From Dawgcatching's 2011 Ski Reviews: Mid-Fat skis, 80-100mm Waists, 11/28/10
Blizzard Magnum 8.7, 174cm length tested, 87mm underfoot, 3rd year basically unchanged. This is a pretty stout, powerful all-mountain ski. 2 sheets of metal, IQ binding, a bit stiffer than the Atlas, IMO.
Conditions
These were tested over several days: conditions included lots of manmade snow, firm and rock-hard bumps, fast groomers, a few inches of new snow, steeps, icy chutes, some heavy new snow, and a fair amount of crud. Since I only got a couple of runs on these skis, for the most part, I didn't do the 1-10 scale for these skis.
About Me
5 foot 9, 155lbs, competent all-mountain skier, and could zipper-line double-black bumps for the first time in my life by early spring. Probably ski 40-50 days per year. I tend to enjoy big open, high speed bowls, bumps, trees, fast groomers. My skiing speed is fast to full-on. Overall fitness is high, as I am on my road bike 15+ hours a week 9 months of the year, and race pro-level races as a Cat1.
Review
This ski is a premier frontside wide carver, and a real powerhouse. It has no real speed limit, even at the relatively short 174cm length (even shorter when you consider the short running length). It is a great ski on any sort of hard snow, and when in tight chutes, is very quick, predictable, and stable. Kind of stiff for bumps, and not my favorite ski there. In bigger turns at speed, it feels a little short, but nimble due to the width and length. Almost like a narrow Mantra. Overall feel is big, with a good-sized sweet spot. This ski is very damp, and feels like a race-bred ski. This ski is as much of a BMW 6-series style ski as you will find. The only real downside for me was the stiffness: it could be a touch softer and still be more than stiff enough to hold on any surface. Enter the 8.1....
Conclusion
Pros: aggressive, great carver, powerful and stable
Cons: stiff for bumps, a little stiff for lighter guys such as myself
