Curated Skiing Experts Charlotte Hauser and Sara Beeken got their hands on the 2024 Blizzard Sheeva 9 this spring. Check out how it performed in the carving, freestyle, and freeride categories, but consider the fact that each and every skier is different; if you have any questions about the Blizzard Sheeva 9 or need recommendations on which ski would be best for you, reach out to a Skiing Expert here on Curated.

Before we get started, it's worth noting that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands. All of these reviews are completely unbiased.

Brand Claims

What does Blizzard claim about this ski? [Charlotte] Blizzard claims that this is an all mountain freeride ski for the intermediate all the way to the expert skier. It’s 96 millimeters underfoot with a 15 meter turn radius.

[Sara] The brand claims that this is an advanced level, all mountain freeride ski.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of the ski? [Charlotte] I really like these skis. They did a really nice job holding their edge no matter what kind of angle I was putting them through while carving down the mountain. They felt really damp, stable, and like they could take any amount of force I was driving into the fronts of these skis and respond in a really controlled, predictable manner. With that said, they also did really well while bobbing and weaving through moguls.

[Sara] My overall impression of these skiers is that they felt really playful. They're kind of surfy and a really good soft snow ski.

How does the shape of the ski affect the way it rides? [Charlotte] The Sheevas pack a whole lot of rocker into their tips and tails, which means that you're going to be on your effective edge pretty quickly. You're going to be able to get into those turns and out of those turns really quickly. You can be skiing 96 underfoot and still be making really quick and nimble turns through tighter areas like the trees and the moguls, but they still feel really secure while opening up your turns and moving at a faster speed. The rocker means that you're going to get into it easily, and the camber underfoot means that you're going to have some bounce and play as you're moving through more playful areas.

[Sara] Unlike the Black Pearl series from Blizzard, this one has a lot more turned up tails. So, that's going to mean that you can ski switch, you can get more playful with it, and it's going to help you pivot your turn.

Also, the Sheeva was updated this year by moving the metal plate in the ski - it went from being in the middle to out towards the side. So, there are two separate beams of metal and they don't connect at the top, and that really helps with edge control and edge hold.

What is the flex like? [Charlotte] They're a moderately stiff ski. They're not the stiffest that skis with titanal typically tend to be. Blizzard has redesigned the titanal inside of the core of the ski. They've put these titanal stringers up the tips, not connecting right up the tip, and then a solid plate underneath. The tails mirror that same structure. It has reduced the amount of weight in the ski while maintaining the torsional rigidity, which means you can really lay into your turn and they're still going to be there for you and not wash out. These skis feel equally as stiff as they used to be but a little more intuitive.

[Sara] This is a pretty mid flexing ski. It's not so stiff that you can't get a little playful with it, but it's also not so soft that you can't really rip a groomer.

Carving

How does the ski turn? [Charlotte] The ski turns really flawlessly. At 96 underfoot, you might expect them to be a little slower edge to edge because you are pushing into that wider all mountain category. But, they felt really easy for me to get up on edge, most likely because of the increased rocker in the tips and the fact that the titanal frame is not connecting right at the very tops of the skis.

[Sara] In wide open terrain, this is really intuitive to turn. It does take a little bit more effort if you're in the trees or in the bumps to kind of think about what you're doing and initiate the turn with a little bit more power.

What is the edge hold like? [Charlotte] The edge hold is excellent. I felt like there was nothing I couldn't do. At one point I even was using my ex-racer skills and really loaded up the ski, and it was totally fine. It bucked me out before the ski washed out on me. That's what you want in a ski - to hold its own, no matter how much force and pressure you're putting into it.

[Sara] I felt like the edge hold on this was fantastic, and I think that's due to the new shape of the metal. When I was on groomers, it felt like it really wanted to arc a turn really nicely and it kind of turns on its own a little bit.

What about dampness? Any chatter in the skis? [Charlotte] This is one of the more damp skis in this category. It's more damp than it is poppy. So, for someone who's looking to just feel really secure and ride nice and easy (not looking for the extra little kick that you might get out of a more carbon based ski or a wood based core ski), this ski is going to have the extra dampness to make you feel like you're having a really smooth and rhythmic ride.

[Sara] This is a pretty damp ski without being overly heavy. I did not feel underfoot chatter on these skis. They're really ready to barrel through anything that you've got in front of you.

How does it feel in terms of speed? [Charlotte] I don't see any speed that this ski can't just crush.

[Sara] If you're going at really fast speeds, you might find a little bit of a speed limit at the very top just because of all of this rocker. But, for most advanced skiers, that's not going to be a problem.

How is its energy/acceleration? [Sara] In terms of acceleration, this was really intuitive. It felt manageable, but it didn't feel dead. It had enough energy that I could really enjoy popping out of the turns, but it didn't feel like it was going to overtake me.

Freestyle

Could you speak about playfulness and pop? [Charlotte] Because the ski feels a little more damp and stable for me, the flipside is that you lack a little bit of the playful and poppy nature of some other skis. It still has a bit of pop and a good amount of camber underfoot, which is really going to accelerate you into your next turn. But, it's not super bouncy.

[Sara] This is a much more playful alternative to the Black Pearl series. If you find that the Black Pearls are a little too directional and groomer oriented, having something like this is going to let you be a little more surfy and pivot with your skis. At times, this kind of felt like a twin tip in the way that it liked to pivot.

These don't have a ton of camber underfoot, but I did still feel some pop, and that was mostly because it's a pretty burly ski. So, when you put the power into it, it's going to give it back to you.

Is it good for skiing switch? [Charlotte] The Sheeva 9s are not a true twin tip, but they are borderline a true twin tap. So, I would not hesitate to ski switch on them.

[Sara] I would actually definitely ski switch on these because of how much rocker is in the tail. This is borderline a twin tip ski. It's a very dramatic partial twin, and skiing switch felt pretty stable. You're definitely on a directional ski, so the tips are going to be longer than the tails. So, I wouldn't necessarily be ripping groomers in switch but you can do it.

How is the ski with jumps? [Charlotte] What I noticed when I took these skis over jumps was that if I hopped off the lip of the jump, they were able to do it and were super stable upon landing. But, they're a little bit heavier, so I think they're a really nice option for someone who prefers to stay with two feet on the ground but might want to get a little bit of pop and play here and there throughout the day.

[Sara] One thing that sticks out to me is how stable they are on landings. I really love taking these off of side hits and going into the trees and finding little natural features.

Can it handle the park and what features is it best for/should avoid? [Charlotte] Personally, I did not take this into the park, and I think it's a pretty heavy option for someone who's looking to spend significant time in the park.

Freeride

How is it in powder? [Sara] All this rocker in the tip is put to a great use in powder. It's definitely not a powder ski, but it's going to handle soft snow really well. If you're somebody who's skiing a foot plus of powder on a regular basis, look into the wider versions of the ski, the Sheeva 10 and the Sheeva 11.

How is it in uneven terrain and chunder? [Charlotte] This is my ideal ski to take into uneven terrain and chunder. This thing just drives its way through. If you're looking for a ladies, crud-busting ripper ski, I highly suggest looking at the Sheeva line. Then, start to narrow down your search based on where you live in the country and what kind of snow you're looking to be in for the most part.

[Sara] For how light this ski is, it does really well in chunder and uneven terrain. I felt pretty stable and didn't have too many issues when I would come up on something crusty or chunky.

How is it skiing in the trees? How is its maneuverability? [Charlotte] The Blizzard Sheeva and the male version, the Rustler line, are awesome, awesome tree skis. They're really quick and maneuverable, but also damp. So, they're going to be a really good East Coast ski for someone who is skiing chattery snow whether that’s on the groomed trails, through the bumps, or dipping out in and out of trees.

What terrain is this ski good for? [Charlotte] I love these skis for the whole mountain. I had a really good time on them. The only thing that wouldn’t make them ski for me is that they lack a little bit of pop and play that I look for in a ski. But otherwise, these are hero skis. For someone who knows how to power into them, you're going to really love skiing the entire mountain on them.

What terrain should skiers avoid with it? [Charlotte] Honestly, there's not an area on the mountain where I wouldn't be taking these skis except for the park. They just shred the whole mountain and they can probably go up to a foot in powder and still hold their own because of how much tip rocker they have to keep them afloat.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend these skis to? [Charlotte] I love these skis for the more powerful woman who knows how to really rail into a carve and get her pressure on the tips of her skis. They're going to respond really well to forward pressure and hard driving skiers.

[Sara] These skis are fantastic for someone who wants to go anywhere on the mountain and has a little bit more of a playful, freeride style. They’re best for somebody who has more of a centered stance than a really forward stance than the Black Pearls.

Who should avoid these skis, there are better options out there for them? [Charlotte] Someone who I think would struggle a little bit with all the metal that's packed in them is a more center or back skier that relies on the ski to pivot and turn for them. This is a ski that likes to be driven and responds really well when it has a strong driver.

[Sara] There are some wider varieties of this ski. So this, while it's a good soft snow ski, isn't going to be your go to powder ski for those deep days.

If you could pack these skis for anywhere in the world, where would you take them? [Charlotte] These are skis that I would make sure that I would buy a ski bag for because I can’t envision a trip where I wouldn't want to take these skis with me. If I was based on the East Coast and was just ripping really crunchy, cruddy snow and then a few days of powder here and there, these would just kill. Then, if I was looking to take a trip out West, maybe Colorado, Utah, or Montana, these are a great waist width for that as well.

[Sara] If I could take these anywhere in the world, I would take them on the West Coast. They're going to be great for somebody who gets to ski a lot of fresh snow.

Skis work differently for different types of skiers. If you are wondering whether the Sheeva 9 is the right ski for you, chat with Charlotte, Sara, or any other Skiing Experts here on Curated, and they’ll put together free, personalized ski recommendations on the best skis for your needs.