Blizzard Bonafide Review

The Blizzard Bonafide is a burly ski that is well suited for firmer snow conditions. While it is 98mm underfoot, it skied more like the slim-waisted models we tested in the men's all-mountain ski category.

Performance Comparison

Stability at Speed

The Bonafides handle best at high speeds. At low and moderate speeds, the ski feels slightly clunky and cumbersome, but when you have the space and pitch to pick up momentum, it handles smoothly and consistently.

Along with two full layers of titanal, the Bonafide sports a carbon frame. The combination makes for a very damp ski, even at high speeds. Even at the top end of our testers' speed limits, chatter in the tip of the ski is minimal except in truly refrozen conditions.

The Bonafide is stable at high speeds and has a precise feel when arcing smooth wide turns in firm snow. The Bonafide has energy and a level of consistency when you put the pedal to the metal. To truly enjoy this ski, you'll want to pick up the pace.

Carving

When the piste is wide open and steep enough to gain speed, the Bonafide carves up the slope with the best of the all-mountain skis we tested. The camber underfoot and very slight rocker in the tips allows for maximum contact when you lay the skis on edge. The Bonafide has a similar turn shape to skis from the same manufacturer that we tested, but feels like it has slightly better edge hold.

Where the Bonafide falls short in this category when compared to our top performers in this category, in that it's harder to initiate a proper carving turn at any speed. It feels like the Bonafide takes a little more work and speed to lay over than similar skis in this category. But, once you have enough momentum, these skis will reward you with arcing turns that will make you feel like you're on a true GS ski.

Crud

The Bonafide doesn't best the King of Crud in this category, but it is burly enough to take on some pretty poor snow conditions. While it is unforgiving and gave our testers trouble in refrozen chicken heads and chunder, it is damp and stable enough to push through chopped up old powder and to hold an edge well on super firm windboard.

Because of the lack of tip rocker, the front of the ski tends to dive into the crud instead of float above it. Although the tail of this ski is relatively flat, our testers were able to release out of turns, even in horrible snow conditions. The Bonafide's best character trait in crud is its dampness. We credit its sheets of titanal. It clearly outperforms skis without metal in this area.

Powder

This ski does not feel incredibly lively when bouncing between turns in powder. When compared to skis of a similar waist width like the Bonafide falls short. These three skis have an aggressive tip rocker — the Bonafide does not. That causes its tips to sink into any soft snow.

What the Bonafide does have in its favor when the natural flakes fly is that it measures 135mm at the tip, 98mm underfoot, and 119mm in the tail. That is a lot of surface area compared to skinnier skis that we tested. All this is not to say that the Bonafide can't be fun in your average storm, but it prefers firm snow.

Playfulness

The Bonafide is all business up front and a little party in the back. It is stiff and sometimes unforgiving. Some of our testers even labeled it as not lively.

The ski is remarkably light considering how much metal it has in it. It also has some pop stemming from the popular beech wood found in the core. Our testers aren't scared to send any of the skis in our all-mountain category, and the Bonafide is no exception. But if you want to take a couple of park laps on your tour of the resort, this isn't your best option.

Bumps

The Bonafides ski long and stiff, and those traits do not make for a great bump ski. This ski requires too much speed and work to feel entirely comfortable mashing bumps. Our testers preferred a softer ski or a ski with more rocker.

When the moguls are small or you take them two or three at a time, it's easier to control the Bonafide and it's even fun. But it takes a strong and powerful skier to tame the beast. Make sure to size down if you do pick up a pair of Bonafide skis and intend to spend time on your favorite bump line.

Value

This ski isn't the best value as it runs in the middle of the pack in terms of cost but doesn't outperform any ski in our testing categories. However, Blizzard is known for its long lasting, durable products, and that's worth a lot. Some of our testers have pairs that have 4 or 5 ski patrol season on them and still have life.

Conclusion