The Best Men’s All-Mountain Wide Skis of 2022: Blizzard Rustler 11

The Blizzard Rustler 11 won the Deep Snow category for the second year in a row and earned top marks for Quickness/Maneuverability and Playfulness. The SKI Test crew was ecstatic about the performance this ski provides to advanced and expert skiers who want the best powder ski for fun in freshies as well as getting to-and-from the chairlift on the hunt for more. “Same old story: This is an epic ski,” writes tester Mark Syrovatka. “If you’re forward and ready to work, that is. It doesn’t give any handouts.”

The Blizzard Rustler 11 features some minor graphic updates, but is otherwise unchanged from last season. The key technology feature is the Carbon Flipcore Dynamic Release Technology (D.R.T.), which is a core made from poplar, beech, balsa, and paulownia that is milled in shape of the ski, and then combined with two unidirectional carbon frame inserts in the tip and tail and a shaped layer of Titanal underfoot. The result is a reduction in torsional rigidity that creates a lively and energetic feel in all types of snow, but releases from the turn more easily in deeper snow, providing better powder performance.

While this might seem like a lot of technology to pack into a powder ski, the truth is that most powder mornings usually turn into cruddy afternoons at resorts across the country. And if there is one ski that can handle everything you’ll face at a resort powder day, the Blizzard Rustler 11 is it. “Very clean feeling arc with no chatter, no noise, just as smooth as can be,” writes tester Mike Britt. “A confidence booster that can ski short turns right into pure-carve GS turns, then off the piste into some soft fluff. Superb!”

• Strengths: Quickness/Maneuverability (1st in category), Playfulness (1st)
• Weaknesses: Forgiveness (9th), Crud Performance (2nd)

Buy the Blizzard Rustler 11: evo | Backcountry

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