TESTED 2023
Halfway between a traditional freeride ski and a touring ski, it's versatile and forgiving and can be taken on ascents if you're in good shape
- Buyer’s Guide reviews
- In words
- Technical specifications
Buyer’s Guide reviews
The charts show our impressions from testing
Product info
Category average
In words
Intro
Hustle is an all-new line introduced last year. It's halfway between a traditional freeride ski and a touring ski. This year, other companies have followed in Blizzard's footsteps, showing it was the right time for something new. The Hustle 9 is the narrowest of the family (alongside the Hustle 10 and Hustle 11), with a waist width of 94 mm, and promises to be a true all-rounder. With tons of tip and tail rocker and poplar, beech and Paulownia construction, it offers the right combination of light weight and responsiveness. Its straight sidewalls and substantial edges make it a really solid ski.
On the snow
If you're not a lightweight fanatic and prefer a versatile ski to get down any type of snow or slope, with a pin binding this is definitely an interesting solution. Of course, you'll feel the weight on the climb, but with a bit of fitness you can take on some nice ascents without issues. The raised tail is a bit of a hindrance in switchbacks (and when you need to plant your skis in the snow), but it's not made for technical terrain. Hustle is a very docile ski that's easy to pivot at any speed. It's not at the level of some other skis in carving on hard terrain. It doesn't have the DNA of a race carver, but it gives you tons of confidence in powder and spring snow. And it can definitely help out the aspiring freerider. Its significant rocker makes it very easy to start the turn, but it's a bit dead on the exit, where the tail doesn't push and tends to close too much, causing oversteer. Not for high speeds, but it's a playful ski that developing skiers should take into consideration.
Lab
Concave, not totally corrected at tip and tail after 8 runs through the tuning machine. No structure, limited wax. Good edges, 1.6 x 1.8 mm at 88.5°, base edge 1.5°. Edge to be removed at tip and tail, needs tuning.
Technical specifications
Construction
sidewall
Materials
poplar, beech, paulownia, carbon fiber
Base
sintered polyethylene
Available sizes
157, 164, 172, 180, 188
Released in
2022
Made in
Ukraine
Price
650 €
Status
Continuative
Declared specsMeasured by us
We measured the length 180 to get all the details
180 cm
Length
XXXXX
127,5 cm
Tip width
XXXXX
117 cm
Tail width
XXXXX
94 cm
Waist width
XXXXX
N/A
Edge contact
XXXXX
N/A
Camber
XXXXX
N/A
Tip rocker
XXXXX
N/A
Tail rocker
XXXXX
1.800 g
Individual weight
XXXXX
N/A
Left weight
XXXXX
N/A
Right weight
XXXXX
17 m
Sidecut radius
XXXXX
N/A
Load-bearing surface
XXXXX
N/A
Tip torsion
XXXXX
N/A
Center torsion
XXXXX
N/A
Tail torsion
XXXXX
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