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Yet more Tahoe demos (Bonafides, Cochies, DPS Wailer's)

post #1 of 11
3/7/12 at 12:31pm
Thread Starter 

Mt. Rose.  Chowder pretty much everywhere, ranging from ankle to knee deep.

 

Me:  6'2", 175, level 8-ish or so.  Usually ski at moderate speeds, although if I'm feeling confident I'll open the throttle.  Being a New Englander, I'm used to skiing on narrower skis

 

173cm Blizzard Bonafides.  They were remarkably stable for being short.  I was being cautious because I didn't really want to hit a rock hard, but they pushed through the chowder / crud piles without getting noticeably deflected.  I couldn't really test edge grip (at least not what I call edge grip) because there wasn't any hard snow available.  They definitely felt a little sluggish getting up to edge, but then again -- I'm used to skis 10, 20mm narrower.  I wish I had gotten a chance to try the 180cm version, but it was always out when I got back to the demo tent.

 

178cm Blizzard Cochise:  I realize there's a large contingent of people who love this ski, but I'm not one of them.  Skiing bumps on this was a nightmare, I felt like I just couldn't get it up on edge.  i.e., groomers, chowder, crud, bumps -- I couldn't find a condition where I liked this.  Maybe if I was more willing to open the throttle -- like wide open -- it would have responded better, but at moderate speeds, I hated it.

 

184cm DPS Wailer 99 : Philpug had these in his truck and let me borrow them for Friday at Squaw.  We skied everything on Friday : groomers (well, to get back to the lift), chutes, trees, wide open bowls, bumps, sun-baked, wind-blown and honest-to-goodness powder.  It took me about two turns to forget about the skis and just go (and our warm-up run was the West Face of KT22).  I could pivot them easily to get out of some tight spots, they were hugely forgiving of technique flaws, it's impossible to get the tips to dive...  I could go on forever.  These skis rock.

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post #2 of 11
3/11/12 at 11:05am

KevinF,

How do you think the Wailer99 would do with windblown or not-too-heavy-crud here in northern NewEngland?  Haven't skied them and for crudability issues have always dissed them for northern NewEngland, mainly off-resort..

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post #3 of 11
3/11/12 at 2:07pm

The Cochise @ 178 wasnt the ideal size for you im guessing. - im sure it tossed you around.  try it a bit larger next time you get a chance. My $0.02.

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post #4 of 11
3/11/12 at 6:00pm

^^^ Agree that at OP's height and weight, he could go either way. But if he was having issues in bumps and getting this on edge, plus not really skiing fast, not clear how moving up to 185 would help. May just be the wrong ski for him; fact he liked the W99 seems to point that way too. Contrary to popular belief, not every ski, however amazing it is for us, works for everyone else. 

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post #5 of 11
3/12/12 at 8:38am

Yeah if the Bonafide felt sluggish then the Cochise was simply not the ski for the OP.  If you're used to skiing something 10-20mm narrower than a 98mm a 108 will be a bit of a shock, especially in bumps.   Although for your height and weight the 185 would be the reccomended length.  So would the 187 Bonafide, the 173 must have been a disco stock.

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post #6 of 11
3/12/12 at 9:40am

^any 193's for demo in either BCC or LCC? 

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post #7 of 11
3/12/12 at 10:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by HaveSkisWillClimb View Post

KevinF,

How do you think the Wailer99 would do with windblown or not-too-heavy-crud here in northern NewEngland?  Haven't skied them and for crudability issues have always dissed them for northern NewEngland, mainly off-resort..



I just demoed the Wailer 99 in both Pure and Hybrid layups in Vermont when the conditions ranged from rain-crusted damp pow and medium-density powder to cut up pow with small bumps, some trees, groomers and various other-than-optimum snow, and they were excellent (once the tips were detuned after a fresh grind was put on them).  The Wailer 99 does not feel like it's 99mm underfoot.  Feels much narrower, cut can go pretty much anywhere and carves a nice trench if you want it to.  Sensitive to tuning, and can become a completely different ski with just a minor change in edge bevel or sharpness.  I would not hesitate to use them in the East for crud, although I might reach for the Wailer 112RP for crud too...  I have not skied the Blizzards.

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post #8 of 11
3/12/12 at 10:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by HaveSkisWillClimb View Post

KevinF,

How do you think the Wailer99 would do with windblown or not-too-heavy-crud here in northern NewEngland?  Haven't skied them and for crudability issues have always dissed them for northern NewEngland, mainly off-resort..



I just demoed the Wailer 99 in both Pure and Hybrid layups in Vermont when the conditions ranged from rain-crusted damp pow and medium-density powder to cut up pow with small bumps, some trees, groomers and various other-than-optimum snow, and they were excellent (once the tips were detuned after a fresh grind was put on them).  The Wailer 99 does not feel like it's 99mm underfoot.  Feels much narrower, cut can go pretty much anywhere and carves a nice trench if you want it to.  Sensitive to tuning, and can become a completely different ski with just a minor change in edge bevel or sharpness.  I would not hesitate to use them in the East for crud, although I might reach for the Wailer 112RP for crud too...  I have not skied the Blizzards.

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post #9 of 11
3/12/12 at 1:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by wasatchback View Post

Yeah if the Bonafide felt sluggish then the Cochise was simply not the ski for the OP.  If you're used to skiing something 10-20mm narrower than a 98mm a 108 will be a bit of a shock, especially in bumps.   Although for your height and weight the 185 would be the reccomended length.  So would the 187 Bonafide, the 173 must have been a disco stock.



Yeah, 180/187 on the Bonafide, 185 on the Cochise.  I have skied both skis a lot. They are big mountain sticks. Both just seem really stout in the tip to be absorbing bumps well, although the Bonafide is still decent in this department.  Cochise really is allergic to bumps, at least of the tight, zipper line variety.  Just a world apart from my Elan Olympus, which is quite good in bumps (much softer tip, absorbs terrain much better), or even my Kastle BMX108, which was manageable in bumps.  You have to show up to ski the Cochise, and have some room to let it come into it's own.  The new 8.5ti is a very good ski in bumps, however, and if there isn't a ton of deep snow, a really good all-mountain ski. That 8.5ti is going to be very popular for people skiing back East who want a versatile all-mountain, do it all ski for tight lift line skiing, tree skiing, bumps, and the like, or for a ski when the snow is skied out in a Western setting. Great width, nimble, good flex, plenty of grip, rips in bumps.  I would recommend people looking at 2-ski Blizzard quiver buy an 8.5ti and a Cochise (for big days). Skip the Bonafide and Bushwacker, and go right to that 2-ski quiver, for the best of both worlds.    

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post #10 of 11
3/12/12 at 4:37pm
Dawg
I own the Bonafides and have skied the Cochise. All of the bumps/moguls here at Sugarbush would not allow the Cochise to be my big sticks here in sch a 2 ski quiver. The Bnafides do just great in the bumps and trees for my 190lbs. But, I am looking forward to demoing the new 8.5's next weekend. Right now, the Bonafides, Wailer 112 and Blizzard 8.1's make up my 3 ski quiver.. The only question for me is whether the 8.5's will take the place of the 8.1's next season.
Stan
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post #11 of 11
3/12/12 at 5:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by givethepigeye View Post

^any 193's for demo in either BCC or LCC? 



There are some at the Lifthouse (bottom of BCC) and there might be some at Christy's at Snowbird.  I don't believe DPH at Alta bought any 193s for demo. 

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