Help Needed: Blizzard Sheeva 9 vs. volkl blaze

[GiantPurpleDonkey]

Yet another recommendation thread.
Background. I am an old lady. 5’2”, 130ish? I started skiing my adult life thanks to the husband who is an aspiring ski bum. The first 5 years, I skied old rossignol. Never had the desire to go back country or do moguls. Started tele for 2 years then we had kids(yay!!!) Didn’t ski for years then started again 3 years ago. Fast forward to this year, my kids are better than me. I have to be able to ski all condition including bumps if I want to keep up with them. I currently have sheeva10, which I love. But I am very terrible in bumps. I am thinking I may need skinnier skis? I demoed Head Kore and k2 mindbender 90c. The store didn’t have anything else. The mindbender is too soft? I like the stability of the Head Kore, but it doesn’t blow me away. What would you ladies suggest for an old lady bump skier wannabe? I visited a couple of stores and one guy suggested “if you love your sheeva 10 so much, get a sheeva 9”.
I have been researching and it seems like Volkl blaze is contender. Thoughts?
Thank you for all the help.

 

[kmb5662]

I'm a Sheeva 9 owner and I just recently demoed the Blaze 86W in the 159. I recently shared my thoughts on the Blaze (as well as other skis) in another post which you may have already seen, but if not you can view here: https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/reviews-from-my-demo-day.26661/ as an FYI. The Volkl Blaze also comes in a 94 width. I believe the 94 has a little bit of metal under the binding area whereas the 86 does not contain any metal at all. FYI the men's and women's Blaze is identical in construction so you can choose whichever topsheet color you prefer.

I have never skied the Sheeva 10 or 11, but I know the Sheeva 10 has slightly less metal in it compared to the 9, but I don't think the amount of stiffness is that far off... perhaps someone that's skied both here can chime in.

I've never skied the Head Kore or the Mindbender, but my understanding is the Head Kore is a pretty stiff yet lightweight ski. If you found the Mindbender 90C to be too soft then you'll possibly find the Volkl Blaze (at least in the 86W without the metal) to be too soft, but if you're able to do so I highly recommend demoing. The Blaze has some rubber in it's construction which helps with the vibration dampening without making the ski super stiff or heavy. I found the tips to be slightly less chattery than the Sheeva, while the Sheeva is a lot more stiff and stable underfoot. The Blaze has a much more consistent flex pattern compared to the Sheeva. However, the Blaze is a ton of fun in bumps and very maneuverable! Like the Sheeva it has a decent amount of tip/tail rocker making it easy to pivot and slarve through the bumps.

With all that in mind however, while a skinnier ski is going to be a lot easier and quicker in the bumps you may want to invest in a lesson or two to help improve your mogul technique. I also highly recommend Deb Armstrong's Youtube channel- she has some fantastic videos on mogul skiing!!

 

[GiantPurpleDonkey]

I'm a Sheeva 9 owner and I just recently demoed the Blaze 86W in the 159. I recently shared my thoughts on the Blaze (as well as other skis) in another post which you may have already seen, but if not you can view here: https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/reviews-from-my-demo-day.26661/ as an FYI. The Volkl Blaze also comes in a 94 width. I believe the 94 has a little bit of metal under the binding area whereas the 86 does not contain any metal at all. FYI the men's and women's Blaze is identical in construction so you can choose whichever topsheet color you prefer.

I have never skied the Sheeva 10 or 11, but I know the Sheeva 10 has slightly less metal in it compared to the 9, but I don't think the amount of stiffness is that far off... perhaps someone that's skied both here can chime in.

I've never skied the Head Kore or the Mindbender, but my understanding is the Head Kore is a pretty stiff yet lightweight ski. If you found the Mindbender 90C to be too soft then you'll possibly find the Volkl Blaze (at least in the 86W without the metal) to be too soft, but if you're able to do so I highly recommend demoing. The Blaze has some rubber in it's construction which helps with the vibration dampening without making the ski super stiff or heavy. I found the tips to be slightly less chattery than the Sheeva, while the Sheeva is a lot more stiff and stable underfoot. The Blaze has a much more consistent flex pattern compared to the Sheeva. However, the Blaze is a ton of fun in bumps and very maneuverable! Like the Sheeva it has a decent amount of tip/tail rocker making it easy to pivot and slarve through the bumps.

With all that in mind however, while a skinnier ski is going to be a lot easier and quicker in the bumps you may want to invest in a lesson or two to help improve your mogul technique. I also highly recommend Deb Armstrong's Youtube channel- she has some fantastic videos on mogul skiing!!

Thanks for the reply. I really appreciate it.
yes, I had considered lessons, maybe next season. I got all my pointers from my husband who is a very strong skier. I think I know what I need to do. I just don’t do it. If the moguls are too big or pointy, I get scared. Just have to get over the fear, lol.
I will try to demo the blaze this week.

 

[GiantPurpleDonkey]

@kmb5662 , it doesn’t look like I can demo blaze94w. The ski shop at the resort doesn’t have it and I cannot get a hold of the one in town.

 

[GiantPurpleDonkey]

@kmb5662, if you didn’t already have sheeva9, would you get secret? Someone I know have the secret and she really like them.

 

[kmb5662]

The Sheeva and Secret are pretty different. Secret is a lot stiffer/less playful and more precise. It's decent in bumps, but not as forgiving as the Sheeva. It handles the crud and groomers better.

if you haven’t already read, Blister did a great in depth review of the Secret 96 which I feel is pretty close to my experience: https://blisterreview.com/gear-reviews/2022-2023-volkl-secret-96

 

[kmb5662]

I would look into the Liberty Genesis 96. I think Liberty is harder to demo compared to other brands, but maybe you can find a place that has it? I'm going to page @chasinghorizons (who has the Genesis 101) into this thread as well .

If you didn't already read this, the thread is here where they discuss: https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/trees-bumps-liberty-genesis.26685/#post-462122

 

[chasinghorizons]

Thanks for the reply. I really appreciate it.
yes, I had considered lessons, maybe next season. I got all my pointers from my husband who is a very strong skier. I think I know what I need to do. I just don’t do it. If the moguls are too big or pointy, I get scared. Just have to get over the fear, lol.
I will try to demo the blaze this week.

Hmm if your biggest challenge is overcoming fear, I would strongly recommend a lesson. Sometimes the strongest skiers aren't necessarily the strongest teachers - plus, it can help having someone else provide new eyes and new tips. You never know what will spark an "Aha!" moment.

Between the Sheeva 9 and the Genesis, I suspect the Sheeva will be the easier ride for you. While both are great bump skis, the Genesis feels quicker/poppier/more energetic, and more speed is probably not what you want at this point when overcoming fear. Especially if you love your Sheeva 10, the Sheeva 9 will provide the most similar ride. That being said, I'm not sure it will give you the improvement you're looking for... The Sheeva 10 is already a pretty darn good bump ski, and the 9 is only 10mm smaller in width. I would say definitely try to demo it first if you can, just to make sure it fits your needs!

@kmb5662, if you didn’t already have sheeva9, would you get secret? Someone I know have the secret and she really like them.

I agree with @kmb5662, the Secret is a VERY stiff ski and is not going to feel nearly as loose or forgiving as the Sheeva. Great on-piste, not as great for learning bumps.

 

[GiantPurpleDonkey]

Thanks ladies.
Re: lesson. I think I may take lesson next season.
Demo is really not an option now, unfortunately. When I demoed head kore, I do think it is ever so slightly easier compared to my sheeva, which is surprising to me since I thought head kore is supposed to be stiff. That’s why I was wondering if the width is what makes it easier.

 

[kmb5662]

Narrower width definitely helps along with a short turning radius, but there’s of course many other factors.

 

[lisamamot]

Thanks ladies.
Re: lesson. I think I may take lesson next season.
Demo is really not an option now, unfortunately. When I demoed head kore, I do think it is ever so slightly easier compared to my sheeva, which is surprising to me since I thought head kore is supposed to be stiff. That’s why I was wondering if the width is what makes it easier.

I own the Sheeva 9 and skied the Sheeva 10 for a day at Big Sky when I thought I wanted something wider for the new snow. Sheeva 10 was nice, but not nearly as fun as the 9. Don’t discount the 9 - it is a blast and my absolute choice for bumps/trees.

I haven’t been on the Blaze, or the new Secret 96, but have demoed the Secret 92 and it was awfully stiff to be fun in bumps.