Review: Völkl Blaze 94 Skis · 2023
By Ski Expert
Luke H.
Völkl Blaze 94 Skis · 2023
$359.99
$599.99
40% off
5 photos
The Curated Take
3.6/5
The Blaze 94 is a versatile hybrid ski from Volkl, designed to offer playful performance both in resort and backcountry settings. With a large tip, it achieves decent float on powder days and is easy to maneuver. The softer flex and lighter build support short to medium-speed carving but lack the energy for high-speed carving. Despite this, it holds a decent edge at high speeds and showcases a lively feel in trees and moguls. Its simpler construction makes it durable, lightweight, and suitable for skiers looking for a responsive, snappy-turning ski that offers good value for the price.
Ideal for
- Best suited as a hybrid ski capable of both resort skiing and touring
- A much softer and more playful ski than its Volkl all-mountain siblings, such as the Mantra
- Relatively light for an all-mountain ski, making it more nimble and lighter on the legs
Not ideal for
- Not as confident on firm snow as other stiffer, heavier all-mountain skis
- Can carve up to medium speeds, but at higher speeds, the tip is prone to chatter
Flotation
The Blaze 94 is solidly in the mid-fat ski category. Still, it provides quite a decent float, despite much fatter skis on the market. Volkl built the Blaze with an...Read more
Carving
I found the Blaze to be a decent carving ski at lower to medium speeds. The ski bit competently into the snow and arced cleanly. But with the softer flex,...Read more
High Speed Stability
I was very eager to see how the Blaze 94 compared to the Mantra at high speeds. The Mantra is cool as a cucumber at Mach speeds, but that's also...Read more
Playfulness
The Blaze is far from the most playful ski out there—for skiers looking for something they can butter in the park or drift through powder on, there are much better...Read more
Durability
I'm a big fan of metal (titanal) being used in the construction of a ski, as not only does it provide superior dampening, but I think it also contributes to...Read more
Turn Ease
When it comes to Volkl's all-mountain lineup, their flagship M6 Mantra certainly hogs the limelight. Still, there is a lot to be said for the Blaze 94, its softer, lighter,...Read more
Versatility
Volkl markets the Blaze 94 as a hybrid ski, meaning one that is capable of skiing both in the resort and being light enough for touring uphill. It's a tough...Read more
Expert Reviews of the Völkl Blaze 94 Skis
Luke H. Volkl built the Blaze series to be a more playful and approachable lineup than its popular all-mountain set of skis, i.e., the Mantra and Kendo. While those skis sport a tailored titanal frame that makes them quite burly on groomers and firm snow, the Blaze has a simple wood core and only a titanal binding reinforcement plate underfoot. As such, the Blaze has a much softer and more forgiving flex and a more playful attitude. Volkl also markets the Blaze as a hybrid capable ski, meaning it is light enough to do double duty as a touring option, too. On groomed runs, the Blaze certainly did not have the Mantra's magnetic edge grip, but they held firmly at most speeds. However, I felt some chatter in the tip at higher speeds. I did like how the Blaze performed off-piste, though, where its softer flex offered a more dynamic ride. Whereas the Mantras and Kendos felt punishing and unforgiving in moguls and more variable snow, the Blaze was poppier, livelier, and friendlier to my knees. The Blaze is a nice option for skiers looking to get into touring but don't want to buy two pairs of skis; they are sturdy enough for resort skiing but still light enough to go uphill.
Product Specs
| Age Group | Adult |
| Gender | Men's |
| Includes bindings | No |
| Model year | 2023 |
| Ski type | All Mountain, Freeride |
| Skill level | Intermediate, Advanced |
Review Ratings
Flotation
4/5
Luke H. gave 4 of 5 stars. The Blaze 94 is solidly in the mid-fat ski category. Still, it provides quite a decent float, despite much fatter skis on the market. Volkl built the Blaze with an overly, almost comically, large tip that gives the ski quite a bit of planing power over deeper snow. I found some leftover powder stashes when I tested the Blaze, and they floated well and were very easy to maneuver. They wouldn't be my first choice for a power-specific ski, but they do very well as a one-ski quiver.
Carving
3/5
Luke H. gave 3 of 5 stars. I found the Blaze to be a decent carving ski at lower to medium speeds. The ski bit competently into the snow and arced cleanly. But with the softer flex, I could not drive the ski hard through the front edges like a pure carving ski. Instead, I had to stay centered in the middle of the ski; if I drove too hard through the ski, the tip started to chatter a bit. And when carving at very high speeds, the tip chattered no matter what. The Blaze definitely lacks the energy of its stiffer sibling, the Mantra, when carving, but it still arcs a decent enough turn.
High Speed Stability
3/5
Luke H. gave 3 of 5 stars. I was very eager to see how the Blaze 94 compared to the Mantra at high speeds. The Mantra is cool as a cucumber at Mach speeds, but that's also what makes it a beast of a ski in tighter terrain. Surprisingly, the Blaze felt decent at very high speeds. It certainly wasn't as stable as the Mantra, and the tip of the ski tended to chatter when arcing high-speed GS turns, but they held a nice edge and gave me no reason not to trust them. If high-speed stability is the number one priority for skiers, there are much better options. However, the Blaze is by no means terrible.
Playfulness
4/5
Luke H. gave 4 of 5 stars. The Blaze is far from the most playful ski out there—for skiers looking for something they can butter in the park or drift through powder on, there are much better options. But for an all-mountain ski, the Blaze has a more playful style than a lot of its competitors. The Blaze certainly prefers shorter, tighter turns to more high-speed turns, and it generates quite a lot of energy from one turn to the next, seemingly propelling one forward. But the Blaze's playfulness was most on display when I took it into trees and moguls, where the ski was incredibly easy to flick around and change direction on. I was also easily getting some airtime between each mogul, which was super fun, and the Blaze's softer flex made for some easy landings.
Durability
3/5
Luke H. gave 3 of 5 stars. I'm a big fan of metal (titanal) being used in the construction of a ski, as not only does it provide superior dampening, but I think it also contributes to the overall longevity of a ski. The Blaze lacks the titanal frame of the Mantra, so I was a bit weary of its durability. Still, it does have the titanal binding reinforcement plate, adding some much-needed strength to the ski. The Blaze also sports full vertical sidewalls, albeit with a small microcap over the top to reduce weight. The Blaze is a bit unorthodox, using a rubber-like material in the tip and tail to absorb vibrations. So they aren't the most well-built ski, but they will resist the normal wear and tear from use.
Turn Ease
4/5
Luke H. gave 4 of 5 stars. When it comes to Volkl's all-mountain lineup, their flagship M6 Mantra certainly hogs the limelight. Still, there is a lot to be said for the Blaze 94, its softer, lighter, and more agile brethren. Whereas the Mantra has a fully tailored titanal frame, the Blaze uses a much simpler construction, utilizing a hybrid wood core and a simple titanal binding reinforcement plate directly underfoot. The result is a lighter, more playful ski that doesn't crush groomers at high speed but carves admirably at lower and medium speeds. I could carve just fine on the Blaze, and I could push the heel for skid-like turns as well. But most importantly, the lighter build made the Blaze much easier to turn in off-piste conditions than the Mantra, where its poppier and livelier feel is much more desired.
Versatility
4/5
Luke H. gave 4 of 5 stars. Volkl markets the Blaze 94 as a hybrid ski, meaning one that is capable of skiing both in the resort and being light enough for touring uphill. It's a tough balance to build something confident and stable enough for resort skiing but also light enough that it doesn't destroy my legs. However, the Blaze does this very well. I'm impressed by any ski that can do both well, so I give this ski high marks for versatility. It's definitely not a park ski or a ripping big mountain ski, but what it does do, it does well.
FAQs
What was your favorite moment with this gear?
Luke H. My favorite moment with the Volkl Blaze 94 was when I got into some packed powder from the last storm. Most recently, I had been testing the M6 Mantra, an incredibly powerful ski. Still, when I took it off-piste into more bumpy terrain, it proved to be very harsh on my buddy and not very easy to turn. But the Blaze was a different story; the ski had a very poppy feel and allowed me to bounce effortlessly off moguls and into my next turn. The light construction of the skis made them much easier on my body. Volkl has had a reputation for a very long time for producing very stiff, demanding skis, so it was quite a treat to find out that they can still make playful skis.
Why did you choose this product?
Luke H. I wanted to test the Blaze because it is part of what has become the fastest-growing lineup of skis in the market: the hybrid ski. More and more brands are building skis designed to work both in the resort and the backcountry, and I am very curious to see how they all stack up against each other. It's very easy to claim that a ski can work in the backcountry. But in truth, many skis are too heavy to do any serious touring. So I was eager to see whether the Blaze 94 could live up to Volkl's claim of it being capable of both types of skiing.
What is the value for the money versus other options?
Luke H. For an all-mountain ski, the Blaze is very affordable. It is much cheaper than the Mantra, though it does not have the extensive materials that the Mantra does. But even as far as hybrid skis go, the Blaze is still the best bang for the buck. Its most immediate competitors are the Blizzard Hustle 9 and Line Vision 98, built specifically for hybrid skis like the Blaze. Still, those skis list for quite a bit more than the Blaze. Those skis have a bit higher quality materials in their construction, mainly carbon, which justifies their higher retail value. Still, for a hybrid ski, the Blaze is great value for the price.
What do you love about this product?
Luke H. More skiers are looking for a hybrid ski—a ski they can slap a Salomon Shift on and ski in the resort but also take for the occasional lap in the backcountry. And I think that's awesome. What's tricky is finding the right ski to do so. Most downhill skis are far too heavy for sustained hiking uphill, and most touring skis are too light to ski the firmer resort snow. But the Blaze does a great job of finding that balance, which demands respect. The Blaze is quite light, which makes it easy on the uphill, but it can still carve confidently on a groomer at the resort. To compare, I can barely hold an edge on a groomer on my touring skis. So it's very impressive that Volkl did it so well in their first crack at a hybrid ski.
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