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2022 Blossom Numero Uno N°1 SC

SkiTalk Test Team

Testing skis so you don't have to.
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Philpug: Compared to its stouter brother the Numero Uno N°1 RC, the N°1 SC is a lighter and softer version in the proven 121-71-106 shape. It is a great option for lighter guys or women who might not want a women’s ski. It is also an option for Level I or II instructors looking for that special teaching ski or preparing to take their next exam; it will make any turn shape, at any speed, ideal attributes for an instructor. Build quality is what you would expect from a boutique builder such as Blossom, so there is no compromise in on-snow feel.

I am trying to think of another ski like this on the market, and my brain is tired of being racked: a pure finesse mid-shaped carver. As I said in the initial review, this is a great ski for an aspiring carver, an instructor, and male and female finesse skiers. It is light and playful and just wants to please the skier. Turn initiation is easy, but the ski can be overpowered by stronger skiers.

JFB: The Numero Uno N*1 SC's are energetic, quick, bouncy, playful, powerful, fast, stable, damp, connected to the snow, utterly predictable. They provide lots of rebound have a good strong tail. They do precisely what is asked of them and urge you to go faster. Basically they ski like the soft-flexing slalom skis (dialed to 9 and no 11) they are. They engage and come around quickly, so they are wonderful for short turns in the fall line. Balance and timing are critical, though, as they are so quick that I don’t have a lot of time to correct before things get out of hand. That said, they are remarkably versatile for a ski with their short radius chops. I compared them to an (OLD) pair of Rossi 9S WCs with a 9 m sidecut and soft tip and so skied quite similarly but the Blossoms were clearly superior to the Rossis in every way.

The SCs have a 14 m sidecut but ski more like a 10 or 12 m ski, probably due to the soft flex. That, along with strong torsional muscle, allow the edges to engage very quickly and hold tight through the turn. They then deliver strong rebound and edging above or in the fall line brings instant and strong acceleration. And it doesn’t matter if it’s firm, boilerplate or icy – the edgehold is tenacious. Despite the quick 14 m sidecut radius, they manage long turns very well. That said, you can’t drop your hip and load them up in the fall line because if you do, they grip, flex and turn hard. They are much, much more stable in high-speed turns than I expect from a 14 m ski with that much edge hold and rebound. And they don’t wander on flat run-outs as much as I had expected.

In moguls, they are very well-behaved in soft bumps but get progressively grabbier as the bumps get firmer. The soft flex mitigates that a bit but it also helps them grab and go. My skills working on the delicate feathering that it takes to ski firmer bumps on them are a work in progress.Cut-up, lumpy groomers are handled with aplomb at slow and high speeds. No surprises, no getting thrown around. I have never ridden a better ski on scraped-off groomer with a mixed bag of slick boilerplate and loose piles of scraped-off.At 71 mm underfoot, they are not powder skis, but hold their own and are still fun in up to 8” of sierra pow. The soft flex probably helps in that department. I recently had a very nice day off piste with 6-8” of moderate sierra powder over coral reef.

Finally, they are great to teach on. It is surprisingly easy to skid turns for beginners and they will slide sideways at will but, being what they are, the occasional flat 360 is a challenge. And I would want to be on something else off-piste on a big powder day.

Insider tip 1: Bypass the 310 binding and put on a better 12-DIN race-derived option.​
Insider tip 2: If you feel you are between sizes, err to the longer of the two sizes. Ski the N°1 SC closer to head height.​
 
Who is it for?
A lighter skier looking for a technical ski on the finesse side of the scale.
Who is it not for?
Stronger, more powerful skiers -- but that's why Blossom offers the N°1 RC.
Skier ability
  1. Beginner/Novice
  2. Intermediate
  3. Advanced
Ski category
  1. Race
  2. Frontside
Ski attributes
  1. Groomers
Segment
  1. Men
  2. Women

Specifications

right ad
Available sizes
145, 151,158, 164, 170, 176
Dimensions
121-71-106
Radius
11m@158cm
Rocker profile
  1. Full camber
Size Scaling
  1. Construction
  2. Dimensions
Construction design
  1. Carryover
Binding options
  1. Flat
  2. System
  3. Plate

Dakine

Far Out
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Joined
Dec 21, 2015
Posts
1,155
Location
Tip of the Mitt
Mine are mounted with a Marker piston plate setup.
Roger the unique finesse these have to offer but I think a good skier over 175 pounds can easily overpower them.
Roger the 360 flat spin comment, I tore my piriformis muscle trying this on them.
I think they work particularly well for older skiers with good technique who can't really power up a stiffer ski.
 

Tony S

I have a confusion to make ...
Skier
Team Gathermeister
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Posts
12,619
Location
Maine
Philpug: Compared to its stouter brother the Numero Uno N°1 RC, the N°1 SC is a lighter and softer version in the proven 121-71-106 shape. It is a great option for lighter guys or women who might not want a women’s ski. It is also an option for Level I or II instructors looking for that special teaching ski or preparing to take their next exam; it will make any turn shape, at any speed, ideal attributes for an instructor. Build quality is what you would expect from a boutique builder such as Blossom, so there is no compromise in on-snow feel.

I am trying to think of another ski like this on the market, and my brain is tired of being racked: a pure finesse mid-shaped carver. As I said in the initial review, this is a great ski for an aspiring carver, an instructor, and male and female finesse skiers. It is light and playful and just wants to please the skier. Turn initiation is easy, but the ski can be overpowered by stronger skiers.

JFB: The Numero Uno N*1 SC's are energetic, quick, bouncy, playful, powerful, fast, stable, damp, connected to the snow, utterly predictable. They provide lots of rebound have a good strong tail. They do precisely what is asked of them and urge you to go faster. Basically they ski like the soft-flexing slalom skis (dialed to 9 and no 11) they are. They engage and come around quickly, so they are wonderful for short turns in the fall line. Balance and timing are critical, though, as they are so quick that I don’t have a lot of time to correct before things get out of hand. That said, they are remarkably versatile for a ski with their short radius chops. I compared them to an (OLD) pair of Rossi 9S WCs with a 9 m sidecut and soft tip and so skied quite similarly but the Blossoms were clearly superior to the Rossis in every way.

The SCs have a 14 m sidecut but ski more like a 10 or 12 m ski, probably due to the soft flex. That, along with strong torsional muscle, allow the edges to engage very quickly and hold tight through the turn. They then deliver strong rebound and edging above or in the fall line brings instant and strong acceleration. And it doesn’t matter if it’s firm, boilerplate or icy – the edgehold is tenacious. Despite the quick 14 m sidecut radius, they manage long turns very well. That said, you can’t drop your hip and load them up in the fall line because if you do, they grip, flex and turn hard. They are much, much more stable in high-speed turns than I expect from a 14 m ski with that much edge hold and rebound. And they don’t wander on flat run-outs as much as I had expected.

In moguls, they are very well-behaved in soft bumps but get progressively grabbier as the bumps get firmer. The soft flex mitigates that a bit but it also helps them grab and go. My skills working on the delicate feathering that it takes to ski firmer bumps on them are a work in progress.Cut-up, lumpy groomers are handled with aplomb at slow and high speeds. No surprises, no getting thrown around. I have never ridden a better ski on scraped-off groomer with a mixed bag of slick boilerplate and loose piles of scraped-off.At 71 mm underfoot, they are not powder skis, but hold their own and are still fun in up to 8” of sierra pow. The soft flex probably helps in that department. I recently had a very nice day off piste with 6-8” of moderate sierra powder over coral reef.

Finally, they are great to teach on. It is surprisingly easy to skid turns for beginners and they will slide sideways at will but, being what they are, the occasional flat 360 is a challenge. And I would want to be on something else off-piste on a big powder day.

Insider tip 1: Bypass the 310 binding and put on a better 12-DIN race-derived option.​
Insider tip 2: If you feel you are between sizes, err to the longer of the two sizes. Ski the N°1 SC closer to head height.​
Why can't I place "JFB"?
 

JFB

Out on the slopes
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 11, 2016
Posts
510
I currently have 3 pair - I bought the pair of SCs that I demo-ed from Phil. Plus I just added a pair of Blossom AM85s to the quiver for mixed conditions. And the great shape, now called the No 1 RC, is my daily driver for telemark. You can safely say that I like the way the Blossoms ski.
 
Last edited:

Premier Skis

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Apr 26, 2017
Posts
127
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Seattle, Washington
Philpug: As I said in the initial review, this is a great ski for an aspiring carver, an instructor, and male and female finesse skiers.

To reiterate Phil's point, we put a fairly light Level III instructor (5'7", 140 pounds) on this ski who absolutely loves it for both his teaching and personal skiing. In fact, one of PSIA's National Team members skied with this customer at last year's National Academy and told him "I've never seen you ski better than you do on that ski". A pretty good endorsement, I'd say!

Mike
 

Tony S

I have a confusion to make ...
Skier
Team Gathermeister
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Posts
12,619
Location
Maine
To reiterate Phil's point, we put a fairly light Level III instructor (5'7", 140 pounds) on this ski who absolutely loves it for both his teaching and personal skiing. In fact, one of PSIA's National Team members skied with this customer at last year's National Academy and told him "I've never seen you ski better than you do on that ski". A pretty good endorsement, I'd say!

Mike
What length is that person on?
 

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