2022 Volkl Blaze 106

The Volkl Blaze 106 is back for another season after a successful launch going into the 2020/21 season. Lots of skiers have benefitted from its lightweight feel and off-piste prowess. Volkl uses a Hybrid Multilayer wood core in the Blaze 106, which is impressively lightweight. They also add a Titanal Binding Platform for binding retention, which also gives the Blaze 106 a stronger feel underfoot than you might expect just looking at its weight. Speaking of weight, the 165 cm length is just 1593 g and the Blaze 106 is one of the lightest freeride skis out there, barring touring specific skis. It has long rocker lines, although there isn’t a ton of splay. This gives you good maneuverability when riding a flatter base, while retaining a relatively long effective edge when you tip it into a turn. Perhaps the most interesting, or eye-catching, information on its stat sheet is its 3D.Radius. Volkl uses 3D.Radius in a lot of their skis, but it’s more pronounced in the Blaze 106 than any other ski. The 179 cm length, for example, has a 36 m radius in the tip, 17 underfoot, and 38 in the tail, which allows for a ton of different turn shapes.

Matt Testa skied the 179 cm length during our Ski Test and mentioned he’d been hoping to have a chance to ski it for a while. The highest scores from Matt were for flotation, quickness/maneuverability, versatility, and overall impression, all earning solid 4 out of 5 scores. “Super fun and pretty easy to ski. I felt like this ski can make short, medium, and large turns depending on where you pressure the ski. This ski excels in soft snow types and is versatile enough to ski whatever you throw at it. I did notice though that it did get a bit caught up in the super soft snow and it got a little scary at high speeds. I thoroughly enjoyed the low-speed dad turns on this ski and I think that is what it does best. This ski would be great for an intermediate to expert skier.” Matt’s analysis that the Blaze can be enjoyed by a huge range of abilities is spot-on. An expert will love the snappy, lightweight feel and how easy it is to flick around, while an intermediate will appreciate its forgiveness and ease of use.

Brian Cooke also skied the 179 cm length, which he thought was a little short for his size, but also manageable. “Had a blast on this ski because the conditions were soft. This would be a great soft snow ski east or west. It had a little trouble blasting through the heavy spring snow mounds but it was stable enough. I imagine it would chatter a bit due to that softer construction, but they have enough beef to be a daily driver for a lighter skier. Maybe this would be a good option for 50/50 skiers.” Both Matt and Brian found a limit to its raw stability, which that’s not tremendously surprising. The Blaze 106 is meant so be light, maneuverable, and fun, not necessarily a speed demon. John McIntosh also skied the 179 cm length and, like Brian, awarded the Blaze 106 almost all 4 out of 5 scores, with just torsional stiffness dropping to a 3. “Great choice for off-piste freeride. Solid enough for inbounds skiing but clearly most comfortable in the side and backcountry.” John brings up an excellent point, the Blaze is happiest in the backcountry and off-piste terrain. Add in the fact that it’s quite light, and it’s a great choice as a hybrid resort/AT ski.

Jeff Neagle and Bob St.Pierre both opted for the 186 cm length in their test runs on the Blaze 106. 5 out of 5 scores from Jeff for quickness/maneuverability, playfulness, and overall impression. “Super light, surfy, and smeary. I like the short radius underfoot. The more you de-camber the ski, the more you use that shorter radius. Gives it a super versatile feel for different terrain and snow conditions.” Bob St.Pierre had similar scores and more good things to say about the Blaze 106. “Will make a fantastic powder ski with a great flex and profile. Rubber in the tips and tails keep the extremities quiet, and for an all-wood ski, this is a much-needed and appreciated addition to the build. Great at smearing and sliding through soft snow.” Whether you’re looking for a lightweight resort freeride/powder ski, or you’re going to slap an AT binding on it like the Duke PT, all our testers agree the lightweight, fun-loving nature of the Blaze 106 is a refreshing alternative to heavier, more demanding skis.