A Tribute-Review: Moment Bibby Pro, 190 cm

Moment Bibby Pro, Blister Gear Review
Our favorite Bibby Topsheet (11/12)

Ski: 2010-2011 / 2011-2012 / 2012-2013 Moment Bibby Pro, 190cm

Stated Dimensions (mm): 143-118-134

Sidecut Radius: 26.5 meters

Actual Tip-To-Tail Length (Straight Tape Pull): 187.9 centimeters

Blister’s Measured Weight per Ski (11/12 model): 2269 & 2300 grams

Mount Location: Recommended Line

Test Locations: Taos Ski Valley, Alta Ski Area

If you’ve been reading Blister for a while, you probably know by now that a number of us love the 190cm Moment Bibby Pro.

But in one of the greatest ironies at Blister, we haven’t actually posted a full-blown review of that ski. Why?

Mostly because it seems like we never stop talking about it. The 190cm Bibby is a reference ski for us, against which we’ve compared many of the tip and tail rockered, 115-120mm ski we’ve reviewed.

But since we’re about to publish our reviews of Moment’s new 186cm Bibby and 190cm Exit World, we wanted to pay tribute to their predecessor. So we went through and found all the statements (both in reviews and in various Comments Sections) that Will Brown and I have made about the 190 Bibby, then stitched together a review from the ones we felt were most relevant.

So here it is, finally. Our review of—and our tribute to—one of our favorite skis of all time, the 10-11 / 11-12 / 12-13 190cm Moment Bibby Pro.

We’ll start with our reaction upon hearing the news from Moment at SIA that the Bibby was no more (this, from the 3rd* Annual Blister Awards):

Our beloved Bibby Pro has been changed.

Admittedly, sometimes change is good, and we promise to keep an open mind when skiing the new Bibby. But, man, the Bibby Pro was sooooo dialed.

And, yes, Moment now has a ski in their lineup called the Exit World that is a whole lot like a lighter-weight Bibby. Who knows, the Exit World and the new Bibby could be amazing. We’ll find out soon. (See rocker profile pics of the Moment Exit World and the new Bibby.)

But it still feels like Josh Bibby decided one day that he’d go tinker with the Mona Lisa or the Sistine Chapel, so, forgive us if we’re a little nervous.

Nevertheless, you have to respect Moment for not resting on their laurels. Josh wanted a new ski. The guys at Moment had been touring on the Bibby Pro, and decided they wanted to make a lighter version of it. They’re building what they want to build, simple as that.

Maybe that’s why Moment’s 2013/2014 catalog shows a guy facing the sun and embracing a new day …

2013-2014 Moment Catalog, Blister Gear Review

…or a guy facing us, throwing up his middle fingers.

The Definitive “Playful Charger”

As I’ve said about a million times now, for me, the 190cm Bibby Pro strikes a perfect balance: it’s a playful ski that can still charge. – Jonathan Ellsworth (JE)

Jonathan Ellsworth on the Moment Bibby Pro, Taos Ski Valley, Blister Gear Review
Jonathan Ellsworth on the Bibby, Two Bucks, Taos Ski Valley.

I think Moment has dialed the camber profile on the Bibby to give it a really nice, functional balance between stability and playfulness. (…)  It feels initially stable, but it’s willing to smear out and scrub speed when you tell it to. – Will Brown (WB)

The Rossignol Squad 7 also strikes a blend of playfulness and stability, though it lies closer to the “stability” end of the spectrum, while the Bibby Pro leans a bit more to the “playfulness” end of the spectrum. – JE

The Bibby has a definite playful side, but is still a pretty substantial ski that is really stable if you want to open things up. It’s certainly a playful charger. If you’re a strong skier, I think you’ll appreciate the need to be deliberate about moving the ski around – in short, it will make quick moves, but not without being told to do so. – WB

You’ll definitely be able to do more stable charging on the Bibby – for what you gain in stability over the Armada JJ, I think the loss in playfulness is negligible. – WB

The Bibby is a fairly burly ski, very stable, yet still remarkably playful. The Moment Night Train feels lighter, is more center mounted, has a super balanced swing weight, and wants to spin and air. You can drive the shovels of the Bibby; you’re better off staying more centered on the NT. The Bibby charges, the NT, not nearly as much. – JE

I hear few people complain that the 190cm MOMENT Bibby Pro is too little ski for them , [despite the fact that] its effective edge measures at 156cm (it’s tail rockered, after all). – JE

A “Forgiving Charger”

In general, I don’t think the Bibby Pro is a ski that will punish you too badly for getting lazy. If you want to take it a little easy on the Bibby, the ski will allow you to do so, so long as you continue to give it some authoritative input. In my opinion, the 190 (while more stable than the 184 for people around our height [6’1”]), is still remarkably manageable at slow speeds for a ski that’s 118mm underfoot. The Bibby Pro is just so well balanced…The 190 Bibby Pro is really hard not to recommend. – WB

Will Brown, Juarez, Taos Ski Valley, Blister Gear Review
Will Brown on the Bibby Pro, Juarez, Taos Ski Valley.

The Moment Governor is a more directional version of the Bibby, but it doesn’t feel like a flat tailed beast by any means. You can throw the tail out and scrub speed, it’s just not going to smear quite as readily as the Bibby, but might charge a little harder. – WB

Again, if you mostly want to rage through variable conditions at speed, the Bibby Pro is a stiffer ski that you can push harder. It’s not as playful as the Automatic, and it isn’t as quick, and it isn’t quite as easy, but it does comes with a higher speed limit. – JE

Flex Pattern (from our review of the 12/13 Moment Governor)

The flex pattern of the 12/13 Governor isn’t all that different from the 190cm Moment Bibby Pro, and actually, the tails of the Governor (our pair, at least) feel slightly softer than the Bibby’s.

Moment describes the overall flex of the Governor as a “10,” the stiffest ski in their lineup, and calls the Bibby Pro an “8.” We always appreciate when companies situate their skis this way against the rest of their lineup, just note that there is not a huge difference between that “8″ and that “10,” whether hand flexing the two skis or when comparing how they feel on snow.

The Bibby Pro’s tails are slightly stiffer than its tips, but it’s a pretty subtle difference. And more and more, I think this is one of the things I love most about the Bibby.

Core Profile: Aspen & Pine

While the Bibby Pro and Governor both have a Fiberglass Matrix / Carbon Fiber layup, they do have different cores, and I think this accounts for the larger difference in their on-snow feel than their respective flex patterns.

The Bibby Pro has an aspen-and-pine core that provides good stability and pop. The Governor, however, has an ash-and-aspen core that is a bit more damp, a bit less poppy. Once again, we’re talking about a noticeable difference here, but a fairly subtle difference.

17 comments on “A Tribute-Review: Moment Bibby Pro, 190 cm”

  1. I’m on my second pair and am quite disappointed to see them discontinued. Lately, I’ve been having a hard time not hoarding them. I’m anxiously awaiting your review of the new Bibby and Exit World to see if either will measure up.

  2. I’ll try to be quick and to the point, as I know you guys are busy, you know with providing THE BEST reviews in the entire industry. No exaggeration there, blister is the standard and everyone knows it. So I’ve been salivating over a pair of Bibby pros ever since last season, but the only problem is that I already have 3 skis in that waist range. I have a 185 JJ for a super playful jib/tree ski, and 189 Obsethed which I absolutely love, and a 196 Bibby Special for shredding steeps here in the tetons. I want to jump on a pair of bib pros before they disappear, with this new version coming out, I’m just too worried that there is not a large enough gap between my obsethed and bibby special.

    What would you do, knowing that this could be my last chance to get on the breathtaking bibby pro?

  3. Hey Gang,

    Currently skiing the 185 Line Opus’, which I kinda like (?), and do find to be a fun, playful ski, but not necessarily a charger (especially for someone my size, 6’2″, 210). I’m looking for a stiffer ski that can be worked hard, and won’t get knocked around on the non-pow days, but still keep some of the playful characteristics that I’ve come to love on the Opus’. Sounds like the Bibbys and the Squad 7’s fit the bill, but I’m having a tough time choosing between what sounds like a beefed up version of my opus’ (the bibbys) and more directional charger (squad7’s). For your money, would should I go with? Also, if possible, could you please rate the relative stiffness of all three models on a scale of 1-10?

  4. After reading through numerous reviews and with your advice, I dumped my 185 JJs and went out to look for a pair of Bibbys(Which is no easy feat). Christmas came early, and I got a pair of 10/11 190cm Bibbys UNOPENED. After a couple days of skiing them up here in the PNW, I am extremely confident in my decision. After it rained on about 4 inches of fresh pow I was really pleased with their performance. I could drive them, stay neutral, or lean back, no matter what, they were totally awesome. Just a couple days later, it dumped a good foot overnight, and again they were incredible. In the deep stuff they were honestly just as playful as my JJs, and when it got chopped up they just charged right through it.

    Thanks for the advice, I couldn’t be more pleased with my choice. I would recommend them to anyone, and even though I am 6′ 2″ and the 190s were manageable for me, I could see them being suitable for someone much smaller.

  5. Still haven’t gotten a pair of bibby pros, and now there even harder to find. Is it worth the hastle to find a pair, or should I just go with the 190 deathwish. I will be thinning the quiver next year, and traveling to ski, so need one ski to crush it all. Right now my 189 obsethed is that, but needs to be replaced. How do bibby pros compare to the deathwish? On Crud, pow, groomers, trees, etc? Thanks.

    • I have almost no time yet on the 190 Deathwish, Vail, so can really only speak about the 184 Deathwish, though I personally would go with the 190. As I mentioned in my review, the forward mount of the Deathwish (especially on the short 184) was not conducive at my size to floating in pow. Bibby by a long shot here. But I’d rather ski groomers on a Deathwish, as well as big bumps. Crud and chop and pow? Bibby for sure. I guess I’d say that unless you have make moves right now, no reason to rush?

  6. A Ski for the Next 10 Years…

    Guys, like many others have said, awesome website. You are doing a service to sports enthusiasts and equipment technophiles (aka junkies). I wish you all the best as I know it is hard to sustain a website of this quality – great work.

    I am in a strange category of skier for your website perhaps anyway. I haven’t skied much of late due to young kids (3) – the last skis I used were 198 GS Rossis, I’ve never skied the new shaped skis. But I am hoping that the kids may now give me the excuse to get back up on the fields. I’ll ski in Japan mainly, with some odd trips to NZ (treble cone, remarkables). I expect to spend time with the on groomers – but sneak off-piste whenever I can. And I hope to join friends in the back-country in Gunma when I can get time off.

    I don’t expect to average much more than 10 days per year, so I could rent skis – but I prefer to learn to ski the same boards and often the rental options are not what you want at the time. I have the chance to sneak into Kanda sometime this year and get a cheap set of past-seasons’ skis. So I’d like to ask for a recommendation.

    I’m 5′ 11″, 170 pounds, active and train before skiing. I guess I am advanced intermediate as I never took lessons, but spent seasons skiing with friends out of bounds (especially hakuba). My skis will be on the ground more than in the air, but I love powder and trees (i know, who doesn’t). I want a ski that will not let me down on windy days in NZ (steep, hard faces) but that I can take back-country in Gunma. Having scoured your reviews, the Bibby Pro seemed like one option – but I think I should get 184 as I am not as aggressive as you guys and unlikely to become more so (178 too short?). I also liked the sound of the Cochise (with NZ fields in mind) but suspect you’ll tell me there a bit too much ski. The other 2 candidates are the Soul 7 (easiest to ski?) and the Line Opus. And of course having read the rave reviews if I saw a Sickle by chance….

    If I have to favour one thing it would be the powder/back country part. Not so worried about groomers – I can dream about pow while I follow the kids down the trails. But I want something that will hold up if I get a chance to go up in NZ where variable snow and steeps will more likely be the order of the day. Hope it is not too challenging for you – but would be grateful for a recommendation of ski (and length).

    Thanks and keep up the good work.

  7. I bought a pair of new 2013s in a local ski shop. 190s. I’m six three and 225. Aggressive with style. Fall line laser beam.

    I’ve skied since 1968. I’ve skied on a lot of different skis. I am an expert with a fairly classic style but who used to bump ski quite hard. I’m 57 so i don’t hammer moguls much but still ski fall line directional.

    But OMG these skis. First fat skis I’ve ever owned. First skis with greater than a 69 mm waist I’ve ever owned and I love them beyond words. They have changed how I ski and I have learned magical things. The best I can describe them is a SUV made by Ferrari and Jeep. Or something. It’s been a horrible low snow year here in the Pacific NW but I’ve rocked whatever the snow gods of the mountains give me. Seriously these are a one quiver ski if you are half Legolas and half Robin Hood. I am simply stunned. I see Moment is bringing them back OG for 2016. I’m getting a new pair and keeping these for rock and crap days, which on Moment Bibby Pros are still damn fun days.

    I bought them largely because of your review on this site and am glad I did. As an old mountain warhorse who can still ski like a kamikaze sirocco ocean gale, these are the greatest skis I’ve ever had under me. No hype. They are alchemical.

  8. The Bibby is the one ski you want when you know your going to charge all day. This ski likes to ski itself, go fast and always be therefore you when you grab that turn land that drop or smear that edge. I have several dat skis, yet when I’m in a kick add mood and want to charge and bring a ski to charge with that will also keep me daft I grab the Bibby…

  9. Hi, do you know the weight of the 15/16 bibby pro in 190?
    I’m very interested in the ski, the only thing is I’m worried about how they perform in windpack and heavier snow based on the long running length…

  10. Hey y’all, seriously digging the in depth reviews! I’m 6″3, 235 lbs (I like to lift weights, so not just a tubbo) and am seriously eye balling the new Bibbys now that they are the OG make. My only question is if they are too much ski for me? I would call myself an intermediate to advanced skier, 27, this is my third season coming up. My hill is in southeast BC known for pow, despite last year being brutal. I did forty days on Rossi S3s 186 last year, and while they were fine in lots of groomed conditions, they felt like snowblades on the few pow days we had. I know there is plenty I need to work on, but I couldn’t help but feel I was too heavy for my skis, and it sounds like these Bibbys could go a long way for a big guy like me! This season already is better than last year, I want to make the most of it. Thanks in advance!

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