Salomon's New BBR Ski - Page 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philpug 

X2. If I skied a S9000 in a PR8, the 3S (J-turn slalom) was a 202, The 2S (round turn slalom) was a 205, the 1S (Giant Slalom) was a 212. If I added the F9 3S (bump ski) that was a 198. This is not too indifferent to what we do now looking at different types of skis. 

I really liked Salomon's power rating concept back then, and the only skis I ever felt were worth keeping from that era are my old S9000 (the power 2S) - they still make me smile when I see them in my rack, though I haven't been on them for years. Back then they were game changers, and IMO totally outperformed every other ski I had ever been on - at least for me.
 

I thought the Metron was the answer to everything?

Quote:

Originally Posted by nolo 

Kraft wanted to build a ski that was all about "Freedom, Adventure, Fun" -- not about dimensions, which seemed to him to be a simplistic way of thinking and talking about skis. To Kraft, dimensions don't matter, a ski should be more about FUN.

RS had it right. What nonsense.  I wonder who designs a ski not to be fun? They mnay end up being so, but would anyone REALLY design a ski not to be fun (really?).

Quote:

Originally Posted by ski=free 

I thought the Metron was the answer to everything?

No, no - how many times do you have to be told - the AC30 is the answer to everything.

I'm pretty sure my old red AC4's are the best all around ski I know of.

And no, my Racetigers weren't designed to be fun.

Other than that, I'm pretty sure you are right about everything.

I skied the BBR yesterday at Snowbasin in two different lengths; a 179 and a 186 I believe, although it was kind of hard to read the lengths.  My business partner (a former US Ski Team member) and I each took a pair and then switched after a run.  The conditions ranged from chopped powder to ankle-deep new snow over a rumbly frozen junky base to a little bit of groomer.

Overall, we both had fun and enjoyed the skis.  We both felt that the 179 was just too short (he weighs 165# and I'm 195) and soft but the 186 was fun.  Somebody further up in this thread called the BBR a "playful" ski and I think that's a great description.  I felt that even the 186 was too wide or too soft or too "something" when skiing pretty heavily-chewed piles of new snow as it just felt like that big bow of a tip gets deflected a little too easily.

In the untracked or on the groomers, however, the ski was really fun.  Turn initiation was essentially thoughtless/effortless and release from the turn was the same.  They were VERY turny (and I mean that in a good way) on the little bit of groomer that I did.  They seemed to go easily into a carve (it was pretty soft groomed snow) and were very predictable once I kind of got the hang of skiing right on the middle of the ski.

My overall impression was that the BBR was a fun, forgiving ski. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHRISfromRI 

I really liked Salomon's power rating concept back then, and the only skis I ever felt were worth keeping from that era are my old S9000 (the power 2S) - they still make me smile when I see them in my rack, though I haven't been on them for years. Back then they were game changers, and IMO totally outperformed every other ski I had ever been on - at least for me.
 

Anyone still have the skier-POV  pic looking down at a roller coaster with S9000s on the rails?

That ad tweaked my mind then and almost no ad since has come close to matching it.

I tried the BBR at snowbasin, this last wednesday.  I expected nothing out of this ski.  It performed better than expected on groomed and hardpack.  Really easy to turn, It was fun( but I wouldnt own it).  I actually was very unimpressed with the ski in soft snow and crud, tip just got knocked around.  I think it is a ski I can but Im not quite sure to whom.  I know a few older skiers who would love it but will never buy it because if its radical shape and rocker.  I am more confused about this ski after skiing it than I was before skiing it. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by ptex1 

 I think it is a ski I can but Im not quite sure to whom.

Inline skaters (esp. ones that have no concept of pressuring tips)?

My son and I tried the BBR today at the demo on the top of Whistler. I had my Sultan 85's on, and he had my Obsethed's. Bottom line was that we both enjoyed them. I had the 78's (?), and he had the 84's, in 178, and they were fun on the groomers and the crud from all the snow last week. Didn;t have a chance to try them in  deep pow (we weren't at Stowe after all ), but generally for such a stange shape, they were a pleasant surprise.

Unfortunately the lift lines were long today and we only had a chance to do a few laps on them around Harmony and Symphony, but neither of us would turn down a chance to take them out again (for free), I wouldn't pay the daily rate for them just cause there's too many other things to try too.

One note to Salomon - please change the color - that blue is insipid - no joke - I wouldn;t buy them in that color, and according to the demo rep, that what they'll come in - yuck.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ski=free 

I thought the Metron was the answer to everything?

Yes. Was. We've moved on...but we know not where. Everywhere. (Guess we got tired of the constant arcs)

As for the Power rating. (sigh) Ok, ok it was something. Ahead of it's time? No follow through? Didn't play well with others? Why did it disappear?

Quote:

Originally Posted by SierraJim 

Definitely a move in the proper direction.

 

SJ

because the bridge is a different ski then the mantra made by the same company? not sure what you are talking about.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by nolo 

 

Bertrand Kraft, the "shaper" who designed Salomon's popular X-Scream, Pocket Rocket, and AK Rocket skis, has come up with his signature model, the BBR. His nickname is Beber, he signs his name BBR, and his signature is actually on the tail of the ski:

...

The BBR's distinctive V-Shape makes it look unlike any ski on the market, and also makes it ski like "two skis in one."

Funny,  I know this BBR stuff is old news now, but I picked up a NOS pair of Atomic Powder Plus skis recently, and was poking around on the net, reading and looking at pix, and someone had a quiver pic that included PP's and Salmon AK Rockets. The first thing I thought of when I saw the shape of the Rockets was the BBR...

Of course they are totally different skis, (BBR 186CM  147-88-110  13.5M TR, AKR 195CM  130-95-114  25M TR), but I wonder other than the designer what (if anything) they might have in common?

Cirquerider created a thread on the Rockets back in 2006, but I didn't see a post by him about how they actually skied.

The AK rockets skied a lot like current early rise skis.  They had good hold on groomed and float in deep powder and crud.  For some reason, I never made them a daily driver...in fact I bet I skied them about three times total.  If you ever want to try them out, just ask, and I'll be glad to let any one ski them.  I doubt I could get much for them in a sale even though they are in pristine condition.

I kind of wish I had taken these out on the Gathering Alpine Meadows day and at Northstar.  I needed the float.