Ski: 2023-2024 Blizzard Sheeva 11, 180 cm
Test Location: Crested Butte Mountain Resort, CO; Taos Ski Valley, NM
Days Skied: 20+
Available Lengths: 168, 174, 180 cm
Blister’s Measured Tip-to-Tail Length (straight-tape pull): 177.8 cm
Blister’s Measured Weight per Ski: 1986 & 1959 grams
Stated Dimensions: 140-112-130 mm
Blister’s Measured Dimensions: 139.5-111.5-129 mm
Stated Sidecut Radius (180 cm): 19 meters
Measured Tip & Tail Splay (ski decambered): 77 mm / 42 mm
Measured Traditional Camber Underfoot: 3 mm
Core Materials: poplar/paulownia/beech + titanal + fiberglass laminate
Base: sintered graphite
Factory Recommended Mount Point: -7.6 cm from center; 81.3 cm from tail
Boots Used: Lange Shadow 115 LV W; Tecnica Cochise 115 W; K2 Anthem 115 BOA; Salomon S/Max Race 110
Bindings Used: Tyrolia Attack 13 MN; Look Pivot 12
Blister’s Measured Tip-to-Tail Length (straight-tape pull): 171.6 cm
Blister’s Measured Weight per Ski: 1895 & 1912 grams
Stated Dimensions: 140-112-130 mm
Blister’s Measured Dimensions: 139.5-111.5-130 mm
Stated Sidecut Radius (174 cm): 17.5 meters
Measured Tip & Tail Splay (ski decambered): 76.5 mm / 42.5 mm
Measured Traditional Camber Underfoot: 3.5 mm
Factory Recommended Mount Point: -7.5 cm from center; 78.3 cm from tail
Intro
Blizzard overhauled their women-specific Sheeva lineup of freeride skis for the 2023-2024 season with the series consisting of the Sheeva 9, Sheeva 10, and the widest model in the lineup, the Sheeva 11.
Prior to 23/24, the Sheevas had been unchanged for several seasons and we had spent a lot of time on the first-generation Sheeva 10 and 11. The latest updates included the addition of their fine-tuned Trueblend Woodcore, a different implementation of the piece(s) of metal that overlay the wood, and a slight difference in the sidecut and rocker profiles of the skis.
We’ve had multiple reviewers log quite a few days on both the 174 cm and 180 cm Sheeva 11 and are now ready to weigh in.
What Blizzard says about the Sheeva 11
“From huge spine lines in Alaska to a blower powder day at your local hill, the Sheeva 11 knows a thing or two about getting down. Fully redesigned with input from our top freeride athletes, the party animal of the Sheeva family is back and ready to rage. Sheeva 11 is fueled by an energetic Freeride Trueblend woodcore and an all-new FluxForm W.S.D. technology that’s designed to give you the confidence you’re looking for at high speeds, all while retaining the playful attitude that the Sheeva name is built on. While the Sheeva 11 was born to bag freeride podiums and stomp huge lines, what it does best is put smiles on the faces of ripping ladies all over the world who live to chase hero snow with their crew from bell to bell.”
For more background info on the latest Sheeva models, check out our Brand Lineup video with Blizzard from Blister Summit 2023:
Construction & Women-Specific Aspects of the Sheeva Series
Blizzard takes a more concerted “women-specific” approach to ski design than many brands, in the form of their Women2Women project. Here’s a bit more info from Leslie Baker-Brown, Blizzard-Tecnica’s Women2Women Project Lead:
“We worked with our female ambassador and athlete groups throughout the development process to ensure that we were making a collection of freeride skis that would work for all levels of women. Because the skis are specifically engineered at each length and we’ve shortened the length increments, we really are able to reach a broader range of skiers.”
In addition to a design and prototyping process that works closely with their Women2Women team, the new Sheeva skis are slightly different in their construction, relative to the men’s equivalent line, the Blizzard Rustlers. The most notable difference is that the Sheevas have a piece of fiberglass that overlays the binding area of the ski, rather than the additional piece of titanal metal that the Rustlers have in that spot.
Otherwise, the two share a similar construction, with a “Trueblend” wood core consisting of poplar, paulownia, and beech stringers arranged in an intricate pattern, and then their “FluxForm” metal layers, which sit over the edges of the skis and are tapered near the tips and tails for a lower swing weight and looser ride at the ends, but more edge grip underfoot. You can learn all about the origins and details of this construction in our video, above.
Shape / Rocker Profile
The shape of the 23/24 Sheeva 11 remains fairly consistent relative to the first-generation Sheeva 11. It still has pretty minimally tapered tips and tails for a 112mm-wide ski, but it also still has pretty deep tip and tail rocker lines. While the narrower Sheeva 10 saw its rocker lines get dialed back a bit in the 23/24 update, the Sheeva 11’s haven’t changed quite as much.
Flex Pattern
Here’s how we’d characterize the flex pattern of the 180 cm Sheeva 11:
Tips: 6.5-7
Shovels: 7-7.5
In Front of Toe Piece: 8-9.5
Underfoot: 10
Behind the Heel Piece: 9.5-8.5
Tails: 8-6.5
And here’s how we’d characterize the flex pattern of the 174 cm Sheeva 11:
Tips: 6.5-7
Shovels: 7-7.5
In Front of Toe Piece: 7.5-9.5
Underfoot: 10
Behind the Heel Piece: 9.5-8
Tails: 7.5-6
Overall, the Sheeva 11’s flex pattern feels pretty accessible at the very ends, but it then stiffens up pretty quickly as you move from the tips and tails to the middle of the ski. Its flex pattern is also fairly round / balanced, in that its front half isn’t drastically softer than its back half (in contrast to many more directional skis).
The 174 cm Sheeva 11 is just a touch softer than the 180 cm length in the rear half of the ski, and also a tiny bit softer in the forebody section between the toe piece and the shovel, but the two feel quite similar overall.
Sidecut Radius
The 180 cm Sheeva 11 has a stated sidecut radius of 19 meters, and the 174 cm has a stated sidecut radius of 17.5 m, both of which are pretty average for their class, if not slightly shorter than average.
Mount Point
The Sheeva 11’s recommended mount point is about -7.5 cm from true center, making it fall somewhere in between very directional and very freestyle-oriented skis. I.e., not super far back, nor super close to center.
Weight
At about 1900 grams per ski for the 174 cm length and 1970 grams for the 180 cm, the Sheeva 11 is neither exceptionally heavy nor exceptionally light for its class.
For reference, here are a number of our measured weights (per ski in grams) for some notable skis. Keep in mind the length differences to try to keep things apples-to-apples.
1676 & 1700 Majesty Vadera Carbon, 176 cm
1693 & 1710 Moment Sierra, 172 cm
1741 & 1747 Nordica Unleashed 98 W, 174 cm
1752 & 1751 Blizzard Sheeva 9, 172 cm
1761 & 1778 Zag Slap 104, 176 cm
1762 & 1830 DPS Kaizen 105, 179 cm
1787 & 1798 Faction Dancer 2X, 172 cm
1792 & 1792 Nordica Santa Ana 104 Free, 172 cm
1797 & 1839 Rossignol Rallybird 102, 170 cm
1797 & 1839 Rossignol Rallybird 104 Ti, 171 cm
1806 & 1821 Blizzard Sheeva 11, 172 cm (v1 iteration)
1835 & 1820 Armada ARV 116 JJ UL, 185 cm
1836 & 1838 Armada ARW 106 UL, 180 cm
1847 & 1854 Wagner Summit 106, 172 cm
1851 & 1856 Blizzard Sheeva 10, 180 cm
1860 & 1862 Majesty Vadera Ti, 176 cm
1878 & 1891 Salomon QST Stella 106, 173 cm
1895 & 1912 Blizzard Sheeva 11, 174 cm
1928 & 1945 K2 Mindbender 99Ti W, 172 cm
1933 & 1975 Volkl Secret 96, 170 cm
1927 & 2009 Mindbender 116C W, 177 cm
1955 & 1990 Coalition Snow SOS, 173 cm
1958 & 1960 Faction Dancer 3X, 172 cm
1961 & 1985 K2 Mindbender 106C W, 176 cm
1969 & 1988 4FRNT MSP CC, 171 cm
1959 & 1986 Blizzard Sheeva 11, 180 cm
2010 & 2063 Volkl Secret 102, 170 cm
2035 & 2083 Nordica Unleashed 108 W, 180 cm
2057 & 2061 Fischer Ranger 102, 176 cm
2074 & 2088 Line Blade Optic 104, 178 cm
2178 & 2166 Coalition Snow Rafiki, 180 cm
With all the tech and specs out of the way, let’s get into how all of that translates on snow:
FULL REVIEW
Powder
Kara Williard (5’9”, 170 lbs / 175 cm, 77 kg): The Sheeva 11 is the widest women-specific ski designed through Blizzard’s W2W initiative, and as such, it is intended to be a soft-snow and powder-oriented tool.
Overall, I found myself enjoying the 180 cm Sheeva 11 in soft conditions. For starters, it’s quite maneuverable and loose enough to slash and pivot without having to work too hard or really focus on driving its shovels to release the back of the ski.
On days when the fresh snow isn’t super deep (less than about 8” / 20 cm) and I can often feel the firmer base underneath, the Sheeva 11 worked well. In that scenario, it feels surfy, lively, and still supportive when hitting firmer patches. It allows me to be pretty playful on these sorts of soft days, especially when making surfy slashes in steep, tight terrain, but it still feels composed when making bigger, faster turns in more open zones.
On the deeper days, there were times when the 180 cm Sheeva 11 got bogged down in the snow, creating more of a “plowing” effect than I’d wish for a ski of this width. This was mostly apparent on lower-angle terrain where it wasn’t as easy to keep momentum, or in tight terrain where I found myself often having to dump speed.
To counteract this, I sometimes shifted my weight into a slightly more backseat stance, which isn’t ideal, but is often something you’ll need to do in deep conditions (especially on narrower skis). Fortunately, even when skiing a bit backseat in deep pow, the Sheeva 11 remained pretty easy to turn, which isn’t always the case (especially with less tail rockered, more directional skis).
All this to say, for the deepest days, I’ve used other skis that do a better job of planing up and correspondingly feeling less fatiguing, such as the K2 Mindbender 116C and Coalition Snow Rafiki. Still, the Sheeva 11 can be a lot of fun in powder, and as you’ll see below, it offers an impressive level of versatility in conditions aside from untracked snow.
Kristin Sinnott (5’8”, 130 lbs / 173 cm, 59 kg): I haven’t spent a lot of time on skis wider than 110 mm underfoot in the past few seasons, so when it snowed 18” / 45 cm overnight during this season’s January storm cycle, I was excited to hop on the 174 cm Sheeva 11. Overall, I found it to be maneuverable and thought it provided good flotation when I maintained a decent speed in more open terrain. Like Kara, I found that the Sheeva 11 tended to get bogged down in tighter terrain or at slower speeds, and as a result, I found myself skiing from the backseat in order to keep its tips up in deeper snow.
Soft Chop
Kara: Throughout my days on the Sheeva 11, soft chop is hands-down the condition in which I enjoyed it most. The 180 cm Sheeva 11 offered an impressive level of suspension and support in this scenario, while also providing a playful and nimble ride in choppy and tracked-out snow.
The Sheeva 11 offers a very nice level of composure in cut-up pow, even when that snow is fairly dense and heavy. I rarely found myself noticing significant deflection while skiing the Sheeva 11 in any sort of soft snow conditions, aside from when I was really pushing it at speed in more set-up chop. It also felt more accepting of a forward, driving-the-shovels stance in soft chop than it did in deep pow; this added to its composure and my own confidence in chop, since I could more easily maintain my balance by driving its tips through piles of cut-up snow.
The Sheeva 11’s impressive maneuverability also added to my enjoyment of it in these conditions. Its combination of pretty good stability and maneuverability make it stands out as one of my favorite options for resort powder days when things are getting skied out pretty quickly.
The Sheeva 11 wouldn’t be my top pick if you want an exceptionally damp and stable ski for making big, fast turns through chop. However, I think its mixture of maneuverability and composure makes it a pretty well-rounded ski in soft chop, and of the women-specific skis we’ve skied in this class, it’s still on the more stable end.
Kristin: I found the 174 cm Sheeva 11 to feel stable, damp, and maneuverable when skiing soft chop, especially when maintaining a good, forward body position. I did notice that, at slower speeds, the Sheeva 11 felt less damp and didn’t cut through the chop as well; keeping momentum and driving it through dense snow helped it feel more composed. While this ski doesn’t offer the best flotation in deep powder for its width, the way the Sheeva 11 cuts through chop makes it a great option for resort powder days — especially when you know that you’ll likely be skiing chop to get back to the lifts throughout much of those days.
Firm Chop & Crud
Kara: Much of what I just mentioned about the Sheeva 11’s maneuverability and composure in soft chop can be translated to firmer snow, but this is where the Sheeva 11 can feel a bit lacking in terms of suspension. While it feels pretty supportive and stable on edge, its tips still get deflected a bit in rougher conditions and it feels less smooth and planted.
Despite that, the Sheeva 11 seemed to work just fine for me in these conditions since I tend to ski pretty cautiously / conservatively in firm crud anyway, and I would much rather make a lot of tight, deliberate turns than large and fast ones in those conditions. This is, again, where the maneuverability and overall predictability of the Sheeva 11 felt like an asset.
Unlike even lighter, more pow-specific alternatives like the Armada ARV 116 JJ UL, the Sheeva 11 still feels relatively practical in challenging conditions, given how wide it is. But again, if suspension and high-speed stability are your top priorities, then I’d probably push you toward a heavier (and potentially narrower) alternative.
Kristin: Kara summed this up nicely – I don’t have anything more to add.
Moguls, Trees, & Tight Terrain
Kara: I often found myself taking out the Sheeva 11 in firmer conditions than I would usually ski on something ~112 mm wide, mostly because it handles tight terrain and moguls pretty well for its width, even when they’re firm.
The Sheeva 11 worked well for me in tight terrain because of how quick and maneuverable it is. Despite its width, I still found it to be pretty forgiving and easy to slash and flick around.
Of course, there are so many narrower skis that would make a lot more sense if you are frequently skiing firm snow in this type of terrain, including the narrower Sheeva 10, but if you want a powder-oriented ski that you can still take out and enjoy when it hasn’t snowed all that much or super recently, the Sheeva 11 warrants a look.
Kristin: The past few seasons, I’ve been gravitating toward all-mountain skis around 88–94 mm underfoot, mostly because I like how agile they feel, especially in tight terrain. With that in mind, the Sheeva 11 is the first 110+ mm ski in quite some time that I’ve enjoyed in moguls and trees; that’s mainly a result of how nimble they feel. To me, they perform like a much lighter and narrower ski when it comes to making quick turns on soft and firm snow. But, as we noted in the Soft Chop section, the Sheeva doesn’t get pushed around a whole lot, which boosts my confidence in tight, technical terrain.
Groomers
Kara: I didn’t have high hopes for the Sheeva 11 on groomers, given how wide and rockered it is, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised — it offers impressive edge hold for its size and is also pretty energetic.
The Sheeva 11 requires a bit of work to lay it over at higher edge angles, but once there, it felt supportive and secure. It’s also pretty adaptable in terms of turn shapes, from pretty large, fall-line arcs to tighter, quicker turns. On icy groomers, it (unsurprisingly) felt less stable and precise, and I definitely wouldn’t pick it as a daily driver if you’ll be spending a lot of time on firm groomers. But it’s nice that Sheeva 11 provides some enjoyment and engagement when carving back to the lifts.
Kristin: As Kara mentioned, for a 112mm-wide ski, the Sheeva 11 performs quite well on groomers. Rolling it on edge felt fairly intuitive and dare I say, easy, whether on soft or fairly firm groomers. Transitioning from edge to edge, especially during larger-radius turns, took very little effort and I generally trusted its edge hold (of course, it’s not quick edge-to-edge when making tighter, snappier turns). In icy conditions, I didn’t feel inclined to carve it hard at high edge angles, but it’s also not a ski I would reach for if my plan was to only ski groomers.
Playfulness
Kara: The Sheeva 11 is a fairly playful, but still directional ski. So it can work for a pretty wide range of skiers and skier styles, but it doesn’t feel like a freestyle-specific model.
The Sheeva 11 is pretty loose / surfy, nimble for its size, energetic, and feels fairly adaptable in terms of stance. Skiers who spend a lot of time in the air, frequently like to ski switch (especially in deep snow), and/or prioritize overall playfulness above stability have better alternatives. Most of them are softer, more tapered, and/or more center-mounted than the Sheeva 11.
On the other hand, as a directional skier myself, I quickly got along with the Sheeva 11 and rarely found myself feeling like it wasn’t responding well to my forward stance (with the exception of deep snow, as noted above). But when I did find myself having to adjust my stance a bit back to keep the shovels up in deep snow, or just because the terrain required it, the Sheeva 11 still felt predictable.
Kristin: The Sheeva 11 performed well regardless of how I opted to turn. From edging hard / carving to pivoting and sliding / slarving turns, the Sheeva 11 felt predictable and instilled confidence. I’m not a playful skier in a freestyle sense, but as my confidence increased while skiing the Sheeva 11, I found myself seeking out more playful lines and little airs. The ski also felt snappy and very responsive when my legs were fresh. I have had some of my best runs of the season on the Sheeva 11 – it tends to inspire me to let go a little and pop off bumps in a more playful way, which is always my goal (but very rarely my reality).
Length
Kara (5’9”, 170 lbs / 175 cm, 77 kg): I skied the first generation of the Sheeva 11 in a 172 cm, and given how playful and maneuverable it was, I generally thought it felt a little short. So, spending time on the new version in a 180 cm length has worked pretty well for me.
For reference, I generally enjoy skis in lengths anywhere between 170-185 cm, but the more playful the ski, the longer I prefer to go. The 180 cm Sheeva 11 felt much more stable than the old 172 cm version, but I still found the new 180 cm to be plenty maneuverable. Kristin and I have some overlap in the lengths we like to ski, but given the differences in our builds and preferences, it makes total sense that the 174 cm worked well for her. Bottom line: if you feel caught between two lengths of this ski, the longer one is probably the better call, especially if you’ll mostly be using it in soft and/or deep snow.
Who’s It For?
The Sheeva 11 is a soft-snow-oriented ski that’s adaptable in terms of conditions and skier styles, meaning it could work reasonably well for a pretty wide demographic.
It still makes the most sense as a powder and soft snow-oriented tool, and in that context, it’s best for those who want a pretty maneuverable ski that doesn’t fall apart when the fresh snow gets tracked out. It falls on the more playful and forgiving side of the spectrum for this class, but it’s not near the edge in that regard — it still feels quite capable in non-pow conditions.
In terms of skiing styles, the Sheeva makes the most sense for directional skiers looking for a pretty agile and playful ski, or more freestyle-oriented skiers who actually appreciate a stronger, more stable ski that they can drive a bit in more challenging conditions.
As for those who might be better off elsewhere, there are a few main groups. The Sheeva 11 doesn’t offer the best deep-pow flotation for its width and there are alternatives that plane up better and feel more maneuverable in those conditions. On the flip side, there are heavier options that are better calls if you mostly want a ski that will easily blast through chop and crud at high speeds.
Bottom Line
The Blizzard Sheeva 11 is a blast in a wide variety of snow, where it encourages a playful, surfy style, but it’s also more versatile and less powder-specific ski than you might expect.
Deep Dive Comparisons
BLISTER+ members and those who purchase our Digital Access Pass can check out our Deep Dive comparisons linked below. Get our Digital Access Pass to view all our Deep Dives and Flash Reviews, or become a BLISTER+ member today to get access to that and a LOT more, including the best worldwide Outdoor Injury Insurance, exclusive deals and discounts on skis, personalized gear recommendations from us, and much more.
Check out our Deep Dive comparisons of the Blizzard Sheeva 11 to see how it compares to the first-gen Sheeva 11, Blizzard Sheeva 10, K2 Mindbender 106C W, Folsom Cash 106, K2 Mindbender 116C W, Armada ARV 116 JJ UL, Faction Dancer 3X, Salomon QST Stella 106, RMU Valhalla 107, Nordica Unleashed 108, Majesty Vadera Ti, Line Pandora 110, Coalition Snow Rafiki, & Wagner Summit 106 .
