What's Blizzard up to?

**Bandit Man** · 03-27-2021, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by noslow

You guys make it sound like I brought up ON3P on the Dynastar thread or something.....lol
With all this talk of broken Rustler 11s and some people wanting more playful Bonafide 97s, I thought the Factions as other options.

Moved the post to it’s own thread. Carry on!

I wasn’t suggesting that to be a jerk, but rather so people can find the info you referenced. I love the idea that we can be something more than the Billy Goat, MFree, Hoji Boot forum.

**I've seen black diamonds!** · 03-27-2021, 07:33 PM

Interesting that the Candide line has new construction and a new factory. I know a couple 20-something rippers who loved older versions of those skis but gave up on them because they were too fragile.

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**skibrd** · 03-27-2021, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by Bandit Man

I wasn’t suggesting that to be a jerk, but rather so people can find the info you referenced. I love the idea that we can be something more than the Billy Goat, MFree, Hoji Boot forum.

You left out Moment skis, LP105, and Praxis...

Seriously though, everyone makes great skis these days. I could see my self only skiing R11s at the right place where I needed to lose the weight for more hiking/touring, but for my height/weight/skiing, I’m not a fan of it in Jackson. We are all different and like different types of skis. I personally never would of thought I’d click with the Rustler 9s, but it’s almost become my go to ski for no new snow because it just works for me.

**noslow** · 03-28-2021, 06:39 AM

Originally Posted by Bandit Man

I wasn’t suggesting that to be a jerk, but rather so people can find the info you referenced. I love the idea that we can be something more than the Billy Goat, MFree, Hoji Boot forum.

Lots of great info shared on this site but haven’t seen much on here about he Faction line this year which are definitely sleepers. Should have made a short and sweet post about the Factions vs some Blizzard skis on this thread and posted the my longer Faction post separately elsewhere. Next time!

**noslow** · 03-28-2021, 07:39 AM

Originally Posted by I've seen black diamonds!

Interesting that the Candide line has new construction and a new factory. I know a couple 20-something rippers who loved older versions of those skis but gave up on them because they were too fragile.

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Lots of nightmare stories of older Factions breaking online but they always seemed to replace them without issue as they have a “no questions asked” 2 year replacement warranty on their skis. Always thought they were too light and soft till I saw some early reviews and 2200gram plus weights on the skinniest 2021 Candide models and became intrigued. Blister did a podcast with Faction and they talked about moving production to Fisher as they were not satisfied with their quality control before. Candide line now all chargers that are still playful and the Prodigy line the lighter, softer flexing and more tapered line.

The 2021 Candide 1.0-Inbetween a Brahma 88 and Rustler 9 in feel. The 2021 Candide 2.0-A Bonafide 97/Rustler 10/Enforcer 104 mix. The 2021 Candide 3.0-A 188cm/192cm Rustler 11 or 192 cm MFree 108 feel even in the 184cm length. The 2021 122mm 5.0 hasn’t been revamped with a much heavier build, so it’s actually lighter in weight than the 92mm 1.0 is now!

**skibrd** · 03-28-2021, 11:59 AM

For the guys looking for a Gunsmoke replacement, check out the Salomon Blank. They felt like a fat Rustler 9, what I wanted the R10s and R11s to feel like.

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**gregL** · 03-28-2021, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by skibrd

For the guys looking for a Gunsmoke replacement, check out the Salomon Blank. They felt like a fat Rustler 9, what I wanted the R10s and R11s to feel like.

Yeah, the Blank is awesome. In the absence of a Rustler 10.5 I may have to get one.

**undertow2** · 03-28-2021, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by skibrd

For the guys looking for a Gunsmoke replacement, check out the Salomon Blank. They felt like a fat Rustler 9, what I wanted the R10s and R11s to feel like.

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This ski will without a doubt be ordered next year and that is still with a minty pair of 192 Gunsmokes...

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**roQer** · 03-28-2021, 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by Undertow

This ski will without a doubt be ordered next year and that is still with a minty pair of 192 Gunsmokes...

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Wasn’t it TGR consensus that the best replacement for Gunsmokes is M-free 108?

**Bandit Man** · 03-28-2021, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by skibrd

For the guys looking for a Gunsmoke replacement, check out the Salomon Blank. They felt like a fat Rustler 9, what I wanted the R10s and R11s to feel like.

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Interesting. What length did you ski?

**undertow2** · 03-28-2021, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by roQer

Wasn’t it TGR consensus that the best replacement for Gunsmokes is M-free 108?

I don’t know if it is a replacement but sounds like it is close... And I also ended up buying the 192 MFrees and hope to ski them next week - the new Blank from the guys I respect and know that have been on them absolutely love it...!

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**skibrd** · 03-28-2021, 05:05 PM

Originally Posted by Bandit Man

Interesting. What length did you ski?

194cm. We get some soft snow tomorrow so I’ll report back with how they do on dust on crust, then slush the few days after. I’ll also try get them into some high alpine terrain later this week/early next week. Give them a good trashing and see how they go.

GregL, I 100% thought of you multiple times skiing them this morning. The

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**roQer** · 03-28-2021, 11:16 PM

Originally Posted by Undertow

I don’t know if it is a replacement but sounds like it is close... And I also ended up buying the 192 MFrees and hope to ski them next week - the new Blank from the guys I respect and know that have been on them absolutely love it...!

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Wait until you ski your MF108. The Blank looks to me like a slightly wider MF108. Being also turned off by the short radius and the length range. 186 will be to short and 194 sounds like to long for me.

**kid-kapow** · 03-29-2021, 04:16 AM

Hm, that is very interesting re Blank skiing similarly to R9s, just in a wider platform.

It seems like a lot of folks like the Blanks re various reviews online (including Corolla debacle in the 21/22 thread), but I have had a hard time moving past the various POVs posted on Insta posted by Salomon athletes where they come across as very turny, wanting to hook up and engage all the time. Sure, I like my wider skis to still be strong on hard snow, but not to the extent where I have to fight the sidecut/shape in deep snow. Perphas it is just the way certain people ski that makes them seem more turny than they are.

Skibrd - sorry as I remember that you have mentioned why before - but what is it that you find wanting in the R10s again?

Edit: hm, my local shop had a pair of 186 Blanks in the shop. The shovels and tails are a lot softer than I thought they would be, def a lot softer than R11s in 188. Would beb fun to try them, but alas - I am more likely to buy a pair of R11s in 188 than Blanks tbh.

**skibrd** · 03-29-2021, 04:55 PM

Kid-Kapow, I was also nervous about how soft the tip and tail are, and the short turn radius, but they haven’t been an issue at all. Today I had them out in 6in of heavy pow on ice (worst conditions for a ski that isn’t two sheets of metal) and the tip/tail/radius never once entered my mind as an issue. They did what I wanted when. Floated up nicely when I found a good deep pocket, turned how I wanted when I wanted them to. Pretty much what the Gunsmoke was. I did heavily detune mine, which may of helped a ton with the narrow radius, but they make the turns I want.

I wanted the R10 to have the same flex it has under foot in the tip and tail. I didn’t want it to fold up on me in pow and nothing be supportive. I couldn’t ski the R10 hard in anything soft without getting tossed around. The Blank is what I wanted the R10/11 to be.

I also wouldn’t be afraid of sizing up on the Blank. They don’t ski/feel like a 194. The 193 Kaestle BMX 115 feels like a LOT more ski then the Blank.

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**~mikey b** · 03-29-2021, 05:00 PM

Blank is on my radar.

**DarthMarkus** · 03-29-2021, 07:08 PM

All this talk on the blank and its similarity to the gunsmoke... It's surprising to say the least. I'm pretty happy with the m-free as a replacement to the gunsmoke/peacemaker, but it sounds like I should expand my horizons a little.

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**roQer** · 03-29-2021, 10:30 PM

Originally Posted by skibrd

The Blank is what I wanted the R10/11 to be.

I really wonder what are you missing in R11. Did you ski R11 in 192?

**skibrd** · 03-29-2021, 11:45 PM

Originally Posted by roQer

I really wonder what are you missing in R11. Did you ski R11 in 192?

Yep, tried it the first year, just wasn’t a fan and I really wanted to like it since it replaced the Gunsmoke and was green. I was also relying on stiff skis to get me by, and if a pow ski wasn’t the Shiro, I didn’t like it. My mind might change now, but until I kill the Blanks, they will be the ski.

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**kid-kapow** · 03-30-2021, 02:52 AM

Thanks for your thoughts Skibrd!

I am a fairly light and smaller rider, so I have never had any issues with either R10s or R11s not being supportive enough. I did find the R10s to be a bit too turny, though I did not detune my pair significantly. I also found my 180 R11s to be too short, and in certain conditions (light pow ontop ice) the built in torsional flex in the tips/tails enabled by the unidirectional carbon was really pronounced.

I dunno - the main reason I sold my R10s was to get a new pair with Pivots over the ATK FR14s I had on my first pair, and to get a pair of 188 R11s with Pivots as well. I really like both skis, especially if more detune and centered weight bias would make the R10s a bit less turny and stabble, and the a 188 would umph the stability and float a bit for R11s.

QST98+Blank could be a fun two punch quiver too, but I would be hard pressed to pay anything close to retail for them just due to the sheer number of people getting them for free over here.

Alas, I am really quite happy with my stable of ON3Ps and am in the process of remounting my trusted old LibTech Freeride + Pow NAS, so I am not lacking for options. Also, in the end I ended up preferring woodsman108s + woodsman108tours to MF108s, so I guess I am a bit of an outlier in that sense.

**skibrd** · 03-30-2021, 02:20 PM

Any time Kid-Kapow.

I didn’t get mine for free, I got a nice % off as a buddy deal from a local shop, but definitely had to buy them.

If I can get on a pair of new 192 R11s I’ll give them another shot, but I’ve been happy with where my quiver is at.

I don’t see a reason to have to get the QST 98. Their are a bunch of better skis for me in that spot. R9, Bonafide, or red tip MX98 (R.I.P.) are much better for me.

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**whyturn** · 03-30-2021, 05:51 PM

Just added a green 192 to my orange 188 for bigger days. Need to take BG out for comparison. But it’s a great ski

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**Gnar_Shralp406** · 03-31-2021, 07:49 PM

Ya, the Rustler 11 kicks ass.

Carry on.

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**AEV** · 03-31-2021, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by skibrd

Yep, tried it the first year, just wasn’t a fan and I really wanted to like it since it replaced the Gunsmoke and was green. I was also relying on stiff skis to get me by, and if a pow ski wasn’t the Shiro, I didn’t like it. My mind might change now, but until I kill the Blanks, they will be the ski.

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FKNA I miss the gunsmokes! Those were some of the best skis I have ever skied. Looking for something very similar now. Those Salomon Blanks turn radius scares me, and the softer tips than tails flex profile does too.

**skibrd** · 03-31-2021, 09:17 PM

Originally Posted by AEV

FKNA I miss the gunsmokes! Those were some of the best skis I have ever skied. Looking for something very similar now. Those Salomon Blanks turn radius scares me, and the softer tips than tails flex profile does too.

I heavily detuned from about 6in in front of the binding to the tip, tapering the detune, and same for the tails.

Maybe all this gunsmoke talk will bring it back

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