2027 Blizzard Rustler 10

Even though the Blizzard Rustler 10 has been in its current iteration for about four years now, it still feels like a new and exciting ski each time we get on it. That’s a testament to the sophistication in construction, shape, and profile that makes this such a well-rounded wider-bodied ski. While nobody will mistake the Rustler 10 for a pure carving ski, or a pure powder ski, it certainly slides in the middle better than a lot of skis, both wider and narrower. With a clean and cohesive feel, this predictable and poised ski is an absolute blast when it comes to mixed conditions and terrain.

It all starts with their Trueblend wood core consisting of poplar, beech, and paulownia. By layering different lengths of certain wood, Blizzard fine-tunes the flex and feel of the ski to deliver proper and powerful results. We also get their FluxForm metal laminates which keep the skis smooth and damp. Amazingly, they’re not too heavy, with the 188 sitting on the scale at a stated weight of 1880 g/ski. It’s not too stiff, nor to flexible, again hitting on the balance and merging of characteristics. Tester Chris Patten notes that “This ski has it all, I would choose the Rustler 10 to be a one ski quiver. Quick on the bumps, playful when needed, rock solid on hard pack. I would ski the rustler all over the mountain! It has those hard-charging qualities. I would take into the steep and deep, they are maneuverable, so the trees and bumps would be great, and groomers are epic too. Favorite ski all day!! Just awesome, gosh I want to keep skiing on that!”

The shape of the ski, combined with the profile, allows for easy turning, smooth smearing, and surprisingly firm snow performance. Boasting measurements of 134/102/123, these skis produce a 17.5-meter turn radius in the 180, and they’re a lot of fun to use in that shorter arc. There’s also no issue with letting them run as the build accommodates for speed and longer turns. We do get a lot of tip splay here, acting as a flotation device for deep snow and producing a bouncy and energetic feel in powder. Tester Matty Kuhnel states that “The Rustler10’s are what I look for in a side country ski and is exactly what I want to ski in Wyoming or Montana. They are very forgiving but stiff enough in the torsion department for quick short turns. When carving on firm surfaces, the rocker end tips and tails engage for some fun short radius turns. This ski likes to be on edge, the more the better, and is not overpowered when driving the front of the boot. They are a perfect powder day tree ski. The rustler10 would perform best in enough snow latitude and longitudinal skiing. On firm groomers it only has one trick, fun medium radius carves.”

Depending on how you’re viewing your one-ski percentages, the Rustler 10 can certainly make a fair argument for leaning on the wide side of that spectrum. We’ve been big fans of this ski for years, and for a place like Stowe, it makes a lot of sense because we get a lot of snow, although not always all at once. This keeps things fresh and changing, creating a perfect environment for a ski like the Rustler 10.