'11/'12 Blizzard Bodacious review

[comish]

Been a while since i have done one of these here, but got a chance to ride these in St. Anton recently in everything from hard packed groomers to waist deep overhead face shot pow. Yes, it was GOOOD!

Vitals:
38 yrs, 5'9", 165#, Current weekend warrior, past 100 day / yr guy

Ski:
Blizzard Bodacious
- length: 186cm
- dimensions: 142-118-132
- Mounted on the recommended line
- profile: long slightly rockered shovel (I wish it was more), 0 camber, very slightly rockered tail

Skis loved: 186cm Old legend Pro's (still ride these on all non pow days)
Past Pow skis tried: 182cm Czars (too short, tips dove in deep), 186cm Lhasa Pows (perfect sidecut/shape, not damp enough), rockered BD Zealot (not enough tip rocker), old DPS 120's, (actually had tip dive mounted +1, this was before they added more tip rocker, I would want more sidecut and a bit narrower), S7 (loved the tip, hated tail. Way too much rocker, wide point too close to binding so very sketchy in anything but deep snow)

I want a ski I can drive the tips in pow and not sink them. I don't do any flippy spiny shit, and ski a stiffish (softened Nordica Dobie 150 295mm bsl) small boot.

First day out. Combination of pp groomers and 3 day old pow off the backside of lifts. Generally shorter turns and slower skiing than I would typically do as we were with a guide, but still got untracked pow days after a storm. Liked the "feel". Very stable and damp. Opposite of the Lhasa Pow which I find too light, bouncy, and chattery in anything but untracked fluff. Tip shape isn't nearly as good as Lhasa Pow as the wide point is up at the top of the tip on the Bodacious. No taper which I really like on the Lhasa. This was minor, but I did feel it get pulled or hung up a touch, which with the bullet or hull shape of the Lhasa tip you don't experience. Underfoot is a bit wide for the narrower/harder packed Euro pistes so it felt a bit unwieldy and would be tough on the knees due to the width if not soft. Might not be such an issue in US where groomers tend to be much softer, especially on pow days.

Day 2 and 3: Deeeep pow. First day was thigh deep, 2nd day was waist deep. The piste run out was a mixture of ice, slush, hardpack, sticky mash.

Again, really nice "feel" if you like a damp solid stable ski for the runouts. Unfortunately in the really deep, the recommended mounting point is too far forward and/or the tips don't have enough rocker. Its like 2cm's too far forward for my taste based on my Lhasa mounting. The tips do stay further under the snow than I would like in the deep. I also wish they had more tip taper as I can sometimes feel it catching. The taper is a minor deal and definitely not a deal breaker. Again on the piste, I think they are just slightly wider than I would like, but not a deal breaker either. Sidecut/radius is good. Not grabby, long and stable turner. Could stand on and ride and it would absorb everything.

Interesting data point: Talking with a very knowledgeable shop guy in St. Anton he said he agreed that the mounting point was too far forward and that he told Blizzard that when it was being tested (being an Austrian brand), but they wanted to put it where it is for the American market. By all means, check out the main Jennewein shop when in town. Martin knows his skis and has fun talking about it. First shop guy that understood what I look for and could interpret the skis on the wall for what I was looking at. He brought out all kinds of new stuff for next year to fondle/flex etc. while hanging out. He even came running out to show us a new Atomic (think it was the Sage designed) as we had already walked out the door since it had just arrived an hour ago.

End of the day I like the ski, but am not in love. My perfect ski would be if I could take the same sidecut/shape as the Lhasa Pow, but with the construction of the Bodacious. Or meld an S7 tip with a flat, slightly twinned tail. Atomic Atlas was just purchased so the hunt continues... It has a very interesting looking tip design/rocker profile. Worried about the 182cm ski being too short, but I will report back.

If I keep the bodacious, I will definitely move the mount back like 2cm's.

[Shorty_J]

Have you thought about the G3 Highball? It has a very similar camber/sidecut profile.

I skied the Bonafide and really liked the ride and thought it might translate well and similarly to the Bodacious, but the Highball is MUCH stiffer to hand flex, has a bit of taper to the tip (though, more like a Praxis RX tip than the "boat hull" style Lhasa tip.

I'm considering both the Highball and the Bodacious, and I've found a decent deal on the Highball but I'm worried I don't want all that stiffness in a powder ski. I've been finding joy in softer skis lately, for the forgiveness in them.

[dfinn]

Interesting data point: Talking with a very knowledgeable shop guy in St. Anton he said he agreed that the mounting point was too far forward and that he told Blizzard that when it was being tested (being an Austrian brand), but they wanted to put it where it is for the American market.

That's interesting. I mounted mine at the line and I'm debating re-mounting at +1. I feel like I have a hard time getting over the front of these enough and they really have a tendency to want to put you back seat if you aren't really paying attention to it. I've also wondered if moving the mount (significantly) forward would eliminate some of the "floppy tip" feel.

edit: I'm on the 196. Maybe the mount point is different on the shorties.

[Bandit Man]

Bump...anyone else have any experince with the 186's?

[pfluffenmeister]

or 196s for that matter, i have some on the way.

[YB]

Some of the 2012/2013's are mis-marked for mounting. The left ski is the correct one and after skiing them a week I re-mounted went +1.5. It's a versatile ski and doesn't feel like it could ever fold the way the Atlas's i've been on the last few years can.

[wasatchback]

The first 2012/2013 196 Bodacious we got in the states have mounting points all over the map for some reason. Reccomended mounting is 86.5 cm from the tail.

All the 186s should be fine.

[ulty_guy]

comish- any word on the 182 Atlas? Been thinking about this one...

[comish]

Only skied the Atlases for a day in some crud thus far. Will report back after this weekend as its snowing in the Sierra. They are also mounted +1 or 2.

Short impression is much softer than the Bodacious. I like the shape of the Atlas more. Better tip with considerably more tip rocker and taper. I also like the 115 width more. Because its softer, has more rocker, and the tip tapers I find it more "fun" while still having a real tail (unlike Rossi S7's, etc) which is what I was looking for.

I'm getting old too, so maybe don't need the chargeability of the Bodacious in the pow. Looking for a little more float and fun that the rocker provides. Pray for snow!

[pfluffenmeister]

The first 2012/2013 196 Bodacious we got in the states have mounting points all over the map for some reason. Reccomended mounting is 86.5 cm from the tail.

All the 186s should be fine.

^^^ that's good info, thanks.

[XavierD]

The first 2012/2013 196 Bodacious we got in the states have mounting points all over the map for some reason. Reccomended mounting is 86.5 cm from the tail.

All the 186s should be fine.

Good to know, thanks. Hopefully mine should be showing up soonish.

[Shelley]

I feel like I have a hard time getting over the front of these enough and they really have a tendency to want to put you back seat if you aren't really paying attention to it.

[BigLineSeeker]

I put 3 days on a pair of 186 versions mounted with dukes on the line. I bought these skis hoping they would be a wider and floatier Cochise but what I got was something very different. For me the Cochise are super easy to pivot and feel pretty light under foot but I found the Bodacious to be stiffer and much heavier (dukes do not help that). They were a blast when I could open them up and let them run but they were not as floaty as I wanted given the rest of my quiver.

These are a great everyday charger but did not have the float I was looking for meaning I had a hard time ever taking them out over my Cohise which I love and my Radicts that, while horribly ugly are amazing in the deep stuff and tight trees.

[comish]

Yeah, BLS, I think you are experiencing my issues. Much more of a charger than a pow ski. I think they needed a bit more tip rocker. I don't have a problem turning the Bodacious at all, its more they are kinda planky and the tips don't ride up as high as I would have liked due to their slim amount of tip rocker combined with relatively stout flex. They aren't beastly stiff by any measure, just stiffer than your average pow ski and they have metal which not too many pow skis do which gives them a nice damp feel which I like, but they are riding much lower in the snow than I wanted for this spot in my huge 2 ski quiver.

Who knows, hoping to ride them a bit this weekend for a 2nd opinion in Sierra pow...

[Bandit Man]

Yeah, BLS, I think you are experiencing my issues. Much more of a charger than a pow ski. I think they needed a bit more tip rocker. I don't have a problem turning the Bodacious at all, its more they are kinda planky and the tips don't ride up as high as I would have liked due to their slim amount of tip rocker combined with relatively stout flex. They aren't beastly stiff by any measure, just stiffer than your average pow ski and they have metal which not too many pow skis do which gives them a nice damp feel which I like, but they are riding much lower in the snow than I wanted for this spot in my huge 2 ski quiver.

Who knows, hoping to ride them a bit this weekend for a 2nd opinion in Sierra pow...

I know that there are a lot of "mixed" reviews on this ski, but what you lay out here actually makes me want to try these. I have tried a lot of soft snow rockered skis, but have struggled to find one that holds up to the heavy, cut-up stuff we end up with in the PNW.

Comish - I appreciate your perspective since I know you ski in Mammoth and that was also my big "Home Mtn" before I moved north. Feels like these should own it in heavy snow/crud. Is that assumption correct? Any more to add in respect to how they handle crud/variable conditions?

[BigLineSeeker]

These skis do own the heavy / manky crap. The only think I do not like about them in that stuff is that if the crud is really deep there is not enough tip splay to ride over it. That said there is plenty of stiffness up front to blow through it so as long as it is not too hard/icy from the overnight temps these skis are perfect for the junk.

The other thing I did not love was the 32m radius in the heavy stuff. That SG radius meant I always had to either let them run or slide the tails in the heavy crap (no issues with any kind of hookiness though, which was a nice change from the uber-hooky Prophet 115s I used for part of last year). I think that I am the exception on this board, but I prefer a ski in the low 20s for this kind of snow because I can just roll them from edge to edge reducing the amount of work I need to put in.

Anyway, if you like a bigger radius and want a ski to punch through everything while staying really quiet under foot I have not found anything better. These skis are bulldozers without being as much work as some other "comp-type" skis I have ridden in the past.

If the ski had more tip splay and a bit more sidecut (i.e. smaller radius) they would have been perfect for me.

[Shorty_J]

Been a while since i have done one of these here, but got a chance to ride these in St. Anton recently in everything from hard packed groomers to waist deep overhead face shot pow. Yes, it was GOOOD!

Vitals:
38 yrs, 5'9", 165#, Current weekend warrior, past 100 day / yr guy

Ski:
Blizzard Bodacious
- length: 186cm
- dimensions: 142-118-132
- Mounted on the recommended line
- profile: long slightly rockered shovel (I wish it was more), 0 camber, very slightly rockered tail

Skis loved: 186cm Old legend Pro's (still ride these on all non pow days)
Past Pow skis tried: 182cm Czars (too short, tips dove in deep), 186cm Lhasa Pows (perfect sidecut/shape, not damp enough), rockered BD Zealot (not enough tip rocker), old DPS 120's, (actually had tip dive mounted +1, this was before they added more tip rocker, I would want more sidecut and a bit narrower), S7 (loved the tip, hated tail. Way too much rocker, wide point too close to binding so very sketchy in anything but deep snow)

I want a ski I can drive the tips in pow and not sink them. I don't do any flippy spiny shit, and ski a stiffish (softened Nordica Dobie 150 295mm bsl) small boot.

First day out. Combination of pp groomers and 3 day old pow off the backside of lifts. Generally shorter turns and slower skiing than I would typically do as we were with a guide, but still got untracked pow days after a storm. Liked the "feel". Very stable and damp. Opposite of the Lhasa Pow which I find too light, bouncy, and chattery in anything but untracked fluff. Tip shape isn't nearly as good as Lhasa Pow as the wide point is up at the top of the tip on the Bodacious. No taper which I really like on the Lhasa. This was minor, but I did feel it get pulled or hung up a touch, which with the bullet or hull shape of the Lhasa tip you don't experience. Underfoot is a bit wide for the narrower/harder packed Euro pistes so it felt a bit unwieldy and would be tough on the knees due to the width if not soft. Might not be such an issue in US where groomers tend to be much softer, especially on pow days.

Day 2 and 3: Deeeep pow. First day was thigh deep, 2nd day was waist deep. The piste run out was a mixture of ice, slush, hardpack, sticky mash.

Again, really nice "feel" if you like a damp solid stable ski for the runouts. Unfortunately in the really deep, the recommended mounting point is too far forward and/or the tips don't have enough rocker. Its like 2cm's too far forward for my taste based on my Lhasa mounting. The tips do stay further under the snow than I would like in the deep. I also wish they had more tip taper as I can sometimes feel it catching. The taper is a minor deal and definitely not a deal breaker. Again on the piste, I think they are just slightly wider than I would like, but not a deal breaker either. Sidecut/radius is good. Not grabby, long and stable turner. Could stand on and ride and it would absorb everything.

Interesting data point: Talking with a very knowledgeable shop guy in St. Anton he said he agreed that the mounting point was too far forward and that he told Blizzard that when it was being tested (being an Austrian brand), but they wanted to put it where it is for the American market. By all means, check out the main Jennewein shop when in town. Martin knows his skis and has fun talking about it. First shop guy that understood what I look for and could interpret the skis on the wall for what I was looking at. He brought out all kinds of new stuff for next year to fondle/flex etc. while hanging out. He even came running out to show us a new Atomic (think it was the Sage designed) as we had already walked out the door since it had just arrived an hour ago.

End of the day I like the ski, but am not in love. My perfect ski would be if I could take the same sidecut/shape as the Lhasa Pow, but with the construction of the Bodacious. Or meld an S7 tip with a flat, slightly twinned tail. Atomic Atlas was just purchased so the hunt continues... It has a very interesting looking tip design/rocker profile. Worried about the 182cm ski being too short, but I will report back.

If I keep the bodacious, I will definitely move the mount back like 2cm's.

Do you happen to know what distance your pair were mounted (straight pull from tail)?

[ghosthop]

Bump.

No thread specifically addressed my needs, this had the most discussion about mount points.

Anyone know where the mount is on the 14/15 176 Bodacious? And anyone care to comment about changing mount position on the 176 or 186? From my understand the 196 is a different beast. These will be complimenting a pair of 179 EHP, so used primarily in hard and mixed snow conditions, but I would like them to ride on top of chop. I had the first gen 11/12 Bushwackers and always felt they could have been remounted at +1 or +1.5.