18 comments on “2nd Look: Moment Belafonte”

  1. I am looking for a 102-105 underfoot ski for skied over and frozen powder, frozen bumps and trees. My perfect powder ski is Atomic Automatic 118 in 179cm. I also like Rossignol Sickle, but it goes edge to edge to easy for my taste. I dramaticly overpower Line Opus 178cm, so it’s tips fold in half – that ski does not tollerate forward stance at all. I can also put Line Bacon 178cm into that hoocky fold in falf as soon as you get off your feels category. Salomon 108 174cm felt balanced, with nice shape, but it was not stiff enough and I was owerpowering it evey second, no matter what I do.
    Today I ski my Automatic in all conditions, but when it is less then 4″ of poweder and it freezes up Automatics 179 become a little too long (I am only 5’3″) and a little too much work and weight to carry in bumps and trees, so I need something 102-105, around 170-174cm length. I like it to have a softer front rocker to soften the impact with front of the bump – I can comfortably live with chattery tips if they are not catchy and combined with stiff ski underfoot and shovel does not fold when loaded. I want this ski to be stiff under foot and have full twin tip in the back – I need it to easily release the tail in the bumps at any moment even the turn is not finished yet and my skis are not across the fall line. I have tried Salmon Q115 and I really liked it, but it would not release the tail until you are across the fall line or hop up to unload the ski. Basically I am looking for nerrower, stiffer, and shorter Automatic 118. Automatic 102 and 109 do not fit the bill as they are softer ( and I want stiffer) and they have small radius (preffer straighter ski). I am looking for capable ski – I have very good technique, but preffer finesse over power, so I can keep going without getting tired.
    Do you think Belafonte is a good choise for me? What about 4FRNT Devastator? Do you have suggestions?
    Thank you in advance.

    • Val,
      For what you’re describing, I’d recommend the Belafonte. You’ll find a dramatic increase in maneuverability when dropping from a 118 waist to 106, and the all around ability to rip on the Belafonte is second to none that I’ve skied in the 104 to 108 class. The tip isn’t necessarily a ‘softer front rocker’ but the minimal rise allows the tip to dive better than most other raised tip profiles. I personally prefer a more stout tip that can absorb high energy when stuffing into the front sides of bumps. And if you want your tails to release more easily, try de-tuning the edges 5-80 cm from the tail. Quick edge to edge ability is a good thing in my book, but too quick and light can be disturbing if there isn’t enough mass to absorb debris. I have not skied the Devastator so no feedback there. Good luck.

  2. Garrett,
    Thank you very much for your reply! What is the best mogul approach on Belafonte: bend the shovel into the front of the mogul or set the edge and pivot? Does it ski long or short? Thanks a lot!

  3. Thank you guys all for the great reviews! I was hoping for a little insight as to your opinion on a 95-105ish underfoot daily driver for when things firm up. I ski Aspen/snowmass primarily, and have been considering the Line SN 100 or 108, Rossi Experience 100, Blizzard bonafide, and maybe a couple others. I am 6’4″ 215 and grew up racing, for a little background. I currently ski a Blizzard Titan Argos daily and was hoping for something that turns a little tighter. The rest of the quiver is Legend Pros for rock skis, Lotus 120 for resort pow, and Lotus 138’s for when it gets real fun. Typically I wouldn’t be inquiring on this type of decision however, I cannot find any of these skis anywhere to demo them. Thank you for any advice in advance.

  4. Jonathan, thank you for replying and your reviews have been very helpful on many things. In the last 6 months I have ended up with the Patagonia Nano air hooded jacket and Anon M2 goggles greatly in part to your reviews and love both pieces of gear. Let me try to narrow this down a bit. I thought that I would really like the DPS RPC but learned after skiing the RP I learned that the shape of those skis really require a more upright stance and I couldn’t really drive them as much as finesse them. So that made me start looking for a ski that is playful with the heart of a race ski. I was hopeful to find something that does really well on the groomers (since Colorado snow is not always super plentiful) and work well on a face like the hanging valley wall or the top of Pali before it starts getting really bumped out. My concerns on the skis mentioned are if the Rossi is to harsh, or that if the Line might be over powered by my slightly larger than normal center of gravity. I have always strayed away from more playful styles of skis for fear of skiing through them. I truly hope that helps with regard to my search and that I am not taking too much of your time as well as over analyzing the details to much. Thank you again for all your quality feedback.

  5. I am looking to add a fourth ski to my closet and thinking of the Peacemaker, Moment Belafonte, or even the new 2016 Bacon. I currently have the 189 Scott Punisher a ski I love but it is sometimes a bit much in the bumps. I have a pair of 186 Moment Tahoe that I am not sure how much I love them at this point even after several days on them. I also have a pair of Megawatts that I enjoy on deep days. I am looking for ski that will be easier to ski in tight places and the bumps and thinking the Blizzard Peacemaker or Bellefonte might fit the bill. At 6’4″ and 230 pounds and a excellent skier will I over whelm the Peacemaker? Need help with finding a ski for 1 to 6 inches of powder and chop without getting bucked around and one I can ski the bumps. Something in the 102 to 106 range with shovels that are not to big.

    Thanks!!!!

  6. Thanks for all your awesome reviews! It’s tough to demo tele skis, so it’s super helpful. Do you think the Bela’s would be a good Colorado (Abasin/Loveland/Eldo) tele set up for everything but pow? I skied the PB&J but it just didn’t feel stable enough at speed or on hardpack, and I’m not sure that tail would be reliable enough on steeper terrain. I’m currently on the Liberty Variant 97 and they are good, but they’re pretty planky and lack traditional camber. I loved the way the PB&Js engage for tele turns (so intuitive!) but I still want something though that can rail alpine turns on the groomers back to the lift. Thought about the SN108 too, but I’m not that into rockered tails for groomers? Thanks!

  7. Guys, having loved the 187 Belafonte for many moons, I’m debating getting a new (updated) pair but going up to 194 this time. Thoughts on this? Have any Blisterites skied it? I’ve never felt like the 187 was too short but if the new set-up is easier to handle, I’m wondering if this might be the way to go…

    Please let me know. Thank you!
    Andrew

    • Hey, Andrew! I think Will and I would both caution against bumping up in length *if* the 187s never felt too short. I.e., I think the odds are higher that you’d regret going 194 vs. regretting the 186. But if you aren’t hammering through a bunch of moguls or really tight trees or couloirs … you might get along just fine with the 194s.

      Personally, I’d go 186 before I went 194, but in more open terrain … I imagine those 194s would be a good time. Sorry we can’t be more conclusive here. (Selfishly, I hope you go 194 because I’d love to hear the report…)

          • I’ve had some time on the 194s now and they’ve been a ton of fun. I suppose there are some intuitive differences between them but, to be honest, they ski a lot like I remember my old 187s skiing (they’re part of another skier’s quiver now, so I can’t A/B them, unfortunately). They’re confidence inspiring at speed in open terrain (but so were my old 187s). I was a little unsure how they would do in tighter trees and moguls but I’ve found them to be very similar to my old 187s there too (which is to say that they’ve been excellent). The conditions out here have been pretty good so I can’t speak to their performance when things are truly joyless yet but I’ll report back when I do (there are other skis that will handle those days better in any event). As I’ve commented elsewhere, I think a comparison of the 194 Belafonte with the new Dynastar Pro Rider 192 would be really interesting. Happy new year everyone!

  8. For someone who’s about 5′ 9” and 165 lbs, what size Belafonte would you suggest to slot into my quiver?

    I’m running 184 Bibbys for pow/chop and 181 Jeronimos for park. I’d like something that’s fast, stable and doesn’t overlap too heavily with my quiver. I’m pretty aggressive, like skiing fast and like pushing myself.

    • Hey, Ryan – my immediate reaction was for you to go with the 186, and I still think that’s a pretty easy call to make.

      No way would I tell a “pretty aggressive” skier of your size who likes “skiing fast and pushing myself” to go shorter, and I think the comments from Andrew that are directly above yours are also instructive. Andrew didn’t find the 194s to feel world’s more stable than the older 187 cm version of the Belafonte, so I don’t honestly think you need to bump up longer than the 186 — unless you are primarily skiing wide-open spaces pretty much all of the time. (But even if you are, the 186s may suit you just fine.)

      • Hey Jon!

        Thanks for the quick response, and I hope you’re healin’ up well.

        I was actually concerned that people would think I was crazy for getting the 186 over the 178. People seem to be in consensus that the Belafonte (Or Tahoe 106) is a fair bit of ski and will definitely punish sloppiness. Even though I’m fine on a 184 Bibby, the directional mount and EE of the Belafonte makes it seem a whole lot more aggressive.

        Ultimately, It’s going to be a tough call between the Belafonte, Wrenegade 108 and Kartel 108. All Three of these skis have caught my eye, and I’ve been kicking their tires in the comments of many of the deep dives.

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