Blizzard Black Pearl 88 Ski

Women's Titanal All-Mountain Ski, 88 mm Waist Blizzard Black Pearl 88 Ski The Blizzard Black Pearl 88 is a women's all-mountain ski for intermediate through expert skiers who want one ski that carves properly and still handles the rest of the mountain. Blizzard builds it on the same 127.5-88-109.5 mm shape as the men's Anomaly 88 but with a W.S.D. layup that tunes flex and torsion to lighter weight and shorter leverage, which is why the ski loads and rebounds rather than needing to be muscled. Six lengths run from 146 cm to 176 cm with radii from 11 m to 16.5 m, the widest turn-shape range in this batch, and at 1,770 g per ski at 170 cm the ski carries enough mass to stay quiet on firm snow. Expert Review Shape and construction specs verified against the FW26/27 Blizzard catalog by CCBB staff. Is This the Right Ski for You? Best For Intermediate to expert women who ski groomers most days, want real edge grip from an 88 mm ski, and need a length between 146 cm and 176 cm that actually fits. Consider Another Ski If You want a soft-snow ski, a light touring setup, or a playful surfy shape, since the Black Pearl 88 is a titanal carving-leaning all-mountain ski. CCBB Ski Ratings Firm Snow Grip 5/5 Two titanal sheets, 11 m radius at 146 cm Stability at Speed 4/5 W.S.D. FluxForm laminate Turn Initiation 5/5 Rockered tip over an 11 m to 14 m radius Soft Snow Float 2/5 88 mm waist, 127.5 mm shovel Rating scale: 5 = top of its class, 4 = excellent, 3 = good, 2 = specialized or below average, and 1 = limited. CCBB Ski Profile Dimensions127.5-88-109.5 mm (170 cm) Turn Radius11 m to 16.5 m by length Rocker ProfileRockered tip, camber underfoot, rockered tail Flex PatternLength-specific, beech underfoot into poplar tip and tail Core and LaminateTrueblend All Mountain woodcore, W.S.D. FluxForm ConstructionSandwich, full ABS sidewalls Lengths146, 152, 158, 164, 170, 176 cm Recommended UseResort all-mountain skiing with a carving bias Why We Like It The W.S.D. layup is not a softer version of the men's ski: flex, torsion and sidecut are tuned to lighter weight, so the ski bends when you ask it to. Six lengths from 146 cm to 176 cm is a genuinely wide size run, and radius drops to 11 m at the short end for tight, quick turns. Two sheets of titanal on an 88 mm waist give the edge hold that firm groomers reward, which is what has kept this ski in the lineup. Tip and tail rocker over camber underfoot keeps the ski from feeling locked in at the end of a turn. Best Uses Everyday resort skiing with a groomer bias Carving short to medium turns on firm snow Bumps and tight trees at the shorter lengths Cold off-piste snow on a 90 mm-class waist Skiers who need a length under 152 cm without dropping to a beginner ski Ski Selection Advice After years of fitting women onto all-mountain skis in the shop, we treat the Black Pearl 88 as a turn-shape decision rather than a height decision. At 146 cm and 152 cm the radius is 11 m and 12 m, which is genuinely short and quick. By 170 cm and 176 cm it is 15 m and 16.5 m, which wants speed and space. A skier who spends the day on busy trails is usually happier one length shorter than the chart suggests. An 88 mm waist needs a 90 mm brake at minimum. At 1,770 g per ski at 170 cm this is not a light ski, so a lighter skier should not be talked into extra length on top of it. Length and setup guidance from CCBB staff. Ratings are derived from verified construction and shape specs rather than an on-snow test. 📏 Technical Specifications Manufacturer specs · Click to expand Shape and Sizing Dimensions 127.5-88-109.5 mm (170 cm) Turn Radius 11 m (146 cm), 12 m (152 cm), 13 m (158 cm), 14 m (164 cm), 15 m (170 cm), 16.5 m (176 cm) Lengths 146, 152, 158, 164, 170, 176 cm Rocker Profile Rockered tip, camber underfoot, rockered tail Weight 1,770 g per ski (170 cm) Construction and Setup Core Trueblend All Mountain woodcore, beech and poplar Laminate W.S.D. FluxForm All Mountain over a Trueblend All Mountain core Sidewall Full ABS sidewall, sandwich construction Binding Compatibility Flat ski. Accepts any alpine binding rated for the skier. Minimum 90 mm brake width for the 88 mm waist. Brake Width 90 mm minimum, sold separately Compare the Blizzard Black Pearl 88 Black Pearl 88 vs. Blizzard Black Pearl 84 Four millimetres apart underfoot and a shorter radius throughout. The Black Pearl 84 runs 124.5-84-107.5 mm at 170 cm with radii from 10 m to 15.5 m, so it turns tighter and grips harder on groomers. The 88 gives up a little of that for range in softer snow. Shop the Blizzard Black Pearl 84 Ski Black Pearl 88 vs. Blizzard Anomaly 88 Identical 127.5-88-109.5 mm shape, different layup and size run. The Anomaly 88 uses the 2Ti FluxForm construction and starts at 164 cm; the Black Pearl 88 uses the W.S.D. version and reaches down to 146 cm with an 11 m radius. Weight and leverage, not gender, decide which layup works. Shop the Blizzard Anomaly 88 Ski Black Pearl 88 vs. Elan Ripstick 88 W Both are women's all-mountain skis at the same waist, built to opposite ends of the weight scale. The Black Pearl 88 uses two sheets of titanal and skis heavy and settled; the Ripstick 88 W is a lighter carbon-reinforced ski that asks less of the skier at slow speeds. Shop the Elan Ripstick 88 W Ski Common Questions Who should buy the Blizzard Black Pearl 88? The Blizzard Black Pearl 88 suits intermediate through expert women who ski groomers most days and want an 88 mm ski that grips properly. Two sheets of titanal in the W.S.D. layup give the edge hold, and six lengths from 146 cm to 176 cm mean the ski is available in a size that fits rather than one that nearly fits. What bindings work with the Blizzard Black Pearl 88? The Blizzard Black Pearl 88 ships flat and accepts any alpine binding rated for the skier's weight, height and ability. The 88 mm waist needs a brake of 90 mm or wider, supplied with the binding. There are no tech fittings and no skin attachment, so this is not a candidate for a pin binding or a touring setup. Is the Black Pearl 88 just a softer version of the men's ski? No, and the claim is worth correcting because it comes up constantly. The shape is identical to the Anomaly 88 at 127.5-88-109.5 mm, but Blizzard's W.S.D. construction tunes flex pattern, torsional stiffness and sidecut for lighter weight and shorter leverage, and the size run reaches four lengths the Anomaly does not offer. A softer men's ski would bend in the wrong places rather than the right ones. How much does the Blizzard Black Pearl 88 weigh? 1,770 g per ski at 170 cm. Figures quoted for this ski elsewhere run from roughly 1,600 g to 1,800 g, and that spread is not a disagreement: Blizzard has published this ski's weight against more than one reference length, and a weight without a length is not a comparable number. Every ski weight on our pages carries the length it was taken at. What length Blizzard Black Pearl 88 should I buy? Choose by turn shape first. The 146 cm and 152 cm lengths give 11 m and 12 m radii for short quick turns; 158 cm and 164 cm sit at 13 m and 14 m; 170 cm and 176 cm open to 15 m and 16.5 m. Each length has its own core, so a 152 cm Black Pearl 88 is designed to ski at 152 cm rather than cut down from longer. Is the Blizzard Black Pearl 88 good in powder? Not really, and it is not trying to be. An 88 mm waist with a 127.5 mm shovel floats through a few fresh inches over a firm base and then wants the groomer back. Skiers who see regular deep days should keep this ski for firm mornings and add something wider. Our Verdict The Blizzard Black Pearl 88 stays in the lineup because it does the ordinary job extremely well. Two sheets of titanal in the W.S.D. FluxForm layup over a length-specific Trueblend core give an 88 mm ski real edge hold on firm snow, and the construction is tuned so that a lighter skier gets the ski to bend rather than fighting it. Six lengths from 146 cm to 176 cm with radii from 11 m to 16.5 m is the widest useful size run in Blizzard's all-mountain range. Buy it for groomers and firm mixed snow, and look wider for the deep days.