REVIEW: Volkl Blaze 94 and Smith Nexus MIPS
Wanted to learn more about your gear before you buy it? Learn about the ins and outs of the best gear out there? Or maybe just daydream about that new bike or skis? Well, I’ve got you covered! I’ll be covering everything from powder skis, gloves, helmets, XC bikes, to enduro bikes. All the gear covered has been in use by someone on our crew for at least a few months, so you can be sure that the opinions you get are through and complete for living with the gear.
Volkl Blaze 94
MSRP: $699.00
Tested Length: 158cm
Sidecut: 133 mm - 94 mm - 118 mm
Weight: 1520g w/o binding
Binding: Marker Griffon 13
Coming into the 2024-2025 ski season, I had a decision to make. I knew I was getting a new set of skis, but what? The Mantras were too charge-y, the revolts too noodle-y. Then, I found it. The Blaze. A light, medium waist, all day every day type of ski. And it more than lived up to the hype. I had them as my daily driver for the past season, and found them amazing in most conditions.
As I’m sure you know, the Midwest isn’t known for our deep, endless powder. I got more than enough chances to test the Blazes on everything from soft, slushy groomers to icy hardpack, and let me tell you – it ate up everything. Despite being a metal less, light ski, I never found the Blazes to chatter even on firm groomers. For being 94 underfoot, they carved pretty well. Not on the level of a top-tier carving ski such as a Peregrine, but more than passing for what it is. 7/10 Carving.
But when it did snow, oh boy did the Blazes come alive. We got a few great weekends of 6+” of powder, and they were the best weekends of the whole season. In all my days on the Blazes with powder, not once did I feel as if they were not wide enough for the snow. They loved to carve fresh lines into an untouched white field, just as much as they loved eating up the soft, carved up leftovers. I’m sure in extremely deep snow, maybe 1’+, they might be a bit thin, but even skiing in Jackson Hole, in 10” of powder they didn’t have any issues staying afloat. 9/10 Powder.
Tree skiing is a tricky topic, especially to put actual value to. It is so dependent on skill and terrain that you can take anything from a 200cm 90’s dh ski or a tiny ski blade into the woods and have the same experience. I did technically go shorter than recommended for my skis, riding the 158cm when I should have gone for the 165cm. Naturally, shorter skis are easier to maneuver through the woods, and I did find that to be true. But there is one more important part that is easy to value – swing weight. Being a light wood ski, the blazes are extremely easy to mauver and move. This is huge in the woods, where being able to turn on a dime is super important, since trees do not move, and tend to hurt, just a little. So, while it is hard to quantify, I would say the Blazes are pretty good in the woods. 8/10 Woods.
Now, as much as it hurts to say it, I have to talk about the weakness of the blazes. They are not playful. Like at all. I am ok with that; I wasn’t necessarily looking for a playful ski. But if you’re looking for something to pop off of hips, jumps, or even just have more playful fun, the Blaze isn’t the best ski ever. Now, there are things that could make it better. The recommended mount, where I put mine, is very far back, making them incredibly unbalanced for the front, which helps in carving and soft snow, but hurts playfulness. 3/10 playfulness.
Final thoughts, I would have to give a positive glowing review of the Blazes. They are the best ski I have found for a general use daily driver, and if you don’t want to hit jumps or things like that, the Blaze may be the perfect ski. Overall, I give the Blazes a 9/10. Great almost all around except in jumps.
TESTER PROFILE
Peter
5’6”
Type III+ skier
Ex-ski racer who loves to conquer the whole mountain, from groomers to trees to cliffs and powder. Has way too much ski gear, and is now using that to spread the love of his gear.
Smith Nexus MIPS
MSRP: $330.00
Protection: MIPS, Koroyd, Smith Hybrid Shell
Weight: 550g (size M)
While I may not have many hours on the Nexus, most of those were either really warm or really cold. In the warm, the Nexus was amazing for keeping my head cool. I have had helmets before that have had too much insulation and were unbearable when it gets warm. Thankfully, the Nexus was not one of those helmets. It has plenty of ventilation so even the most hot-blooded person could keep cool on the warmest of days. 10/10 ventilation
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Nexus was also good in the cold. The coldest I got to test it in was single digits, and closing the vents was more than enough to take an incredibly cool helmet to a warm one. I skied a full day in single digits and my head was not cold once. 10/10 warmth
Thankfully, I have not had to test the protection of the Nexus, but based off of its construction I can make some assumptions about how it would perform. MIPS is a must in any new helmet, no matter what you are looking for, the rotational impact protection is a must for any helmet, for any application. The Nexus goes a step further than that and also contains Koroyd, a special infill that makes it super light and breathable, while crumpling to disperse energy on hard hits. While I cannot say how helpful the crumpling is, the lightness is very helpful, making it super good for boot packing or just forgetting you have a helmet on with no weight. Considering I haven’t tested them, it is hard to judge the safety, but I can guess. 9/10 for safety.
Final thoughts, are this is a great all-around helmet. The only problem, is the price. I’m sure some of you looked at the price at the start and balked at how much it is for a helmet. Hopefully I shed some light on why it’s so much, and maybe you can decide if it’s worth it or not. Either way, I will dock a point for it, stopping the Nexus from getting a perfect score. 9/10.
TESTER PROFILE
Peter
5’6”
Type III+ skier
Ex-ski racer who loves to conquer the whole mountain, from groomers to trees to cliffs and powder. Has way too much ski gear, and is now using that to spread the love of his gear.
Happy Adventuring!
-Peter