Ski: 2024-2025 Blizzard Black Pearl 94, 176 cm
Test Location: Crested Butte Mountain Resort, CO
Days Skied: 8
Available Lengths: 152, 158, 164, 170, 176 cm
Blister’s Measured Tip-to-Tail Length (straight-tape pull): 174.2 cm
Blister’s Measured Weight per Ski: 1933 & 1953 grams
Stated Dimensions: 132.5-94-114.5 mm
Blister’s Measured Dimensions: 132-93.5-114.5 mm
Stated Sidecut Radius (176 cm): 17 meters
Measured Tip & Tail Splay (ski decambered): 76 mm / 20.5 mm
Measured Traditional Camber Underfoot: 6 mm
Core Materials: poplar/beech + titanal (partial layers) + carbon & fiberglass laminate
Base: sintered graphite
Factory Recommended Mount Point: -10.4 cm from center; 76.7 cm from tail
Boots Used: Lange Shadow 115 LV W
Bindings Used: Marker Griffon 13
Intro
The Black Pearl series has long defined Blizzard’s women-specific ski lineup. They’ve also been some of the most popular skis across the world, let alone the women-specific category.
Over the years, Blizzard has continually tweaked and updated them, and they’re once again overhauling the series for the 2024-2025 season.
When Blizzard announced that they were updating their Black Pearl lineup for 24/25, they highlighted several constructional changes, new width and length options, and more. You can read our article on the announcement for all the details.
The widest ski in the 24/25 lineup is the new Black Pearl 94, which effectively replaces the previous Black Pearl 97 that we reviewed. We spent many days on the new ski this past season and are now ready to chime in on both how it compares to prior Black Pearl models, and how it stacks up against a broad range of women-specific skis in the category. First, we’ll start with the design of the new Black Pearl 94:
What Blizzard says about the Black Pearl 94
“The wild child of the family, the Black Pearl 94 boasts a 94mm waist, wide enough for floating through freshies and tackling big terrain, but still nimble enough to lay it over on hard pack. Powered by a redesigned women’s specific TrueBlend woodcore and FluxForm All-Mountain W.S.D. construction, the Black Pearl 94 will take you wherever you want to go. No matter the conditions, Be A Boss on the Black Pearl 94.”
Construction & Women-Specific Aspects of the Black Pearl Series
Blizzard takes a truly women-specific approach to many of their skis, rather than the women’s models being versions of unisex skis with different graphics and length options but otherwise identical designs. This approach is the result of their Women2Women program, which you can hear more about in Ep. 223 of our GEAR:30 podcast with W2W founder, Leslie Baker-Brown.
For the 24/25 Black Pearls, Blizzard applied some of the general concepts of the “FluxForm” construction found in their more playful, freeride-oriented Sheeva skis. In the new Black Pearls, this consists of three segments of titanal metal, with one segment over each edge and a wider strip running down the middle.
Blizzard says that this allows them to still get some of the added stability and suspension benefits of a single, full-width metal layer, but with comparatively reduced torsional stiffness, which is meant to make it easier to release and initiate turns.
Blizzard also adjusted the composition of their “Trueblend” wood core in the new Black Pearl skis. The new skis feature a mix of beech and poplar stringers, with the denser, stiffer beech being concentrated around the middle of the ski for stiffness and support, and the lighter, softer poplar being used elsewhere to make the extremities softer and more maneuverable. For more on Trueblend and how it differs from more traditional wood-core constructions, check out our video with Blizzard from Blister Summit 2023.
Shape / Rocker Profile
The Black Pearls retain pretty similar-looking shapes for 24/25, with minimal early tapering at the tips and tails and correspondingly long effective edges.
However, Blizzard tweaked the skis’ rocker profiles for 24/25; the Black Pearl 94 has a bit more tip and tail splay and slightly deeper tip and tail rocker lines, relative to the old Black Pearl 97. The Black Pearl 94 still has notably shallower rocker lines than many of the more playful, less directional skis in its class (e.g., Blizzard Sheeva 9), but the Black Pearl 94 isn’t quite as traditional / conservative in this regard as the previous Black Pearls.
Flex Pattern
Here’s how we’d characterize the flex pattern of the Black Pearl 94:
Tips: 7.5-8
Shovels: 8-9
In Front of Toe Piece: 9-10
Underfoot: 10
Behind the Heel Piece: 9.5-9
Tails: 8.5-7.5
Overall, this is a very strong ski. Interestingly, when hand-flexing it, the Black Pearl 94 feels a bit stiffer than the previous Black Pearl 97. But, as we’ll get into below, the story is a bit different once you have both on snow.
Mount Point
With a recommended mount point of about -10.5 cm from true center, the Black Pearl 94 maintains the previous Black Pearl skis’ classification as decidedly directional skis.
Sidecut Radius
No significant change here — at 17 meters, the 176 cm Black Pearl 94’s stated sidecut radius is the same as the previous 177 cm Black Pearl 97. This is a pretty average, if not slightly tighter-than-average sidecut radius.
Weight
The Black Pearl 94 is on the heavier end of the spectrum when looking at the women-specific category in general, but it’s less of an outlier if you focus on directional, metal-laminate skis in that category that are around the same size.
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.
1550 & 1603 Elan Ripstick 94 W, 168 cm
1676 & 1700 Majesty Vadera Carbon, 176 cm
1690 & 1700 Blizzard Black Pearl 84, 170 cm
1693 & 1710 Moment Sierra, 172 cm
1711 & 1712 Majesty Havoc 90 Ti, 176 cm
1741 & 1747 Nordica Unleashed 98 W, 174 cm
1752 & 1751 Blizzard Sheeva 9, 172 cm
1744 & 1921 Atomic Maven 103 CTI, 178 cm
1761 & 1778 Zag Slap 104, 176 cm
1762 & 1779 K2 Mindbender 89Ti W, 170 cm
1773 & 1785 Blizzard Black Pearl 88, 170 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
1815 & 1825 Majesty Havoc 100 Ti, 176 cm
1822 & 1843 Armada Reliance 92 Ti, 172 cm
1835 & 1820 Armada ARV 116 JJ UL, 185 cm
1836 & 1838 Armada ARW 106 UL, 180 cm
1845 & 1873 Blizzard Black Pearl 97, 171 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
1885 & 1907 Salomon QST Lumen 98, 176 cm
1928 & 1945 K2 Mindbender 99Ti W, 172 cm
1933 & 1953 Blizzard Black Pearl 94, 176 cm
1933 & 1975 Volkl Secret 96, 170 cm
1955 & 1990 Coalition Snow SOS, 173 cm
1958 & 1960 Faction Dancer 3X, 172 cm
1959 & 1986 Blizzard Sheeva 11, 180 cm
1961 & 1985 K2 Mindbender 106C W, 176 cm
1969 & 1988 4FRNT MSP CC, 171 cm
1994 & 2001 Peak 98 by Bode, 178 cm
2010 & 2063 Volkl Secret 102, 170 cm
2035 & 2083 Nordica Unleashed 108 W, 180 cm
2045 & 2070 Nordica Santa Ana 92, 179 cm
2057 & 2061 Fischer Ranger 102, 176 cm
2074 & 2088 Line Blade Optic 104, 178 cm
2104 & 2115 Volkl Secret 102, 170 cm (19/20–22/23)
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
Groomers
Kara Williard (5’9”, 170 lbs / 175 cm, 77 kg): After plenty of time on the previous Black Pearl 97, I had pretty high hopes for the new Black Pearl 94 — partly because it is slightly narrower than its predecessor, and well, the Black Pearl 97 was already a real treat on piste.
Thankfully, the new Black Pearl 94 has maintained the previous Black Pearl’s reputation for being fun carving skis within the all-mountain category. The previous Black Pearl 97 stood out on groomers for its precision and high-speed stability; the Black Pearl 94 is also impressive in those regards, but I have found it more energetic and easier to bend, both of which allow for quicker and snappier transitions.
For reference, I’ve been skiing the longest length of this ski (176 cm), whereas I historically skied the Black Pearl 97 in a 171 cm. With that in mind, the new, longer 176 cm Black Pearl 94 feels even more stable on edge at high speeds, and its damp ride quality helps mute out the vibrations of firmer and rougher on-piste conditions.
While it’s not as quick edge-to-edge as narrower, more piste-oriented skis, I have continued to be impressed with the Black Pearl 94’s excellent edge hold and composed ride in a wide range of conditions, from refrozen corduroy to variable and slushy snow.
All that said, the Black Pearl 94 doesn’t require that you’re laying down perfect railroad-track carves 100% of the time. It’s pretty easy to feather in and out of turns on piste as long as you keep some pressure on the front of the ski. It’s definitely not the easiest ski to bend and get on edge at slow speeds, but especially relative to its high-speed capabilities (and even compared to the 171 cm Black Pearl 97), I found the 176 cm Black Pearl 94 to be pretty easy to bend, load up, and pop into the next turn.
Overall, I think Blizzard has done an impressive job of making the new ski both more engaging and exciting on groomers, while maintaining much of the previous ski’s precision and stability.
Moguls, Trees, & Tight Terrain
The first thing I noticed about the Black Pearl 94 was that it felt more lively and slightly more maneuverable than its predecessor. This is even more noteworthy when you factor in that I was skiing this new model in a longer length than I did for the past two iterations of the Black Pearl 97.
In tight terrain and moguls, I have found the new Black Pearl 94 to be a bit easier to bend, a little easier to pivot and release out of turns, and not as quick to punish mistakes if I get slightly off balance.
This has been a welcome change; while I appreciated the impressive stability and suspension of the Black Pearl 97, it required good technique and a fair bit of physical effort to feel intuitive, especially in tight terrain. And we have a lot of tight terrain on offer at Crested Butte Mountain Resort.
Provided that I skied it as it is meant to be skied — with a traditional, forward stance — the Black Pearl 94 actually felt pretty quick and lively (for what it is) in moguls and tight terrain. Its tips and tails feel a bit easier to bend than the Black Pearl 97 and, in equivalent lengths, I’m confident that the Black Pearl 94 would have a slightly lower swing weight.
All that said, context is important. Looking at the whole all-mountain market, the Black Pearl 94 is by no means a super easy and forgiving ski in moguls and tight terrain. If you specifically want something that is very nimble, playful, or forgiving of centered or backseat skiing, you should probably look to skis with more tail rocker, softer flex patterns, and/or less rearward mount points. But if value a ski that’s stable and composed in challenging conditions, I think you might be surprised by how accessible and lively the Black Pearl 94 can feel in tight terrain.
Powder & Soft Chop
While I’ve loved skiing the Black Pearl 94 in a pretty wide range of conditions, it was probably the least ideal in deeper powder and chop. No big surprise there — I don’t expect many ~95mm-wide skis to stand out most for how they handle deeper snow. This mostly comes down to the Black Pearl 94’s less-impressive flotation and maneuverability in these conditions.
The best-case scenario was when there were a few inches of fresh atop a supportive, firm layer underneath, and I could drive the ski without it feeling like it was plummeting down into deeper snow.
The Black Pearl 94 isn’t a surfy or playful ski that encourages lots of quick turns and slashes in untracked snow. Rather, it stands out for its impressive composure as things get skied out. Echoing what I’ve said above, the Black Pearl 94 feels like a suitable replacement for the Black Pearl 97 when it comes to high-speed stability in variable snow, but the new ski is a bit more energetic and not quite as demanding overall.
When taking a faster and more fall-line approach in soft chop, the Black Pearl 94 felt planted and smooth, with minimal deflection unless the chop was particularly deep and dense. But if you’re looking for a ski that’s highly maneuverable in soft conditions, rather than one that calmly handles high speeds, you’ve got better alternatives (including Blizzard’s Sheeva series).
Firm Chop & Crud
Much of what I’ll say here echoes what I just said in the Soft Chop section. Like the ski it replaces, the Black Pearl 94 offers some of the best suspension and high-speed composure in the women-specific all-mountain class, but it does this while also feeling slightly more maneuverable and less demanding than its predecessor.
In firm chop and crud, the Black Pearl 94 offers a notably planted ride quality, not easily being knocked around by clumps of set-up and inconsistent snow. That said, you still have to stay on top of the ski to take advantage of that — it’ll start to feel less predictable and intuitive if you get off the shovels and pushed into the backseat.
So if you often find yourself skiing more cautiously and conservatively in rough conditions, you’ll probably want to consider a more forgiving, maneuverable, and easygoing ski that better suits that approach. That said, the Black Pearl 94 doesn’t feel as one-sided in its skiing preferences as the previous 97. As someone who is generally drawn toward these sorts of damp, strong, directional skis, I could still make smaller and more controlled turns on the Black Pearl 94 as long as I focused on driving its shovels and keeping it slightly on edge.
Length
For reference, I’m 5’9”, 170 lbs (175 cm, 77 kg), and tend to get along with skis in lengths anywhere from 170-185 cm. The shorter end of that spectrum is usually reserved for strong, stable, and powerful skis such as the previous-generation Black Pearl 97, while the longer end of the range usually consists of more playful, more rockered, and wider models.
(Check out our GEAR 101 video and article on ski length for more on the factors that contribute to how long a given ski feels when you’re actually skiing it, and why you might want to size up or down on a particular model.)
With that in mind, opting for the 176 cm Black Pearl 94 was a bit of a gamble; the 171 cm Black Pearl 97 historically felt like plenty of ski for me, and at times, even a bit overwhelming in tight terrain.
Fortunately, I think the 176 cm Black Pearl 94 is the perfect length for me. As mentioned above, the new ski feels slightly more accessible and maneuverable than its predecessor. The new 94 is a bit easier to bend at both ends, which was most noticeable in big, tight moguls, and also made for easier turn initiation on firm groomers.
As long as I didn’t get far backseat, the 176 cm Black Pearl 94 felt quite manageable and was slightly less quick to punish the occasional backseat turn than the previous 171 cm Black Pearl 97.
All that said, the Black Pearl 94 is still a ski that will be most enjoyed by strong, directional skiers who are looking for a ski with impressive suspension, stability, and precision. But if those are the traits you’re prioritizing above all else, it might make sense to size up relative to your preferred length of the Black Pearl 97.
For most other folks, though, I’d recommend sticking with your usual preferred length for this sort of all-mountain ski.
Who’s It For?
In our review of the Black Pearl 97, I wrote that “the Blizzard Black Pearl 97 is a legitimately stable and hard-charging women-specific ski. It’s a standout in this category for someone looking for a smooth, composed, and powerful ski to use across a variety of conditions.”
All of this holds true for the 24/25 Black Pearl 94 but with a few caveats and finer details. The Black Pearl 94 is still ideal for someone who prioritizes composure and stability, but it manages to be a good fit for that demographic while also being more lively, slightly more maneuverable off piste, and more accessible when initiating carved turns than the previous Black Pearl 97.
Some aggressive directional skiers may prefer the stiffer, more precise Black Pearl 97 (especially if you liked the 177 cm version of that ski), but I have really enjoyed my time on the new Black Pearl 94, and I suspect the majority of other skiers will get along better with this new ski.
For those who do prefer an even stronger, more precise ski, it’s worth looking into Blizzard’s new Anomaly 94; our male reviewers will be posting a Full Review of that ski in the future, but talking with them, it very much sounds like a slightly more damp, stable, and demanding version of the Black Pearl 94.
Of course, many people out there haven’t skied the previous Black Pearl 97. So, to put it more broadly, the Black Pearl 94 is best suited to advanced and expert skiers who like a ski that’s precise and stable on a variety of groomers, offers a smooth ride quality in rough conditions, and can actually feel pretty poppy and nimble in tight terrain for what it is (and provided that you ski it with pretty good technique). Those looking for a particularly forgiving, light, surfy, and/or playful ski should look elsewhere.
If you’re not sure what ski is right for you and/or don’t even know where to start, you can always become a BLISTER+ member, send us a note via the Member Clubhouse, and one of our reviewers will work one-on-one with you to figure out what would make the most sense for your particular case.
Bottom Line
In my initial Flash Review of the Black Pearl 94, I said “this might be my personal favorite Black Pearl I’ve ever tried.”
And after more time with this ski, that opinion hasn’t changed.
As someone who prefers damp and stable all-mountain skis — but who also spends a lot of time in tight moguls and trees — the Black Pearl 94 is extremely impressive in the former regards, but manages to cater better to the latter than the Black Pearl 97 it replaces.
The Black Pearl 94 is not a very easygoing ski, but for those who value precision, suspension, and high-speed composure, it’s an excellent option — and it can work for a broader range of skiers than the ski it replaces.
Deep Dive Comparisons
BLISTER+ members and those who purchase our Digital Access Pass can check out our Deep Dive comparisons linked below. Not a member? Become a BLISTER+ member today or get our Digital Access Pass to get access to this 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.
Deep Dive: Blizzard Black Pearl 94
We compare the Blizzard Black Pearl 94 to the Blizzard Black Pearl 97, Nordica Santa Ana 92, Volkl Secret 96, Volkl Secret 102, Blizzard Sheeva 9, Armada Reliance 92Ti, Peak 98 by Bode, K2 Mindbender 99Ti W, Salomon QST Lumen 98, 4FRNT MSP CC, & Majesty Havoc 100 Ti.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.
If you’re already a member, please log in.
(If you’re already logged in and a member in good standing and seeing this message in error, please refresh this page in your browser.)