Blizzard Spur Review

Hands-On Review of the Previous Blizzard Spur

Being Blizzard's heaviest, fattest, most pow-specific ski, our testers preferred to take the Spur out when tackling deep snow on high-angle terrain. For skiers that actually enjoy absurdly huge turns and a bit of extra weight underfoot, this ski will feel comfortable and confident. However, at slower speeds and on harder snow, you may find yourself working harder to bring it together. That's not to say the Spur won't get you safely back to the lift; It's just unabashedly specific to deep snow.

Stability at Speed

Stiff, heavy, and damp, there is no better performer when it comes to high-speed stability. The Spur uses carbon, titanium, and a multilayer wood core to provide unrelenting steadiness and snow contact when driven at speed. While some skis have a tendency to 'top-out' when pushed to their limits, the Spur's top speed is only curbed by the skier's ability level. That being said, there is virtually zero learning curve on this ski. Just point 'em straight and let 'em run. Pretty straightforward, which allowed this ski to take home a near perfect score. Following closely behind was the Volkl Confession and Moment Wildcat.

Carving

Not surprisingly, the Spur was a lackluster carving tool on firm snow. What would you expect when you combine a 125 mm waist with a rocker profile that is completely devoid of traditional camber? The tapered tip and tail are more conducive to sliding out of turns rather than arcing into them. Slow to initiate and lacking in true exiting power, there are certainly better choices for slaying groomers, as this contender scored a 4 out of 10 - the lowest for the metric. However, once the Spur is engaged, you can expect a very solid and reliable edge hold. But you might have to get up to speed first. Better carving performance can be found in contenders like the Elan Ripstick 116 and Volkl Confession.

Crud

Thanks to the same design features that provide great stability at speed, the Spur is a crud-crushing tank that will bowl over all kinds of bumped-out, leftover snow. The broad surface area and heavy construction have great plowing strength while the flat-rockered Flipcore will coast over death cookies and avy debris with ease. Burly enough to punch through wind-hammered crust, but compliant enough to pivot through bumps, there really isn't much that the Spur won't destroy and was beat out only by the Volkl Confession for the crud metric.

Float

It's not hard to get float out of a rearward-mounted, ~120 mm-wide ski. Add to that mix a flat-rockered tip and tail and you're looking at a purebred powder hound. While not as bouncy as other models, the Spur has effortless floatation that allows the skier to get in the front and bring it down the fall line. With a surprisingly decent swing weight, pivoting through low-angle fluff is entirely possible, though this ski really prefers to go fast and straight on steep terrain. It earned a high float score and was bested only by the Line Pescado.

Playfulness

Fully directional and tuned for revving its engine, the Spur doesn't quite fit the bill of an energetic, playful ski. The stiffness required for high-speed runouts doesn't afford much in the way of pop—this ski is designed to keep in contact with snow. We don't expect that tall-tee wearing steeze-lords would choose the Spur for stunting. Though, they'd be hard-pressed to find a better high-speed floatation device. Our testing indicated it earned an average float score, with the Moment Wildcat, Atomic Backland Bent Chetler, and Line Pescado taking home the gold.

Versatility

The Spur was built with a singular goal in mind: shredding the steep and deep. While it's maybe the best choice for an inbounds powder day full of big hucks and high-angle billy goating, it won't perform well as an all-mountain ripper. If you're looking for an all-mountain powder ski, we recommend taking a glance over the Atomic Backland Bent Chetler, Moment Wildcat, or Volkl Confession.

Best Applications

If you're fully committed to flying over deep snow at mach speeds, disregarding the possibility of traversing the fall line, then you'll find a friend in the Spur. There are more surfy, more damp, and more playful powder skis out there. But when it comes to shredding through deep snow and mangled chop, the Spur has not exhibited any weaknesses. Ranging from “excellent” at best and “okay” at worst, this ski is capable of handling a whole gamut of terrain and conditions—though it's most comfortable on steep aspects in ultra-deep blower.

Value

All things considered, the Spur doesn't offer an amazing value to the market. It's on the higher side of our price spectrum and has a highly specified purpose. Skiers looking for a more versatile, economical option might look elsewhere, like the Moment Wildcat.

Conclusion

When the conditions were right, we really loved this ski. Preferred by our larger and more advanced skiers, the Spur might be unforgiving to some. We'd recommend something less substantial for beginner pow skiers. But for the most part, we found it to be very intuitive and easy-to-ski right out of the gate. Steady and predictable, this pair of powder skis will deliver a smooth ride regardless of what conditions you encounter.