Blizzard Black Pearl 97 — Review

The Black Pearl 97 is the widest entry in Blizzard's women's all-mountain line — 97 mm under foot, a 17 m radius at 159 cm, 1,750 g per ski at 159 cm. Built on the W.S.D. TrueBlend Flipcore core with W.S.D. Titanal Laminate (partial-length, full-width underfoot) and W.S.D. Carbon laminate, all tuned around a women-specific Pro flex. Positioned as the freeride-leaning Black Pearl for confident women who want the line's confidence-building character at the widest waist Blizzard offers in the family.

On firm groomers the Black Pearl 97 still finds bite — the partial-length, full-width Titanal Laminate underfoot anchors the edge while the Carbon laminate keeps swing weight manageable. Where it lives is mixed snow and soft-snow days: the 97 mm waist, the Freeride Rocker-Camber-Rocker profile, and the TrueBlend Flipcore baseline let it stay on top of chunky pow and refrozen chop without washing. The 17 m radius at 159 cm scaling down to 16 m at 171 cm is unusual — Blizzard's per-length sidecut tuning means shorter skis carve longer arcs while longer skis are tightened up, a deliberate balance choice for the model's women's freeride-leaning brief.

W.S.D. TrueBlend Flipcore core (women-specific wood blend with Blizzard's inverted-camber moulding process). W.S.D. Titanal Laminate — partial-length, full-width underfoot for edge anchoring without dual-metal weight. W.S.D. Carbon laminate for longitudinal stiffness and reduced swing weight. Pro flex tuned for women. Rocker / Camber / Rocker (Freeride Rocker) profile. Lengths 153 / 159 / 165 / 171 / 177 cm. Sidecut 135.5-97-118.5 mm at 159 cm (single-length verified). Radius 17 m at 159 cm, 16 m at 171 cm. Measured 1,750 g per ski at 159 cm. Widest waist in the Black Pearl line.

Internal sibling at the next-narrower waist: the Blizzard Black Pearl 94 — same Black Pearl character but 94 mm with a narrower freeride brief. Cross-shop, the Nordica Santa ana 98 is the Italian women's rival at almost the same width and is the closest direct competitor; the Volkl Mantra 102 w is the German wider women's freeride option with a more piste-leaning chassis; the Elan Ripstick 94 w is the Slovenian lighter alternative for women who prefer a more playful, less metal-anchored feel.

Pros

• Widest Black Pearl — 97 mm + Freeride Rocker handles soft snow far better than the 94.
• TrueBlend Flipcore plus partial-length, full-width Titanal Laminate anchors the edge underfoot.
• Carbon laminate keeps swing weight manageable for a women's freeride-leaning chassis.
• Five-length range (153-177 cm) accommodates a wide spectrum of women's skiers.
• Per-length sidecut tuning (17 m at 159, 16 m at 171) reflects deliberate model-by-model design rather than scaled geometry.

Cons

• Partial-length Titanal is less stable at speed than dual-metal women's freeride builds.
• 97 mm is freeride-leaning but still not a powder specialist — bias remains all-mountain-plus.
• 1,750 g at 159 cm is on the heavier side for the freeride-tour-curious shopper.
• Boutique pricing relative to mainstream wider women's all-mountain.
• Skill demand mid-to-strong — entry-intermediates should look at the narrower Black Pearls.

Verdict: The widest, most freeride-leaning Black Pearl — the right pick for confident women in soft-snow resorts who want one ski for groomers, chop and the occasional deep-snow day. Narrower piste-focused women belong on the Blizzard Black Pearl 94.