2010 Blizzard Titan Cronus Review

The Blizzard Titan Cronus is in the middle of the width range for our “medium” all mountain category. This ski is also in the middle of the range as far as soft snow vs. hard snow capabilities so it might well be the ultimate “tweener” ski in the tweener category. The 2010 ski has been upgraded over the prior year with a bit stiffer flex in the midsection of the ski. The new version also utilizes the IQ max system which integrates the binding into a wide channel milled into the ski. As an added bonus, you can get the Cronus without a binding and utilize the IQ max “slider” which is a blank plate that slides into the channel. The plate offers the ability to mount any new binding and most older ones on it. This plate can then slide fore and aft in the channel allowing seven different mounting positions. This is a great benefit for those that like to “tune” their position on the ski for different conditions or preferences. We think that the slider plate is so versatile that we have decided to carry the wider, soft snow oriented Blizzards with the slider system rather than the integrated binding.

I skied the 2010 Cronus quite a few times during the latter part of the ’09 ski season. During that period I encountered every condition that you can imagine that Tahoe could throw out at you. I found that you could lay out big GS turns or snap off quicker turns in the fall line with equal ease. The Cronus is grippy enough for all but the very hardest snow conditions and also will handle moderate powder and substantial crud with ease. I find that the overriding feel on the Cronus is nimble. The ski is quick and light feeling on the snow due to a very light swing weight in the tip and tail. On the trails when the snow is really hard, the Cronus grips well enough to be comfortable. When you duck into the trees or traverse out into a bowl, you find that the Cronus wants to dance with the terrain rather than bully it. When skiing down a chute toward some trees below, I found that the Cronus was easy to smear into a quick turn and was willing and easy in the bumps for a ski of this width. One time last year, I skied the Cronus along with several other mid width skis on a day following a 12” storm. Within the range of say mid 80’s to mid 90’s waist widths, I find the Cronus to have very close to an Ideal combination of width, quickness, stability and grip. This kind of combination is what defines the concept of the “one ski quiver” and the Cronus could well be just that. This is among my personal favorites in the mid width group.