Dance or Drive? Your Choice With This Bestselling Ski: Blizzard Black Pearl Review

I clearly remember clicking into the Blizzard Black Pearl 88s for the first time on a bluebird day at Vermont’s Stowe Mountain Resort. Last night had been cold enough for the resort to groom, but on my morning drive, I saw that the maple syrup makers were boiling last night’s sap, which meant Vermont was in full freeze-thaw. The sun would soon soften up the slopes and turn the day into spring corn-skiing conditions.

At the top of the Forerunner quad, I skated straight to drop into the black diamond run called Nosedive. The top few turns were still icy, and I immediately felt my ski edges dig in, giving me control. This comfort set me up for a great run.

I carved through creamy snow, and then hit any icy patch, but the skis didn’t flinch. Where the snow was blown in, the shovel floated. After a few gentle arcs, I found my rhythm and picked up speed. By noon, the mountain conditions had changed from soft and creamy to spring corn.

The Black Pearl 88s didn’t miss a beat as I bounced from edge to edge through small, soft bumps and ticked off my favorite blue and black runs: Liftline, Lord, Hayride, Sunrise, and Perry Merrill.

In short: Blizzard’s Black Pearl was first introduced in 2011. Since then, the ski has gone from a beginner ski to one that serves the needs of intermediate and advanced skiers while still being beginner-friendly. For 2025, Blizzard tweaked both the construction and the shape for more synergy with another popular Blizzard women’s ski, the Sheeva. I love this ski because it’s a predictable, versatile carver that now excels at speed but doesn’t need to be driven hard to perform.

Compare the Blizzard Black Pearl 88 to the rest of our picks in the guide to the best all-mountain women’s skis.

Blizzard Black Pearl 88 Review

Designed for Women by Women

Women’s-specific designs are a core part of Blizzard’s philosophy. In fact, 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of Blizzard’s W2W, Women to Women program, a worldwide effort to create and be a part of a community of female skiers and outdoor enthusiasts of all levels, “by being a trustworthy and credible source for products, education, and inspiration.” One of the pillars of the W2W program is to design exceptional women’s skis that “inspire confidence and enhance the experience for passionate and committed female skiers and outdoor enthusiasts.”

The 2025 Black Pearl 88 ($700) showcases how every element can be designed for the women’s all-mountain category. It uses a blend of woods in the core with more stiffness underfoot and softer flex in the tip and tail. A women’s-specific design and layered titanal help create skis that are simultaneously the strongest and most forgiving. When you click in and get going, it’s obvious these skis were made for women by women.

In the Field

A Ski for All

Answering the needs of female skiers from coast to coast who ski anything from firm groomers to chalky steeps to chopped-up bumps, the Black Pearl 88 is a ski that builds confidence. I didn’t have to drive this ski. I could just ride it.

And when it’s go time, the ski accelerates to whatever speed I choose. That might be the Black Pearl’s greatest attribute: it’s a ski anyone can get on and feel comfortable. It’s not jittery, wobbly, or twitchy. The ski has a planted feel that lets beginners feel as calm and relaxed as possible. And it performs when pushed.

Drive or Dance

Past versions of this ski were considerably softer. They were great for hero conditions and skiers who wanted an easy cruiser. But that’s what’s different about this Black Pearl for me; without compromising this ski’s ability to cruise, it can now also tear.

I had control, speed, stability, and fun on every run on an icy day. In widely spaced woods, I could carve and wiggle through the trees. And on bumps, I managed to noodle through, though that’s not where I would prefer to ski these boards.

Most women have smaller feet than men, and we carry our body mass differently. The Black Pearl embraces that physiology. Each ski is tuned by length. Shorter skis are slightly softer and more flexible to accommodate smaller skiers with shorter boot sole lengths.

In contrast, longer skis are stiffer to accommodate more weight. This ski has a smooth flex pattern that doesn’t lock you in; it delivers good pop and rebound. It’s a ski you can drive or dance down the mountain.

Construction

Materials

The new Black Pearl 88 uses Titanal, but the metal is in thinner sheets than in the men’s equivalent ski. It’s segmented into three sections placed in two distinct layers. That makes this ski stable and damp from tip to tail.

Because the metal plates shear slightly as you ski, they have less torsional rigidity. That makes entering and exiting turns easy, natural, and instinctive. We never felt like we had to muscle this ski into a turn.

Compare that to the Volkl Secret 96. The brand softened it up for 2024/25 to feel more like Blizzard’s Sheeva, which can be danced or driven down the hill. The Black Pearl is more of a hand holder, whereas the Secret is geared toward intermediate and expert skiers. Once you’re rolling, it feels safe and controlled at any speed and will help beginners grow into it as they progress in their skiing.

Core

In the core of the Black Pearl, dense beech stringers are concentrated underfoot for power and stability where you need it. They taper toward the tip and tail, giving way to softer poplar. The result is a wood core designed to be stiffest underfoot and get progressively softer toward the ends of the ski to match the rocker profile and metal layup for a smooth, balanced flex.

Because the layout of the stringers is specific to each size, every core for every length of the Black Pearl 88 is specifically designed. The same is true for each width of Black Pearl. Every ski has a unique core, fine-tuned to optimize the performance of that ski for the skier who belongs on it.

Room for Improvement

These skis are more versatile than ever before, but there is a compromise to every ski. In this iteration, the ski is stiff. We tested it in the longest length (177), and while we could slither through soft bumps on a spring day at Mad River Glen, this ski was happiest on groomers.

When the snow was chopped up after a heavy storm, the Black Pearl did a good job plowing through. And it was easy and intuitive to turn, much like Atomic’s Maven 103 CTI, but narrower for better hard snow performance.

After a 6-inch storm, we skied the Black Pearl 88 into a side country zone at Stowe Mountain Resort called the Bench. They were too stiff to make quick turns through tight trees. The Black Pearls aren’t meant for deep snow in this waist width. And they’re stiff but not springy like the Peak 98 by Bode, a blast everywhere on the mountain. For a skier who wants better soft and deep snow performance, opt for the 94-waist width.

Conclusion

The Black Pearl 88 is as approachable as ever but gives skiers more confidence and control. It rips groomers and holds well on harder snow, better than previous versions. Hit a lump, and it plows through. It’s damp and forgiving.

More camber gives it a livelier feel than previous versions. And more tip and tail rockers make it easier to get out of one turn and into the next; whether you’re bopping between bumps or slashing, GS turns down fresh corduroy. It carves at all speeds.

If you’re skiing deep snow, opt for a wider waist width. The Black Pearl 88 is best for groomers, even when it’s piled with spring corn. It’s comfortable at speed, but you don’t have to drive them hard to have fun.