Long backcountry days are what the Blizzard Zero G 96 was built for. This is a lightweight all-around touring ski, mid-nineties underfoot, built around a paulownia and poplar wood core with a strategic ash insert and a partial sidewall. The result is a ski that climbs efficiently but skis down with far more composure than its weight suggests.

Why we like it:

The ash core insert under the binding is the detail that makes this ski. It adds real torsional rigidity and power transmission underfoot without the nervous, pingy feel of a carbon-heavy layup, so the descent stays calm even when the snow gets variable.

Who it's for:

Intermediate through expert touring skiers who want one ski for the whole range of backcountry missions. It suits skiers who care about downhill performance as much as uphill efficiency, plus resort skiers looking for a single setup that can earn its turns and still hold up on the groomer back to the car.

Highlights:

The Trueblend RPET Tour woodcore is the foundation here, blending lightweight paulownia with stronger poplar in a tuned ratio that puts support underfoot and softer flex in the tips and tails for easy turn initiation. Blizzard uses minimal carbon stringers rather than a full carbon layer, which keeps torsional strength up while giving the ski a more natural, damp feel than older Zero G builds. The ash core insert sits underfoot for stability and clean power transfer. The 5 Radius Sidecut breaks the ski into varying-radius zones, blending edge grip on firm snow with smoother, more forgiving transitions through the tip and tail. Early rise tip and tail with camber underfoot rounds out a profile that adapts across refrozen skin tracks, spring corn, and fresh snow, and a tip notch makes for quick skimo-style transitions.

Things to consider:

The updated build adds a little weight over the older carbon-heavy Zero G skis, so true ultralight purists chasing the lowest possible gram count may want to look elsewhere. It grips well for its class, but on genuine boilerplate it can get pushed around.

Fit & sizing considerations:

Sizes true to length. Stick with your usual touring length, or drop a length for maximum efficiency on long approaches with a lighter boot.