Top end skis tend to stay the same for a long period of time. The Blizzard Bonafide is no exception. It’s been around for a couple of years, now and remains atop contender in the “race ski on steroids” category that appeals to a huge amount of skiers on the hill. Once again, the Bonafide is a true all-mountain crusher—stoutly built and capable of pretty much anything the mountain can throw at it. Thanks to a wood core, two sheets of metal, and carbon tips and tails, the Bonafide is able to blur pretty much any label you can put on it. These ~100 mm underfoot skis are the ultimate one-ski quiver type skis, and the Bonafide sits squarely at the top of the list. Our testers generally agree with those statements.
Hans von Bielsen skied the 180 cm Bonafide and immediately recognized the strength and power of the ski. He scored the ski 4’s out of 5 for torsional stiffness, versatility, and overall impression. The average scores for playfulness and forgiveness reveal the stiff and burly nature of the ski. “The Bonafide is a strong ski” he says. “It will move snow in all conditions. The 180 is a great length for tighter turning terrain. With the weight of the metal, the longer length would be a lot more work to get the skis across the hill.” Hans is noting that the skis in the shorter length weigh less and have a shorter turning radius, so getting them to do what you want will be less effort than the longer length. “If you want a strong all-mountain ski, this should be in the conversation.” Hans’ experience on the Bonafide is unsurprising; we have an expert skier commenting on how they handle any snow condition, and can get to be a handful at longer lengths.
Charlie Roy didn’t think the 187 cm Bonafide was playful at all. All his other scores were high, but playfulness was not one of them. If you are looking for a ski that lollygags along, the Bonafide is probably not your stick. His top mark for stability is no shock. “This ski rocks! Like a double-wide GS ski, it is super damp and can plow through anything. Very stable making high-speed arcs through the crud. They are surprisingly maneuverable and would make a perfect powder ski for the expert skier.” At 98 mm underfoot, there are certainly wider, more powder-appropriate skis on the market, but Charlie is pointing out that the width and stability, combined with Blizzard’s flipcore rocker technology are more than enough to carry you through some deep, fresh snow.
Troy Dehm also skied the longer 187 length and had a very favorable overall impression. He also gave top scores for edge hold, stability, and flotation. Again, a lot of these high marks are due to Blizzard’s amazing construction and design. He didn’t find it too quick or forgiving, most likely due to the tremendous amount of heavyweight materials included in the skis. Conversely, those materials also do something wonderful for the skis: “Crushes groom, mush, and powder. Loves to go fast and rail GS turns. Will power over most surfaces and has a firm edge hold at high speed.” He goes on to note that the skis are mainly “advanced to expert level,” which comes at a shock to nobody.
That Bonafide, though, is one heck of an all-mountain freeride ski. It handles it all, and does so heavily and awesomely. If you’re an expert level skier who wants that one ski to rule all, the Bonafide is certainly a must-ski.
