2025 Volkl Blaze 94 & Volkl Blaze 104 Ski Review

It could be argued that the Blaze series from Volkl started the whole “hybrid” style of ski that’s meant to go both uphill and down. Over the years, it’s been interesting to see how their message changed. It seems like sometimes, new innovations come along with the intent of pushing the market in one direction, but they create something unexpected. While the initial Blaze series, consisting of the 94 and the 106, was ahead of its time in one way, it was considerably forward thinking in a totally different one. By pairing a Blaze 94, for example, with a hybrid touring binding and boot, the theory was that you could use the same setup for resort skiing and backcountry use. The unintended consequences were that A. skiers liked how the Blaze 94 and 106 operated in a lift-served setting, and B.) touring is hard, and most dedicated backcountry skiers use much more dedicated and lightweight gear for that application. For a year or two, Blaze was left in the lurch—not really adhering to one or the other side of the spectrum. When other companies introduced their hybrid skis, and were less willing to change the message, Volkl simply lumped the Blaze skis into the freeride category and let the skier decide how they were going to use them. This seems like the winning combination, putting more of the decision-making process on the feet of the skier when it comes to selection and application. With the new 94 and 104, Volkl takes another step towards utilizing the broader, more advanced market—slightly beefing up these skis while incorporating new shapes and technological advances.

The construction of the skis is the same between the new 94 and 104 models. While they used to use their hybrid wood core that focused on poplar and beech, Green Core is now the norm with these two models. By sticking with the poplar and beech as the base, they incorporate two central stringers of recycled PET plastic to create engagement and reduce pollution. We’ve learned over the years that plastic is not a bad material to use in a core. Dynastar uses their PU material as a big part of their constructions, even sidewall material like ABS finds its way into the central strips of Rossignol’s Line Control Technology. If you can use recycled material like PET and have it advance the way a ski feels on snow, then this is a big win for all involved. We liked how this Green Core was used in the Blaze 114 last season, so it makes sense that it would filter into the more established products in Volkl’s line. There’s also an increased amount of beech along the sidewall and through the binding zone. The sidewalls and core are both slightly thicker and sturdier than before. In addition, the 3D Glass wrapping puts even more vertical stiffness along the sides of the ski for increased edge grip and energy. As for the metal layer, it used to be part structural and part binding adhesion, but it has made more of a move to the structural and performance side of the spectrum. It used to have an indentation in the middle of the layer, supposedly to allow for more flex and a slightly lower weight. The laminate is now full width. This moves the needle of the ski to the more powerful end, making skiers who were almost satisfied with the on-trail performance a lot happier. Things that carry forward are the suspension tips and tails—this elastomer material at the very ends of the ski does a great job at reducing vibrations and keeping the ski on its intended course. Both skis gain some weight in the construction process. The new 94 in the 179 hits 1687 grams per ski while the new 104 in the same length is now 1814. This is an increase from 1570 and 1685 grams per ski respectively. Overall, this new build highlights a move to the sturdier and burlier rather than the lighter and more touring focused. They’re still light enough if you choose to go uphill on them, but the focus seems to be more downhill and resort oriented.

At a Glance:

2025 Volkl Blaze 94 Skis

We get some variances in shape, but it’s mainly staying the same to keep consistency in application. While the 94 shares a waist width with its predecessor, the tip and tail measurements change slightly. The previous 94 has tip and tail widths of 134 and 116 mm while the 2025 version is 133 in the tip and 118 in the tail. This, in combination with the 4 Radius Drive and the additional metal underfoot, makes the ski feel turnier and more competent in a carve. In the 104, we move from 146/106/128 to 143/104/128, again tightening the front half of the ski while keeping the back portion more similar. What we found overall due to this change isn’t so much that the 104 is less of a floater, but instead it’s considerably better at turning and carving. For a 104 with minimal metal and a lightweight feel, this is an impressive change. It all comes down to that 4 Radius Drive technology that delivers an intuitive and natural feel to the carving process. In both skis, the tip features a 20/40/16.5ish/22-meter split between the 4 radii. We think it’s important to look at the outliers here, as the 40 in the forebody and the 16.5 in the waist stand out from the more average 20’s at the very ends. By putting that 40 in there, Volkl allows skiers to send it straight and fast without achieving much of an edge angle—this keeps the ski at a good angle for stability without feeling hooky. In the middle of the ski, feel free to lean it over and let it rip. You’ll feel that 16.5/.8 meter arc wing you around like you’re on a slalom ski. At the ends, the 20 and 22-meter arc bring you into the turn with ease and smoothness while releasing with energy and pop. The ski never feels out of place in any shape turn, which is the most magical part of this whole setup. When 3D Radius came out, it was easier explained as “any turn, any time” and that continues into 2025 Blaze skis with an extra layer of sophistication. In terms of profile, these Blaze skis have always had long and low rocker, and that continues into 2025. When you look down the ski, there’s not a ton of camber—most of the energy is built into the ski from a construction perspective rather than in the form of kinetic energy. This makes these skis exceptional floaters for their respective widths. Obviously, the wider 104 will hold up better to softer snow while the 94 will be crisper and quicker in an on-trail format, but both are in the top end of their categories when it comes to flotation. All things being equal, skis with slightly lighter weights and longer rocker profile will be excellent in powder. This is a nod to the touring aspect as well, where fresh snow is clearly a priority.

At a Glance:

2025 Volkl Blaze 104 Skis

By all accounts, the ski experience has increased overall. Speaking specifically to the 94, which has always been a personal favorite of mine (Bob’s), the new 94 takes the stability in a carved turn to the next level while keeping the agility and versatility squarely intact. When it comes to on-piste skiing, the Blaze 94 hooks in easily to the turn, holds a VERY impressive edge for the weight, and delivers precise rebound into the next arc. For what’s billed as a light weight freeride ski, these are excellent carvers. When you get to a certain point on the speedometer, reality and physics do set in, letting you know just ahead of too late that you are going a bit too fast. This is what a Mantra M7 is for. You don’t need the whole ski to be engaged in high-speed carved turns to have a positive overall experience. If you’re playing the numbers and percentages, you don’t need an M7 nearly as much as you need a Blaze 94. In quicker and shorter turns, most skiers would rather be on the Blaze to harness that pep and zest. When you take the ski off-trail and into more adventurous zones, the lightness and mobility of the Blaze 94 leaps off the snow. These are some of the best all-mountain mogul and tree skis on the market today, and the updates take it further in that same direction. The skis flex appropriately for moguls, making quick work of both tight zipper lines and wider-spaced bump fields. The fact that you can put in an extra turn with ease when required is the icing on the cake—these skis are so incredibly agile and rewarding. Same goes for the trees. Just when you think you may not make a turn, the ski instantly swivels as directed. With the flatter overall profile, these slashy and more skidded turns are quite easy to come by and they make a handy friend when in tighter trees and more technical zones. Regardless of speed, conditions, or terrain, this new 2025 Volkl Blaze 94 is sublimely comfortable.

The same can be said for the 104 but adding the corollary that the softer the better. Everything the 94 can do, so can the 104, it’s just happier if it’s not that firm. For a ski this wide, the Blaze 104 is an impeccable turner. We had a good mix of firm snow early in the year and then powder for our ski test followed by glorious spring conditions for our final testing day of the season. As a result, we truly experienced the full gamut of snow styles throughout the year. On firmer groomers and hard pack, it was impressive how well the new 104 stood up to the snow. Again, if you want rock-solid performance at any speed and on any type of ice, get a Mantra 102. If you want something that fares pretty darn well for what it is, with the added benefit of being playful, creative, and energetic in softer snow, the Blaze 104 checks a lot of boxes. This 104 does a lot that the Mantra 102 or 108 can’t even come close to doing, either from an uphill or a downhill perspective. We find that the Blaze 104 has a much wider range of capabilities, providing comprehensive performance for a huge swath of skiers. Those that are looking to get into their first freeride-oriented ski with a lighter weight and a decent performance ceiling will fall right in line with this 104. At the same time, even in the 179, which is pretty short for me at this weight, I found a lot of stability and the right amount of energy for on-piste fun. Off-trail, and in the powder, these skis are perfectly at home. Thanks to the longer rocker profile and wider shovels, the 104 is incredibly maneuverable in the woods, even after adding over 100 grams over the previous version. It feels smooth, ready to turn, and totally natural even in very tight spaces. While this ski may lack the playfulness of more turned-up skis like the Volkl Revolt 104 or Liberty Scope 104, it’s got more oomph and zest to it when it comes to rebound and energy. It’s more about what the skier wants in terms of ski character, and this 104 falls on the peppy side of the aisle.

These are good moves from Volkl in the Blaze department. Ever since the Blaze 94 and 106 came about, interesting conversations about what a ski can or should do took center stage. Can a ski be that versatile that it can be equally as effective in an uphill and downhill format? Grams are grams, after all, so it really shouldn’t matter what the marketing says about a ski or where it belongs in the catalog. What we’ve found is that the flexibility of Volkl’s message has been very effective, and it just keeps getting better. We’ll give credit to Line skis as well—they make amazing light weight freeride skis, but do not label them as touring or hybrid—they simply let the customer decide how or why they wish to use their skis. We’ve always felt that Blaze’s message falls more to the resort side, giving advanced skiers an awesome tool for both progression and mastery. While Volkl makes stronger and sturdier skis for aggressive experts in the form of the Mantra line, in reality, there’s far more skiers that fit in with Blaze. Sure, the M7 is a very attractive ski and can rip high speed turns through any conditions, but is that what you really want to do ? If you’re like most of us and want to mix your skiing speeds, vary turn shapes and styles, and really commit to the true all-mountain and freeride experience, the chances are good that the Blaze is the place to be.