2021 Blossom Cross Wind
- Thread starter SkiTalk Test Team
- Start date
I didnt see the white out tip pics.
Thanks @Ron and @Andy Mink. This is my first season on my Vist Crossover IIs (same ski as the White Out) and I’ve yet to encounter anything they cannot handle in Tahoe. The skis, along with the Vist Speed Lock plates and bindings, instill total and complete confidence.
pics lie!
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2016
- Posts
- 363
Anyone know the weight of these Cross winds? 172/178...
Long Term Update:
Finally got on the Crosswind this Am while skiing with @Jwrags this was interesting because he has the 175 Stöckli Laser AX and has the same BSL as me. I was able to jump on the Stöckli while testing the Crosswind. Although the Whiteout is the better comparison, the Blossoms line contains a very similar feel throughout. Blossom once again applies the same winning formula to the Crosswind they are using for all their other skis; superbly smooth, quiet and composed. Damp, but not as damp as a Stöckli but I dont miss that on the Blossoms, there's a great snow feel that I really enjoy. If you read my Blossom SL review, (still yet to be published) the Crosswind possesses much of the same feel, responsiveness and precision but on a wider chassis. I skied the Crosswind on grippy, fast, hero snow groomers, some soft bumps and tracked out snow and loved this ski. It was superbly tuned by EdgeWerks here in steamboat and that highlighted how good this ski is. Ski it fast, slow or noodle around on it. It could make a great teaching ski. The 178 length is perfect if you are already skiing groomer skis in similar lengths. The 18m TR can be tightened considerably and the tip is just soft enough to absorb in the bumps but firm/supportive enough when putting the ski on edge and driving the tip on carved turns. The tail is firm but I wouldn't call it overly stiff, it flows very well through the turn. It can released well in crud and bumps. I would be hard-pressed however to choose between the Crosswind and the Whiteout. It would really come down to honestly evaluating where you will use it most.
Finally got on the Crosswind this Am while skiing with @Jwrags this was interesting because he has the 175 Stöckli Laser AX and has the same BSL as me. I was able to jump on the Stöckli while testing the Crosswind. Although the Whiteout is the better comparison, the Blossoms line contains a very similar feel throughout. Blossom once again applies the same winning formula to the Crosswind they are using for all their other skis; superbly smooth, quiet and composed. Damp, but not as damp as a Stöckli but I dont miss that on the Blossoms, there's a great snow feel that I really enjoy. If you read my Blossom SL review, (still yet to be published) the Crosswind possesses much of the same feel, responsiveness and precision but on a wider chassis. I skied the Crosswind on grippy, fast, hero snow groomers, some soft bumps and tracked out snow and loved this ski. It was superbly tuned by EdgeWerks here in steamboat and that highlighted how good this ski is. Ski it fast, slow or noodle around on it. It could make a great teaching ski. The 178 length is perfect if you are already skiing groomer skis in similar lengths. The 18m TR can be tightened considerably and the tip is just soft enough to absorb in the bumps but firm/supportive enough when putting the ski on edge and driving the tip on carved turns. The tail is firm but I wouldn't call it overly stiff, it flows very well through the turn. It can released well in crud and bumps. I would be hard-pressed however to choose between the Crosswind and the Whiteout. It would really come down to honestly evaluating where you will use it most.
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The Crosswind was indeed a nice ski. Lighter than the AX and softer in the tip. Not as “serious” as the AX.
not serious as in more lively more energy and pop? Yes. The Stöckli is more grounded, damp
The Blossom Cross Wind intrigues me. The question is if I were to acquire a pair what length, 178 or 184? My current quiver is all 180s to 185s with the exception being a 179 K2 Mindbender 108TI (the 186 was a little slow in response time for what I wanted). The last "small" (the term is relative) ski I owned was a Rossi E88 (the green tipped version). It was a fine ski but I ended up really disliking it primarily because of its length. I bought it from my brother who used it as one of his teaching skis I think it was a 176, can't recall precisely. I found it to be unstable when pushing hard in the steeps at speed. On the other hand the Mindbender is quite stable at speed, presumably the titanal y beam. Does Blossom measure their skis based on straight tape pull? In other words are they like K2 were a 179 is a 179 or other manufactures where a 178 is really a 176 and a 184 is a 182? Thanks for the thoughts.
I don't know if it's straight pull or not but I liked the 178 for the slightly shorter turn radius. I'm at 190-195 and 5'10". It was plenty stable for as fast as I go (and sometimes that's fairly fast). I find it easier to make a shorter radius ski turn longer than a longer one turn shorter.
everyone has a different way to measure, but most do a pull based on the "re-rockered" length of a ski. In the case of the Blossom Cross Wind, there may some form or hint of rocker but I cant find it. I will post up an actual tip-to-tail "straight pull" measurement later.
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The Crosswind and all Blossoms I have skied, ski "true to length".
these are not like a rockered powder ski, the "actual" lengths are within a few mm's not Cm's.
Has anybody skied this and a Blizzard Brahma and can compare? I am considering a few other skis in this width range (Enforcer 88, new old stock Monster 88, Fischer RC One), but seeing as there are closeout deals, these intrigue me, and I've demoed the Brahmas so it's my best point of comparison in this width range.
How's this compare to MX84? I'm debating if I should pull the trigger on them.
