REVIEW: 2011/2012 MOMENT Bibby Pro Special (186cm, 150-116-123)... BEST ONE YET.

[pappag]

Vitals:
30 yrs, 5'10", 175#, on skis since age 0.8, gets 70+ days a year

Ski:
Moment Bibby Pro Special
- length: 186cm (also available in 196cm)
- dimensions: 150-116-123
- profile: long rockered shovel, 6mm camber, flat tail, carbon stringers











Setup:
- mounted on the line (-9.75cm from chord center if memory serves right) for Marker Barons
- Salomon Ghost boot

Other similar skis owned:
- shape: 190 Bibby Pro (everyday ski for 2+ seasons), 182 Jaguar Shark (everyday ski for 1/2 of 2010/2011)
- flex: 192 Garbones, 182 Belafonte

Testing conditions:
- 12 days of groomers and park at Breck and Keystone
- 1 day at Vail with 9" of overnight snow

Conclusion:
Best version of the Bibby Pro to date for those that don't ski switch, prefer something with no speed limit, and want a weapon that will straight-up murder powder. In one word, confidence-inspring.





Contrary to its predecessor which I reviewed here, this particular version has a completely different shape (150-116-123), flex, and purpose. Instead of the mustache rocker design seen on the 174/184/190 Bibby Pro, the Special (called the Governor for 2012/2013) features a longer shovel combined with 6mm of camber and a flat tail specifically for skiers that have no desire to do anything switch and prefer a more directional charger. The flex here is also stiffer than the 190 Bibby, greatly enhancing firm snow performance.

As someone whose everyday ski for the past 2+ seasons has been the 190 Bibby, I was beyond stoked to hear of this new design since it's pretty much everything I've ever wanted in a ski that no one has yet to make. After 12 days of slaying groomers at Breckenridge and Keystone, and after a powder day at Vail with 9" of overnight snow, I'm convinced this will be my everyday driver for the life of the ski, unless I'm dicking around in the park. Edge control on hardpack is more than adequate and not once did I feel squirrley or uncomfortable at high speeds. In the end, the Bibby Special has all the characteristics of the Garbone/M1 when applied to non-new snow.

Not once have I found a speed limit. The Bibby Special loves speed. It thirsts for it. And it will reward you handsomely for driving it as hard as possible. Contrary to the Bibby Pro, it took more than a few runs to fully adjust to the sidecut and how to appropriately engage the ski on a variety of differently-arced turns. Granted the 7mm of tail taper will want you to simply point the ski downhill at all times, but the 34mm of tip taper gives you the ability to make tighter radius turns. Ultimately, you'll want to straightline as much as possible given by the flex of the ski and how smooth the ride is through even crud.

The key to powder skiing on the Special is to keep a more neutral stance. I found that when driving the tips hard into the snow, the ski was not reacting favorably. But once I remained centered and allowed the ski to do the work for me, I could not have been happier with its performance. Immediately, I began searching for anything and everything I could jump off of, and once I did, I was amazed by how well the Special stomps. Again, take everything that was awesome about the Garbone and make it wider... that's the Bibby Special in a nutshell when it comes to stompability. And with the added stiffness and much flatter tail when compared to the Bibby Pro, you lose zero slarvability. Even in tight trees, the Special pivots quite easily and you can shut down speed just as effectively as the Bibby Pro.

EDIT 1 - came to recent realization that I love this ski too much to not get a 2nd pair mounted with Dynafits

EDIT 2 - actual 12/13 dimensions = 150-117-128

[Beyond]

Nice. How would you compare this to the Jaguar Shark, which also has been called a Bibby without tail rocker and a detuned Garbones? Seems like a fair amount of overlap.

[pappag]

Nice. How would you compare this to the Jaguar Shark, which also has been called a Bibby without tail rocker and a detuned Garbones? Seems like a fair amount of overlap.

The two skis are quite different. FWIW - 82 Jag Sharks w/Dynafits is my go-to non-mountaineering backcountry ski; Bibby Special w/Barons my go-to resort/sidecountry/big bc lines with short access ski.

Comparing the two, Jag Sharks...
- plane quicker in deep snow at slower speeds
- weigh less (9.0 lbs vs 9.8 lbs)
- slightly more poppy
- don't handle crud as well
- prefer shorter radius turns
- have a more medium flex
(using a flex of 10 for the Garbones... Jags would be a 5-6, 190 Bibby near 7, Special at 7-8)


EDIT - according to a friend, the 86 Special is stiffer than the 192 Bentchetler.

[ecskier7]

Awesome review you just sold me on a pair. Now ill be moving to an all moment quiver.

[TijmenDal]

I've really been wondering why the special and 'normal' Bibby's are on the same page. Anyways, nice review. I wish they'd make the 190 a bit longer too actually. I like my ski's playful as well, these sound like monster chargers (which is awesome too of course!)

[D(C)]

Hmm, these look like an interesting ski and have a lot less tail rocker than I thought they'd have. They remind me of an RC 112 minus metal laminates and with a slightly shorter radius. I thought the pintail on the RC 112 added a ton of versatility to a charging ski like that but wished they were a bit less stiff. I'd love to try a pair if I could find someone around Whistler who demos Moments.

With the amount of options Moment has on the market, I could daydream for hours as to what a 2 or 3 ski Moment quiver could look like.

[pappag]

I'd love to try a pair if I could find someone around Whistler who demos Moments.

Snosciety might have them.

[hick]

Thanks for that review, I've been curious about these.

DC- Thinking the same thing as I am a lover of the RC 188, but want a toned down version sans metal to slap dynafits on. These sound sweet.

[bones get broke]

+1 for exceptional timing. Thanks.

[alive]

Great reveiw....

DC we have some Moment demos up here in the Okanagan if you ever make it out here. Only have the 184 Bibby for demo, though... One guy from the shop has been out on the 186 a few times and is loving them as well...

[JHSS1]

If anyone wants to try these in JH give us a call...
We have a complete size range of Bibby's to demo including the 186 and 196 Special. All mounted with Jester Demo.
www.jacksonholeskiservice.com

[Karl May]

Great review! Aren't too many out there of the 186, so good to read one.

[North]

Nothing to add, no room for these in the stable, but those are the coolest base graphics EVAR!!!

[fat yeti]

Mine are waiting for snow and will get some nice neon orange FKS. Can't wait to ski these things.

[pappag]

Mine are waiting for snow and will get some nice neon orange FKS. Can't wait to ski these things.

These don't need that much snow to have fun on.


Another 7 days since posting this review and I continue to love these skis more and more. Honestly, if you don't ski switch and are thinking about the 184 or 190, step up to the 186 Special.

[Bobcat Sig]

These don't need that much snow to have fun on.


Another 7 days since posting this review and I continue to love these skis more and more. Honestly, if you don't ski switch and are thinking about the 184 or 190, step up to the 186 Special.

Interesting. I have about 2 days on the 2011 190 and I was having the same debate; do I go with the 190s or the 186 Specials. I opted for the 190s because I'm not a huge fan of the pintail design. The local shop says they'll have a demo on the 186 and I'll be trying it out.

Thanks for keeping the thread updated on the Special. I'm absolutely loving my 190s. Montana just needs more snow...

[pappag]

Interesting. I have about 2 days on the 2011 190 and I was having the same debate; do I go with the 190s or the 186 Specials. I opted for the 190s because I'm not a huge fan of the pintail design. The local shop says they'll have a demo on the 186 and I'll be trying it out.

I should have also included in that statement above that if you don't ski switch, prefer pointing it down the mountain while letting 'er rip, AND want to be more comfortable stomping airs, than the Special is more ideal.

Aside from having a flat tail, this version seems to be the better tool (for a directional skier) because of the exaggerated shark nose tip which slices through the chop with greater ease but without losing any slarvability or tree performance. As for the pintail design, I couldn't be happier with how little sidecut there is from the waist to the tail. There is definitely a noticeable difference in straightline stability versus the 190 as well as having a more effective platform to land airs on.

[Bobcat Sig]

I should have also included in that statement above that if you don't ski switch, prefer pointing it down the mountain while letting 'er rip, AND want to be more comfortable stomping airs, than the Special is more ideal.

Aside from having a flat tail, this version seems to be the better tool (for a directional skier) because of the exaggerated shark nose tip which slices through the chop with greater ease but without losing any slarvability or tree performance. As for the pintail design, I couldn't be happier with how little sidecut there is from the waist to the tail. There is definitely a noticeable difference in straightline stability versus the 190 as well as having a more effective platform to land airs on.

I had the same thought with the twin. I don't really land or ski switch. But I did want a playful ski, which is why I went with the 190. With the pintail-ish skis I've been on an read about, I wanted something with a more traditional tail to really carry out the turns or if I need to stand on the tails to scrub speed in tight situations, I needed it to be there. Seems a bit counter intuitive with the twin of the Bibby.

Ideally, I'd like to get on the skis back to back in the same day. For now, I anxiously await Ullr to deliver the goods so I can get some more time on the 190s.

[pappag]

Couple more things to note...


(1) for 2012/2013, this ski will be renamed the Governor. The Bibby (mustache rocker in 190, 184, 174) will continue to exist

(2) Skiers that really like to press their tips hard (even in deep powder) have been stoked at mounting between -11 and -12cm from true center.

[Maker]

this seems a lot like a Lhasa (and particularly the 191 fat now) to me...anyone been on both? The bibby has a shorter radius and maybe a bit more tip rocker?

[pappag]

More on the mount point... I have mine at -9.75cm but factory line is -10.5 I believe. Absolutely love the ski here and could even see going a bit more forward to -8/8.5.

[fat yeti]

So i have spent one full day on this ski. Im 5'8" and 195. Ive liked and disliked a lot of skis over the year favorite ski of all time Original Bibby. So if you live in Utah you know last Saturday that the conditions were ok not bad but not great. I figured I would ski these two runs at Snowbird and swap them out. Ohh I was wrong Hot Damn these things were good. Skied the groomer and made my way on the traverse on mid Cirque skied the cirque wish conditions were not so mixed (they got softer during the day) ski handle well stable and easy to ski. Hit the groomer on the way back and wow this thing loves medium to soft groomers shoots you in and out of turns. Skied the whole day and I was some powder and crud, I can only imagine they will kill it and destroy spring snow. I love how this skis soft snow and not so nice conditions its stiff but is easy to ski. I had praxis concepts last year and was not sold on them. Skied that ski in similar conditions as that day and I will take the Bibby special/Governor over the concept. It hooked up in turns better. The other plus of the tail is the ability to let haul on groomers and point it straight they don't wash. However you can shut it down at any time so smoth and versitle. Im taking these for three days of Cat Skiing in Burndige Idaho (pray for pow) and cant wait to spend more time on them. Great ski and if you want the Automatic, Squad 7 or Rocker 115 why wait get this ski now.

[D(C)]

Does this ski feel balanced? In my experience, pintail designs can be hit-or-miss. The Blister Review suggests some issues, though they were on a proto with softer tails. Looking for unbiased, unhyped info.

Hits:
- RC 112 - balanced, grippy yet easy to slide
- Prior Overlord

Misses:
- S7 - tip feels overpowering at turn initiation while lacking tail for completion
- Lhasa - tips are grabby while the rest of the sidecut won't engage in a carve. when initiating a slide, the tips grab while the rest of the ski slides around

Also, how will these compare to next year's 187 Jag Shark? The Jag Shark looks really appealing if the tails are easy to release. I like the slightly toned down flex.

[pappag]

Given my affiliation with the company, I'll try to remain as unbiased as possible.

Moving past the "this ski fucking rocks" attitude I've had of late, I honestly can't think of any issues regarding the pintail shape. The ski can charge straight as much as you're willing to push it, but it can also make tight turns when necessary in the trees/bumps and when you want to shut it down before pointing it or making quick adjustments (I imagine the front sidecut makes this all the more possible than one might think otherwise). I also can't think of a time when the tail didn't disengage when I wanted it to. The Special/Governor truly has the same amount of manuverability/slarvability as the Bibby Pro but with a flatter, stiffer tail for way more support when landing airs. Not sure if I understand your "balance" inquiry, but if I was forced to change something about this ski, I would probably make it stiffer, and I think you could without sacrificing anything. Doesn't mean something's "broken", but I feel the shape of the ski is good enough where a stiffer flex wouldn't hurt anything or negatively impact the ski's performance. Now I know a lot of this probably sounds and smells like used car salesman fluff, but I really can't word any of it differently.

As for the 87 Jag Shark comparison, I haven't been on that ski but given the hand flex, I wouldn't be surprised if it skied quite similarly to the Special/Governor.

[D(C)]

Not sure if I understand your "balance" inquiry

Here's what I'm talking about, phrased well by the Blister review:

"I started in with some tighter turns and immediately noticed how easily the Special’s tails (a tiny 126mm compared to the 150mm shovel width), tended to slip out and point the tips down the fall line. I might compare the sensation to that of driving a forklift, in which the rear wheels do all the maneuvering. Immediately, it became clear that the Specials were not responding like other big mountain boards might when it comes to shorter, scrubbed turns. Any quick input to initiate a turn across the slope came from releasing the tails, rather than a more familiar slarve turn that engages a grater portion of the skis running length."

So basically, grippy tips and washy tails.