2027 Blizzard Black Pearl 88

The 2027 Blizzard Black Pearl 88 gets a graphic refresh for this year but returns otherwise unchanged. These skis continue to set the bar for versatility and high performance when it comes to women's all-mountain skis. They check a ton of boxes for a ton of skiers all while bringing a high level of sophistication and engineering into the mix. The Black Pearl 88 is equally as comfortable on a groomer as it is in the bumps and that's a rare mix of applications in the ski world.

Built with Blizzard's Trueblend wood core, the Black Pearl 88 gets a mixture of poplar and beech. The beech stringers take up a bit less of the overall wood volume, but they extend further into the tips and tails to provide more consistent flex throughout. They then use their Fluxform metal laminate to add damping and power. The bottom piece of this full sheet takes up about half of the total amount and serves as a central spine of the ski to provide suspension and a chatter-free ride. The remaining fifty percent is divided into two strips and those are placed along the edges of the ski to provide grip and consistency in a carved turn. The skis also use a fiberglass laminate below the core that's infused with carbon to deliver energy and zip in the rebound phase of the turn. All told, the ski sits on the scale at a stated weight of 1770 g/ski in the 170 cm length and has a relatively stiffer and consistent flex. Tester Emily Sampson notes that "This is a New Englander’s ski. She’s heavy and ready to ski through everything and anything. Like a bulldozer. You can feel confident you can tip her up and will ski through whatever you want and still come around easily. Stand and she will deliver. An SUV of a ski."

In terms of shaping, the ski's 88 mm waist is ideal for mixing conditions and terrain. If you are in a place like Stowe in Vermont or New England as a whole, this shape is very familiar and useful. While we get some rocker in the tips and tails, the ski does have a decent amount of camber and that provides a smoother overall feel with a long effective edge. There's not a lot of taper in this ski, and that keeps it from being surfier and smearier in softer snow, but it's still totally manageable. With measurements of 128/88/109, the skis generate a 15-meter turn radius in the 170 cm length. It makes the ski feel engaging and willing to make all sorts of turn shapes and styles. Colleen Fitzgerald states that "The skis were responsive and felt very stable underfoot. They handled crud and ice like a champ. I felt confident and in control at all speeds. This ski felt like a true all mountain player, it performed well in hardpack and ice, and I could see it being fun in more powder. It was stable and reliable. I’ve heard this ski is the one they sell you if you’re a girl on the East Coast and I see why, it’s fun and a can handle a little extra (from the conditions or the skier!)."

This ski will continue to be a top seller and a top model for as long as they're willing to trot it out. The functionality of the Black Pearl 88 is just so strong as the ski is very well-rounded and easy to understand. There's not a lot of complexity in terms of how it feels on snow—it's an intuitive ski that provides a balanced feel and a high level of confidence in all sorts of conditions and terrain.