 Poster: A snowHead
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Talked to an instructor demoing them the other week on his day off (89). He said they were surprisingly good on piste and the nose definitely worked in softer stuff but obviously wouldn't be buying them himself as he had more specialist skis in his quiver. He said he could see himself recommending them to some clients though.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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fatbob, could he actually ski? I guess I'd of called them "suprisingly good" in the sense that they didn't just diverge and rip my knees out... maybe the fatter one actually works a bit better though.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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He wasn't dropping 30 footers with a sac grab (not the BBR's target demographic) but looked reasonably competent to me although have to confess didn't really stalk him off the chairlift.
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Greetings from Planet Utah.. It's summer here and the wildflowers are starting to bloom. I demo'ed a pair of these in January and I bought them on the spot. I've put about thirty days on them in all conditions except race-course ice.
186 cm
mounted with Sollie z-12s
I really like this ski for soft snow conditions, which is what we have most of the time in Utah..- I've had them in deep, light, dry powder, heavy muck, bumps, wind compressed hard steeps, groomers, just about everything except boiler plate ice. They excelled at everything with playfulness and ease . The shovel is relatively soft, but never deflects and they are quite stiff underfoot and through the tail. They fire off short turns like a slalom ski on groomers and ski powder like a surfboard. The don't crush crud quite like my old Volkls (Gotama & Mantras) but with a little edge, they do fine.
They have gotten mixed reviews on the web and been widely panned by people who haven't skied them but simply deduce their properties by looking at them...others seem to feel that they aren't burley enough or the race carver that they're looking for. No matter, I find them light (I do a lot of off- piste hiking), outrageously nimble, great in powder, and very capable of getting back to the lift at warp speed. They are easy to ski. They have traditional camber underfoot starting about 30 cm back from a rockered tip. I much prefer them, even in very deep snow, over the rockered out 115 &110 (underfoot) soft powder skis I've owned- which are useless away from untracked powder... I've even zipperlined bumps in these- due to the shape. I've dropped 10' cornices with ease and skied steep, sporty chutes with mixed snow, from very soft to nearly ice- in the same turn- smoothly and effortlessly. What I use them for is an everyday Utah ski, (soft snow) and when I'm skiing hard snow exclusively, I'll ski my Dynastar Sultan 85's- they have two sheets of metal and are more stable at higher speeds. The Sollies are fiberglass and bamboo... I like these skis a lot.
Skier type: advanced, aggressive
ski days a year - 50
Home ski hills- Park City, Alta
year I've been skiing- 20
Ht. 5'11" WT 165
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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just had a demo from Snow/rock of the 8.9 at 186 and was pretty impressed really,what looks like a awkward ski turns out to be pretty easy to get along with albeit in a fridge.the slope was pretty cut up from a previous race round so there was a few bumps and loose snow at the sides which helped in getting a feel for them.I could tell that on a bigger slope you could open up a bit and have fun on them I would like another go in deeper conditions as the tips are huge so i guess they would give a fair amount of lift,not alot of tip rise/height though so ?????.With the turned up tail I found you do have to stay centered like a twin tip as it slides easy coming out of turns but once I found out how it behaves I liked them and will try again on a mountain no probs.
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and an update...
I've used the BBRs with new boots in all sorts of conditiions in Val d'Isere last week. ( December 2011 )
Still great fun off-piste.
But not so convinced with them anymore on piste. Fine for cruising along, but too forgiving if you want to get technical/precise.
Cheers!
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I hate these skis. They look so gay it's untrue.
But I don't think they're really aimed at skiers like me (with a 67-120mm quiver at my disposal), and when I demo-ed them (the 7.9 in a 179) I couldn't help but be begrudgingly impressed... I don't believe there really is one ski to do everything, but for certain solid piste cruisers of a certain age who want a bit of help in the soft stuff, these will really hit the mark I reckon. Am sure Salomon (and UK retailers) have seriously over-anticipated demand and they definitely won't 'revolutionize' ski design, but I reckon there's a place for them.
Haha fatbob, I said to the super-dull Salomon rep in the video above that they weren't in the slightest bit revolutionary as I'd been skiing a Shaman for years, and he looked a bit non-plussed to say the least! 
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Tried these (8.9 in 176cm) in Revelstoke this past week and did enjoy them to a point.
I can probably best describe them as fairly good at everything but not great at anything.
It might have been the length, but in GS turns at high speed there was a fair amount of tip chatter and I felt myself not trusting the ski as they were a bit soft.
Good enough in the chop off the Stoke chair near Jalapeno and small bit of fresh and steeps off the North Bowl areas. Nothing spectacular though.
IMO it is a fun ski for cruising around the mountain but won't be used by someone who has a few skis for different conditions in their quiver.
Personally for an all mountain ski I preferred the Volkl RTM 84 also in a 176 that I skied in October in New Zealand this year. A bit stiffer and more stable at higher speeds on piste, great in the crud whilst still good in the spring slush. Might be harder to ski in icy moguls though, but never had that privilege.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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thought i would bump this thread..
just returned from 10 days on the slopes at steamboat and spent 2 days on volkl kendo and it was a dull 2 days...7.5 days on volkl RTM and had a lot of fun in trees, ice, and man made snow(gutted about the limited fresh snow but thats another thread) and half a day on BBR 8.9 186...OMG...i normally ski on anything but usually 165'ish and upper limit is 175 so to try these at 186 was new..only thing i can say is that the length was no issue whatsoever but the ski's...they were just amazing..i will admit that the slopes i used them on for the few hours was generally man made with a hard base but they cut through all of the piles of snow like they were not there..ice pack didnt phase them and tight turns at speed was not an issue..edge to edge was also like a pair of slalom ski's and straight downhill was rock solid at high speed.... the real buzz was carving at high speed..didnt matter how much you pushed them they held the curve exactly where i wanted it.. only thing i didnt try them on was powder(there wasnt any  and moguls - not really a fan of moguls so not to bothered about that.
For me they ticked every box and i would buy them - i have always rented top end demo ski's buy i think these may have changed my mind..
only negative i would say is that they felt vey tip heavy at first but that was to be expected given the longer length than i was used to and their shape but after 10mins that vanished---if you get the chance with these go for it..i defy anyone to not enjoy them..
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like a normal ski, just not as good IMHO
Tried the 79's and.....
ok on piste, pretty poor off and really vague feeling both when innitiating the turn and trying to get some acceleration out of the turn.
i've got some 8yr old public enemy's, 10 yr old Volkl 6 stars and some 3 yr old Amplid Teddy Bears and i'd pick any one of them to take out for a day before the BBR's
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
Tried the 79's and.....
ok on piste, pretty poor off and really vague feeling both when innitiating the turn and trying to get some acceleration out of the turn.
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i didnt try the 7.9's but would expect your comments to be true of the 7.9's if you are pushing them hard hence the stiffness of the 8.9s is definetly my preference for all the reasons i commented on.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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from another thread but I want to be sure that as many people as possible know that I think these skis 'have no clothes'.
| flowa wrote: |
I skied the BBR's at the PSB and in those conditions (hard-packed piste) found them to be very flappy at the tips and totally rubbish .... they were so ridiculous, I only skied one run with them and took them back as quickly as possible.
Last week at the Cheapo Xmas Escape 11 we had fantastically variable conditions that suited my day-to-day skies perfectly for the first 5 days both on and off piste. On days 6 & 7 we were treated to massive dumps of snow and I opted to rent.
Day 6, I took these out for the freshest, lightest pow I've skied in years. I had 170's (my height is 163. I normally ski 158 Dynastar Exclusive Legends day-to-day and 180 Scott P4's in powder). How were the Lacroix Offtracker's? Pretentious? Crap? Full of themselves? Not a bit of it. They were awesome   Don't believe the hype about the brand, these skies ROCK! I had a smile on my face wherever we went and if I could afford them, I'd buy them in a heart beat to replace my Dynastars which are long overdue for retirement.
Day 7 and I thought I might as well take my Dynastars out to prove that I'm good enough to ski them all conditions. Well they were too short for the weight of the snow that had been falling all night at much higher temperatures. As soon as I hit centre, the tips would dive and it was all-stop - I literally had to surf the tails straightline to get down (yuck). I was miles from the shop in which I had rented the Lacroix's and was faced with a choice between 170 Pocket Rockets and 7.9 BBR's at the closest shop. I thought, "well, the conditions at the PSB weren't exactly ideal for testing the BBR's in. These should be perfect conditions, I'll give them a second chance". where's that thread how stupid can you be?
So, out I went on the BBR's and, fair enough, with the extra length the tip-dive I had had with the Dynastars was diminshed but they were still rubbish. Turn radius was so long that when trying to do a tree line I couldn't get around quickly enough to follow the line several others had enjoyed earlier that day. They are absolutely hopeless. As soon as they get near anything remotely compact, up starts the flapping again!
Maybe the Day 6 conditions would have been better for them but that goes against all the marketing hype they come with, doesn't it? It strikes me that they are a 'one snow condition' ski. Run, run, run as fast as you can ... away from them! |
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flowa...your post refers to the 7.9 so i cant comment on your experience as my post was on the 8.9's...anyone out there have any views on the 8.9 version which is what i used.
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You know it makes sense.
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Skied with another snowhead in St Anton and she rented a pair of BBR's. While we were struggling to get through heavy powder she was surfing all the way.  (Although the fact she was also 20 kg's lighter helped too).
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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| pauljames wrote: |
| Quote: |
Tried the 79's and.....
ok on piste, pretty poor off and really vague feeling both when innitiating the turn and trying to get some acceleration out of the turn.
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i didnt try the 7.9's but would expect your comments to be true of the 7.9's if you are pushing them hard hence the stiffness of the 8.9s is definetly my preference for all the reasons i commented on. |
Yep, smells like vested interest 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I tried these for a day in flaine - had high hopes, but I really didn't like them at all. I'm a decent skiier, but much less experienced than many on here, so take my opinion for what it is.
I went from dynastar legend sultans to the bbr's and ended the week on movement sources. I can't think of anything the bbrs did best of the three. They work better than I expected on piste, but they're not very stable at speed, and don't carve long turns as well as either of the others. It's certainly hard to get those huge tips to sink in powder, but I much preferred the movements off piste.
On the plus side they're pretty easy to ski, but don't buy without trying - I'm not really sure who they will suit. Intermediates who spend most time on piste will surely be better off with a normal carving ski, and I guess most advanced skiiers will look elsewhere. Probably there will be a few advanced skiiers who happen to really gel with them, and maybe some intermediates who venture into the deep stuff occasionally will like them too.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I tested these skis out last easter and they were the best skis I had ever skied on! Their amazing in all conditions, great at carving, easy to turn on, fast and agile! they do take 1 or 2 runs to get used to the feel of them, and I definitely feel that they are the future for skis! It wasn't that long ago that the first ski with a round edge came out and people didn't think it was going to catch on, but it did! I instantly bought a pair as soon as they came out in shops, I got mine from Europaskilodge the staff were so kind and helpful and really knew what they were talking about, and I highly recommend them to everyone! http://www.europaskilodge.co.uk
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WebbD, they sound fantastic and shipped with bomber Z12 bindings I must be a fool for not buying sooner!
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Sorry if these a little picky but there are 2 versions of these ski's and it isnt clear when people post what ski they have used..so saying it was not very stable at high speed does not really mean much unless its clarified in the post which version it is. For me i used the 8.9 which i found extremely stable at high speed and had loads of power when carving at high speed. i am not sure if this would be true of its more flexible sibbling which is the 7.9 - cant comment as i never tried it.
either way i thought the model i used for a few hours was fantastic on the terrain i used it on.
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WTF is a ski with a round edge? It wasn't long ago that people laughed at Thomas Edison & Alexander Graeme Bell and now we have the Iphone - don't stand in the way of progression folks buy BBRs please! Pretty please!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| WebbD wrote: |
| I WORK FOR EUROPASKILODGE AND WE HAVE LOADS OF BBRS WE CAN'T SELL COME BUY BBRS FROM US PLEASE |
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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flowa,
send me your postal address i think i may be able to send you a pair of 8.9's reinforced with and RSJ - dont think it will be flappy crappy for you then...mind you i dont think you will float in the powder either
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Quote: |
Was shown an ad for these this morning featuring Eric
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Eric Davies one of the nicest guys you will ever meet! Spends far to much time on a snow/surf board these days for anyone to be analysing his Ski Technique. 
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| bobmcstuff wrote: |
| WebbD wrote: |
| I WORK FOR EUROPASKILODGE AND WE HAVE LOADS OF BBRS WE CAN'T SELL COME BUY BBRS FROM US PLEASE |
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+10,000. Me and all the 9999 ants living in my garage agree.
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You know it makes sense.
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My money's now on them being given away free or at nominal cost (sub £100) with a purchase of full price skis at next year's ski show. This has precedent - it happened to the Burton Fish which was in no way a bad board just targetted at a market segment which didn't really exist in Europe at the time.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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saw loads of BBRs this weekend...mainly on the feet of fat germans with ill fitting oakleys
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Poster: A snowHead
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i say on the fett..but didn't see any skied..mainly carried around lift stations and bars..but not one in the beautiful pow.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I honestly dont work there I live at least 2 hrs away, I used to live near them when I was little and got the odd jacket now and again before I went off skiing, I came back to see my parents for the weekend and decided to see if they were selling these skis. I was just giving a suggestion of where you could buy some and saying that they were really helpful and tell you all the pros and cons of the ski which most places i've been too don't!
Other people on here have been giving suggestions of where to buy them and you don't seem to be accusing them of anything!! no need to be so rude, just trying to help!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| WebbD wrote: |
I honestly dont work there I live at least 2 hrs away, I used to live near them when I was little and got the odd jacket now and again before I went off skiing, I came back to see my parents for the weekend and decided to see if they were selling these skis. I was just giving a suggestion of where you could buy some and saying that they were really helpful and tell you all the pros and cons of the ski which most places i've been too don't!
Other people on here have been giving suggestions of where to buy them and you don't seem to be accusing them of anything!! no need to be so rude, just trying to help! |
When someone comes on here and their first post is to recommend a shop, chalet, resort, or service, that person's proposal always comes off as a bit suspicious. That's especially true if the poster highlights his blatant plug in a bold blue type font. 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Sorry just thought it looked neater that's all, not used to forums and stuff.
Hope you guys don't thing I'm beeing sneeky or anything, honestly wasn't trying to promote anything, just trying to give my suggestions.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Before i get shot down in flames, I dont work for salomon and i dont know anybody that works for salomon and we bought these from a uk retailer as cheaper than italy.
We bought a pair of bbr 7.9 for o/h and a pair of bbr 8.9 for me. We have now skied for a week on them in all conditions. All i can say is WOW the most fun we have had
on a pair of skies. I have skied for 32 years and o/h 20 years. I have skied skis that were better on piste or off piste but never a pair that let you go anywere on the mountain
so easily. You can spend all day on the mountain going were ever you want to. The only thing i wasnt impresed with is how they handel big bumps.
So if you want a pair of skies that are very easy to use and you want to rip up the whole mountain i would recomend them.
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I have a pair of 8.9 BBR's and absolutely love them. As Peter42 says you can go absolutely anywhere on the mountain and they just seem to adapt to anything. I skied deep powder in St Anton over Christmas and hard packed pistes in Schladming the following week and they were fantastic. I've also skied on bumps at home and they handle them reasonably well. They are also incredibly quick. When you put them in a straight line they really move and feel as solid as a rock.
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anyone tried them tele??
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Not tried the BBR's myself but here is a review by a couple of people who generally know what they are talking about http://www.snoworks.co.uk/blog/?p=4687
They seem to work in most conditions 
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stewart woodward, Aren't they sponsored by Salomon though???
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FAQ
