Review: J Skis Masterblaster

In today’s world, many brands attempt to create do-it-all skis by way of compromise. They end up with something that’s designed to do nothing particularly well. However, the Masterblaster by J Skis has truly accomplished what it set out for: performing in all conditions. Jason Levinthal, J Skis founder, owner, and operator has been around the block in the ski industry. Beyond just J Skis, he started LINE where he revolutionized skiing with the first modern twin-tipped ski. Oh yeah, and he won a silver medal at the first X-Games Slopestyle event. So it’s fair to say he knows a thing or two about a good pair of skis.

But what makes J Skis special? To start, all of their skis are factory-direct. They opted to keep their products mostly out of shops and trade-shows to cut down on costs. That way they can focus all of their time and money straight into the skis themselves, which allows them to use high quality inputs without compromising affordability. Significant J Ski features include a full maple core that lends itself to a lighter ski with more longevity and liveliness, as well as the thickest sidewall in the industry, that provides durability and dampness.

As far as the Masterblaster goes, these skis want to charge, plain and simple. Whether it’s trees, moguls, chop, slush, or powder, these sticks want to go. With a 99mm waist, I found them be more than capable on most all freeride terrain. Their subtle rocker profile adds some playfulness and versatility.

This ski comes in a standard variety of lengths: 167cm, 174cm, 181cm, and 187cm. They are a touch on the heavier side coming in on average around 4.5 pounds per ski. One thing that caught me by surprise was their stiffness. Instead of the flexy, surfy ski I imagined, they were a rigid shape and took a bit of effort to bend. However, that’s not that negative in the grand scheme of things—I found it to be stable in chop but still capable of buttering.

With this stiffness comes a tight turning radius. Coming in with an average radius of 17.5m across all lengths, you’ll be quite literally skiing circles around the competition.

J skis are founded on innovation with no exception to style. Each ski is handmade with limited edition graphics to match your personality both on and off the mountain. I mean, c'mon, who wouldn’t love having a beautiful trout adorning one’s skis? Available online; $700.