2022 Volkl Blaze 86

The Volkl Blaze 86 is a brand new ski for the 2021/22 ski season and takes the construction and overall theme of the wider Blaze 94 and 106 and repackages it in a narrower, and impressively affordable option. The Blaze 86 uses the same Hybrid Multilayer wood core found in the wider Blaze models, but drops the underfoot sheet of titanal to bring the weight down even further. We do still get the rubber Suspension Tips and Tails, which do a great job reducing excess chatter and vibrations in the extremities of the ski. In terms of shape, we get camber underfoot with tip and tail rocker, although the rocker is less pronounced than the 94 and 106 versions. We also get Volkl’s 3D.Radius design, which utilizes a shorter radius underfoot and longer radii in the tips and tails. This allows for a couple different things. First, you can more easily make different turn shapes and styles. Second, the longer radius tips and tails are less catchy than if they kept that same short radius from underfoot, which helps a lot in bumps, trees, and basically anytime you want to release your edges.

David Wolfgang tested the 173 cm length, which he thought was the right size for him in the Blaze 86. David was most impressed by the value in the Blaze 86. At $499, it’s an affordable option that uses a lot of technology found in more expensive skis. David awarded the Blaze 86 some high scores, 4 out of 5 across the board with only torsional stiffness/edge grip dropping to 3 out of 5. That makes sense, as edge grip and powerful carving performance isn’t really a focus of the Blaze 86. “Another of the amazing price point skis. Great value while maintaining the Blaze tradition. Easy turning. Will let you maneuver over all terrain with confidence.” Ease of use, maneuverability, and forgiveness are certainly some of the highlights of the Blaze 86.

Jeff Neagle also tested the 173 cm length and admitted that it’s not really his style of ski, commenting that he generally prefers a heavier ski and/or one with more rocker. That said, he enjoyed skiing them and had a lot of valuable feedback for potential Blaze 86 skiers. “A lighter weight or less aggressive skier I think would really enjoy these. If you like cruising around the mountain at moderate speeds making a bunch of smaller, technical turns, either on groomers or in more technical terrain, this is a really good tool. It's a little more agile than something like the Kanjo 84, which I kept thinking about just due to their proximity in width. Not as much edge grip as that ski and not as stable at speed or at a high edge angle, but quicker, easier, and more forgiving in moguls and other terrain like that. They loved hopping and playing around the sides of the trails, but every 10-20 turns I felt like I was going faster than the ski wanted to. Could be a cool east coast touring ski. Bob brought up some similarities to the Tracer 88 from Armada. I think it's heavier than that ski, but there are definitely a lot of similarities.” 5 out of 5 scores from Jeff for quickness/maneuverability and forgiveness, but torsional stiffness/edge grip and stability dropped to 3 out of 5. Jeff Siegel had a similar reaction to the Blaze 86, and similar scores too. Lower scores for stability and edge grip, with playfulness and forgiveness earning top marks. “What’s good about it is that it’s poppy but accessible. An intermediate skier who’s looking for an easy-going frontside freeride ski is going to love it. It will pop you from turn to turn, but it doesn’t pop hard enough to throw you. It’s more like a gentle nudge. I think this is for a skier that wants a springy feeling ski but doesn’t want to push it or work that hard for it. Looking for a stroll down the mountain? This might be your jam.”

In our opinion, there are a few different applications for the Blaze 86. It’s an excellent choice for an intermediate skier who wants a versatile all-mountain ski and doesn’t require a tremendous amount of torsional stiffness or stability at speed. A less aggressive and/or lighter weight skier won’t find the same limitations as quickly as some of our testers did. On the other hand, it’s certainly light enough to use as a touring ski, and we think the Blaze 86 would be a superb east coast touring ski, especially for someone who typically tours at the resort. It’s not a “let’s go chase powder” touring ski, but it’s very light and it’s very agile for the way back down.