A new Blaze! This time on the wide side of the line, the all-new 2024 Volkl Blaze 114 is a freerider’s dream come true. Bonus points if you enjoy lighter skis that still can rip turns. Volkl uses their existing Blaze technology, and adds in some new eco-friendly designs to make the new 114 a modern marvel of ski construction. While we get many of the same shaping principles that we love about the narrower skis in the line, the 114 takes it to the next level in terms of flotation, playfulness, and even touring versatility. While not many skiers will go so far as to call a 114 “versatile,” the fact that it’s light enough to tour on makes it slightly more well-rounded than its heavier contemporaries. Suitable for tech, hybrid, or alpine bindings, the usefulness of the ski is a welcome addition to the Blaze line.

Constructed with a Hybrid Multilayer wood core, the ski uses a mix of poplar and beech as well and Green Core. These elements are all slotted on the bottom in order to create an insanely light overall feel and character. The Green Core is the big story here, consisting mainly of recycled plastic bottles. These two central strips give the ski an interesting feel—we've seen both PET plastic like this as well as Polyurethane used in ski cores for a while now, and it’s amazing at how these materials can hold up performance-wise as well as reducing the ski’s carbon footprint. If something can do both, then it’s a nice outcome. The 114 also contains a titanal binding platform, which does have structural elements to it as well as binding retention. In the tips and tails, we get Volkl’s application of a rubber material to minimize chatter and keep the ski smooth and stable. There’s a lot of surface area here on this ski, so it’s not shocking that the 184 almost hits2000 grams.

At 114 mm underfoot, it’s the widest Blaze, and unsurprisingly, the floatiest. There’s a whole lot of rocker in this ski—it's basically flat, but there’s still enough camber underfoot to at least mention it. The length of the rocker in the tips and tails is what stands out for this ski, making it clean and smooth from beginning to end. Assisting with the smooth feeling of the ski from a rocker standpoint, the 3D Radius Sidecut also kicks in here. By generating a huge turn radius in the tips and tails (39-meters and 29-meters respectively), the ski likes to take a pretty direct line. At the same time, the 18-meter center radius allows skiers to actually get this ski to turn. The weight and hook-free nature make it super-easy to pivot and slarve, and skidded slash turns are super easy and a ton of fun.

Huge tips, big tails, light weight core, and a freeride mentality all comprise this new Volkl Blaze 114. We got to ski it on a pretty snowy day here in Vermont, and it absolutely loved being pushed both straight and sideways, whether on-trail or off. Normally, skis this wide require a lot of work to get them to sing, but this new 114 has a whole lot of composure for being this gargantuan. It’s an interesting blend, and while most skis are moving a bit narrower, it’s nice to see that there’s still room for a wide, light, fun-loving ski that can tour as well as charge.