2022 Blizzard Sheeva 11

At 112 mm underfoot, the Blizzard Sheeva 11 makes no dispute that it’s a floater. What’s more impressive than the float, though, is the stability of these skis. With the metal laminate that runs edge to edge underfoot, tapering to the tips and tails, these skis have the power and strength of a much burlier ski, but at a lighter weight and with better maneuverability. Easy to ski and a ton of fun, the floaty Sheeva 11’s are built for the steep and deep. The more snow the better, and bring on the rowdy terrain. These skis can handle it all. Advanced and expert skiers will be able to glean the best performance out of them, but for an intermediate looking to get into the floater side of the sport, she’ll be able to grow into them for sure, and skiing powder is just simply easier and more fun the wider the skis, thus shortening the learning curve for aspiring freeriders. It is all about the freeride aspect of the sport—seeking out big mountain lines and deep gullies—taking air and dropping cliffs—these skis were built and shaped to do it all.

One of the nice things about the build of the Sheeva 11 is that the metal laminate extends only to where the rocker starts, leaving the ends of the skis playful and maneuverable, while the central chord and underfoot regions are totally strong and stable. It’s this type of performance and versatility that really make the Sheeva a fan-favorite year after year. In the Sheeva line, as the skis get wider, the metal gets shorter as the rocker gets longer, and this is just a really smart way of building skis. In addition, the taper shape gets more dramatic in the 11 versus the 10 or 9, and this makes it smoother sailing in the fresh snow, affording aggressive skiers the benefit of taking a more direct line with a playful feeling in the tail.

In the 172, these skis generate a 17.5-meter turn radius, and that’s on the short side for a ski of this width, and Blizzard has been pretty consistent with this in their skis over the years. By having them turn a bit sharper, it gives the Sheeva better edge grip and energy in the turn, and makes it so the skis can perform pretty well on-piste as well as off. Weighing in at 3700 grams per pair in the 172, the skis are on the lighter side, but still have the power and burliness to tackle some of the rowdier terrain and conditions that you’re likely to find. They provide an amazing amount of confidence, in both a soft and firm snow format, so if you’re looking to improve and progress, these skis are a fantastic choice.

Advanced and expert skiers will be able to glean the best performance out of the Sheeva 11, as these are likely to be a second or third set of skis in a quiver. If you’re on something like this, or even considering it, we’d expect that you know the circumstances in which these skis are useful, and the skiers who can not only identify with that situation, but also act on it in a manageable way will definitely get the best performance out of the Blizzard Sheeva 11.