Review: Blizzard Rustler 10 Skis · 2023
By Ski Expert
Olivia Duque
Blizzard Rustler 10 Skis · 2023
$450.00
$900.00
50% off
6 photos
The Curated Take
3.9/5
The Blizzard Rustler 10 Skis are excellent for intermediate to advanced skiers who seek a versatile, all-mountain experience. They are particularly well suited for freeride-style skiing, offering a stiff underfoot with flexibility in the tips and tails, enhancing turn initiation and playfulness. These skis excel in powder, providing good flotation and stability, but may not be wide enough for extremely deep snow. The metal sheets add weight, making them less ideal for park skiing. Durable and reliable, these skis are a solid choice for skiers looking to progress their skills across various terrains, from powder fields to groomed slopes.
Ideal for
- Stiff underfoot
- Flexibility in the tips and tails
- Float and turn well in powder
Not ideal for
- Metal sheets make it a heavier ski, not ideal for park
- Not quite wide enough for extremely deep powder
Playfulness
These skis are primarily flexible in the tips and tails but stiff underfoot, which, in my experience, helps while charging through chunder and chunky snow. For lighter skiers, it may...Read more
Carving
At both slow and high speeds, the edge-holding capability of these skis makes for really fun carves to lean into. As a progressing skier, being able to trust my skis...Read more
Versatility
With great stability, float, turning, and carving abilities, this ski was able to support me through powder fields, tight trees, sidecountry adventures of cliff drops, and classic bluebird corduroy days....Read more
Flotation
I followed behind three of my friends, all of whom were skiing K2 Hellbents, on the first big powder day last season. Almost a foot overnight, all untouched. They all...Read more
Turn Ease
This ski has a rocker-camber-rocker profile, resulting in contact points that are close enough to the tips and tails that finding the edge while turning is easy. Yet the camber...Read more
Durability
Working in a rental shop, I see every type of damage imaginable, from simple delamination around the edges to entire topsheets and bindings separating from the core underfoot. What I...Read more
High Speed Stability
The camber underfoot in combination with the titanal metal sheets make for a very sound and stable ski at speed. I am a fairly lightweight skier, and because of that...Read more
Curated Experts are not sponsored by brands. Their reviews are based on their honest experiences testing products.
Olivia Duque
About the ski gear
- Model: Blizzard Rustler 10 Skis · 2023
Test conditions
- When I bought these: January 2023
- Where I’ve used it: Brundage Mountain, Idaho (powder, corduroy, crusty chunky snow)
- How many times I've used it: 5
Expert Reviews of the Blizzard Rustler 10 Skis
Olivia Duque This ski changed the game for me in every way possible. It holds up at high speeds without chattering, boosting confidence in steeper terrain. The flexibility in the tips and tails is perfect for initiating turns and making the ski feel very playful for freeride-style riding. The magic is truly in the metal sheets that only span from contact point to contact point, where the tips and tails begin to curve upwards, because they do not sacrifice any stability in exchange for the forgiveness that soft tips/tails provide.
The Rustler 10 allowed and pushed me to progress from an intermediate-level skier to an advanced-level skier, confident across all terrain on the mountain. However, this ski is also great when it comes to already-advanced riders. I put my best friend's mom, who has skied 50+ day seasons for decades, on them, and we practically had to pry her off of them when the day was over because she had so much fun. She purchased a pair for herself shortly after!
Product Specs
| Age Group | Adult |
| Gender | Men's |
| Includes bindings | No |
| Model year | 2023 |
| Ski type | Freeride |
| Skill level | Intermediate, Advanced |
Review Ratings
Playfulness
3/5
Olivia Duque gave 3 of 5 stars. These skis are primarily flexible in the tips and tails but stiff underfoot, which, in my experience, helps while charging through chunder and chunky snow. For lighter skiers, it may be more difficult to intentionally use the flexibility present to advantage (things like butters), but it's definitely not out of the question completely. Likewise, skiing switch isn't unheard of, but it isn't what these skis are made to do. This can be attributed to the partial twin tip, meaning that the tails turn up slightly less than the tips do, which is fairly common in the all-mountain category.
Carving
4/5
Olivia Duque gave 4 of 5 stars. At both slow and high speeds, the edge-holding capability of these skis makes for really fun carves to lean into. As a progressing skier, being able to trust my skis and start to truly get my weight forward amid long, dramatic carves forever changed my skiing for the better. The Rustlers have a medium-turn radius, (the exact number changing with ski length), which can also help a skier boost confidence as it doesn't feel like they're being thrown into the turns by their skis (too short of a radius), but it also doesn't feel like their skis are slow to react or unresponsive while turning (a large radius). Perfect carving capability for intermediate progression.
Versatility
4/5
Olivia Duque gave 4 of 5 stars. With great stability, float, turning, and carving abilities, this ski was able to support me through powder fields, tight trees, sidecountry adventures of cliff drops, and classic bluebird corduroy days. It excelled at doing exactly what I wanted it to, plus what I needed it to do when I wasn't sure what I wanted from the ski. However, being on the heavier side, I avoided taking it touring in the backcountry, and when I found myself in the park, I found myself getting tired faster on certain features.
Flotation
3/5
Olivia Duque gave 3 of 5 stars. I followed behind three of my friends, all of whom were skiing K2 Hellbents, on the first big powder day last season. Almost a foot overnight, all untouched. They all told me I was silly for taking the Rustler 10s out with them, that I wouldn't be able to stay afloat or keep up, and that I should have followed suit in bringing 125mm+ powder skis. They quickly swallowed their words when not only was I staying afloat almost as well as they were, but I was keeping up and then leading once we got back toward the groomed run. The rockered tips and tails that help so much with turn initiation also worked wonders in floating through the fresh powder with a little bit of effort.
Turn Ease
4/5
Olivia Duque gave 4 of 5 stars. This ski has a rocker-camber-rocker profile, resulting in contact points that are close enough to the tips and tails that finding the edge while turning is easy. Yet the camber pocket in between those points provides major stability throughout the turn because more of the ski remains in contact with the snow. Before I tried these skis, I was pretty hesitant on steep terrain; I couldn't trust that my edges would hold, and I feared catching my outside edge constantly. After using these skis, my understanding and ability to feel if I was on edge or not became significantly better and my turns became smoother because of it.
Durability
5/5
Olivia Duque gave 5 of 5 stars. Working in a rental shop, I see every type of damage imaginable, from simple delamination around the edges to entire topsheets and bindings separating from the core underfoot. What I haven't seen? A totaled set of Rustlers. These things are built to be strong with titanal metal sheets, carbon framing, and a multi-layer wood core.
High Speed Stability
4/5
Olivia Duque gave 4 of 5 stars. The camber underfoot in combination with the titanal metal sheets make for a very sound and stable ski at speed. I am a fairly lightweight skier, and because of that have a hard time finding skis that aren't super heavy but can still charge and not death-wobble when I'm skiing fast. These skis can remain stable on corduroy, in powder, and in choppy chunder. They hold up well on ice but not at quite as high of speeds.
FAQs
What do you love about this product?
Olivia Duque I love that these skis do a little bit of everything, and they do it well. Powder? They can stay afloat and remain responsive. Groomers? They feel stable at high speeds but playful enough to hit side features on chill laps. Trees? They can turn on a dime and bob and weave for days. Almost every situation I have found myself in on the slopes, the Rustlers have risen to the occasion and done exactly what I needed my skis to do.
What was your favorite moment with this gear?
Olivia Duque I landed my first big drop on the Rustler 10s, and I will forever remember it. I had tried hitting the drop on various pairs of skis throughout the week, never feeling confident enough to actually land it and ride out of it. They were either too soft or too stiff, but these skis were a perfect mix of both. I finally landed it, and landed it again, and again. Best. Day. Ever.
Why did you choose this product?
Olivia Duque I chose Rustler 10s because they were the first ski that I had ever seen to convince multiple snowboarders to switch to skiing instead. I figured they had to be something special, and they are.
What is the value for the money versus other options?
Olivia Duque Rustler 10s are the definition of bang for the buck in the world of all-mountain skis. They're kind of right in the middle in terms of pricing, a little cheaper than other fan favorites from Atomic and Armada. A little more expensive than all-mountain options from Dynastar.
In terms of quality, these Blizzards can take a beating better than most and can be enjoyed by both lighter and heavier riders, unlike many other options. The overall versatility of this ski on the slopes in combination with the "middle shelf" price makes it a standout option.
