the 2022 Blizzard Phoenix R14 Pro is the ski to be on. Our testers loved the energy and grip that these skis provide, and with such a narrow waist, that grip is going to give the pilot a whole lot of confidence when driving through the turn.
