When you think of Volkl, what comes to mind? Maybe the ever-popular Kendo or Mantra? Maybe precision carving skis like the Deacon 74 or 76? I would venture a guess that for most skiers, those high-end, technologically-advanced skis are what come to mind first. Volkl has been, after all, relatively synonymous with performance-oriented and high-quality skis. What’s very impressive, at least for me, is that while doing so, they also don’t neglect the other end of the price spectrum. In fact, you could argue that Volkl is doing a better job making skis affordable than most of their competitors. Take the Revolt 96 that we talked about recently. At $449, that ski is considerably less expensive than most other mid-90 twin tip skis.

Now enter the new Blaze 82. At $499 for both men and women, Volkl has given us another exceptionally affordable ski, and perhaps what’s most impressive is we’re still benefitting from a notable amount of technology. These new skis are inspired by the wider Blaze models and share an extremely similar recipe to the Blaze 86 which we got back in 2022. For next season, we get two new Blaze models, this 82 and a big ole 114, which we’ll certainly talk about at some point before next season. The Blaze collection as always been rooted in the lightweight freeride, potential alpine touring world. They’ve become staples in Volkl’s offerings and provide a nice alternative or complement to those heavier, stiffer skis like the Kendo, Kenja, Secret, Mantra, etc. While 82 isn’t necessarily a traditional freeride width, the Blaze 82 does follow the same path. It’s an interesting ski, and probably one that will take some time for skiers to truly appreciate, but the performance and value it provides for different skiers in undeniable.

Before we get into performance, let’s cover its construction and shape. To start, just like the 86, we get Volkl’s Multilayer Light Woodcore. This is a little different than the 94, 106, and 114. The 94 and 106 get a Hybrid core with a strip of synthetic material. The new 114 gets Green Core, which if you followed our conversation with Andi Mann, may end up working its way into all the Blaze skis. For now, keeping the core simple in the 82 allows Volkl to keep that price tag to a minimum. We do still get Suspension Tips and Tails, essentially a rubber insert to reduce chatter. The result from this relatively simple construction is a very lightweight ski. 1455 g in the 173 and down to 1378 g in the 166. There are also 3 shorter options than that, plus a longer 180 length. Lots of choices.

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Speaking of length, it feels like a good time to describe the rest of its shape. 82 underfoot, obviously, then we get Volkl’s 3D.Radius shaping and what I would describe as very long, low rocker lines. That 3D.Radius is super important to this skis performance. In the 173, the breakdown is 28/15/23 m in the tip/waist/tail. While Volkl doesn’t provide this information, I would estimate that about half of the ski is rocker. There’s not much splay, so it’s subtle, and will retain good edge contact, but it’s there, and certainly important to how this ski feels.

I like to think about the Blaze 82 a few different ways. First and foremost, I think it’s an excellent choice as an all-mountain ski for a budget-oriented intermediate all-mountain skier. It won’t break the bank and provides extremely versatile performance for a developing skier. That long radii in the tips and tails gives the ski a very catch-free feel and maybe skidded turns easy and intuitive. That helps with speed control for an intermediate skier, while providing a ton of forgiveness. The camber underfoot and shorter radius means that you can also use this to help progress your carving. There is undeniably a limit to torsional stiffness and edge grip here, but for most all intermediates, they won’t hit that limit. Rather, the ski makes turn entry very easy, and it’s also not too stiff, so easier to bend into a carve than a lot of skis. I think even easier than something like the Yumi 80.

As you’ll hear more about from Emily, it’s also more than capable in un-groomed terrain and softer snow. Very impressive for a ski this narrow. I see a couple different applications here. For one, it provides similar forgiveness and ease-of-use for an intermediate skier who’s looking to expand their skiing and venture into more technical terrain. That same rocker shape with the long radii that makes skidded turns on groomers super easy, also makes moguls and trees easier. The narrow waist width might get bogged down in really deep snow, but we found it performed admirably in 6 inches or so of fresh. The fact that it’s narrow is probably more of a benefit than a hindrance for most skiers new to moguls and trees. It’s quicker edge to edge, very noticeable even compared to something like the Blaze 94. While I’m not going to say that everyone should be skiing a Blaze 82 instead of a 94, I will say that edge to edge quickness really helps you quickly maneuver through challenging terrain.

Then there’s the touring application. When Volkl first released the Blaze, they focused heavily on touring capabilities. While they’ve pulled back ever so slightly on that, putting more emphasis on resort use and all-mountain performance, the potential is absolutely still there. For a ski like this, I think a lot about all the skiers who go to Stowe or other resorts before the lifts start spinning to get some skin laps in. If there’s no fresh snow, and you’re touring anyways, why not go with a narrower ski like this? It’ll be lighter, more efficient, and probably more fun on the way back down too. I’m guilty of only owning really wide (at least nothing under 100) touring skis, and sometimes they just feel a little floppy and kind of pointless on the way back down. Blaze 82 still would let you go off-piste and ski trees, it just has a more appropriate width for lower snow days.

I personally am quite impressed by this ski, and I will also admit that I’m usually the type of skier and type of person to just brush these things off. I basically did with the Blaze 86. I just never got excited about it. I’m really glad Volkl continued with their path rather than cutting the narrower Blaze models, as I’m definitely coming around to their potential and how they can. Benefit different skier. I think now I’ll have to get back on that 86 too. Until then, I’ll leave you with Emily’s thoughts and experiences on these new skis.

Emily's Thoughts:

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To get the full scope of the Blaze series, I started with the narrowest and worked my way up to the widest. This worked out in my favor due to the conditions the day we tested, with soft to firm packed powder and mostly on-piste terrain. With the recent addition of the Blaze 82, I was curious to see how I would like them in comparison to the wider options in the lineup. Given the fact that skiers have the option between the 82, 86, 94, and 106, there is a wide variety of widths and applications depending on your preferred terrain. As someone who leans more towards wider all-mountain skis, I would assume the 94 or 106 would be more my style. To my surprise, I found so much to like about this ski and am pleased to say that it would certainly find its place in my personal quiver.

At 82 mm underfoot and with a super lightweight build, the Blaze 82 immediately felt nimble and highly maneuverable. As per media day routine, my first run with them was on Perry Merrill, which was freshly groomed and skiing great. Upon my first few turns, I quickly picked up on how they wanted to be skied, which can’t be said for every ski. Intuitive and friendly, I felt comfortable and confident getting them up on edge and trusting each turn. Given the lightweight wood core and basic construction, they did not feel demanding or hard to control by any means. That said, if you’re looking for a strong carving, get on rails type of ski for groomers and on-piste domination, this might not be the ski. However, the level of maneuverability and quick edge to edge nature made them fun and lively in and out of turns. I was on the 159 cm length and with a 12 meter turn radius, they definitely preferred shorter, quicker turns. While I love a ski that can arc wide, long turns, based on how I like to ski, I found the Blaze 82 to be very applicable.

On my second run, we ventured onto a trail that was riddled with moguls, which of course is my bread and butter. As I already mentioned, this ski boasts an impressively lightweight build which bodes well for bumps and tree skiing. In addition, the dual rocker in the tip and tail really invites an energetic feel. While I’ve found several skis with a directional shape to perform well in moguls, I definitely prefer to have that easy release from the rockered tail. Just as I had expected, they felt lively, maneuverable and agile in the bumps. The combination of waist width, construction, and shape makes them a top contender for east coast skiing. If not used for a daily driver at my home mountain Mad River Glen, I would definitely consider them for a highly efficient touring ski as well. While I didn’t subject them to too much variability in terms of snow conditions, I think that they would withstand firm to icy conditions just fine though I wouldn’t expect them to charge through it like a ski with metal or carbon. All in all, I found the Blaze 82 to be a versatile, lightweight and confidence inspiring ski that many ability levels will find approachable and reliable.

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Written by Jeff Neagle & Emily Crofton on 04/27/23