• For more information on how to avoid pop-up ads and still support SkiTalk click HERE.

Cage Match Comparison 2021 Augment All Mountain 77Ti vs 2021 Blossom White Out

Philpug

Notorious P.U.G.
Admin
SkiTalk Tester
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Posts
42,624
Location
Reno, eNVy
Cage-match-Augment-am77Ti-vs-Blossom-White-out.png
You would think this would be a much more direct comparison with all of the same boxes being checked: boutique brand, premium build, high performance, and 77mm underfoot. But the similarities, many as they are, go away when these two skis get on the snow. These two skis are vastly different in feel and in price with Augment being a couple hundred dollars north of the comma and the Blossom similarly south. But you are not buying these skis based on price, but performance, because both are well worth their asking price for very different reasons.

Even though the Augment All Mountain 77Ti is a newer design than the Blossom, it has a much older soul. The AM77Ti is about as traditional as it gets in construction and feel on the snow. It is an all mountain ski that, depending on the flex, any ex-World Cup racer would be happy to ski as their every day driver if they didn’t choose a full bore race ski. The Augment is full cambered with a medium to longer turn radius. For the higher cost of entry you have the option to choose the flex. Augment says soft, medium, or stiff but it is more accurately stiff, stiffer, or stiffest. The AM77Ti does have a high price tag, but I have yet to put a good skier on one that didn’t say they were worth the price.

Blossom is making a push to get its well tuned edges into the U.S. market and they are doing it with the tried and true method of offering a lower price than the competition. The White Out has as much of a following with our readers as anywhere for good reason. It is a ski with world class build quality and a typical off-the-shelf price point. Build quality is on par with Augment but you are getting a ski with a much broader performance range. That's not a bad thing, just a much bigger and relaxed sweet spot. The White Out is the more nimble of the two skis with a short to medium turn radius making it a bit more playful, especially at mortal speeds.
  • Why choose the Augment AM77Ti: You want the best because you can ski and appreciate the best. These are NOT for people who just want to say they have the best.
  • Why choose the Blossom White Out: You want a ski that has refinement but you know value when it stares you in the face.
  • Insider Tip: The quality of these skis is directly inverse to the quality of their digital images.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Dougb

Out on the slopes
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Dec 31, 2019
Posts
1,102
Location
Alameda, California
@Philpug thanks for this cage match. The results surprised me. It just goes to show that a ski is measured by so much more than its dimensions and price tag.
 

ski otter 2

Making fresh tracks
Skier
Joined
Nov 20, 2015
Posts
2,920
Location
Front Range, Colorado
I own an older Whiteout (wonderful), and have demoed the 77 - good ski. As different as these two skis are, they are probably a bit closer than the Whiteout and the AX, though the versatile uses of the latter two skis do overlap: both are good for more than just groomers on corduroy.

Maybe the 77 and the Stockli AR would be a closer comparison, though the AX is the more popular ski. (And the AR, as I recall, is more precise, at least on the days I demoed them.)

A question: is the current Whiteout unchanged from older versions, or have there been improvements/changes, besides graphics?
(Mine is such a good ski that I'm not sure it needs improvements.)
 
Thread Starter
TS
Philpug

Philpug

Notorious P.U.G.
Admin
SkiTalk Tester
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Posts
42,624
Location
Reno, eNVy
Actually it is the AR I have the Cross Wind against. Look for it later this week.
 

Noodler

Sir Turn-a-lot
Skier
Joined
Oct 4, 2017
Posts
6,314
Location
Denver, CO
@Philpug - I think you did great job of capturing the spirit of these skis and identifying the differences in their characteristics. I'll add that the AM 77 has much more of a race room construction and feel, while the White Out, though just as smooth, doesn't have the level of energy rebound the AM 77 can give back. What I prefer about the White Out is the much quicker turn-in and initial pull coming from the tip. It's flex stiffness is also a better match for my body weight and typical skiing speed. The White Out always just felt perfectly "there" for me in any turn, whereas the AM 77 required more attention to keep it tamed. Luckily the AM 77 is available in different flexes, so there is the ability to find something that's a better much, but it points out how important it is to find skis that are matched to the forces you're going to generate on them. Goldilocks needs the "porridge that's just right". ;)
 

tromano

Goin' the way they're pointed...
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Dec 28, 2015
Posts
2,440
Location
Layton, UT
Pretty much this. Great comparisons all around.
 

Sponsor

Top