Review: Volkl Blaze 106, 179cm

[chicken feathers]

I picked up a pair of Blaze 94's in 186 cm over the weekend. Gonna mount with a 75mm tele binding for a 50/50 ski. I'm thinking they check a lot of boxes for me for mellow telemark tours, side country laps, and messing around in the resort. I wanted the 106...but I've got too many skis in the 10X range and a hole in the 9X slot.

[frorider]

Saw a pair of 172 Blaze 106s with the women’s top sheet … shop guy said it’s identical to the unisex version, but my internetting hasn’t confirmed that & there wasn’t another 172 to do a flex comparison. What’s the official answer? GF tends to like med stiff but not not heavy midfats for resort skiing.

[Shorty_J]

Right on, hard to go wrong w Katanas. Have skied mine for 10 years just about any day it’s warranted, which isn’t too often living in PA, but with trips north or west have gotten plenty. These will be a good compromise and be more useful for our anthills and skiing w my kids I think. Nothing quite rails left over in bounds pow like the Katanas.

Edit to add: Decent, short review of Blaze that matches my experience; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KBdX-XiwfM

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Don't know why I'm just noticing this post now but I watched that review video and it's bang on, IMO.

Despite the fact that my intermediate skier wife could handle my k108s when she skied them last month, I think the 172cm blaze (106 or 94) would be a better fit for her in the long run.

I also love the idea of a blaze 106 with Duke PTs as a do it all travel ski for me. If I ever figure out a way to attend the Euro BBI that's what I'd like to take with me.

[XLBar]

Bumping this thread for some mounting advice. Picked up a pair of Blaze 106 179s on clearance. Planning on mounting some Tectons I have laying around. I'll be using this as a 50/50 ski for touring in Northern Utah and inbounds on soft days. It seems like the consensus here has been to mount the Blaze +1 or +2 instead of at the recommended line. Anyone regret mounting forward of recommended? Or vice versa?

Me: 5'11" 170 lbs. 49 years old. Experienced (skiing for 40 years) skier, volunteer ski patroller at an area in northern Utah. Ski the whole mountain but relatively conservative (not jumping, flipping, spinning). Like trees, chutes, steeps. Tend to default to "driving the tips" of a ski due to growing up learning to ski on skinny stiff skis in the 80s and 90s.
Boots: Tecnica Cochise 130 26.5 (orange ones from 3 years ago)
Current quiver:
-- Mantra 102 177 mounted on the recommended line. Love the power, smoothness and versatility of this ski. Reminds me of my old "Golden Buddha" Gotamas but better. Use this inbounds whenever it hasn't been snowing, or when I want to ski afternoon resort chop on powder days.
-- Salomon QST 106 188. The orange one from about 5 years ago. Usually only pull this out on powder days. Dislike the flappy tip on hard snow.
-- Rossignol Star 7 188 (women's version of the Super 7 bought off of EVO for $99) with Dynafit Radicals. These are my current powder touring ski. Not really a fan of this ski but it was cheap and works fine in untracked soft snow and in trees. It is a "turny" ski so good for tight trees and hippy turns, but not so good in anything that is tracked out or if skied agressively.

[cbgarrett]

Have the 106 in 186 length. Mounted on the recommended line with shifts. Perfect for me and never felt the need to try anything different. Seems like I am in the minority in terms of mount point in this thread, though.

[slcdawg]

I am still learning about mount points (you can read my questions in the first page), but can give my anecdotal experience. I have a dedicated Blaze 106 touring setup for mostly pow in CO. I mounted +1.5 based on this thread and I wanted it to ski loose and surfy. My resort skis have significant tail rocker and are pretty loose - I was trying to enhance that characteristic with the forward mount. Personally, I love it setup like this for my application but its personal preference. If you are used to driving the tips you may want to mount at the line. Moving it forward would be a more centered stance but its not hard to get used to.

[Shorty_J]

Bumping this thread for some mounting advice. Picked up a pair of Blaze 106 179s on clearance. Planning on mounting some Tectons I have laying around. I'll be using this as a 50/50 ski for touring in Northern Utah and inbounds on soft days. It seems like the consensus here has been to mount the Blaze +1 or +2 instead of at the recommended line. Anyone regret mounting forward of recommended? Or vice versa?

Me: 5'11" 170 lbs. 49 years old. Experienced (skiing for 40 years) skier, volunteer ski patroller at an area in northern Utah. Ski the whole mountain but relatively conservative (not jumping, flipping, spinning). Like trees, chutes, steeps. Tend to default to "driving the tips" of a ski due to growing up learning to ski on skinny stiff skis in the 80s and 90s.
Boots: Tecnica Cochise 130 26.5 (orange ones from 3 years ago)
Current quiver:
-- Mantra 102 177 mounted on the recommended line. Love the power, smoothness and versatility of this ski. Reminds me of my old "Golden Buddha" Gotamas but better. Use this inbounds whenever it hasn't been snowing, or when I want to ski afternoon resort chop on powder days.
-- Salomon QST 106 188. The orange one from about 5 years ago. Usually only pull this out on powder days. Dislike the flappy tip on hard snow.
-- Rossignol Star 7 188 (women's version of the Super 7 bought off of EVO for $99) with Dynafit Radicals. These are my current powder touring ski. Not really a fan of this ski but it was cheap and works fine in untracked soft snow and in trees. It is a "turny" ski so good for tight trees and hippy turns, but not so good in anything that is tracked out or if skied agressively.

I personally would go +1 based on what you have said. There's still plenty of tip available to you at that spot.

I like +2 but I also am in 1 size smaller boot than you.

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[VTskibum]

I’m happy with +1.5 or 2, can’t remember where I ended up. Still plenty of tip compared to my other skis.


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[rightcoast]

I have a pair of undrillled 106s in 179 that I have been holding onto for a few years (yellow topsheet). I'm finally going to pull the trigger and mount these with Outlaw Xs for my everyday EC tele ski. These will probably see mostly resort skiing with an occasional short skin. Is +1 a good call for a mount point? Wondering if anyone has teled these...the flex and shape seem like a great ski

[Benneke10]

I have a pair of undrillled 106s in 179 that I have been holding onto for a few years (yellow topsheet). I'm finally going to pull the trigger and mount these with Outlaw Xs for my everyday EC tele ski. These will probably see mostly resort skiing with an occasional short skin. Is +1 a good call for a mount point? Wondering if anyone has teled these...the flex and shape seem like a great ski

If you like rearward mounts you will probably like the +1, but you shouldn't be afraid of going multiple cm's in front of the rec line on Volkl skis

[ticketchecker]

I do see a guy here at Sugarloaf with NTN's on a Blaze 106, good skier who looks to be having a splendid time tele whacking on them.

I have a pair w/Tectons mounted +1.5 and they're great. Might get the 94 this year too

[wickstad]

I have a couple days on the Blaze 106 mounted boot center with hammerheads. It is great for tele. When I lean on them in hard steep conditions mostly in parallel format they tend to grip and release. Aka chatter. Has anyone de-tuned under foot with this ski. I imagine that’s where I’m headed because it is a fantastic ski that hasn’t let me down what so ever except for that crappy 19m radius under foot.

[Shorty_J]

I only find that 19m radius when I lean them way over... they behave like a long radius ski when running relatively flat.

But I don't Tele so maybe that's the difference?

I did very minimal detuning.

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[VTskibum]

I haven't found the underfoot radius to bother me and have not detuned anything but the tip a little bit. Just spent a few days last week in heavier pow on them and really enjoy the underfoot radius for groomers between the soft pitches. Also not tele on these

[wickstad]

I haven't found the underfoot radius to bother me and have not detuned anything but the tip a little bit. Just spent a few days last week in heavier pow on them and really enjoy the underfoot radius for groomers between the soft pitches. Also not tele on these

I just hit the whole edge with a gummy stone. We’ll see how firm it is tomorrow.

[wickstad]

They worked great today. My wife tried the 186 and loved them. They really ski short. Is 186 the longest they make these skis?

[wickstad]

. Took them out to bowl four. First time out this season. I got a pair coming from Wisconsin for my wife. These skis seem to want to go off piste and reward you for doing so! The hike is out Windy Ridge so turn the volume down.

[wickstad]

Ripped it up on 10” of new on the Blaze 106. Still some crust to be found in spots but since de-tuning the entire edge with the gummy they are just ripping everything and grabbing just enough when appropriate. Also dropped a knee and teled more than normal as of lately. Excellent tele ski. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJZRGV2JZEc

[wickstad]

.

[wickstad]

[wickstad]

So glad the Black Crows have issues with binding retention.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

So glad the Black Crows have issues with binding retention.

Wtf are talking about?


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[wickstad]

Wtf are talking about?


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They say right on them not to mount them tele. I rode the lift with a guy who found that interesting since he had a binding toe piece rip out. He took it to pro ski in Seattle to have them fix it and they told him they are known for that. Remember I purchased the Corvus Freebird, took them home and then noticed the sentence on the top sheet “do not mount telemark”. That’s how I ended up with the Blaze. Hopefully you are skiing today. I’m going to work.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

You said Black Crows not a specific model


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