For 2024, the Blizzard Sheeva 11 gets quite the overhaul in terms of both construction and shape giving us a brand-new ski. The new design has certainly stayed true to its origins in being a solid, well-rounded all-mountain freeride ski. The Sheeva’s are well known for being a strong yet playful ski for those that want to charge and make the mountain their playground. The Sheeva 11 is the widest of the line and certainly the most powder oriented of the bunch. We had the pleasure of spending a good amount of time on them this past season and we are excited to see the changes made as we think that they have made the skis objectively better than before. More playfulness was added without sacrificing on-trail performance or stability, which for a freeride ski is awesome to see!

The Sheeva and Rustler collections serve the same purpose in Blizzard’s catalog and are very similar in terms of construction and shape, but there are some slight differences. The Sheeva 11 has a great balance between stability and playfulness which is ideal for ski like this since it is intended for big mountain adventures and powder skiing. The main difference between the series can be found within their constructions. The Sheeva will have 2 pieces of titanal while the Rustler has 3. The titanal frame carries over to both skis but the Sheeva will have a fiberglass laminate underfoot instead of a titanal binding plate which is on the Rustler. What this does is make the Sheeva slightly more energetic and playful which is are attributes that most women want to have in a freeride powder ski. Along with the FluxForm titanal and fiberglass laminates, the Sheeva also has Blizzard’s Freeride TrueBlend wood core which fine tunes the flex of the skis both torsionally and longitudinally. The TrueBlend core consists of a multi-stringer layup of beech, poplar, and paulownia. There are 8 stringers of beech, 3 of poplar, and 5 of paulownia which when put together make the extremities of the skis softer while keeping the area underfoot robust and strong. In a torsional sense, the extremities are slightly softer, making turning initiation and release smooth and easy while in deep snow. Altogether this construction techniques brings the skis to 3650 grams at the 174cm length, which is right in the sweet spot in terms of weight. Light enough to be agile while heavy enough to drive through variable snow, what more can you ask for!?

When it comes to the shape of the 2024 Sheeva 11, both the profile and sidecut are slightly altered. The profile of these Freeride powder skis what you would expect, a twin-tip with early rocker in both the tips and tails. This profile is slightly more exaggerated compared to the previous Sheeva 11, but what this does is make them more maneuverable and playful while in deeper snow. In terms of sidecut, the new Sheeva is a touch wider in the tips and tails but maintains its waist width: 140mm in the forebody, 112mm at the waist, and 130mm in the tails at the 174cm length. As you can tell by the sidecut, there is no shortage of floatation to be had. No matter the depth of snow, rest assured you will be floating right on top and slash your way down the mountain. At the 174cm length, the Sheeva 11 produces a turning radius of 17.5 meters, which is on the shorter end of the spectrum for skis of this genre. But that is telling of how maneuverability is a principal part of the ski’s design. We could certainly feel that on snow as well. Women who have quick feet and like to make short technical turns will love the responsiveness and agility of these powder skis.

The Sheeva Series has a long-standing reputation in the freeride world for being a strong, high performing, freeride ski that is trusted by many women across the globe. We think that this new iteration continues that legacy and boosts it to a new level with increased playfulness while not sacrificing stability or charging potential. So, if you are someone looking to play in the powder and slash your way through the trees, only to then carve up a groomer on your way back to the lift for another go, the new Sheeva 11 is certainly the one for you. Maybe you are someone getting a lift from a helicopter or snowcat, this is likely the ski you would grab on your way. For those days in the mountains where fresh snow is going to be in abundance, the Sheeva 11 will have you floating and jibbing like never before!