THE PEOPLE'S SKI TEST - BLIZZARD RUSTLER 11
BLIZZARD RUSTLER 11
Category: Freeride
Lengths: 164, 172, 180, 188, 192
Dimensions: 139/112/129 @ 180
Radius: 19m @ 180
MSRP: $799
More info: blizzard-tecnica.com
"The Blizzard Rustler 11 was a great daily driver for my home hill of Revelstoke Mountain Resort: stiff, powerful and ready for anything from debris to 45-degree steeps. The 180-centimetre length I tested was at the edge of my comfort limit, but it made me feel like I fit right in—like one of the boys, and I was skiing like one too. The strongest skiers in my posse ski on this ski, and now I know what all the fuss is about. I couldn’t get this ski to skip at any speed, or in any size of turn on groomers. It edged like a chainsaw, and its torsional stiffness did not waver. It skied like a race ski, but with powder legs. Moving this big boy quickly in bumps and trees required a bit of muscle, but you shouldn’t pick this ski because youlike slow and easy—it has a need for speed." –Jessica Leahey
Reviewer’s Rating: On Piste: 8/10 • Off Piste: 8/10
Average Rating: On Piste: 7.5/10 • Off Piste: 8.5/10
REVIEWER BIO:
Jessica Leahey
Age: 35 / Height: 5’8” / Weight: 140 lbs / Occupation: Visual Artist
The most creative of our testers, Jessica Leahey’s skills with a paintbrush are just as sharp as her edges (as seen in issue 6.1 of Forecast). As one of the rare people savvy enough to make a living in the arts, she notes her hours are gobbled up quickly by studio projects, and that her time on snow is precious. As such, she craves steep and deep turns, and has no time to waste on a ski that doesn’t deliver. Her daily driver has a rocker-camber-rocker profile, is 108 millimetres underfoot, and 172 centimetres in length. She’ll bump all the way up to 179 centimetres for pow, and prefers a longer turn radius when it’s deep, ranging from 19 to 21 metres. Her most revered gear, though, includes her heart-shaped sunglasses and faux fur top—which drastically improve her performance in everything from hot-lap pow to spring corn.