SKI TEST -SKI REVIEWS -FAT OR NOT FAT? What Ski to Buy?

SKI TEST -SKI REVIEWS -FAT OR NOT FAT? What Ski to Buy?

by Chino Martinez
Professional skier

Introduction to different types of skis

Review of #1 Male All Mountain Skis – Blizzard Bonafide 98.

These days the options when walking into a ski shop at the beginning of the ski season are too many!

This article is to inform skiers how to choose the best skis for your best ski day or ski season.

What do we have to look to choose the right skis?

A-What type of skier are you?
1-aggressive/expert 2-intermediate 3-beginner.

B-What kind of terrain do you ski the most? Off piste, all mountain, groomers (piste), racing?
C-How many skis do you have? or are you willing to have? 

Let’s get now a bit more technical:

DIMENSIONS:
You may notice three numbers in ski-model listings that are also often printed on a ski’s top-sheet (such as 124-74-104 for the Rossignol 16Ti). These numbers designate the ski’s dimensions. The first number represents the widest point of the ski’s tip (in millimetres); the second, the width of the middle (usually called “waist” or “underfoot”); and the third, the widest point of the tail.

D-”underfoot” is a term that describes how many millimetres the ski has under the binding.
Generally it is noted on the ski model: like Head Kore 100, where 100 mm is the mm under the bindings.
This is very important when  skiing off piste, groomers or all mountain. The bigger the number under the foot equals to bigger turns and more floating -which would be not easy on the groomers (depending on the radius)

E-Radius: A ski’s sidecut forms an arc. The radius of the imaginary circle formed by completing that arc is referred to as a ski’s turn radius. A deeper side cut means a smaller turn radius, which allows for tighter turns – (slalom turns).

It is measured in meters and represents the radius that the ski describes on the snow while you set it on the edge. Example: 13,14,25 meters R.

F-Length: what is the best length for you?
Because the construction on the new generation of skis is so good, the tendency is to get shorter skis, reaching up to your nose, or eye-line, but for someone that can ski the entire mountain you can play a bit like copying your height or a little bit more, if you ski all day off-piste.

LET’S INTRODUCE ALL THE CATEGORIES:

Men, Women and Kids.
Beginners, Intermediates and Experts.
Fat, Mid-Fat(wide skis) All Mountain, All Mountain, Recreational Groomers, Carving, Just for Beginners, Racing Skis (only for competition).

Good news: there are skis for everybody!
Let’s start with one category that is the most difficult to work with: guess which one it is?

MEN’S

All Mountain- Wide skis:

Skis for soft-snow lovers who know it’s not always bottomless, or one-ski quiver options for most in the West (USA). These are the best of the best, and for good reason.

Skis from approximately 98mm thru 115mm are considered All mountain-Wide skis.

What: Do-it-all skis with wide waists, tip-and-tail rocker, and incredible versatility.
Where: It’s hard to think of a place you won’t enjoy these skis, even though these skis are better for off piste.

TOP 5:
1-BLIZZARD BONAFIDE 98
2-NORDICA ENFORCER 100
3-KASTLE BMX 105
4-HEAD KORE 105
5-STOCKLI STORMRIDER 95

In this post we are going to focus on #1- Blizzard Bonafide 98.

Here at the Ski Guru we will be analysing the 2019 skis in a series of posts, by Chino Martinez, professional skier working double seasons in Aspen and Chile.

BLIZZARD BONAFIDE 98
If we need to describe these skis with one word, it would be: COMFORTABLE.
This ski does almost everything so well!!
Featuring a poplar-beech wood core between two full sheets of Titanal, plus damping bi-directional carbon inserts in the tip and tail, the testers liked the Bonafide’s smooth edge-to-edge, and found this ski to be incredibly comfortable at moderate to high speeds in every type of terrain.
One of the best and all timers ski test boys Michael Rogan said:“Awesome in every way.”

Strengths: Hard-Snow Integrity, Quickness

Weakness: Forgiveness

SPECS:
@Overall Rating 4.3 / 5
@Tip / Waist / Tail (In Millimeters) 135-98-119
@Lengths (In Centimeters) 166, 173, 180, 187
@Radius (In Meters) 18
@Flotation 3.95 / 5
@Quickness / Manoeuvrability 4.36 / 5
@Playfulness 4.23 / 5
@Forgiveness 3.91 / 5
@Hard Snow Performance 4.5 / 5
@Crud Performance 4.27 / 5
@Balance Of Skills 4.45 / 5

More information: Blizzard

For getting Chino Martinez to guide you to your next ski adventure, visit White Trips. 

We’ve recently reviewed Picture Clothing for kids.  Or see when we bought the first pair of skis for our kids at Finches Ski Emporium.  You can check all the posts on Gear Review in our special tab. Once there just use the drop-down menu.

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The-Ski-Guru TRAVEL is a CONCIERGE service that can help you organise your bespoke ski trip to the Americas, Alps or Japan, including for those going from Britain to Europe, helping you book your Eurotunnel trip, and for all trips: lodging, lift tickets, rentals, ski school, and all you need for an excellent vacation. Go to https://www.the-ski-guru.com/travel and upload your information – this page will be updated soon with more travel ideas. Check our amazing Ski Safari in the Dolomites , stay at the San Lorenzo Lodge White Deer in the Val Pusteria of Sudtirol, in the Hotel Petrus in Riscone, for skiing Kronplatz, or check our offer to Obergurgl-Hochgurgl and Sölden to ski with your family. Maybe you want to come on my group to ski with other like-minded skiers in Courmayeur in January 2020, staying at the Gran Baita hotel?

You can start thinking about your trip, by reading the articles on the Planning your Ski Trip tab.  Or how to pack for your family ski trip.  If taking your furry friend abroad to the continent, read about the new Pet Travel Scheme update from DEFRA. Self-drive skiers also need to plan for Brexit. Check out our tips for driving to the mountains.  If flying and renting a car in Europe, beware of the extra charges they will pass to you if you want winter tyres, snow chains or ski racks. If driving, check the winter tyres news for Europe and North America. You can see how our last family ski holiday was not as expected, even though one plans it to be a success, but how we could do the most of it. If you want to get better before getting to your next ski holiday, here is a quick guide to indoor skiing and dry slopes in the UK.

Featured Image: Photo: Blizzard .SKI TEST -SKI REVIEWS -FAT OR NOT FAT? What Ski to Buy?