Blizzard Rustler 9
2025 Quiv3r Ski Test
Don’t actually want a quiver? Want one pair to rule them all? The Rustler 9 should be your next ski.
Editors Note: The 2024 Rustler 9 in this review is the same as the 2025/26 Rustler 9, just with a different topsheet graphic.
Image courtesy of Blizzard-Tecnica
Initial Thoughts & Construction
Skiers have been wishing for it about as long as the sport has been around. One ski for every occasion. A single pair for whatever the mountain has to offer. The perfect one ski quiver. However you want to characterize it, it’s the true “white whale” for so many skiers. The “best” ski in the world, the one that does everything.
While the perfect pair might be more imagination than reality, that hasn’t stopped some brands from giving their best shot at making one.
The Rustler collection has been the beating heart of Blizzard’s all-mountain/freeride offering for the better part of the last decade, and the most recent version that was introduced for the 2023/24 season improved the recipe. The Rustler 9 is the narrowest member of the family, coming in at 96mm underfoot in most lengths (the 186cm bumps it up to 98mm), it slots in an ideal width for so many applications and skiers.
Blizzard uses their TrueBlend technology in all Rustlers, specifically the “TrueBlend Free” wood core, comprised of beech, poplar, and pauwlonia. The beech and poplar provide dampness and strength, while the pawlonia provides a softer and lighter weight laminate. This helps keep the weight down and promotes flexibility to complement the strength of the poplar and pawlonia woods. These woods are milled and pressed into the core as thin strips that run longitudinally, and allow for a smooth and even flex. Coupled with FluxForm metal, made up of separate sheets of titanal that run tip to tail along each edge of the ski and directly underfoot, the Rustler 9 was purpose built for versatility.
The combination of technologies and materials adds up to a great combination of responsiveness and supportiveness. The sum of all these parts results in a ski that is supremely well rounded; an excellent option for those looking for a ski that can truly take them all over the mountain.
I describe the Rustler as a “Golden Retriever”, it’s always down for anything that you want to do. It might not be the fastest, strongest, or most well behaved pup, but the retriever does whatever you want it to do, and is happy to do it.
The Rustler 9 is happy to be on groomers, loves to dart through the trees, it’ll even handle a park lap if you really want. The Rustler is made for versatility, and that’s where it truly excels. A jack of all trades, master of none, its highlight is that it doesn’t have a highlight.
In the 174cm length, even at 180-190 lbs, the Rustler 9 felt supportive enough for me to carve well, yet was still happy to send it sideways whenever I asked. Through my ownership journey of the Rustler, I spent the vast majority of my days on my personal 174cm, and demoed the 180cm near the end of the season. Choosing again, the 180cm would be my choice of length. The mobility I found within the 174cm was still present, coupled with the increase in strength you might expect from sizing up.
Ideal Application
A ski like the Rustler 9 is hard to put into any one box, paint a uniform picture of, or give a single conclusive thought about. What Blizzard accomplishes with a ski like this is flexibility, versatility, and range.
I personally enjoy talking to whomever will listen about skis (as my girlfriend has come to know). Any and all different kinds and styles of skis, the differences between them, and helping anyone find the right pair for them. For so many of these conversations, I could just tell you to get a Rustler (or Sheeva) 9, and it’ll likely satisfy whatever it is you’re looking for from a pair of skis. It’s simply a safe option for so many intermediate and advanced skiers and riders, no matter the application they’re seeking.
Rustler’s have a really cool shape and profile that lends itself to the versatility I keep touting. With notable splay in both the tips and tails, paired with softer flex in both ends, it provides the skier a loose and smooth feeling ride. This leads to a generally playful nature; not demanding, but more so encouraging and willing. If your form isn’t perfect, it’s not going to beat you up or throw a tantrum. Just like your furry friend, it’s not going to be upset that you took it to the dog park instead of the lake house, it’s just happy to be with you.
The Rustler is not the most engaging, as it doesn’t really yank you into a carving turn. The tip shape and notable splay, working in tandem with the FluxForm metal, however, lets you to reliably tilt it on edge and maintain higher speeds in various turn shapes. While the versatility on offer is the primary selling point, the Rustler is a strong ski. Don’t think that because the ski is bending that it isn’t up for some serious speed. If you trust the Rustler 9, especially in the longer lengths, you can drive the tip and get into a lot of the sidecut with a surprisingly high factor of trust.
Where the Rustler 9 definitely shined was in softer snow. 96mm waist width, longer rocker, and a smooth feel make for a very intuitive tool for varied conditions. At Sunday River, American Express is a blue square that acts as the central artery of the resort, splitting the mountain into its eastern and western halves. On any given day, AmEx gets manky and choppy by 9 am, and is a crowded bump-fest by lunchtime. Take the Spruce Peak Triple to the top, and the Rustler is ready for the myriad of conditions that lay below.
The top part of AmEx is often the smoothest, and some of my best turns of the season involved laying tracks over the first set of rolling slopes on the 180cm Rustler 9. However, it doesn’t take long for the groomed perfection to transition to… something else. Despite the wonky snow, the 9 transitions to shorter skidded bump turns well, much better than some of its mid-nineties all-mountain peers.
Dive into Overdraft, a small connector run, dart under the Chondola and head straight for a while, and you’ll hit Yetiville. A single-black glade tucked off to the side of the resort. It’s quintessential New-England glade terrain: Tight trees, quick bumps and gullies, and something new to keep you on your toes every time. The Rustler is not afraid to bend, which comes in handy in these woods, and it floats in six to eight inches of snow pretty great, too.
Having a ski that is up for all types of terrain is a specialty, and the Rustler 9 is arguably the best choice for a one-ski quiver that you can buy today. It’s eager to take you anywhere you want, and its performance matches its do-all attitude.
The Numbers
Sizes available: 162 cm, 168 cm, 174 cm, 180 cm, 186 cm
Sidecut: 131.5 mm (tip) - 96 mm (waist) - 121 mm (tail) (180 cm)
Turn Radius: 17m (180cm)
Weight: 1880 grams (180 cm)
Recommended Mount Points: One recommended point, recommended line is about -8 cm from center
2025 Quiv3r Ski Test Scores
Tested by: Collin Wiedersheim
Days skied: ~30
Boots: 2023 Nordica SportMachine 110, 27.5 mondo, custom footbeds
174 & 180 cm lengths, Griffon 13 ID mounted at factory recommended line
Final Thoughts
Skiers want it all: a ski that rails GS turns, floats like a dream, and stops on a dime. Anyone with true sensibilities knows it’s not realistic to expect one ski to truly achieve it all. The Rustler 9 doesn’t really stay on top of featherweight powder, nor can it really dig into snow that feels like pavement. Pretty much anything else? At the risk of being declarative, there isn’t really a better option out there for skiers that want one pair of skis to rule the whole mountain, on any given day, on any type of trail.
You might not really be able to have it all with the Rustler 9, but it arguably gets you the closest you’re ever going to get. I almost dislike it because it’s so easy to recommend, why even talk about what else is out there when a ski like the Rustler 9 exists?