Firebird gs fis review

Overview

The Firebird GS FIS is Blizzard's FIS-homologated giant slalom ski for 26/27, sitting between the Firebird GS Racing and the Race Department GS R.D. in the brand's race line-up. It comes in two lengths, 183 and 188 cm, with a radius Blizzard states as "over 23 m" at 183 cm and "over 25 m" at 188 cm. The sidecut is 103-65.5-86 mm at 183 cm and 102.25-65.5-85.25 mm at 188 cm. Blizzard lists the ski with its World Cup PC Interface 10 mm plate pre-mounted and recommends the Comp20 or Comp16 race binding. At 3,900 g per pair at 183 cm — roughly 1,950 g per ski including the plate — it is a heavy, full-camber race tool, and Blizzard's own target group is simply "expert".

On-snow performance

We compared the spec sheets rather than skiing it, but they leave little room for doubt about how it behaves. A 65.5 mm waist, full camber and a 23–25 m radius mean the ski wants to be rolled onto a high edge angle and loaded through a long, fast GS arc; it has no interest in skidded or short turns. The 10 mm World Cup interface raises the boot for leverage and quicker edge-to-edge changes, while the FIS Racing Construction and phenol sidewalls are there for direct power transmission and edge grip on injected, icy courses. The factory edge tune of 0.6° base and 86° side is the race standard and very grippy. Riders moving up from a consumer race carver typically report that skis of this type feel dead at low speed and come alive only when pushed, so expect the same here. Soft snow, bumps and anything off the groomer are not part of the brief.

Construction & specs explained

• Construction: FIS Racing Construction, Blizzard's top FIS laminate (the product page does not itemise the metal layers).
• Core: FIS Full Woodcore.
• Sidewall: phenol, full length.
• Profile: Full Camber, no tip or tail rocker.
• Plate: World Cup PC Interface 10 mm, pre-mounted; recommended binding Comp20 / Comp16.
• Factory tune: 0.6° base, 86° side.
• Dimensions: 103-65.5-86 mm (183 cm), 102.25-65.5-85.25 mm (188 cm).
• Radius: over 23 m (183 cm), over 25 m (188 cm).
• Weight: 3,900 g per pair at 183 cm and 4,120 g per pair at 188 cm, i.e. about 1,950 and 2,060 g per ski with plate.
• Price: €1,000 on blizzard-tecnica.com Germany, binding not included.

Who it's for & comparisons

This is a ski for licensed GS racers whose category does not require the senior 30 m radius, and for strong masters or club racers who want a true FIS ski rather than a consumer race carver. The senior World Cup spec, with its over-30 m radius and 188/193 cm lengths, is covered by the Firebird GS R.D.; the lighter Firebird GS Racing (173–188 cm, Racing Construction) is the step below for junior and club racing. Its slalom twin in our catalog is the Blizzard Firebird sl fis. Among direct competitors, the Atomic Redster g9 fis covers every FIS GS length from 152 to 193 cm, the Fischer Rc4 worldcup noize gs masters comes in 181, 183 and 188 cm with the same long-radius intent, and the Augment FIS WC GS is a 183/188/193 cm boutique alternative. The Stockli Laser gs fis is the premium Swiss option with a far wider 176–197 cm length run.

Pros, cons and verdict

Pros

• FIS Racing Construction with a full woodcore and phenol sidewalls, built for injected courses.
• World Cup PC Interface 10 mm plate included and pre-mounted.
• Full camber and a 23–25 m radius for long, stable GS arcs.
• Race-standard 0.6°/86° factory tune.

Cons

• Only two lengths, 183 and 188 cm.
• Around 1,950–2,060 g per ski with plate, heavy for anything but racing and race training.
• Unforgiving at low speed; it needs an expert pilot.
• €1,000 before you add a Comp20 or Comp16 binding.

Verdict: A pure FIS giant slalom ski for racers who need a 23–25 m radius at 183 or 188 cm. If you want a GS feel for free-skiing, the Firebird GS Racing or a Thunderbird R15 will be far more usable.