2022 BLIZZARD BRAHMA 88 SKI REVIEW

Full disclosure: I’ve always been kinda scared of the Brahma. When they first came out, on paper, it sounded like the ski for me. I even thought the 187, at the time, was on the short side. And then I skied it. My initial impressions were that, 1) I needed a formal racing background to properly carve this ski (which I do not have), and 2) You have to be going at least 40 to get this thing to behave the way it’s intended (which I do not feel like doing all of the time). For years, I thought this was just an inaccessible ski for most skiers on the planet. The Brahma 88, for 2021 and 2022, remains an elite ski—one that’s best-suited for expert skiers who know how to drive into the front of the ski and hold an edge at speed. The changes they’ve made, though, over the past year, have increased the range and reach of the Brahma, bringing more skiers into the fold, without compromising the no-nonsense philosophy of the ski in general.

Two main changes have made the Brahma 88 a more successful ski for 2021/22, and all of my previous ill thoughts of the ski completely went out the window when I hopped on the 183 cm ski a few weeks ago here at Stowe. What changed? First, their use of True Blend technology is a big one. By using two different densities of wood stringers in the core, they’re able to alter the flex and behavior of the ski per model, per length. This gives Blizzard the advantage when it comes to fine-tuning the performance of the ski. Stiffer and denser stringers are found in the central chord and in the middle of the ski while the lower-density stringers run through the tips and tails, creating a more playful and engaging character. Second, and this is where we’re going to get a lot of questions and comments, is the changing of the lengths. Similar to the Bonafide 97, the Brahma 88 will be available in a 165, 171, 177, 183, and 189. They’ve tightened up the span of the sizing, and this should help skiers get on the proper length for them. Normally, I’d just be on the longest length. I’m 6’2” and 220 pounds, so the 189 is certainly in play, but I just had so much more fun on the 183. I’ll go into more detail a bit later, but in general, the changing of the sizing is a good thing, and certainly goes well with the implementation of the True Blend wood core.

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There is a bit more of a tapered shape to speak of, and when that’s combined with the difference in lengths, it does make the ski feel like it wants to turn more than before. The first two versions of the Brahma were fantastic carvers, but it did require a fair amount of effort to get the job done. The Brahma 88, on the other hand, uses that taper to help initiate the turn, making it feel a bit shorter and more carvy than before. While we got a pretty traditional east coast day for testing this year, it certainly highlighted the ski’s preference for firmer snow conditions. The rocker profile remains fairly generic for an 88 mm underfoot ski, with Blizzard’s use of mild tip and tail rocker and some pretty positive camber underfoot. It’s not going to make the ski float through the fluff like the more rockered Enforcer 88, but it’s certainly going to charge through crud and chop with supreme confidence.

What stayed the same, then? You’re still getting a dual-metal laminate ski with bi-directional carbon in the tips and tails, much like the previous version. The high-end performance level of the ski remains largely unchanged, and I can’t think of one instance in which one of the older editions of the ski shines brighter or is more useful than the current iteration.

Last year, I skied the 189 during testing at Pico in Vermont. The conditions were firm. Loose granular piled up throughout the day, so with hard snow in between these softer piles, we dealt with some pretty typical eastern conditions. Perhaps it’s my own mental misgivings, but I certainly thought at the time that the 189 was the proper size for me, and that there was no reason to even try the 183. Due to my heard-headedness, I wasn’t a huge fan of the ski until just a week ago. On the 183, the ski came to life. The 17.5-meter turn radius in that length suited the conditions and terrain quite well, even so far as to explore some of the rock-hard moguls that we had on the mountain. Yes, stiff for the bumps, but at the 183, they were maneuverable enough to manipulate to keep up with even the tighter lines. I’d imagine their capabilities would only grow in softer moguls, but I was happy to have the edge grip and responsiveness of the tail given the firmness of the conditions.

Moguls aside, these skis were really designed to excel on the groomers, and it’s in that light where I was most impressed with the 183. From the moment I tipped it on edge, I was expecting the ski to continue to go straight, much like my experience on the 189, but I was very pleasantly surprised with the way the ski leaned with me, allowing me to dig in and create a higher edge angle and a more lateral movement across the hill. Transitions were smooth and quick in between turns, and strong skiers will be rewarded with incredible energy and power at the finish of the turn. I do not have that strong race background, but I’d imagine that former racer will really gravitate to these skis and their ability to rip carved turns with the utmost of confidence and precision. Stable as a rock and smooth as a Cadillac, the Blizzard Brahma 88 in the 183 exceeded my expectations and made me a believer in the Brahma.

A few days later, I got back on the 189 and actually had a more positive experience than I expected. I did note, however, that the 189 has much more of an obvious speed minimum versus the 183. You really have to be moving right along to get the 189 to come to life, and when you do, you’re getting one of the most stable skis on the planet at higher speeds. Strong, large, and aggressive skiers can gravitate to the 189, and I enjoy skiing it when I have wide-open trail in front of me, but when you’re navigating skier traffic like we do around here a good amount of the time, it’s nice to have something that you can turn a bit easier. Perhaps it’s my advancing age and diminishing flexibility, but even while I chart out to the 189, I’m skiing the 183 any day of the week. I’m getting out of my own head and just enjoying the ride.

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Written by Bob St.Pierre on 01/21/20