What Our Gearhead(R) Experts Are Saying:"I skinned up for a backcountry lap on the Blaze 104 Ski and it felt noticeably lighter on the way up than skis I've toured on before. Dropping into tracked out powder on the way down, the tips stayed quiet and predictable even when I pushed the speed."Self powered missions ask a lot of a ski, rewarding the lightweight climb while still demanding real performance on the way down, and the Volkl Blaze 104 Ski manages both without much compromise. We've skinned up early morning ridgelines on this ski and dropped into variable, wind affected snow on the other side, feeling it hold a confident edge through short, quick turns when the terrain got tight. The 4D Radius Drive sidecut gives the ski a predictable start to every turn while still delivering stability once speed builds, and the Suspension Tips and Tails smooth out chatter in tracked up or wind buffed snow so the ride stays quiet instead of getting knocked around. A hybrid wood core built from individually weighed poplar and beech keeps the ski light for the skin track without giving up the stability a freeride day demands.