2019 Blizzard Black Pearl 78

For a ski that’s rockered at tip and tail, the Black Pearl 78 reaped rave scores for its connection to the top of the turn and its natural facility at short-radius turns. The Black Pearl 78 gets its sneaky quicks from its Flipcore baseline. The secret to Flipcore’s success is that it places no stress on the transition between the slightly elevated tip and tail and the camber zone underfoot. As soon as the ski is tipped, any amount of pressure melds the rockered areas with the middle, creating a continuous edge that doesn’t need any extra oomph to hold, even on groomers. For a ski with a high performance ceiling, the Black Pearl 78 owns the distinction of earning the highest score in the genre for Short-Radius Turns and the second highest for Low-Speed Turning.