Yes, got video too.
Ski: Blossom Whiteout
http://www.blossomski.com/
Length: 176cm
Dimensions: 131-77-111
Radius: 15m Radius
Binding: Mounted with Fischer WC race plates and Head RD16 bindings; tuned at .5/3
Mounting Point: -1cm of BoF @ CRS or +1 of manufacturer’s mid-sole mark
Age: 29
Height: 5’ 7”
Weight: 145lbs
Days/Season: 40+; down from 75+
Background: Racer / Competitor
Location: Holimont
Conditions: I skied these later in the day both Saturday and Sunday once the groomers were tracked up and turned into an inconsistent surface with hard pack broken up by mounds of powder or loose granular.
Video: So you can see how they perform. Pretty mellow turns at 2:30 in the afternoon; the snow surface was pretty rough (watch the tips), and I couldn’t see a thing in the flat light - just let the skis do the work for me. The skis easily skied through everything.
Review:
Thanks to iriponsnow, I am now the proud owner of a pair of Blossom skis. I wanted to get on these now that my beloved Hart skis have seen their better days (Harts are made by Blossom).
Once I got these on snow I was having a blast on them. These skis are just plain fun. They feel like a slalom ski due to the tight radius, but due to the width and soft tip compared to a slalom ski, are MUCH more versatile. The other characteristic that they share with a slalom race ski is edge hold. Boy do these things hold an edge. Blossom has done a superb job of blending flex with unshakable edge hold – a really impressive feat.
The flex and edge hold let this ski slice through pretty much any terrain feature you’ll find on a groomed run. You can ski from hard pack to loose granular to piles of powder and back to hard pack without a care in the world. There is no concern about the ski breaking loose or submarining when you hit loose snow like SL skis too often do. I loved that I could really use the front of the ski and not have to worry about terrain inconsistencies. The other characteristic that I liked was despite not having an aggressive flex, the skis feel very lively and springy under foot - like you're bouncing from turn to turn - but it is manageable - not like a slalom ski that you have to stay on top of all the time.
The best part about this ski is how EASY it is to ski on. The sweet spot is enormous. You could be anywhere over this ski and it is going to make predictable turns for you. It really rewards race-like technique and loves to be on edge. If you love to arc short to medium radius turns and want something that will still make the late afternoon groomers just as much fun as the early morning groomers – this is your ticket. One important note that the racers will appreciate is the taper angle of the ski - it is much like a slalom ski, so it isn't going to hang onto turns like skis with a more aggressive tail - it releases just like a race ski so it will be more versatile than say a Head Titan or similar ski.
I haven’t had them in bumps, powder, or crud yet, but I have no reason to believe that they wouldn’t handle variable terrain extremely well. The size of the tip and the softer flex will make this a winner on most any terrain. I actually skied a brush SL course on them and they made the turns just fine – pretty impressive for a ski this size.
Overall, this ski is a winner if you’re looking for a short-turning all-mountain ski that rewards race technique and/or carving addicts. I see myself spending A LOT of time on these skis this year. They are just plain FUN.
…Now to get my hands on a 180cm Blossom Windshear!
Pros:
Easy to ski, short turn radius, predictable, great edge hold, loves to be on edge, completely owns groomed terrain any time of the day, despite it's mellow temperment it has a lot of horsepower under the hood if you know how to call on it; they look awesome - had to say it...
Cons:
Probably has a speed limit in long turns, won’t be super stable in long turns, heavier skiers, skiers who prefer to muscle their skis, or skiers who do not use race-like technique may not enjoy the ski; width could be an issue for skiers who are not adept at putting their skis on edge - so not likely the most ideal "learning" tool