There’s just something amazing about a high-end recreational race carver that gets us all excited, go head out there and lay down some clean arcs. The Blizzard Firebird HRC is at the top of that list, containing the race-room style of construction but in a wider-bodied shape. At 76 millimeters underfoot, there aren’t a lot of skiers who will call this ski “wide,” but in relation to the narrower World Cup GS skis, it’s almost like a powder ski. This extra width does a couple of nice things for the skier. First, it allows for a better platform to stand on, giving the skier a better shot at achieving a high-level of balance without sacrificing much when it comes to edge grip and torsional stiffness. The 174-centimeter length in this ski generates a 15-meter turn radius, which is pretty much ideal for citizens and beer-league racing, as you get that short arc, but with no loss in terms of stability and power. These singular-minded carvers have tremendous edge hold, grip, and energy out of the turn. There’s a lot of skis that are somewhat similar on the market, as that 75-76 millimeter underfoot race ski has a lot of capacity for sure. For the most part, they’re all very similar, with the HRC standing out as one of the more versatile of the group because of its use of carbon to lighten the ski. If you’re looking to lay down some of the cleanest and roundest turns on the hill, look no further than the Blizzard Firebird HRC w/ 14 XCL Bindings.