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Blizzard Brahma Next Step Down - 85-90mm?

ted

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Despite the fact that Volkl marketed the Kanjo as an intermediate ski, I am a big fan. It's not soft, but not as stiff as the Kendo. I personally like the larger turn radius as it is less hooky in irregular terrain.
The slightly softer flex allows the ski to be bent into shorter radius carves and absorbs bumps a little better.
 

AlpedHuez

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From what I've heard, the 2021 Brahma might be the ski you are looking for
What have you heard about the 2021 Brahma (88)? I would like to know more, as I am looking for a high 80s/low 90s underfoot ski with a racier feel that is still confident in softer/off-piste choppy snow, to slot between my Deacon 84s and M5s ...
 
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Superbman

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What have you heard about the 2021 Brahma (88)? I would like to know more, as I am looking for a high 80s/low 90s underfoot ski with a racier feel that is still confident in softer/off-piste choppy snow, to slot between my Deacon 84s and M5s ...

Realskiers did an article of the new 2021 Blizzard Bonafide/ Brahma as have some other notable sites, the new core construction sounds like it cooked up the kind of ski you're looking for. I also like the sound of the new Salomon Stance series (90 in this case).
 
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AlpedHuez

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Realskiers did an article of the new 2021 Blizzard Bonafide/ Brahma as have some other notable sites, the new core construction sounds like it cooked up the kind of ski you're looking for. I also like the sound of the new Salomon Stance series (90 in this case).
Oh okay, I read the real skiers take. I thought from what you wrote that you had been on the new Brahmas yourself.
 

AlpedHuez

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I was able to swing a deal with my local London-area ski shop to get the 18/19 Brahma 88 (in a 180) in a swap for unused 16/17 Mach1s I had got from them in Fall, intending to update my Tahoe boots. But I had managed to get the 18/19 Mach1s right after that, so those went to Tahoe.
 
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tball

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When good skiers like @markojp and @Mike Thomas who are bigger than average give the Navigator 90 their endorsements, I think that says a lot about the ski.
I'm here to reconfirm my Navigator love. I've skied the crap out of my somewhat undersized 172 cm Navigator 80's and loved them at 180lbs, taking them places no "intermediate" ski was meant to go.

Here's a little Palvachini shoot out I did comparing them with the other skis in my quiver in slush last spring:

Last weekend I did seven laps on Tucker Mountain in chalky firm conditions and was enjoying my skis more than my buddy on his Mantra's and my other buddy on his Super 7's(?!?).

00100dPORTRAIT_00100_BURST20200308131443021_COVER (2).jpg


I like my Navigator 80's so much I bought a pair of Navigator 90's in 179 cm for Tucker/Pali/Beavers duty, but they are still sitting in my basement as I haven't gotten around to mounting them up yet.

My slightly short Navigator 80's that I bought to ski with my kids have just been remarkable in the extraordinary range of terrain, conditions, and speed at which they have been a blast to ski. Slow or (kinda) fast, steep or mellow, they are a blast!
 

coachmdd

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Can’t say enough in favor of the E88’s.
6’3” 265 59 yr old. Am on the 187’s and find no problems with anything on-trail in New England after 30 years off boards and in so-so shape.

Afflicted with an ArborialOrthoChrono allergy, I find the E88 only challenged under extreme ice or 6”+ dumps. Quick in and out of short turns and will smear. Shovel & tail tune will get them to favor more lockup or ease of release, 88cm under foot gives stability in straight line speed as long as you wander out to edges every so often.

In my situation would maybe add a pair of Bonafides next. Have friends on the AX’s & Brahma’s and wouldn’t trade for either.
 
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ski otter 2

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I spent 5 days on the current Monster 88’s. 177, in Switzerland. Imo, Head has flailed at the front tip shape. It is way too piste oriented. The sidecut comes way up to the front. It’s not as bad as their Hammer Head tip, but it ain’t great. Why do such a thing? Just make the damn thing 2-3 cm longer and change the tip shape. Even Stockli, as carving oriented a company there is, doesn’t do that on their 88’s.

The Monster 88 just has too much resistance entering a turn in cutup pow. Love the tail and the overall composure of the ski. I suspect the 83 works much better with this design. I don’t think the side profile of the tip/front needs as broad a curve as some, say the Rossi Exp 88, but I’d love to see more taper to it in plan. If it loses some carving stability at speed, so what. Get a carving ski.

Skiing the Monster 83 back to back with the 88, in various years, I did prefer the 83 very noticeably each time, mostly on groomers, though versatile. To me, both were groomer-biased skis, rather than off piste or bump skis. And I prefer a race ski or near race ski for that, but the Monsters are impressive.

The Rossi Exp 88 of the last few years, on the other hand, has gotten a lot lighter weight, and to me its suspension has lost a lot - for me, it bottoms out with a brittle feel - very different than it used to be when heavier, with its great suspension being a strong point.
 
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ski otter 2

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Besides the Brahma, in that 85-90 width, the two skis I most like may be just for lighter (but charging) skiers, not sure. They are the Black Crows Orb 88/(90 to 91 previously), in either 179 or 184.6 equally. And my much older Atomic Nomad Crimson Ti 179 or 186(?) - out of production for years. The former has a pop and airborne feel to it that is exciting and controllable; and carves very easily. At the same time it's not as stiff as the Brahma 180, but (for me) more chargy/playful. Not sure if this ski would hold up to a much heavier skier, since it's slightly easier to flex already than the Brahma. The latter, the Crimsons, are on the stiffer side, but really flex well and respond to working the ski from tip to tail on edge, though they will also slarve when wanted.

A third ski in that width I liked a lot (but was not crazy about) was the new 20/21 Nordica Enforcer 88. The flex of this ski just works for me much better than the flex of the Enforcer 93, at least in the 18x length I skied both in. I might well have liked the 93 better in its 178 (? or so) length, not sure. But the Enforcer 88 in 186 or so worked very well and smoothly. I liked it both on groomers and off piste. It seemed like this 88 would complement the Enforcer 100 very well, or any other ~100 waist ski or wider.
Still, for a heavier guy, I'm just not sure. Probably the Crimsons would hold up best, but they prefer a lot of really active edgework, working the ski tip to tail.

Review: (From Powder 7 in Golden, CO)
There's a lot to love about the new version of the Black Crows Orb. It's slightly narrower, at a super-popular 88mm underfoot, making it a tad quicker and edgier. It's got H-shaped metal, which adds power where you need it without making you ski like you've got bricks around your ankles. And, it's dressed in pinstripes, which automatically makes it a winner. Lightweight for such a strong all-mountain ski, the Orb rips through moguls and slices groomers and mixed snow with an energetic, lively feel. Intermediate skiers can handle the Orb as long as they promise to keep their weight in the fronts of their ski boots and attack the hill. Experts, meanwhile, can burn enough hot laps on these skis to make them wonder if the clocks on their iPhones froze. Similar skis: Rossignol Experience 88 Ti, Nordica Enforcer 88, Dynastar Legend 88.
 
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markojp

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Next season's Dynastar M-pro 90 should be on the radar... it's very nice.
 

SmileGuy

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Blizzard Bushwacker 180cm

Liberty eVolv90 179cm

Head Monster 88 177cm

Head V10 177cm

All pretty easy to ski and capable.

The Head Monster 88's are the most refined / damp feeling on piste of the skis on this list and almost every other ski in its category. Are they the easiest to ski? In moguls probably not but at your weight they are pretty easy to ski no question.
The monster 88 in a 177cm is my groomer/bump ski and I find it very easy in bumps. some of it has to do with it being shorter than the rest of my quiver p(around 185cm), but stockli sr88 and Kastle mx88 in same size, MUCH more difficult in bumps for me
 

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