![2016-2017 Moment Blister Pro](http://blistergearreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Blister-Pro-2016-1.png)
The Blister Pro is back for its 3rd season.
By now it is well established that the Bibby is one of our favorite skis of all time. Some of us love the 184 cm model, and some of us love the 190 cm model. But a bunch of us at Blister — and a lot of our friends — and many of our readers — tend to say things about the Bibby like, “Best. Ski. Ever.”Why?
Why?
Because the Bibby has the best combination of Stability and Playfulness of any ski we’ve ever been on. There are a lot of great skis out there, but no ski we’ve ridden strikes quite this balance while also having a massive sweet spot. In short, this is a reference ski for us, and it has been since we started Blister six years ago.
And to be honest, as the trends in the ski industry are to make skis ever lighter and increasingly easier, the Blister Pro is beginning to feel more stout and stable by comparison. The 184 cm Blister Pro is a playful ski that can still charge. The 190 cm Blister Pro is more of a charger that (on the feet of a strong skier) can still play. Check out our review of the ski, and pay attention to the feedback from readers in the Comments Section if you’re on the fence about which size to choose, or if you want the full backstory on how the Blister Pro came to be.
Once again, we worked with Moment’s Luke Jacobson to dial in the graphics, and once again, we think they’re pretty sick. We hope you like em too.
We don’t take or make a single penny for doing this. We’re just proud to have gotten this ski back in production, and psyched that one of our all-time favorites is still around.
And if we didn’t still think that this is a very special ski, it wouldn’t have our name on it.
Note: Become a Blister Member ($59.99) and get 10% off ($76.90) the Blister Pro, plus free shipping worldwide.
Yep, save money on the Blister Pro, and effectively get a Blister Membership for free — which includes access to all Blister content plus access to a bunch of other money-saving deals, too. It’s a no brainer, folks.
Become a Blister Member Here:
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Jonathan,
Could I justify these along with my DPS Lotus 124s for pow days or are they too similar?
My quiver just keeps growing and growing…
Hey, Antoine – we were supposed to get on the new 124 last season, but it didn’t happen. But I feel quite confident in saying that the Lotus 124 is not at all a Bibby Pro. Once we do get on the Lotus 124, I do not believe that we will be talking about its incredible versatility, capabilities in crap conditions, etc – the sorts of things that are true of the Bibby. So if the question is simply, “are these too similar?” I would be willing to wager heavily that the answer is, No.
I bought a pair of the Blister Pro 190s for heavy crap days in Tahoe.
I was getting bucked around in tracked out heavy snow on my Armada TSTs, so I thought I could adapt my skiing style to be more of a hard-charger. It turns out that I’m too old to adapt and I didn’t have any fun during the 1-1/2 days I put in on these. Once I strapped the TSTs back on, I was young and playful again.
So, if anyone wants a basically new pair for a deep discount, let me know and I will put the money towards some Rosignol Soul 7’s for my son (and me when he isn’t looking)…..
Still available?
Hey, Sancho, I know Moment had sold out of these, so the best thing to do is to send Moment a quick message on their site re: availability.
Say I wanted to put these into a 3 ski quiver. My current quiver is:
185 Blizzard Peacemakers
190 DPS 112RPs (fiberglass)
192 DPS 138 Lotuses (fiberglass)
Would I swap out the 112s or the 138s? The 138s are just for cat and heli – I don’t do any uphill.
I assume 190 is best for a 6’2″ 195lbs (+gear) guy?
Jonathan,
So very tempted… Could you speak to how these compare to the Praxis GPO? I was hunting around for a comparison and haven’t had any luck yet. Any time on a GPO?
Search is your friend – http://blistergearreview.com/gear-reviews/2014-2015-praxis-gpo
I’ve skied both, they are individually great skis. Form your own opinion after reading the reviews on this site and others. You really can’t go wrong with either ski, just depends on which one you feel will work best for your own use – type of terrain, snow quality, your abilities, etc.
I’m trying to build up a 2 ski quiver by buying 1 this year and 1 next. I’ve got a pair of ~2008 Mantras and 2013 Rossy E98’s that I blew up the sidewall on. I ski about 20 days a year at Vail, almost all moguls, bowls, and blue sky. But I have to book my trips well in advance, so I get the conditions I get.
Will the Blister Pro be too much ski on firm frontside moguls? If so, it’s gonna have to be next year’s addition to the quiver.
Soooo Good.
Glad you’re digging them!
Love from first turn! I have about 6 days in conditions ranging from dust on crust to 30″ of overhead blower pow on my new 190 Blister Pro and all I can say is that from first turn I felt like I had come home.
These skis are confident, not overly demanding, and playful enough. They are even make skiing chopped up pow/crud fun. I’m sure the 184 is great as well but I haven’t encountered a scenario yet where I wished I had the shorter length. For reference, I’m 5’10” and 170lbs. and ski the Wasatch Front.
Someone asked earlier how these are on hard moguls… I’d say less than ideal or as expected. If hard snow is a common occurrence then I’d look for something more narrow. Let’s just be honest, the 2 ski quiver is a pipe dream. That said, if I had to pick 2, I’d keep my Moment Blister/Bibby and I’d be torn between my Belafonte and Salomon XDrive 8.8, but probably sell both those for something 95-102mm.
Thanks Moment for listening to this audience and thank you Blister for telling it how it is.
Great feedback, Jake – thanks!
Hi Guys,
First, thanks for this great resource going! Second, need advice/validation that I’m on the right track.
I’m 6’2″, 190lbs and 38yo. Advanced skier, athletic. Currently own (and absolutely love) the Nordica Enforcer 100 in 185cm. I think they are ideal balance of playfulness and stability – never too much work, yet stable for nuking. I spend about 60% of my time skiing trees and 40% in more open terrain. In open terrain I much prefer big open turns at speed.
Want a second ski to complement my Enforcer 100. Basically looking for the same feel and fun/stability balance but in 115-120 range for deeper snow/chop. Still needs to work well and not exhaust me in trees and tight spots. (Typically ski in A-basin, Breck, Keystone)
I looked at the Automatic 117, JJ 2.0, Super 7 HD and Blister Pro.
From all the reading, it seems the 190cm Blister Pro might be closest to how the Enforcer 100 feels — just better suited for deep snow. I assume the 184cm is too short for my height/weight and I’ll end up being back seat in powder (which is my current problem with the Enforcer).
Am I on the right track with 190cm Blister, or should I be looking at something else? Thanks!
Thanks, Ivan. Some thoughts: Automatic 117 will be *less* ski than the Enforcer 100, and may not give you the stability you’re looking for. Same with the JJ 2.0. Same with the Super 7 HD.
On the flip side, it’s always hard for me to say whether people will find the 190 Blister Pro to be more work than they’d like it to be. Given that, I think it’s super helpful to read all the comments from readers.
The good news is that you have yourself covered on firm days (Enforcer 100). So we won’t worry about firm moguls, etc. For any new pow or deep chop, the Blister Pro is pretty incredible — though there are floatier 118 mm pow skis out there if float is your primary concern (e.g., Salomon QST 118). But the QST 118 can’t hang at all with the Bibby in tracked-out crud & chop.
More thoughts: (1) Nordica is coming out with the Enforcer Pro next season – 115mm underfoot, only comes in a 191. Could be interesting, but we haven’t skied it yet. (2) The more worried you are about the 190 Blister Pro being too much … the more sense the Rossignol Super 7 *RD* — not HD — might make. It’s a nice ski, lighter and quicker than the Blister Pro; but you get more backbone out of the Blister Pro and high-speed stability. I wouldn’t opt for the Super 7 RD if your “pow” days = more chop and tracked crud skiing than pristine pow. Those who want a solid ski but want a lighter ski and have a bit more of a finesse style might prefer the Super 7 RD. Last complicating thought: if you’re really worried about the 190 being too much … check out the Liberty Origin 116. Good, versatile pow ski that we’ve said feels a bit like a toned-down Bibby – and offers more float than the Bibby, but is a less good carver and less good in any / all variable conditions.
Long and short: an “athletic” skier at your height and weight should get along with the 190 Blister Pro well. But the ski might feel a bit more ‘game on’ than the Enforcer 100 — if we’re really going to try to compare apples to oranges. And for a good pow day / tracked-up chop day at A-Basin … I personally would be quite psyched on the 190 Blister Pro. That’s a ski area that’s pretty conducive to nuking around, and that’s where the Blister Pro excels.
Jonathan,
Thanks very much for the reply and guidance. I’ve done a bit of research on the Liberty Origin 116 and it seems to be a pretty good fit. Seems to be its on the same spectrum of “playful but with a backbone” that the Nordica 100 is. It also helps that I can pick them up for $150-200 less than the Moment or any other skis on the list above.
The only open question I have, has the Origin undergone enough meaningful changes between the 15/16 and 16/17 models to warrant the slightly higher pricer of this year’s model? Thanks!
Ivan, I ski the same turf you do. I ski Epic local out of Colorado Springs. I am 58, 5’10”, north of 230. Still skiing 25-30K vert on a good day. Ski the Enforcer 100 in 185 original graphic so have over a full season and last years blister (bibby) pro in 190. Had both skis in SLC last year. Enforcers at Alta in about 6-8 and Bibbys at the bird in a foot of fresh. This is the best 2 ski quiver I have ever owned for anything dust on crust to whatever falls. Best day last year was launching the Bibbys off Zuma at A Basin in about 2 ft of fresh. Bibbys have killed a few days at breck this year, foot of fresh and laps on 6 chair while imperial was getting bombed comes to mind. Jonathan’s comments about the Bibby in chop are why I bought this ski last year. For me this has been the best resort leftovers chop ski I have ever owned. Just my 2 cents. Hope this helps.
MIke
Hey Mike… delayed reaction, but thanks for the recommendation. I decided to go with 190cm. Can’t wait for the snow to start falling…
How do these compare to the metal Katanas from 2013/14? Have absolutely loved the Katanas, but after 3 hard seasons, time for something new.
Hi Jonathan, can’t seem to get the link working to be able to purchase these. Any others having the same problem?
Ditto. Are the 16/17s gone?
Hi, Niklas and Sancho – I know Moment sold out of the Blister Pros, so I’m advising everyone to send them a note and see if they are planning to / or are willing to produce another batch. Message them on their site.
Mike,
Thanks for the comments on the Bibby Pro but I found a really sweet deal on Liberty Origin 116 and went for it. Now waiting for it to start snowing again in CO.
Jonathan,
Based strictly on the hand flex in the store, it seems that the Blister/Bibby is WAY stiffer than the Origin 116. You mentioned that the Origin is a chilled out Bibby. I hope its really “chilled out” vs. “noodled out”. I guess I’ll find out soon enough…
Thanks!
I finally got to try the Liberty Origin 116 … THANK YOU Jonathan, great recommendation to partner my Enforcer 100. I’m so happy with the Origins — easy and playful yet has this weird suspension almost that can (not push thru) but ride over just about anything it’s path today at A-basin. A super powder and soft crud ski, for me anyway. And easier to handle in open spaces than the Enforcer.
I did notice that when the snow got really hard (windblown or refrozen/heavy crap) Origins started to get bounced around and really couldn’t edge well. So I’m still looking at the Blister/Bibby in 190cm as an option. For someone who finds the 190cm Origin very manageable and easy going, do you think the 190cm Bibby at +1cm mount would be an issue? Would it be dramatically more work in tight places? Based on all the reading on Blister, I wouldn’t think so but wanted to be sure before pulling the trigger.
I could look into 184cm Bibby but that might be too short for me (6’2″, 190lbs)???
Thanks again!
Hi, Ivan – I actually got to ski the 190 Blister Pros this past Saturday (!!!) – I usually have to be reviewing new stuff, so don’t get nearly as much time on them as I’d like. Always fun to break them out and recalibrate.
Given your height & weight, I think the 190 Blister Pro at +1 could work quite well — and extremely well — if you tend to stick to A-Basin’s more open spaces. (I.e., I’m least confident about my recommendation here if you’re asking whether you’ll love the 190 when skiing long massive bump runs around Pali.)
The other “Know Thyself” moment: if you don’t spend a lot of time skiing at very high speeds, I think the 184s will work well for you — easier in A-Basin’s bumps, easier in tighter spaces. It really just depends on how much you want / need the top end of the 190s. For me personally? A-Basin offers a lot more open terrain than Taos does, so I think the 190s would be a ton of fun at A-Bay.
Hey Jonathan,
Thanks. I was actually debating the 184 vs. 190 length in my head too. I like some speed, but everyone has their own definition of speed. My going fast is just about at the top end of 185cm Noridca Enforcers and my guess is that the 184cm is at least as stable, if not more so.
I also like technical lines and firing off turns in the trees even more than skiing big bowls. So I’m thinking the 184cm might be a better fit for me. My only reservation was how they’ll float at my height and weight. I have the Origin 116 for the really deep days but I still don’t want to be tip diving the Bibby when skiing 12-18″ of soft or cut up stuff. I assume float in those conditions would be a problem on the 184cm Bibby? (vs. 190cm +1 mount)
Thanks!
I don’t think you’ll have a problem in 12-18, Ivan, and especially if you already have your Origins for really deep days, I think you’re in even safer territory. So honestly, I think you’ll be okay either way — I’d rather ski the 184 Bibby if I was going to be dealing with moguls all day (then again, I’d rather not be skiing a ~118mm-wide ski if I was going to be dealing with moguls all day).
Jonathan,
Thanks for patiently answer my questions!
After a whole lot of reading, re-reading and asking around, I decided on the 190cm. I am going to mount them +1 to nudge the skis a bit towards the playful/pivot side… I’m mostly on open terrain in AB, but always end up doing a run or two on Pali/trees/bumps so…
I asked the Moment guys and while they recommended on the line, they didn’t anticipate any adverse behavior at +1. And you’ve mentioned multiple times that +1 and +2 work quite well on the 190cm. Hopefully that’s still the case! :)
P.S. I got the Cy Edition Blister Pro — Love the top sheet. Fantastic work by Cy!
Hi Jonathan —
Thanks for such a great site and resource.
I’ve combed through all your reviews of the Blister Pro and Bibby carefully. I’m curious if this model is still available from Moment? The link to Moment says ‘the page is not found’. Alternatively, do you have any thoughts about the ’16-17 Bibby Pro and how it compares to the Blister Pro?
Many Thanks,
Evan
Hi, Evan – the Bibby & Blister Pro are now the same ski, different graphics. I know Moment sold out of the Blister Pros, so best to send them a note on their site re: availability and wehther they will be running a new batch any time soon.
Hi Jonathan — Thanks for the quick reply and clarification.
With that said, as just one guy’s opinion, I love the minimal top sheet you designed for the first season of the Blister Pro. Are you planning another ’17-18 collaboration for the graphics? If so, any hint as to when and potential look, i.e. continuing a minimal direction?
Many thanks!
Evan
I’m partial to the original Ruby top sheet, white with the heli. Best top sheet in history.
This is actually helpful, thanks.