Skis | Snowboards | Life

The Blizzard Bonfide Skis are riding a monster hype wave from the 2011/2012 season. The Bonafide, which was part of the Free Mountain series release, received top-level reviews from every magazine test and ski industry die-hard. The Free Mountain series consists of the Blizzard Bushwacker, Bonafide, Cochise and Bodacious. With the exception of the Bonafide, each ski within the Free Mountain series is designed to fit the needs of a particular skier demographic. The Bonafide, however, is far more versatile and appeals to a much wider range of skiers.

The first thing that stood out to me was the new graphic. The Bonafide's new paint job is Mastercraft esque. The deep red flake and fierce bullhead really pop when you put the ski on snow. The 2013 Bonafide's graphics are more villainous looking than its predecessor. The new cosmetics seemed to better fit the Bonafide's personality. Blizzard gave it a design that looks more aggressive and promotes an edgier feel.

The 2013 Blizzard Bonafide is built exactly the same as the 2011/2012 version, aside from the serious graphic upgrade. The ski is packed with Blizzard's top of the line technology giving it an uncanny ability to wreak havoc across the entire mountain. Advanced skiers looking for versatility are drawn toward the Bonafide because of its 98 mm waist and Flipcore technology. With the creation of Flipcore, the ski excels at making difficult off-trail skiing more enjoyable. The Flipcore allows the ski to enter and exit turns with ease, while the 98 mm waist has no problem handling powder stashes and quick turns through choppy snow. It's dimensions, construction and free ski technology makes for unparalleled off-trail capability.

On groomers, it transitioned edges extremely quickly, while providing a solid feel underfoot. The titanal increases the torsional stiffness, but because the ski has no camber, there isn't as much energy at high speeds. The Flipcore makes the Bonafide more fun and forgiving on steep challenging trails. In the trees, the Bonafide was at it's best. The Flipcore rocker made zipping tight tree lines most gratifying and contributed to a smooth surfy feel in untracked snow. I was extremely impressed with the ski when I encountered soft bumps. The ski was awesome through the bumps and maintained a high performance level, even at high speed. Instead of avoiding ugly looking mogul runs, I attacked them head on!

The Blizzard Bonafide is the most versatile ski in the Free Mountain series. Although it performs well on groomed snow, the ski really excels in off-trail situations. The Bonafide’s Flipcore rocker makes the ski fantastic through the trees, bumps and fresh pow. Blizzard did a phenomenal job with the Free Mountain series, and the Bonafide showcases Blizzard’s attention to detail and focus on providing a solid user experience. I personally appreciate the entire series but if I could only chose one, it would be the Blizzard Bonafide.

2013 Blizzard Bonafide Ski Review aka The Bottom Line: This ski excels off trail, in bumps and fresh snow. The Flipcore Rocker provides a surfy feel and allows the ski to turn super quick in any situation.

_{Buy the 2013 Blizzard Bonafide -> 699.95}