Phoenix 80 ti review

Overview

The Phoenix 80 Ti is the widest ski in Blizzard's new Phoenix line for 26/27, the women's piste family (W.S.D., Women Specific Design) that replaces the women's frontside skis below the Black Pearl 84. Blizzard pitches it as a versatile piste ski: an 80 mm waist, a single stabilising Titanal layer over the women-specific Trueblend Piste Woodcore in a W.S.D. TI Sandwich with partial ABS sidewalls, a 2 mm early-rise tip and the FDT HP Short Plate with the TP11 Light Demo W binding (DIN 3–11). It is sold as a system. The sidecut is 127-80-108 mm at 150 cm, 128-80-109 mm at 155 cm and 129-80-110 mm from 160 to 170 cm, with radii of 11, 11.5, 12, 13 and 14 m. Weight is 1,380 g per ski at 150 cm and 1,610 g at 165 cm (Blizzard's per-pair figures halved).

On-snow performance

Blizzard says the 80 Ti turns precisely in all piste conditions and that its slightly wider platform brings stability, and the numbers support that reading. An 11–14 m radius on an 80 mm waist is a short-to-medium carving shape, not an all-mountain one: the 129 mm tip and 110 mm tail at 160–170 cm give it the sidecut of a carver with a wider footprint. On paper the extra width over the 72 Ti costs a little edge-to-edge speed but gains stability when the piste is chopped up or soft in the afternoon, and offers more float in the few centimetres of fresh snow at the side of the run. The 2 mm early-rise tip is less than the 3 mm rocker of the 72 Ti, so initiation relies more on the softer tip zone of the Trueblend core than on the profile. The single Ti layer (Ti Insert Construction) is there for grip and damping without a race ski's stiffness, and the HP Short Plate keeps the stack lower and lighter than the race plate of the SL and R14 Pro. The construction suggests a calm, forgiving carver at moderate speed that still bites on hard snow, rather than a ski that wants to be driven flat out.

Construction & specs explained

• Core: Trueblend Piste Woodcore — two wood species, veneers of different density in three flex zones (firmer centre, medium around the binding, softer tip and tail), tuned for women (W.S.D.).
• Metal: single Titanal layer (Ti Insert Construction) in a W.S.D. TI Sandwich.
• Sidewall: partial ABS sidewall.
• Profile: 2 mm Early Rise Tip with camber under foot.
• Plate and binding: FDT HP Short Plate with the TP11 Light Demo W (DIN 3–11), supplied as a system.
• Factory edge tuning: 0.9° base, 87.5° side.
• Dimensions: 127-80-108 mm (150), 128-80-109 mm (155), 129-80-110 mm (160, 165, 170).
• Radius: 11 / 11.5 / 12 / 13 / 14 m from 150 to 170 cm.
• Weight: 1,380 / 1,460 / 1,540 / 1,610 g per ski at 150, 155, 160 and 165 cm. Blizzard lists no plausible figure for 170 cm.
• Lengths: 150, 155, 160, 165 and 170 cm.

Who it's for & comparisons

The 80 Ti is for women who ski pistes of every condition — firm in the morning, soft and rutted by the afternoon — and want one metal ski that stays calm through all of it without the demands of a race plate. Blizzard lists it from skiers past the basics to experienced ones. Within the Phoenix line the 72 Ti is the quicker, lighter choice for hard snow and the 76 CA is the carbon model in between. In Blizzard's wider women's range the Blizzard Black Pearl 84 (84 mm, Trueblend All-Mountain core, Fluxform Titanal inlay, flat ski) is the all-mountain step up. In our catalog the direct rivals are the Head Absolut Joy (80 mm, wood composite core, Allride Rocker, system binding), the Elan Wildcat 80 Ti (78–79 mm, Mono Ti, Amphibio profile, 11–13 m) and the Atomic Cloud q11 (78–79 mm, 12.3–13.9 m). Against those the Phoenix 80 Ti has the longest top length at 170 cm and the widest radius spread.

Pros, cons and verdict

Pros

• 80 mm platform with a single Titanal layer for stability on chopped-up and soft afternoon pistes.
• Carving sidecut with 11–14 m radii, not a vague all-mountain shape.
• Trueblend core with softer tip and tail zones and a 2 mm early-rise tip for easy initiation.
• Five lengths from 150 to 170 cm, each with its own sidecut and radius.

Cons

• Partial sidewalls and one Ti layer give up grip on ice to the narrower SL and R14 Pro.
• 1.4–1.6 kg per ski before plate and binding, the heaviest of the HP Short Plate Phoenix models.
• System plate limits you to the TP11 Light Demo W binding (DIN 3–11).
• Still a piste ski; for real off-piste use the Black Pearl 84 or 88 are the better Blizzards.

Verdict: The Phoenix 80 Ti is the stable, forgiving end of Blizzard's 26/27 women's piste line: a carving sidecut on an 80 mm platform with enough Titanal to hold an edge all day. Pick the 72 Ti for quicker turns on hard snow, or step up to the Black Pearl 84 if the plan includes leaving the piste.