27 years old
165lb
5'10
130-150 days a year
I ski alot of everything but mostly freeski trees when back east.
I can turn left and right in various shapes and sizes on most parts of any mountain.
173cm Blizzard Bushwacker
125/88/110 - R 19.0 m (180 cm)
flipcore rocker
.5 sheets of metal
resort tested at stowe
windblown/icey groomers
icey/hardpack/chaulky/powder bumps
crud piled groomers on a VERY hard base
6 to 12 inches of powder with some wind affect in the woods....if your Erik Yohe or any Blizzard guys disregard the woods section that did not happen
Keeping in mind this very well may be a size down from what I buy, this was REALLY fun ski, and I am not just saying that because its my name.
Groomers - the groomers of the day were very wind scoured, the ski did not care. Blizzard's biggest problem is that they may have obsoleted their own carving skis. Really it felt that good. Gs turns on snow that would normally scare me were damn easy. Edge grip and power with no effort. shorter turns felt round and could be dynamic.
Piled up cruddy Groomers - the ski seems to know whether to surf it or find the bottom and dig in. At mortal speeds it was really stable and could be carved or skidded easily. At the speeds i was taking the totally icey groomers at the 173cm did feel like I had to work to stay centered more than I would like to in the uneven crud. I think the 180cm would easily solve that problem
Bumps - skiing bumps was more fun than my current go to ski a stockli Rotor 84. What 'the one" does in the woods is kinda of what this ski does in the bumps. Its just kinda of disappears beneath you. Its poppy with out being over being. Has just enough edge and never to much. Was able to ski various zipperline as well skiing bumps terry barbour style ala skipping the top in mediums radius turns. Doubling the bumps was alot of fun on these as well as the tail was super easy to load and control.
Powder filled trees - like I said this really didnt happen. Feels alot like a mini "the one". this is not a bad thing, if your a good enough skier in open enough terrain you will never have a problem skiing normal powder on this ski. It mixes 'old school" dolphin style powder skiing with 'new school" surfiness. It was pretty easy to turn in the snow we had that day and even when the tip got submerged it would always come back up. video to come in a bit.
Gripes
the tail is not twinned enough to back up in woods or soft snow, let see a elan spire esque tail next year complete with skin notch.
blizzard has obsoleted alot of their own skis with this ski. My 8.7 are for sale. 300 bucks anyone?
IQ max slider system is gone
other comments
the ski feels very light, should be a good skinner
bottomline - this will be alot of people everyday ski in alot of places. I will own a pair the only question is what size and what binding?
180cm Blizzard Bushwacker
125/88/110 - R 22.0 m (180 cm)
flipcore rocker
.5 sheets of metal
resort
Stowe
spring time conditions
frozen groomers
sugar/death cookie groomers
corn
slush
coral reef
I could have honestly gone either way with this ski buying either the 180 or the 173.
The 180cm feel like in another league when it come to large/high speed turns, crud/slush busting, GS turning bump field and overall charging a otherwise skied out east coast mountain. The ski according to me and my roommate basically doesnt have a speed limit at stowe, I ll have them out at snowbird and other western places where I am sure I ll find some ultra high speed unstableness. Bump skiing is still fun but not as mindlessly easy as the 173cm. If I skied at MRG I would have for sure went with the 173cm.
My only potential gripe is that I mount them with a P14 binding which I normally love but simply doesnt have enough lift and I keep booting out. I am think of remounting with a Baron/duke to get a sweet spring touring ski as well getting some lift to stop booting out.
Western Update - taking tram laps with Sage Cattabriga, Pierre, Grete, and other noname locals who are just as good this ski was really outgunned. Most mortals will love it nearly anywhere but I quasi big mountain skier and found its limit at snowbird. For me at the bird the 185 Cochise was by far the best all around skis thanks to blizzard for letting me borrow a pair of a week.
It does have vice like edge grip on chaulky off trail snow ski needs more lift though.
and rips apart mixed conditions off trail terrain like its is job.
http://www.vimeo.com/21505146