Review: Völkl Blaze 104

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Volkl might be best known for big, stiff and heavy directional monsters, but the Germans have recently changed their tune a bit to offer more approachable, lighter, and playful skis. This year, the Blaze 104 takes that mentality to the next level, with an excellent lightweight freeride ski that would be equally at home skiing chalky steeps inbounds as it would full-time in the backcountry. Volkl’s new Blaze 104 isn’t expressly marketed as a touring ski anymore, and with this year’s re-design the 104mm-waisted ski becomes much more capable inbounds.

In a nutshell

• Length Skied: 179, 186 cm
• Weight: 1780 g
• Stated Dimensions: 143 / 104 / 128 mm
• Stated Sidecut: 19, 35, 15.2, 20 m

Shape, Length and Mount Point

In the 186 cm length, the Völkl Blaze 104 feels a bit long for its size, thanks to the flat tail and stiff flex behind the boot. It is, however, quite maneuverable thanks to subtle but long rocker lines in the tip and tail. It’s still a very directional ski, with a massive tip and a much smaller tail, but it feels a lot more modern and “fun” than the stiff and somewhat dead-feeling Völkls of yesteryear. Völkl has really perfected the rocker profiles for directional freeride skis, bringing it back to the days of the full-rocker 100Eight or Confession. Völkl offers a full size run of the Blaze 104: 165cm, 172cm, 179cm, and 186cm.

For a directional ski, the Blaze actually has a fairly forward mount point, and testers did not feel the need to stray far from the recommended line, noting that the ski felt very balanced.

Where does the Völkl Blaze 104 shine?

Splitting the difference between backcountry touring and dedicated alpine performance is no easy feat, but the Völkl Blaze 104 is one of the best examples of a true one-ski quiver that we've tested. It's quite light but super damp and can handle high speeds in smooth snow. Some of our favorite laps inbounds were on chalky steeps like what we found in Sunshine Village’s Delirium Dive Zone where precision and the ability to slash and smear turns in tight terrain is crucial. In deeper powder, the subtle rocker lines add float and encourage pivot turns.

The ski has an incredibly large sweet spot that rewards a more centered stance but doesn't shy away from quick responsiveness once you put your weight forward in your boots. While Völkl no longer calls it a dedicated touring ski, the sub 1800 g weight wouldn't have us shying away from mounting a pair of pin bindings on it and taking it on long walks into the mountains especially given how versatile the shape and waist width are for everyday backcountry skiing.

One tester says, “The Blaze 104 is more than a directional dad ski. It's light nimble and easy to ski, but confidence inspiring in smooth snow going fast. Would make an excellent everyday touring ski or light inbounds ski for smaller skiers.”

Another adds, “This ski is such an amazing blend of characteristics. Pushes through crud like a bulldozer but nimble like a ninja. Amazing light swing weight and active sidecut makes it almost automatic, but does not sacrifice any of the stability that you would from a lightweight ski.”

Where does the Völkl Blaze 104 make some compromises?

While the Völkl Blaze 104 is an incredibly approachable and versatile ski, its one drawback is that most testers found that it had a speed limit, especially in heavy or wet snow. The very large tips tended to get deflected and more than one tester noted they would get tossed into the backseat unexpectedly because of this.

“The large tips tend to get a bit cumbersome at high speed,” says one tester.

What would a perfect day on the Völkl Blaze 104 look like?

As a solid entry into the one-ski-quiver category, Völkl's Blaze 104 is equally at home chasing chalky steeps inbounds as it is deep in the mountains skipping through deep powder meadows. It would make an excellent ski to mount a pair of hybrid bindings on and take on a long skiing roadtrip that involves equal amounts of inbounds and foot-powered backcountry skiing.