For review, Blizzard provided the ZeroG 105 ski in 180cms length.
To recap, the ZG105’s predecessor (released in 2015) was theZeroG 108touring ski.
The ZG108 was an instant cult-classic.
People loved the ZG108; it made me a Blizzard fan-boi.
The ZG108 made few concessions to user error.
SPECIFICATIONS
The Blizzard ZeroG 105 is manufactured in lengths of 164, 172, 180 and 188 cms.
I am reviewing the 180cms length which has a sidecut of 134-105-120 and a turning radius of 23m.
The skis weigh 1555 and 1557g per ski.
This is frankly ridiculously light!
It is also fairly close to Blizzard’s stated weight of 1550g per ski.
The carbon wrap is positioned in 3 dimensions with the loads theoretically arranged to tune for stiffness yet lightness.
The new carbon layer doesnt span edge to edge across as much of the ZG105’s tips and tails.
This is purposeful design to make the skis a bit more playful and easy to release in fresh snow.
The principles of Blizzards' design still remain the same; “3D” and “frame”.
Carbon Drive 2.0 marketing
ZeroG 105 tail and tip splay
ZeroG 108 tip and tail splay.
There is noticeably more tip splay on the 105vs 108 and slightly more tail splay.
Bindings were mounted on the recommended line.
My skiing is usually in high moisture-content snow.
Accordingly, my preference is for bigger skis and relatively stiff boots.
Note that the production ZeroG105 will have blue-red topsheets.
Pre-production black topsheets depicted.
Blizzard’s tweaks to the ZeroG tip-splay seemed to help in particular with float.
In that situation, compared to the ZG108, the newer Blizzard ZG105 requires much less body english.
In deeper snow the ZG108 required old-school dolphin bouncing motions to release the tips.
This was much less with the ZG105 which releases quicker allowing you to ski quieter through deep snow.
However, reviews(and reviewers) must be objective and make a run at put negatives into perspective.
In one run I had to straightline about 10m down a chute into a massive powder bowl.
I mean who doesn’t get over their head every now and then?
That’s where the ZG105 came into its own displaying a wide comfort range.
But the ZG105 felt stable yet playful and totally under control.
Variability invariably involved hardpack.
Exits from touring locations usually involve getting through boilerplate.
Alpine tours can have firm snow.
Slackcountry tours can start on groomers.
In firm steep-skiing situations the ZG105 was confidence-inspiring feeling predictable and having good edge-hold.
Change your balance fore-aft and you could accelerate the ZG105.
Lay them over at speed, and they don’t fold.
In hardpack the ZG105 wants to be skied aggressively.
The ZG105 is a light ski.
Light skis get tossed around.
They simply don’t have the damping qualities of heavier skis.
The ZG105 gets tossed around and your legs will have to do the work of shock absorption.
This year’s weather in B.C.
usually had good snow up high degrading to poor snow on lower elevation exits.
This is why the ZG105 was the ski that I pulled off the rack the most.
It was hard to find a place where it didn’t handle this variability with confidence.
Armchair speculation to the contrary the ZG105 is not a dumbed-down version of the ZG108.
It’s still stiff; it still can blow through powder and variable mank.
Head-to-head in boot-top to knee-deep pow I couldn’t tell much of a difference between the ZG108 and ZG105.
The ZG105 can still lay a (reasonable) edge on hardpack.
What’s different in this whole package is user-friendliness.
The ZG105 still has lots of pent-up aggression.
But with the case of the predecessor ZG108 there wasn’t a whole lot of room for error.
Tweaks to the ZG105’s tip and tail shape have introduced an element of play.
Available in limited numbers through the 2019-20 season the ZeroG105 will be priced at USD 850.
Other skis, dimensions and lengths in Blizzards’ZeroG lineup
