On one of our few sunny days when it wasn’t snowing hard, I did a solo exploration of Gate 8 at Annupuri. The terrain out of Gate 8 is a beautiful, large gully with glades that open to a steep pitch before funneling back to the lift. The snow was a bit heavier and choppy, so I took a lot of runs experimenting with different turn shapes and speeds.
The Dakota was able to smear turns really well, especially at medium to high speeds. In fact, even though the snow was rough and bumpy, the skis smoothed out the ride. When I slowed down a little, however, they seemed to meet resistance against the harder, deep chop. Given how stiff the Dakota’s shovels are, this surprised me, though I really experienced this only in thicker snow at slow speeds.
The distinct smoothing-out quality of the Dakota is impressive, and a quality that seems to run through Blizzard’s Free Mountain line, since both Jonathan and Will mention this feeling in their reviews. I noticed even after my first run that they offer more than typical stability; I felt I could really truly trust the ski. Whether this is a result of Blizzard’s Flip Core technology, the skis rocker profile, or its flex pattern, I couldn’t say. But the Dakota offers a quiet, powerful ride when making medium- and large-size turns.
After Gate 8, I took some fast runs down Panorama and Dynamic, two groomers off the Annupuri Gondola. The Dakota carved exceptionally well for a 108mm, non-cambered ski, as long as I remained fairly centered. Although they didn’t provide a lot of energy through the turn, the ski felt so stable that I was comfortable making big turns at high speeds, or just straight-lining.
Later, I skied a couple of trails that were mostly hardpack and a little bumpy. On other skis, I definitely would have got worked a bit and would have had to slow down, but the Dakota was solid enough that I could maintain almost the same speed I had on the groomers.
After spending five days on the Dakota, I would say it is a pretty versatile ski—if you’re strong enough really to be able to work it. On certain occasions toward the end of the day when I was tired and skiing less aggressively, the Dakota wasn’t particularly forgiving. If I were bucked into the backseat, I would need to slow down and regroup before making more turns.
Besides encountering issues at slower speeds in deeper chop, and finding the ski a bit difficult to maneuver in the trees, the Dakota handled all the other conditions I experienced well. It’s a solid ski that’s fun for ripping fast turns, but I wouldn’t call it particularly playful. The metal sheets in the core are effective in beefing up the ski to provide more stability, but don’t create a very poppy response through the turn.
I think the Dakota would be a great ski for strong, advanced and expert women who like to charge. BLISTER reviewer Jason Hutchins took a run on the Dakota and said that they felt “exactly the same as the Cochise.” The Dakota is no noodle.
Blizzard will also be offering the Dakota in a 170cm length, which could definitely be a more manageable option. If you opt for the shorter length, I would imagine that the ski would be more fun in the trees. But if you plan to ski mostly fast, big lines or steep, hardpacked trails, the 177cm Dakota is an ideal choice.
It seems that recently, more women have been asking ski companies to make longer, stiffer, and all around better women’s skis. While some companies have been expanding their free-ski lines to include more options for women, the Dakota feels like another big step, and it’s one of the burliest big-mountain women’s skis yet. Props to Blizzard.
Go to Emily Cleveland’s 2nd Look at the Blizzard Dakota