Best Women’s Carving Skis of 2022: Blizzard Phoenix R14 Pro

You can always count on Blizzard to make women’s-specific chargers that rip as hard as the dude’s version. Like the Black Pearls, the all-new Blizzard Phoenix R14 Pro features a TrueBlend wood core that provides a smooth, damp ride. But with a reduced rocker profile and sidecut better suited to groomers, the Phoenix R14 Pro offers the next level of carving and hard-snow performance. Says tester and ex-racer Courtney Harkins: “I love this ski! It rips all turn shapes and loves being on edge, but you don’t need to force it to get there.”

And it wasn’t just the ex-racers in our crew that appreciated this ski’s edge grip and dampness—it earned high scores from all testers in the Stability at Speed and Hard-Snow Integrity departments.

While our testers expect a Blizzard ski to rise above the rest in these two areas, they’re always a little leery about how hard they’re going to have to work to get a Blizzard to bend to their will. But testers were surprised that this Blizzard isn’t as aggressive as some of its brethren, saying that despite its narrow waist and dramatic sidecut, the Blizzard Phoenix R14 Pro isn’t as quick to punish the occasional mistake—as long as sloppy skiing doesn’t become a habit.

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“It’s a fantastic carving ski,” says tester Tracy Gibbons. “It definitely prefers an active driver to a passive one, but it’s not too burly.”

Testers did note that the Blizzard Phoenix R14 Pro’s 14m turning radius seems a little ambitious—only the strongest, most aggressive skiers will be able to get this ski to make those kind of short turns. Otherwise it prefers medium to long radius turns, and testers dinged the ski in the Quickness category accordingly.

“It’s solid as all-get-out in GS turns,” says tester Robin Barnes. “I had to work it to be able to pull off short turns but when I did the ski handled them well.”

In the end, testers agreed that the Blizzard Phoenix R14 is the one of the truest carvers in this year’s carving category, and it would make an ideal groomer ski for advanced and expert skiers who already know a thing or two about laying it over and letting loose.

“Not for a timid skier,” adds Barnes. “For the gal who likes to ride on edge. The harder you push this ski, the more it excels.”

• Strengths: Stability at Speed (tied for 1st in category), Hard-Snow Integrity (2nd)
• Weaknesses: Quickness (5th), Forgiveness (tied for 4th)

Shop for the Blizzard Phoenix R14 Pro online: skis.com

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